Question CPU for gaming, streaming and video editing ?

[mini21]

Hi. I'm the more I read, the less I know. I was convinced to buy the 7800x3d for gaming, but I started reading and I have some concerns again.

In addition to gaming, i also stream a bit. On top of that, there is also photo editing (rarely, because I don't do it anymore) and every now and then I have to "edit" a video for social media.

I'm now wondering if the 7800X3D will be a good choice in this situation or go in the direction of 7950X3D?

What do you think?

 

[Darkbreeze]

ANY of the higher end CPUs from the last two generations of AMD or the last three generations of Intel, will work fine for all those things. Especially since, as you have unintentionally indicated, you are not doing anything that rises to the level of professional capabilities. The 7800x3d will be very good for gaming and will be just fine even IF you were doing professional photography or video editing, and it's certainly fine for streaming. Plenty of people doing ALL of those things with MUCH older CPUs, just fine, so that one will be perfectly acceptable.

And, if you prefer, or can get it cheaper, any of the last three generations of Intel CPUs dating back to Alder lake two years ago, in an i7 or i9, will be perfectly fine and much more capable than your 9900k. In fact, depending on how serious you game and get into the video editing and streaming, even a newer i5 or 7700x would likely be MORE than suitable.

 

[mini21]

Thank you. Contrary to appearances, this explains a lot - I know that this change is a good step.

I've been a professional photographer for several years, but my health doesn't allow me to run with heavy equipment, so I had to sell all my equipment and the only thing I take pictures of is my phone + I shoot some videos with the Sony zv-1. These are not devices with a 200 megapixel sensor, which would be very demanding. It's worse with videos, because Davinci Resolved, on which I edit videos, can freeze, but I don't know if it's more the RAM or the processor that is responsible for it.

The 7950x3d is over 50% more expensive than the 7800x3d and on the one hand - it's a shame to overpay, but on the other hand - if it's going to be for a few years, maybe it's worth it?

 

[Misgar]

If you're editing 4K video in DaVinci Resolve, you need at least 32GB RAM and a fast video card.

It might be worth reading Puget Systems recommendations for DaVinci Resolve:-
https://www.pugetsystems.com/soluti...ons/davinci-resolve/hardware-recommendations/

 

[mini21]

I have a 7900xtx. I'm just buying there, because for now I'm riding on what's in the profile. It will be a 32 GB lexar (or 64, but I don't know) but I have to decide which processor to take first. If I take 7800x3d it will still be enough for an additional one there, if I take 7950x3d it will have to stay 32g

 

[Misgar]

When you say "It will be a 32 GB lexar (or 64," are you talking about 32GB or 64GB of system RAM?

Lexar entered the PC system memory market as recently as 2021 and the brand is not as well known as other manufacturers who have been around much longer. So saying, I've been using Lexar Compact Flash cards in DSLRs for many years and they are a good brand.

It's always a good idea to look at the Qualified Vendor List for your motherboard and consider buying a RAM kit mentioned in the list. That way you'll know the RAM has been tested in your motherboard. If Lexar is not in the QVL, you'll be taking a slight risk, especially with an AMD CPU which tend to be more fussy with RAM timings.

XMP overclock settings in RAM are designed for use with Intel CPUs, but usually work OK with AMD processors. Consider looking for a RAM kit with EXPO profiles instead of (or in addition to) XMP. EXPO is specifically designed for use with AMD CPUs.

If your main interest is gaming, stick to the 7800X3D and fit 64GB RAM (2 x 32GB DIMMs, not 4 x 16GB DIMMs) for use in Da Vinci Resolve. Many reviewers consider the 7950X3D to be overkill for games and it won't be as fast as a proper 7950X (non X3D) in Da Vinci Resolve.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Lexar is ok, in some regards. They do have SOME good products. I've had no problems with their flash drives, but they are not a company with much experience in this field. Of course, they were the creators of the basically disposable printer and printers and printer ink is where they became huge back in the day. When it comes to system memory (RAM) I usually highly recommend sticking to one of the long term players and depending on what kind of system it is that might include G.Skill, Crucial (Micron is the parent company and one of the very oldest actual manufacturers of memory and memory chips (ICs)), Corsair, Samsung, Mushkin, Patriot, SK Hynix, Supermicro or even Teamgroup or PNY. Primarily I tend to stick to products from G.Skill, Corsair or Crucial for aftermarket memory and Samsung, SK Hynix, IBM or PNY for OEM type.

