Question Threadripper 5000/7000 | Choose Zen 4 Architecture or more RAM?

[commissar_mo]

I am looking to build a Threadripper Pro system. I do NOT use creative software, CAD, video editing, animation, or much data science work currently, BUT am interested in extreme multitasking. I usually have thousands of browser tabs and at least 30 programs open at once; I also use some VMs - so I think my use case is about maxing out RAM as I don't really tax a CPU ever.

For this reason I will be installing 256GB or 512GB of RAM in a Threadripper system.

1. My question has come down though to whether to buy the old generation (using Zen 3 Architecture) or the new generation (Zen 4).
2. Price will wind up being similar b/c I am buying lower end chips and Motherboards/RAM are similar price

BUT:
3. I cannot get 512GB RAM in the new 7000 chips (the lower tier is 4 channel RAM and they barely make 128GB RAM modules yet). BUT it will be the much improved architecture Zen 4.

4. If I get a 5000 CPU, then it can take 512GB RAM (8 channel memory) BUT uses the older Zen 3 architecture.

On the consumer AMD line, the Zen 4 architecture was a major improvement.

Tl;dr Does anyone have thoughts on the choice between:
Doubling the Amount of RAM using old Threadripper 5000 VS getting new DDR5 RAM And the new Zen 4 platform with Threadripper 7000?

 

[kanewolf]

I am looking to build a Threadripper Pro system. I do NOT use creative software, CAD, video editing, animation, or much data science work currently, BUT am interested in extreme multitasking. I usually have thousands of browser tabs and at least 30 programs open at once; I also use some VMs - so I think my use case is about maxing out RAM as I don't really tax a CPU ever.

For this reason I will be installing 256GB or 512GB of RAM in a Threadripper system.

1. My question has come down though to whether to buy the old generation (using Zen 3 Architecture) or the new generation (Zen 4).
2. Price will wind up being similar b/c I am buying lower end chips and Motherboards/RAM are similar price

BUT:
3. I cannot get 512GB RAM in the new 7000 chips (the lower tier is 4 channel RAM and they barely make 128GB RAM modules yet). BUT it will be the much improved architecture Zen 4.

4. If I get a 5000 CPU, then it can take 512GB RAM (8 channel memory) BUT uses the older Zen 3 architecture.

On the consumer AMD line, the Zen 4 architecture was a major improvement.

Tl;dr Does anyone have thoughts on the choice between:
Doubling the Amount of RAM using old Threadripper 5000 VS getting new DDR5 RAM And the new Zen 4 platform with Threadripper 7000?

When you get large amounts of RAM, you really want ECC RAM.

 

[commissar_mo]

When you get large amounts of RAM, you really want ECC RAM.

Indeed! The Threadripper 7000/Zen 4 DDR5 platform will only accept ECC RAM anyway. The 5000/Zen 3 DDR4 will take non-ECC.
But that hasn't helped me decide basically which is better double the RAM or the new Zen 4 architecture!

 

[kanewolf]

Indeed! The Threadripper 7000/Zen 4 DDR5 platform will only accept ECC RAM anyway. The 5000/Zen 3 DDR4 will take non-ECC.
But that hasn't helped me decide basically which is better double the RAM or the new Zen 4 architecture!

RAM is always more important for VMs. You can't share RAM.