Good choice or waste of money?

RDCorporation

RDCorporation

RDCorporation

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6 Sep 2017
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Hi everyone :)

Although I try and keep up with recent gear considering it's a hobby of mine (probably enjoy building a PC more than actually using it ) I think I need advice of more knowledgeable people here.

Last PC I built, I've convinced myself (and my fiancee) that it's mainly for video editing but in reality it was purely for gaming. It was when AMD released Ryzen 1600, I got a GTX1080, 16gb of RAM, NVME SSD and XPS 34" 1440p Ultrawide Monitor.

Now that I do a lot more video editing and it brings a good chunk of money, I really need a PC coping with the demand. I've been doing fine so far using Premiere Pro but getting kinda tired of slow speed of the PC while editing.

So, I had a look on numerous ocassions what gear I can upgrade to and I think I came to conclusion that for time being, I want to avoid AM5 and DDR5 as I see a lot of people having issues, being a new platform. I might be wrong though.

Narrowed it down to:
CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B550-A
RAM: 2x 32GB Corsair DDR4 Vengeance RGB Pro 3600mhz. (Ideally I'd love to go with 128GB but not sure I should?)

The rest of components I am not too worried about, I'l get a new PSU and a new NVME drive.

I no longer play games and if I do, it's something casual like Dota or Factorio. So most important to me right now is the ability to edit videos and work in Adobe Suite, including After Effects.

Am I choosing the right components or wasting money instead of considering something else?

Thanks everyone :)
 
In Puget's Premier Pro results, it seems to perform much better on Intel systems, so much so that I'm pretty confused :o They seem to partially credit QuickSync for this. After Effects seems to be more even.

But, in Hardware Unboxed's review of the 13500, Ryzen was much more competitive and I suspect this is because Hardware Unboxed used 6000 DDR5 for Zen 4, whereas Puget used only 4800.

Anyway, if you already have a compatible motherboard, I'd probably get the 5950X, but if you're buying one and want to avoid AM5/DDR5, I think I'd go for an i5-13600K or i7-13700 non-K, together with B760.
 
Interesting, I always thought Ryzen was better suited for multi tasking / workhorse type of activities. Maybe it's time to take a look at Intel after all.
Thank you for the suggestion.

I don't have compatible motherboard so I would be buying fresh hardware. There is an option to drop a 5600x into my B350 board but I think I am after some bigger gains here...

Not sure how AM5 is but I see a lot of DDR5 and boot speed issues popping up and this being my workhorse PC, I want it to be somewhat reliable, hence DDR4.
 
RDCorporation said:
Interesting, I always thought Ryzen was better suited for multi tasking / workhorse type of activities. Maybe it's time to take a look at Intel after all.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that Adobe has always had a somewhat unique benchmarking profile in comparison to other workstation apps like blender, but, 12/13th gen systems actually reverse the trend that was established with first gen Ryzen of superior multi-threading/multi-tasking performance, partly because of the hybrid architecture (for example: the i5-K was always a great gaming CPU, but it is now a great productivity CPU too and beats the Ryzen 7600 and even 7700 for this type of usage).

I just wouldn't want to buy a new AM4 board anymore for this kind of budget. While it is true the 5900X and 5950X are still competitive in heavily multi-threaded apps, I'd rather have a combination of single-core and multi-core performance, especially for Adobe and AM5 (at the higher-end) or 13th gen (from the i5-13600K) give you both.

In regards to the RAM, have you actually monitored your usage (with something like task manager) when you're experiencing the slow downs? It would be awkward if you found out the bottleneck was actually the SSD or something :o
 
Thanks for that information, I'll certainly take a look at Intel now, haven't even considered it one bit before
I guess my approach took a turn as well when I admitted to myself I barely play games on PC.

I see what you saying about spending similar money for AM4 that you could spend for a newer generation instead...

I have, RAM is at 95% usage and CPU at 100% usage.
Don't know how familiar you're with Premiere Pro but for every project I do, I have to create proxies (low resolution files) just to edit more comfortably. As soon as you switch it off its pretty much impossible to even scroll through timeline without much trouble.
Don't even get me started on putting any effects or working in After Effects

I am sure CPU is struggling the most but I might as well build something more capable overall instead of trying to add a tad of performance by just switching out the CPU on current board.

Thanks:)
 
So after the suggestion, toying around with the idea of the following:

CPU: i7 13700k
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B760-F
RAM: 2x 32GB Dominator DDR5 6000mhz

How does that look? Is Dominator RAM worth it?
I mean looks wise it is

Thanks.
 
Are you totally sure that your mobo is not capable of a bios update and be able to use a 5000 series cpu? If you look on the mobo website it will list the compatability with newer cpus and almost all B350 and X370 mobos now have upto date bios.

With ram you can pretty much look at the speed and cl number to judge how it will perform. For Ryzen 7000 cpus you ideally want expo 6000mhz cl30 ram but for intel you can go much faster. Ram speed is very beneficial for photo editing but less so for Premier pro , 6000mhz is a good middle ground and should not be too expensive.

One thing to note with an Intel cpu , if you are doing full core loads it will use a lot of power and require good cooling. A Ryzen 5950x or 7950x are very frugal in comparison and kick out less heat
 
Yes, I can update my mobo and put a 5600x or something but compared to new CPU's it's still not as great.
I mean, it's great money wise but I think I can dedicate some money for a new build to "future" proof it for a while. As the work brings in money, I don't mind spending a bit more for a better system.