Sure, there are plenty of other companies and sometimes it's worth rolling the dice on a less premium brand if the price is right, but honestly, aside from some regions where none of those brands are particularly well available, they also tend to be less expensive as well. Not to mention, G.Skill, Corsair and Crucial all have memory compatibility lists or utilities on their websites that are far more extensive than what is ever offered on the motherboard's QVL list, so that relieves another potential concern when purchasing memory too.

 

[mini21]

When you say "It will be a 32 GB lexar (or 64," are you talking about system 32GB or 64GB of system RAM?

Lexar entered the PC system memory market as recently as 2021 and the brand is not as well known as other manufacturers who have been around much longer. So saying, I've been using Lexar Compact Flash cards in DSLRs for many years and they are a good brand.

It's always a good idea to look at the Qualified Vendor List for your motherboard and consider buy a RAM kit mentioned in the list. That way you'll know the RAM has been tested in your motherboard. If Lexar is not in the QVL, you'll be taking a slight risk, especially with an AMD CPU which tend to be more fussy with RAM timings.

XMP overclock settings in RAM are designed for use with Intel CPUs, but usually work OK with AMD processors. Consider looking for a RAM kit with EXPO profiles instead of (or in addition to) XMP. EXPO is specifically designed for use with AMD CPUs.

If your main interest is gaming, stick to the 7800X3D and fit 64GB RAM (2 x 32GB DIMMs, not 4 x 16GB DIMMs) for use in Da Vinci Resolve. Many reviewers consider the 7950X3D to be overkill for games and it won't be as fast as a proper 7950X (non X3D) in Da Vinci Resolve.

Of course, it's all about RAM.
With this Lexar, it's not like I took the first ones, just cheaper. I was looking for some guides and testo and I came across this
LINK
LINK

According to him, they are very good for their price and design (because that's also quite important).

I've known Lexar since the days when I was still taking pictures with the Nikon d70s and it has always been considered a premium brand.

I must admit that I did not think to look for information about the frame on the manufacturer's website, neither the motherboard nor from various manufacturers. I just searched on Google for ram under 7800x3d and that's it.

Out of curiosity - why is it better to have 2x32 GB instead of 4x16?
It seems to me that it's better to have all the slots occupied...

 

[Order 66]

When you say "It will be a 32 GB lexar (or 64," are you talking about system 32GB or 64GB of system RAM?

Lexar entered the PC system memory market as recently as 2021 and the brand is not as well known as other manufacturers who have been around much longer. So saying, I've been using Lexar Compact Flash cards in DSLRs for many years and they are a good brand.

It's always a good idea to look at the Qualified Vendor List for your motherboard and consider buy a RAM kit mentioned in the list. That way you'll know the RAM has been tested in your motherboard. If Lexar is not in the QVL, you'll be taking a slight risk, especially with an AMD CPU which tend to be more fussy with RAM timings.

XMP overclock settings in RAM are designed for use with Intel CPUs, but usually work OK with AMD processors. Consider looking for a RAM kit with EXPO profiles instead of (or in addition to) XMP. EXPO is specifically designed for use with AMD CPUs.

If your main interest is gaming, stick to the 7800X3D and fit 64GB RAM (2 x 32GB DIMMs, not 4 x 16GB DIMMs) for use in Da Vinci Resolve. Many reviewers consider the 7950X3D to be overkill for games and it won't be as fast as a proper 7950X (non X3D) in Da Vinci Resolve.

