I want to upgrade my CPU, should i?

[Haz123]

I don't know anything about Cinebench R23, but according to wikichip, the max clock for an i9-7980 XE (with all 18 cores pegged) is 3.4 Ghz, so that cinebench result (assuming Haz123 is referring to the same source as I) looks too high.

I can't find any review sources, I think because R23 is too new and wasn't used with older CPUs, but Nanoreview (never heard of it) puts the i9-7980 XE in the region of a 10900K (17.5 - 18K), which is 8 cores down, but has a massively higher boost clock.

Yeah the 28k score is most likely the world record with the cpu under LN2 so not really a comparative score to an average 7980XE system and the sub 18k score does make more sense. My fault for thinking it was a normal score. What that all means is the cpu is working just fine and within expectations.

This leads us back to the original question and whether an upgrade is a good idea. One option is to just get the best and go for AM5 7950X 32gb DDR5 and X670 mobo but that is close to £1500. Other options are relevant but that is the only one that will give a large uplift in both productivety and gaming.
Is very difficult to advise when productivety tasks are involved because there can be very large variations in results. For instance , your 7980XE on the HEDT platform with quad channel memory and supports AVX512, not all cpus over the past 5 years has AVX512 support so if the software you use utilizes AVX512 the performance uplift with cpus with it supported is massive.

Search for benchmarks with your most used programmes is a good idea. There may be surprising results.

 

[Tetras]

Is very difficult to advise when productivety tasks are involved because there can be very large variations in results. For instance , your 7980XE on the HEDT platform with quad channel memory and supports AVX512, not all cpus over the past 5 years has AVX512 support so if the software you use utilizes AVX512 the performance uplift with cpus with it supported is massive.

Search for benchmarks with your most used programmes is a good idea. There may be surprising results.

Yeah, it's also possible that the OP is experiencing something like an I/O bottleneck (SSD/HDD/USB?), running out of memory, or just symptoms of a bloated install, so without knowing exactly what the problem is (where the system is feeling sluggish/degraded), it's even harder to say what would be worthwhile.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

Bloated install could be a possibility. But the only way that would be fixed would be with a reinstall. So i might as well get a new OS SSD.

I guess the bottom line questions are: is my CPU still going to be valid for a while? How do I know which new motherboard is gonna be compatible with my rig?

 

[Haz123]

How do I know which new motherboard is gonna be compatible with my rig?

That is actually the easiest question. Any X299 motherboard is compatable with your CPU.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

That is actually the easiest question. Any X299 motherboard is compatable with your CPU.

Thank you, but didn't someone say a couple pages ago that there could be space/casing issue because of how *peculiar* alienware cases are?

 

[Tetras]

Bloated install could be a possibility. But the only way that would be fixed would be with a reinstall. So i might as well get a new OS SSD.

It is possible yeah, so if it isn't too much of a headache then it could be worth a try. FYI: I believe your system supports Windows 11 and the 'upgrade' is free.

Do check you have all your software keys first though, because workstations apps are very expensive.

I guess the bottom line questions are: is my CPU still going to be valid for a while?

If Nanoreview are correct and your score is equivalent to an i9-10900K then your CPU is pretty damn fast. That would be more than enough for the average user for the next 5 years. But, if for example: you're spending hours waiting for renders to complete, then a high-end replacement system like Haz123 suggested (Ryzen 7950X) will be far faster and could save you days of waiting time in a year, assuming that your bottleneck is CPU power and not RAM or I/O. Since you do have a decent system already, you'd have to pay through the nose to upgrade, so personally I would just leave it be and try to sort whatever issue(s) you are having. Your R23 score suggests there is not a hardware problem.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

Thank you for your suggestions and opinions.
I believe I will keep my CPU, but I still think a better mobo could be an interesting idea. And a new OS SSD, just in case. Are there any measurements I'd take for the mobo?

 

[Tetras]

Thank you for your suggestions and opinions.
I believe I will keep my CPU, but I still think a better mobo could be an interesting idea. And a new OS SSD, just in case. Are there any measurements I'd take for the mobo?

When I googled your system model you can get up the service manual and specifications, and from what I saw it is standard (full-size) ATX format (9 screws), with a standard ATX PSU (24 pin + 4/8 pin), but even if that's true, you may find that it has connectors that a new motherboard doesn't have. If you google upgrading your system model, you should find some advice and comments (and the pitfalls!) from people that have already done it, possibly even some youtube videos to walk you through the process.

My personal opinion is that a new motherboard would be a waste of money, since they don't really offer you anything new and don't come cheap (unless you buy one of those Chinese ones) and you might as well just invest in an entirely new platform at that point, which would have better upgrade potential and newer features.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

I guess you're right. I syuppose I just have to find a way to recycle most of what I have. Or maybe I'd just buy a new CPU+Mobo combo?

 

[Tetras]

I guess you're right. I syuppose I just have to find a way to recycle most of what I have. Or maybe I'd just buy a new CPU+Mobo combo?

I'd try and sort it out first, because my impression is that you don't really know what the problem is (or even if there is one) and if you don't establish the facts, you won't know for sure if you need a new anything.

I would suggest:
1. Find out what (if anything) is going wrong, which might be a fresh install, it could involve downloading more benchmarking and monitoring software.
2. If there is a performance bottleneck (e.g. due to the SSD/HDD), then decide if you can deal with that through an upgrade, or not.
3. If there is overheating: then as above.

FYI: Bottlenecks can often be found just by running task manager and seeing what part is pegged at 100%, but it would help if you can describe more explicitly exactly what you're not happy with.

What I would not do right now, is start buying new things in the hope it might help.

Apologies if I'm assuming too much and you've done more investigating, I'm just concerned that there's a guessing game here and that could get very expensive for you, without actually resolving the issue.

As far as buying a new CPU and motherboard, from what I've google, I think you probably could get away with that (but download the specs and service manual yourself, because I can't confirm 100% that I'm getting the right ones for your system).

 

[Dark_Ansem]

I've checked in the past, but bloated install seems the most likely cause.

At any rate, i feel that i may still be due for a CPU upgrade. I was thinking of switching to AMD, but I'm wondering if a new motherboard will fit inside the case, as apparently Alder Lake runs really hot and raptor lake isn't going to be a huge improvement?

 

[Tetras]

At any rate, i feel that i may still be due for a CPU upgrade. I was thinking of switching to AMD, but I'm wondering if a new motherboard will fit inside the case, as apparently Alder Lake runs really hot and raptor lake isn't going to be a huge improvement?

Did you download the service manual yet? As far as I'm aware, it has the same number of screws and dimensions as an ATX (full-size) board, so it should fit. If you look at the pattern of screws in an ATX board, it's fairly easy to tell whether it would align with the case standoffs (or not).

How is the CPU cooled, currently? I think you mentioned water cooling earlier, or am I mistaken? For a new CPU to be a meaningful upgrade (if it performs similarly to a i9-10900K as nanoreview suggest) then you'd need something very high-end and since you plan to peg it at 100% for long-periods, a decent cooler is a must.

I don't know if an AIO is feasible (I suspect not), you'd need to check. An air cooler should be, but you'd need to measure how much clearance you have (height, primarily) and you'd need a decent one which is going to be pretty bulky.

12th gen CPUs run hot just because they use a lot of power (if they're power unlocked), AM5 runs very hot indeed. But, with AM5 and 13th gen you can power limit them (AMD have 'eco mode') and 13th gen is supposedly going to be very efficient when power limited. I think it would be best (whether Intel or AMD) that you make use of this mode, because I'd hate to pay the power bill for pegging a Ryzen 9/Core i9 at 100% for days on end.