Question Intel i9-990KS vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950 - Need a conclusion on which is better..

[nathancorp]

Hello All,

I’m just about exhausted with this debate and I can’t seem to decide which to go for the Intel i9-9900KS or the AMD Ryzen 9 3950x. To shed some more light I’ll be using this high end desktop PC for a mix of gaming and work. I also have a 4K screen so gaming and movies are important because that is pretty much the only entertainment I get due to my hectic and busy work schedule which spans around the clock. For work I’ll have 100s Of tabs open chrome and/or Firefox and several instances of MS office too. Due to my hectic work schedule I need to be able to play games ideally with these tabs open and without having to close everything down each time i want to play which is the case with my current PC which is also quite respectable in terms of specifications.

I recently posted for advice on my new build:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ryzen-9-3950x-or-i9-10920x.3553316/?view=date

Specs have changed from my original post after being enlightened about several facts, thanks to my vendor and above all thanks to this lovely, spectacular community at Tom’s hardware.

Here is my new build:

Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA G3 - 1000 Watt
Motherboard Asus® PRIME X299 Deluxe II OR A AMD Ryzen 9 3950x compatible motherboard
Processor Intel® Core™ i9-9900KS OR an AMD Ryzen 3950
Memory 128GB - 8x16GB - 3000 or 3600Mhz
Video Card MSI Geforce RTX™ 2080 Ti 11GB
Sound Card Creative® Sound Blaster Z
Networking On-Board Ethernet
Operating System Drive - SSD Samsung® 970 EVO Plus - 1TB SSD - M.2 -
PCI Express
Data Drive - SSD or HDD Samsung® 860 EVO - 4TB SSD - SATA
Data Drive - SSD or HDD Samsung® 860 EVO - 4TB SSD - SATA
Optical Drive LG 8x DVD Writer External
64-Bit Operating System Windows 10 Pro

Every benchmark I’ve seen seems to favour the Ryzen 3950 for work station use and the Intel 9900KS for gaming on a 4K. Any light shed on which one I should use would be immensely appreciated. I really need to go ahead and finish this PC project.

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[King_V]

I can't speak to the system overall, but I was under the impression that Intel's advantage over AMD when it came to gaming was at lower resolutions, that that gap closed when you went to higher resolutions.

I might be remembering wrong, though.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

At 4k, your CPU is not as relevant for gaming as you are almost always GPU bound. So for this, the 9900ks and 3950x are identical.

For heavy multitasking, both options are very good. However, the Ryzen 9 3950x with its 32 threads will easily pull ahead of the 16 threaded I9, especially if you are gaming while simultaneously running 100+ tabs in a browser. Your amount of ram will also have a massive effect on performance for multitasking.

I would go for the Ryzen 9 3950x since it is better overal for your uses, but its up to you if you feel the extra $250 and beefy cooler is justified by the superior performance.

Some info for you to digest.
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/amd-ryzen-9-3950x-vs-intel-core-i9-9900k

 

[nathancorp]

I can't speak to the system overall, but I was under the impression that Intel's advantage over AMD when it came to gaming was at lower resolutions, that that gap closed when you went to higher resolutions.

I might be remembering wrong, though.

Thanks for this info. I’ll look into 4K specially and try and research that more.

 

[nathancorp]

At 4k, your CPU is not as relevant for gaming as you are almost always GPU bound. So for this, the 9900ks and 3950x are identical.

For heavy multitasking, both options are very good. However, the Ryzen 9 3950x with its 32 threads will easily pull ahead of the 16 threaded I9, especially if you are gaming while simultaneously running 100+ tabs in a browser. Your amount of ram will also have a massive effect on performance for multitasking.

I would go for the Ryzen 9 3950x since it is better overal for your uses, but its up to you if you feel the extra $250 and beefy cooler is justified by the superior performance.

Some info for you to digest.
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/amd-ryzen-9-3950x-vs-intel-core-i9-9900k

Thanks so for my use at 4K and the nature of my work I see that you surely believe the Ryzen 3950 is the better option.

Am going through the link provided now. Thanks again.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

I'd also lean towards the ryzen for the much better multi tasking ability.

Just a quick note on your build list though, x299 is not the board for a 9900ks. You'll need z390, and therefore be limited to 4 sticks of ram. Actually both x570 and z390 will limit you to 4 sticks. If you absolutely need 8 sticks you'd have to move to hedt parts, like the 10980xe or threadripper 3970x.