I feel a bit stupid, I just realized what QVL stands for, but I have never used Lexar so I cannot comment on the quality of their products. The 7800x3d is arguably the fastest gaming CPU.

 

[Eximo]

Each memory chip consumes power, so having twice as many is twice the load to the motherboard's VRMs. DDR5 is unique in that the power supply for the memory is onboard the memory itself and no longer relying on power from the CPU.

Still, the memory controller on the CPU (or I/O die in the case of Ryzen) means that having four sticks means double the processing taking place in a small area and through the traces on the motherboard. Generally speaking this means that higher speeds are not possible. So if bandwidth is important you want the smallest number of larger sticks. If capacity is most important, you also want density. 196GB is possible using 48GB sticks, but you can expect this to be at 4800MT/s rather than a potential 6000-6400 for Ryzen.

Lexar has been making memory products for a long time, but they have never been a memory manufacturer as far as I know. So they are using someone's chips and simply packaging the memory. SK Hynix, Samsung, etc not sure who all is making DDR5 as of now.

 

[mini21]

Okay, I checked on the motherboard specs compatible ram and this lexar is listed.

 

[mini21]

You see, I've always been influenced by the fact that 4x is better than 2x
Here, for example, a test of 2x and 4x RAM modules is shown
LINK

 

[Darkbreeze]

Each memory chip consumes power, so having twice as many is twice the load to the motherboard's VRMs. DDR5 is unique in that the power supply for the memory is onboard the memory itself and no longer relying on power from the CPU.

Still, the memory controller on the CPU (or I/O die in the case of Ryzen) means that having four sticks means double the processing taking place in a small area and through the traces on the motherboard. Generally speaking this means that higher speeds are not possible. So if bandwidth is important you want the smallest number of larger sticks. If capacity is most important, you also want density. 196GB is possible using 48GB sticks, but you can expect this to be at 4800MT/s rather than a potential 6000-6400 for Ryzen.

Lexar has been making memory products for a long time, but they have never been a memory manufacturer as far as I know. So they are using someone's chips and simply packaging the memory. SK Hynix, Samsung, etc not sure who all is making DDR5 as of now.

This, or, in laymans terms, regardless that SOME will try to use obscure findings to tell you otherwise for a few platforms, the bottom line is that four DIMMs presents twice the electrical stress on the memory controller, and thus, the CPU, as two DIMMs does. Twice the electrical stress also means, more heat, more electromigration potential, and a much higher chance of a reduction in the quality of signal integrity. Which is not to say that systems cannot utilize four DIMM configurations. They can, of course. But it is basically almost always a better choice, on consumer platforms at least, to use only two DIMMs, IF you can achieve the same desired overall capacity, because it's less stress on the IMC and it's generally also cheaper. A 32GB kit that consists of 2 x16GB is almost always going to be cheaper than a 32GB kit that consists of 4 x8GB, assuming that we are talking about a SINGLE matched set and not four individual DIMMs or two 2 x8GB kits. Doing THAT, opens you up to WAY more probability of compatibility issues among the DIMMs. That's another concern as well. The more DIMMs involved, the greater the chances that something is not going to want to "play nice together".

It also VERY MUCH depends on the configuration of the modules. Your video above is irrelevant. Any idiot can make something look legitimate on there. We see it all the time. The bottom line is, it is 100% dependent on the platform, the specific modules including whether they are a certain frequency, whether they are dual rank or dual rows, what ICs are used, and the CPU/IMC architecture. One set of 4 DIMMs might present one picture, while another on the same platform presents a totally different one. And in EITHER case, they are going to present a greater level of stress to the internal memory controller because, it's physically not possible for it not to. Now, depending on the platform, that increase in stress on the IMC might not matter, but it also might not offer any tangible benefits. Believe me, I've seen dozens of very astute reviews that were entirely in conflict with dozens of others, all of which were done by well respected members of the tech community. And the biggest, most important issue, is always, BUY IT ALL IN ONE KIT, regardless of whether it's a 2 DIMM kit, a 4 DIMM kit, a 6 DIMM kit, an 8 DIMM kit, or whatever.

