Tomahawk B450 w/ 3900x

Skynet5 · 18 Jan 2020 at 17:05

Anyone doing this?

Success?

tamzzy · 18 Jan 2020 at 17:09

3900x would probably provide similar results (the 3900x chiplets are poorer binned)

EsaT · 18 Jan 2020 at 17:30

Keep good case airflow especially if you have hot high end graphics card dumping lots of heat into case.
Fortunately gaming doesn't load high core count CPUs as heavily as 3D rendering etc.
But full CPU load heating up VRM and at the same time some 250+ W like of heat from graphics card into case could fast cause quite hot temps.

Skynet5 · 18 Jan 2020 at 19:19

So tempted by this board as it seems to be almost the board of the decade. Ok maybe not, but it seems might impressive.

Ill likely build it into my massive thermaltake x9 case which has a few fans all around.

CuriousTomCat · 18 Jan 2020 at 19:23

It would be silly to underspend on the motherboard if you're buying a 3900x.

It would be different in 5 years time when 16 core chips are going for £100 on the used market and you have a Tomahawk B450 laying around. That's the kind of thing I'm panning to do in the future when my 2600 struggles because I bought the Tomahawk especially so I can do a future CPU upgrade.

Skynet5 · 18 Jan 2020 at 20:29

CuriousTomCat said:
It would be silly to underspend on the motherboard if you're buying a 3900x.

It would be different in 5 years time when 16 core chips are going for £100 on the used market and you have a Tomahawk B450 laying around. That's the kind of thing I'm panning to do in the future when my 2600 struggles because I bought the Tomahawk especially so I can do a future CPU upgrade.

But if it runs the chip, and I don't need any thing else mobo wise, wouldn't it be silly to spend anything more?

X570 are expensive to get a decent one.

CuriousTomCat · 18 Jan 2020 at 21:15

lnoton said:
But if it runs the chip, and I don't need any thing else mobo wise, wouldn't it be silly to spend anything more?

X570 are expensive to get a decent one.

Yes I agree 100% that the X570 motherboards are very expensive. Yet I also think 12 core CPUs are very expensive as well.

I just think it makes sense that a CPU should cost twice as much as a motherboard. Also a graphics card should cost twice as much as a CPU. Then it's evenly matched. So a £250 motherboard + £500 CPU + £1000 GPU. Or a £100 motherboard + £200 CPU + £400 GPU.

If you're on a budget and need a 3900x then why not get a used X470 with good VRMs?

Joxeon · 18 Jan 2020 at 22:20

lnoton said:
But if it runs the chip, and I don't need any thing else mobo wise, wouldn't it be silly to spend anything more?

X570 are expensive to get a decent one.

The tomahawk can handle a 12 core better than some of the budget x570s, I'm planning to stick a 4900x into mine next xmas.
Here is an excellent guide showing which motherboard can handle which CPUs at stock and overclocked.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d9_E3h8bLp-TXr-0zTJFqqVxdCR9daIVNyMatydkpFA/htmlview

MartinPrince · 22 Jan 2020 at 17:14

lnoton said:
Anyone doing this?

Success?

Yes, I've done it and it was perfectly fine. Especially once the newer AGESA was out. The only issue I had was that the DRam voltage was not set to the correct 1.35v when using XMP (defaulted to 1.2v so had to set it manually) but that may well be fixed now as I had mine around 3900X release date.

Skynet5 · 22 Jan 2020 at 18:02

MartinPrince said:
Yes, I've done it and it was perfectly fine. Especially once the newer AGESA was out. The only issue I had was that the DRam voltage was not set to the correct 1.35v when using XMP (defaulted to 1.2v so had to set it manually) but that may well be fixed now as I had mine around 3900X release date.

So many say buying this board for the 3900x makes no sense due to the pricing disparity. To me it seems logical. I also have a dedicated sound card ae-5 so have no care for audio.

1 m.2 is fine as well.

Think I'll do this.

Holst1981 · 22 Jan 2020 at 18:58

lnoton said:
So many say buying this board for the 3900x makes no sense due to the pricing disparity. To me it seems logical. I also have a dedicated sound card ae-5 so have no care for audio.

1 m.2 is fine as well.

Think I'll do this.

As long as you understand the other limitations then the B450 tomahawk is a good choice.
I had to retire a couple of old HDD as I ran out of SATA ports (coming from x99)

Skynet5 · 22 Jan 2020 at 19:31

Holst1981 said:
As long as you understand the other limitations then the B450 tomahawk is a good choice.
I had to retire a couple of old HDD as I ran out of SATA ports (coming from x99)

I guess I have to ask. Other than crap sound, no pci 4,1 m.2, not a lot of Sata, what other limitations are there?

MartinPrince · 22 Jan 2020 at 20:26

lnoton said:
I guess I have to ask. Other than crap sound, no pci 4,1 m.2, not a lot of Sata, what other limitations are there?

It has 6 x SATA3 which is pretty much standard on all newish motherboards. My Z390 ROG Max XI code has 6 as well as my X470 and so does the X570 Aorus Master.

It's a great board and apart from the odd few points in benchmarks you won't notice the difference in performance with X570 boards, plus you miss out on not having a fan on your chipset. Just partner it will some cheap E-die 3200 C16 and you're sorted.

spolsh · 22 Jan 2020 at 20:35

MartinPrince said:
It has 6 x SATA3 which is pretty much standard on all motherboards.

Drops to four when you also have an m2. (That caught me out )

spolsh · 22 Jan 2020 at 20:37

edit : typed some nonsense and had no delete option.

MartinPrince · 22 Jan 2020 at 20:39

spolsh said:
Drops to four when you also have an m2. (That caught me out )

It would have got me as well then!

Is that M.2 NVME or M.2 SATA though?
Edit. That's any M.2 so that is 4 free after your M.2 - who needs more than 4 anyway.

Skynet5 · 22 Jan 2020 at 21:20

Already got my teamgroup 3600 c16 sitting in a draw.

I think I'm ready.

I have a budget and I'd rather do 3900 and cheap board than expensive board and 3800.

Will use stock cooler.

Skynet5 · 22 Jan 2020 at 21:36

MartinPrince said:
It would have got me as well then! Is that M.2 NVME or M.2 SATA though?
Edit. That's any M.2 so that is 4 free after your M.2 - who needs more than 4 anyway.

What made you switch to x470?

Joxeon · 22 Jan 2020 at 21:38

lnoton said:
Already got my teamgroup 3600 c16 sitting in a draw.

I think I'm ready.

I have a budget and I'd rather do 3900 and cheap board than expensive board and 3800.

Will use stock cooler.

The main reasons to get an x570 is pcie 4 or you want a 16 core and love overclocking or have a money is no object budget, other than that then get the tomahawk, if you need an extra feature the tomahawk doesn't have then get the 450 pro carbon or an x470.

Skynet5 · 22 Jan 2020 at 21:52

Joxeon said:
The main reasons to get an x570 is pcie 4 or you want a 16 core and love overclocking or have a money is no object budget, other than that then get the tomahawk, if you need an extra feature the tomahawk doesn't have then get the 450 pro carbon or an x470.

Pro carbon would look a bit odd in my massive x9 case.
48hrs and I'll have made a decision... I'm sure!