In older versions of Cubase, there was an audible latent delay when using PowerCore. Cubase VST/32 v5.0 includes a latency compensation option. We've tested this option with the Powercore here, and it worked very well.
To enable this option in Cubase, go to the OPTIONS menu, and choose "Audio System" >>> "Sytem" . The option "Plug-in Delay Compensation" will appear toward the bottom-leftof the window. Click the box next to the option to enable it.


Using Powercore plug-ins will still use a small amount of CPU power. This is because Cubase needs to "prepare" the audio to be interpreted and processed by the PowerCore. Then Cubase has to re-interpret that information once the PowerCore processs the audio and send it back. All this takes a small amount of CPU power.
Our tests on a G4/733 showed that about 10 PowerCore plugins used about 10-15% CPU power. This will typically be the same for any PowerCore plug-in. Of course, the % of load on your CPU will depend on the type and speed of computer you have.