 

[mini21]

Damn, that's how many years I've been living in the mistaken belief that 4 is better than 2.
Now I have a problem because I don't know what to do...
Return the ram that I bought and take 2x32 GB?
But it will be more than the budget I have to spend and I would probably have to wait some time before assembling the computer...

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ok, so what is the exact model of the motherboard, CPU and memory kit that are relevant to THIS conversation? Assuming you didn't just buy RAM without first buying a board and CPU. Because IF you did, that was a foundational mistake.

Honestly, you could answer a lot of your own questions if you'd read the following guide which I wrote to be pretty user friendly for folks who are not particularly well versed with the subject matter. It's for laymen, not for advanced users, although, if you want to BECOME an advanced user in the area of memory it's definitely written to help you take steps towards that.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Kona45primo]

Ok, so what is the exact model of the motherboard, CPU and memory kit that are relevant to THIS conversation? Assuming you didn't just buy RAM without first buying a board and CPU. Because IF you did, that was a foundational mistake.

Honestly, you could answer a lot of your own questions if you'd read the following guide which I wrote to be pretty user friendly for folks who are not particularly well versed with the subject matter. It's for laymen, not for advanced users, although, if you want to BECOME an advanced user in the area of memory it's definitely written to help you take steps towards that.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

You obviously haven't considered writing a guide for reading and following guides.... Which should be your next guide.

 

[mini21]

Ok, so what is the exact model of the motherboard, CPU and memory kit that are relevant to THIS conversation? Assuming you didn't just buy RAM without first buying a board and CPU. Because IF you did, that was a foundational mistake.

Honestly, you could answer a lot of your own questions if you'd read the following guide which I wrote to be pretty user friendly for folks who are not particularly well versed with the subject matter. It's for laymen, not for advanced users, although, if you want to BECOME an advanced user in the area of memory it's definitely written to help you take steps towards that.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

MSI B650 Tomahawk
7800x3d
Lexar Ddr5 Ares Rgb Gaming 32GB (2*16Gb) 6400

 

[sonofjesse]

Can't go run with any of the latest chips. All are great, just depends on budget.

 

[mini21]

Honestly, you could answer a lot of your own questions if you'd read the following guide which I wrote to be pretty user friendly for folks who are not particularly well versed with the subject matter. It's for laymen, not for advanced users, although, if you want to BECOME an advanced user in the area of memory it's definitely written to help you take steps towards that.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

I've read this text and somehow I don't see the answer to my question in it... Unless I don't understand something.

 

[Misgar]

If your question is "Should I keep my 4 existing lower capacity DIMMs or return them and buy 2 higher capacity DIMMs", the decision is entirely up to you.

Do you want all the hassle of trying to return two fully working kits of RAM and hope the supplier will be kind enough to swap them for a single kit with double the capacity? If so, the supplier will then be stuck with two kits of "used" RAM and probably make a financial loss.

Although faster memory can improve the speed of some apps, other programs benefit far less. Switching from 4800MT/s with 4 DIMMs to 6400MT/s with 2 DIMMs might not result in a perceivable difference.

For example, Adobe Premiere Pro does not gain much from faster RAM if you fit a more powerful AMD processor. However, you will see a significant improvement in Premiere Pro if you fit a more powerful Intel CPU. For this app, Intel beats AMD at higher RAM speeds.

Check benchmark figures for your favourite apps and games in web reviews that measure the difference between various XMP speeds.

If your most important apps truly need XMP 6400MT/s, change your RAM.

You may find it easier though to stay with 4 DIMMs and accept they'll probably run slower due to increased IMC bus loading.

On your next build, you'll know exactly what to buy.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I've read this text and somehow I don't see the answer to my question in it... Unless I don't understand something.

Exactly.