I did see the power draw of those Intel CPU's, which is one thing I am a little hesitant but then again, if performs is better, it might be worth it. Just is it better enough to justify it ?

Too many options :D
 
Yeah you can go for a 5950x with bios 6042. If you get new 3600mhz cl14 memory it will run just fine, memory controller is on the cpu so the older mobo will not hold you back

rog.asus.com

ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING | Motherboards | ROG United States

Experience next-level performance with the ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING, powered by AMD® Ryzen™ AM4 processors. Unlock your system’s full potential with 5-Way Optimization featuring SafeSlot and Fan Xpert 4 while personalizing your build with AURA Sync RGB lighting. Integrated NVMe M.2, gigabit LAN...
rog.asus.com rog.asus.com

The power draw with Intel cpus is only high with full core loads. When editting and looking through the timeline it will be ok but as soon as you press render it will go very high, almost 300w for 13700k iirc. A comparable Ryzen system will use far less power than that especially when the 7000 series are run in eco mode. I do not know where your pc will be situated so not sure if the large power draw will be an issue for you, it can help heat the house in the winter for sure.
 
RDCorporation said:
So after the suggestion, toying around with the idea of the following:

CPU: i7 13700k
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B760-F
RAM: 2x 32GB Dominator DDR5 6000mhz

How does that look? Is Dominator RAM worth it?
I mean looks wise it is
Click to expand...
This is a solid combo
Although 5950X would give you a huge boost over your current one, unless you get one second hand it is not worth it. And I have my doubts whether B350-f can run it well.

I support going with new system/DDR5 route and I think for these tasks AMD and Intel are pretty much equivalent.
My personal preference would be AMD 7900X or 7950X for lower power usage. Although either way you need a good AIO.

Memory is tricky. Having 64GB makes sense for a productivity machine.
I would avoid 4 stick route if possible, so that leaves 2x32 kits, and choice there is not great.
That said Dominator 6000 CL40 is decent.

As an alternative, more performance, less RAM for same-ish price
My basket at OcUK:

Total: £1,010.00​


[/url]
​
 
mickyflinn said:
5900x for £300 is a solid upgrade then just add more ram.

@Haz123 his motherboard is limited to 3200mhz speed will 3600MHz work ?
Click to expand...
Certainly makes sense money wise.

I think my board only accepts 16gb of RAM per slot, is it worth buying two identical kits and filling up 4 slots to achieve 64GB? Or am I better of with 32GB in 2 slots for best performance?

Thanks!
 
RDCorporation said:
Certainly makes sense money wise.

I think my board only accepts 16gb of RAM per slot, is it worth buying two identical kits and filling up 4 slots to achieve 64GB? Or am I better of with 32GB in 2 slots for best performance?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I think 4 X 16gb will give you slightly better performance but can be more problematic , such as reaching higher frequency and stability . Mite be worth looking into a bit further or another thread in the memory section of the forum

Take a look at the qvl list for memory on your motherboard .
 
alec said:
This is a solid combo
Although 5950X would give you a huge boost over your current one, unless you get one second hand it is not worth it. And I have my doubts whether B350-f can run it well.

I support going with new system/DDR5 route and I think for these tasks AMD and Intel are pretty much equivalent.
My personal preference would be AMD 7900X or 7950X for lower power usage. Although either way you need a good AIO.

Memory is tricky. Having 64GB makes sense for a productivity machine.
I would avoid 4 stick route if possible, so that leaves 2x32 kits, and choice there is not great.
That said Dominator 6000 CL40 is decent.

As an alternative, more performance, less RAM for same-ish price
My basket at OcUK:

Total: £1,010.00​

​
[/url]​
​
Click to expand...

You just came in and added further confusion ahah.

My thoughts exactly, I wasn't sure if an older B350 board can reliably support newer CPU's. I understand the bios update let's me use them but will it be working to it's full potential? Is the board going to provide power as it should? As I say, I have no idea hence I looked in the direction of a new fresh build.

I have seen some CL30 kits for DDR5 that might be worth checking.

I guess I just need to make up my mind at this point as there isnt a single best choice by looks if things.

Thank you for taking the time to advice me :)
 
For your usecase more ram is always better. You can run 4 sticks with Ryzen 5000 cpus , i am at the moment and have done so for almost 2 years. You may not be able to run 3600 cl16 with 4 sticks but that is entirely silicon lottery, you would need advice from someone who is running 4 sticks with a 5950x.

Your mobo says it only supports certain module sizes and speeds but that is most likely because that was all that was available when Ryzen was originally released. I personally would buy a 2x32gb 3600mhz cl14 ryzen tuned kit and test it, if it didnt work send it back under DSR. Or just test a 2x32gb 3200mhz kit.
RDCorporation said:
I guess I just need to make up my mind at this point as there isnt a single best choice by looks if things.
Click to expand...


There are a lot of good choices at the moment, as PC enthusiasts this is a really strange period of time because it is normally a one sided contest for someone. The option by alec is very tempting and you would be getting a vast performance upgrade for just 1k , you would need a new cooler most likely so add on another £80-100.

Personally if I was using Premier Pro 24/7 I would go for intel and the 13700 ( or 13700k if its only £10 more , do not get the F versions with no IGP , you want the IGP) would be my choice. Intel always seems to run smoother in the timeline and is more pleasant to scrub etc.

Sorry to have confused with talk about bios updates and 5950x , it was just puzzling me at the time.
 
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