There are still a few limited options for 128gb and 4 sticks. https://pcpartpicker.com/products/memory/#Z=131072004

 

[nathancorp]

I'd also lean towards the ryzen for the much better multi tasking ability.

Just a quick note on your build list though, x299 is not the board for a 9900ks. You'll need z390, and therefore be limited to 4 sticks of ram. Actually both x570 and z390 will limit you to 4 sticks. If you absolutely need 8 sticks you'd have to move to hedt parts, like the 10980xe or threadripper 3970x.

There are still a few limited options for 128gb and 4 sticks. https://pcpartpicker.com/products/memory/#Z=131072004

This is important information and makes it more complicated. I was aware the motherboard need changed with the Ryzen but I wasn’t aware it could only support 4 sticks. Thank you for this critical info.

Ughh. I may need to settle on 64GB Ram which I was contemplating but was hesitant to finalise.

Do you think 64gb at 3600 would lag in performance vs 128Gb at 3000?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $329.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $329.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $659.98
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 15:31 EST-0500 |
You can get 128gb in a 4 slot motherboard using a config like the above.


PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128 GB (8 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $629.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $629.99
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 15:34 EST-0500 |
For an 8 slot board the same 3200mhz 128gb costs simmilar, still pricy.

 

[nathancorp]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $329.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $329.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $659.98
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 15:31 EST-0500 |
You can get 128gb in a 4 slot motherboard using a config like the above.


PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128 GB (8 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $629.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $629.99
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-24 15:34 EST-0500 |
For an 8 slot board the same 3200mhz 128gb costs simmilar, still pricy.

Ahh sounds good. This should do it with 4 x 32GB modules at 3200Mhz. Thanks so much!

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Ahh sounds good. This should do it with 4 x 32GB modules at 3200Mhz. Thanks so much!

Usually I wouldn't recommend buying multiple kits, but since they are the same kit they should work in tandem just fine, but no guarantees.

If you go for a 4x32gb kit your options are limited to kits below 3000mhz according to PCPartPicker, so buying two kits of 2x32gb like above is your best option.

 

[nathancorp]

Usually I wouldn't recommend buying multiple kits, but since they are the same kit they should work in tandem just fine, but no guarantees.

If you go for a 4x32gb kit your options are limited to kits below 3000mhz according to PCPartPicker, so buying two kits of 2x32gb like above is your best option.

Could you shed some more light on what could possibly go wrong buying multiple kits since they are the same? Since stability trumps all else.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Kits with multiple sticks are tested to work together at the factory. 2 different kits are not tested to work together, but I really have never seen this being an issue personally, although many people disagree.

 

[nathancorp]

Kits with multiple sticks are tested to work together at the factory. 2 different kits are not tested to work together, but I really have never seen this being an issue personally, although many people disagree.

I don’t want any issues with instability so I may need to open a new thread with opinions on if 64GB RAM at 3600 would be ok for me or if I’m at any major disadvantage vs 128gb Ram at around 3000.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You can. You probably will get the opinion, maybe or probably.

Nothing decisive

 

[RodroX]

Hi, If having lots of open tabs and several instances of MS office is the task youre facing then the 2 kits of (2x32GB) 3000MHz should be enough. Yes, Ryzen likes fast memory but for this tasks I believe the frecuency diference is negligible. More important is that the RAM works in dual channel, and I believe it should even if its not a 4x32Gb kit, and as long as its the same brand and model.

Other than that yeah, you have to step up to the HEDT cpus like the Threadripper 3960X or intels X cpus.

PD: btw, as for gaming, once again, dual channel ismore important than a 600MHz (300MHz in reality) frecuency jump.

 

[nathancorp]

You can. You probably will get the opinion, maybe or probably.

Nothing decisive

Just opened the thread. Quick question; what would you do?

1. Opt for 128GB different kits that are identical?
2. Opt for 64 GB of a single kit

The above is considering you had to work and play the way I do as explained in the opening post.

Thanks in advance.

 

[nathancorp]

Hi, If having lots of open tabs and several instances of MS office is the task youre facing then the 2 kits of (2x32GB) 3000MHz should be enough. Yes, Ryzen likes fast memory but for this tasks I believe the frecuency diference is negligible. More important is that the RAM works in dual channel, and I believe it should even if its not a 4x32Gb kit, and as long as its the same brand and model.

