justin.m.beauvais
Estimable
- Dec 15, 2017
- 1,527
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If you think that rendering is the only application in which you care about the number of cores you are pretty darn mistaken. Compiling programs, scientific number crunching, virtualization, simulation work, and many other things can take advantage of 16 or even 32 cores.
1 - For high bandwidth applications like simulations that need fast access to a lot of storage, one M.2 is not enough, and Threadripper's headline feature is great productivity performance, so more than one M.2 is perfect for that.
2 - Again, storage bandwidth is a HUGE selling point for TR systems. Having options for fast backups and data transfers saves a lot of time in professional applications. Having as many ways as possible to get info onto and off of the system is a good thing.
3 - There are plenty of applications for the ALC 1220 that don't involve gamers or music. For one, dispatcher system servers need to process a lot of high quality audio, so those chips are great for that.
4 - Physical connections are the least expensive thing on a motherboard, aside from the CPU socket. The real cost is in the chip sets, which if you are paying for a full fat chip set, why wouldn't you pay the dollar or two more to do the physical connections. Additionally, you said in number 1 that if you wanted more fast storage that you'd add more cards, which would be hard for a professional video editing, scientific, or virtual machine server to do as they would have 4 slots absolutely saturated with video cards for compute power, audio devices, PCI-E storage, high speed networking cards, video input devices, and/or a bunch of other specialty cards for various purposes. Many work stations need 6 or 7 slots.
5 - Why 8 RAM slots? That goes back to the design of Threadripper. TR has two independent memory controllers on opposite CCX modules. You want to have memory on both controllers to limit latency. Quad channel is GREAT for bandwidth heavy workloads like simulations and CAD. Again, the CPU is the expensive part, why waste potential when a couple dollars are the difference between 4 RAM slots and 8?
6 - Overclocking isn't something only gamers care about. An overclocked CPU is actually better for professionals than for gamers. Cutting time off of simulations or rendering can save thousands of dollars. For gamers it is just for bragging rights, not that important. For professionals it is time and money, which are both WAY more important than bragging rights.
Not to mention, you are overlooking the most expensive part of making a motherboard, development. It costs money to develop, prototype, test, and build a motherboard. TR is already a niche product. Why would you make a product that is a niche within a niche? It is easier for manufacturers to just build jack of all trade motherboards with robust options and price them the best they can. Which is what they did. If you wanted a budget workstation, Threadripper and the TR4 platform is as budget as it gets. Your alternative is to go Intel and pay out the nose for the CPU. Sure, Intel cuts you a small break on the chipsets and associated motherboards, but you still pay them a heck of a lot more over all. Not to mention the additional costs associated with features on Intel.
1 - For high bandwidth applications like simulations that need fast access to a lot of storage, one M.2 is not enough, and Threadripper's headline feature is great productivity performance, so more than one M.2 is perfect for that.
2 - Again, storage bandwidth is a HUGE selling point for TR systems. Having options for fast backups and data transfers saves a lot of time in professional applications. Having as many ways as possible to get info onto and off of the system is a good thing.
3 - There are plenty of applications for the ALC 1220 that don't involve gamers or music. For one, dispatcher system servers need to process a lot of high quality audio, so those chips are great for that.
4 - Physical connections are the least expensive thing on a motherboard, aside from the CPU socket. The real cost is in the chip sets, which if you are paying for a full fat chip set, why wouldn't you pay the dollar or two more to do the physical connections. Additionally, you said in number 1 that if you wanted more fast storage that you'd add more cards, which would be hard for a professional video editing, scientific, or virtual machine server to do as they would have 4 slots absolutely saturated with video cards for compute power, audio devices, PCI-E storage, high speed networking cards, video input devices, and/or a bunch of other specialty cards for various purposes. Many work stations need 6 or 7 slots.
5 - Why 8 RAM slots? That goes back to the design of Threadripper. TR has two independent memory controllers on opposite CCX modules. You want to have memory on both controllers to limit latency. Quad channel is GREAT for bandwidth heavy workloads like simulations and CAD. Again, the CPU is the expensive part, why waste potential when a couple dollars are the difference between 4 RAM slots and 8?
6 - Overclocking isn't something only gamers care about. An overclocked CPU is actually better for professionals than for gamers. Cutting time off of simulations or rendering can save thousands of dollars. For gamers it is just for bragging rights, not that important. For professionals it is time and money, which are both WAY more important than bragging rights.
Not to mention, you are overlooking the most expensive part of making a motherboard, development. It costs money to develop, prototype, test, and build a motherboard. TR is already a niche product. Why would you make a product that is a niche within a niche? It is easier for manufacturers to just build jack of all trade motherboards with robust options and price them the best they can. Which is what they did. If you wanted a budget workstation, Threadripper and the TR4 platform is as budget as it gets. Your alternative is to go Intel and pay out the nose for the CPU. Sure, Intel cuts you a small break on the chipsets and associated motherboards, but you still pay them a heck of a lot more over all. Not to mention the additional costs associated with features on Intel.
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