I wish I could say the same. I love Cubase, but it is the least efficient of my DAWs when it comes to VST VS CPU performance. Like the OP, I’ve had to increase latency to 512 to avoid clicks and spiked out CPUs.
I ran tests with same plugins, same midi sequence, etc., on C8, LogicX, StudioOne3. S1 was the most efficient, then Logic, and a distant third was Cubase.
I want to emphasize that the test wasn’t formal. I put it together quickly because I was just really frustrated by the fact that newer VSTs were bringing my system to its knees with only 1 or 2 instances. In Logic and S1, this isn’t the case.
Drives me nuts.