Other than that yeah, you have to step up to the HEDT cpus like the Threadripper 3960X or intels X cpus.

PD: btw, as for gaming, once again, dual channel ismore important than a 600MHz (300MHz in reality) frecuency jump.

HEDT may not be an option right now due to Availability, and i think it would be serious overkill for me.

I’m trying to research more on dual channel. Good thing is, the vendor is reputed so he would stress test the system for 48-72 hours before shipping. That should solve a lot.

 

[Karadjgne]

You are asking for 2 different things. If your workload, like running multiple VM can reach 64Gb of ram use, then quite obviously the 128Gb will be by far the better option, regardless of speed. Conversely, if your workload doesn't come anywhere near 64Gb of ram, the faster ram will be of more benefit. For high-end gaming, games are just now starting (Starwars: Fallen only afaik) to hit 32Gb as recommended, but will run just fine on 16Gb as minimum is 8Gb.

Since workload will therefore be the most demanding and for Ram, figure out just what its limits will be, and that'll set the answer.

On top of all that is bandwidth. Intel HEDT can run Quad channel, Threadripper is still limited to dual channel, so with equitable amounts of ram, Intel HEDT can double available ram bandwidth, which can be a telling point in massive data i/o when using large files, such as 10Gb or greater. Gaming uses large amounts of files, mostly in the Kb range, so bandwidth is pretty moot.

Figure out what your software demands, but my guess is that TX will be the better option, Intel only having any advantage due to core speeds. Get far more work done on 2x 4.0GHz threads than 1x 5.0GHz thread, so only software like Adobe CC which is currently bad on scaling above 8 threads will benefit from Intel to any degree.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Good thing is, the vendor is reputed so he would stress test the system for 48-72 hours before shipping. That should solve a lot.

I would buy the 2 64gb kits above. Then run memtest x86 for a little while to ensure stability.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

hreadripper is still limited to dual channel,

Heh?

3970x "Memory Channels 4"
https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-threadripper-3970x
1900x "Memory Channels 4"
https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-threadripper-1900x

Both the fastest and slowest Threadrippers are 4 channel.

X399 and trx40 boards both have 8 ram slots too.

 

[nathancorp]

You are asking for 2 different things. If your workload, like running multiple VM can reach 64Gb of ram use, then quite obviously the 128Gb will be by far the better option, regardless of speed. Conversely, if your workload doesn't come anywhere near 64Gb of ram, the faster ram will be of more benefit. For high-end gaming, games are just now starting (Starwars: Fallen only afaik) to hit 32Gb as recommended, but will run just fine on 16Gb as minimum is 8Gb.

Since workload will therefore be the most demanding and for Ram, figure out just what its limits will be, and that'll set the answer.

On top of all that is bandwidth. Intel HEDT can run Quad channel, Threadripper is still limited to dual channel, so with equitable amounts of ram, Intel HEDT can double available ram bandwidth, which can be a telling point in massive data i/o when using large files, such as 10Gb or greater. Gaming uses large amounts of files, mostly in the Kb range, so bandwidth is pretty moot.

Figure out what your software demands, but my guess is that TX will be the better option, Intel only having any advantage due to core speeds. Get far more work done on 2x 4.0GHz threads than 1x 5.0GHz thread, so only software like Adobe CC which is currently bad on scaling above 8 threads will benefit from Intel to any degree.

Thank you for the vital info. I guess I’ll just have to see how much memory 100s of tabs and simultaneous gaming (which shouldn’t take more than 16gb at any time, regardless of game, If AT ALL) would take, and as stated that would answer it.

 

[nathancorp]

I would buy the 2 64gb kits above. Then run memtest x86 for a little while to ensure stability.

Thanks I think I’ll do the same. The vendor will be running a 72 hour stress test so that should pickup any issues if at all.

 

[RodroX]

Yeap, I was about to post the same thing Threadripper 3xxx have quad channel support.

It does support EEC but I think not registered one.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Yeap, I was about to post the same thing Threadripper 3xxx have quad channel support.

It does support EEC but I think not registered one.

Pretty sure AM4 Ryzen parts support ecc aswell. Finding motherboards with ecc support is not fun.

I dunno the difference between registered and unregistered ecc.

 

[nathancorp]

Yeap, I was about to post the same thing Threadripper 3xxx have quad channel support.

It does support EEC but I think not registered one.

Thanks for the confirmation.