Threadripper clock speeds and cache

[modeonoff]

Hello, the 1900x has a higher base speed of 3.8GHz compared with the 3.4GHz and 3.5GHz of the 1950x and 1920x. However, the OC speed of all three CPUs are the same at 4.0GHz.

1. As I recall, when I built a PC 10 years ago, I installed an app provided by the motherboard manufacturer. I just pressed a button on the screen and the motherboard automatically did the OC for me. Is it still the same? If I just drop the CPU into a motherboard, the 1900X runs faster than the 1950X?

2. Am I right that if I don't need more than 8 cores, it is better to get the 1900x?

3. The 1920X and 1950X have twice the cache than the 1900X. How does it affect the performance of computationally intensive applications when: a) The three chips run at the base frequency. b) All three chips run at the top frequency of 4GHz?

 

[13thmonkey]

OCing that way is asking for high voltages and high temps.

 

[modeonoff]

Thanks. Besides clicking a button from the motherboard's application, what way of OCing results in low voltages and low temps?

 

[13thmonkey]

you do it in bios, you increase speed, test, increase speed, test, all the while tracking temps. Once at a speed you are happy with, you decrease the voltage until it is unstable, then increase slightly. Or once it becomes unstable you start to increase the voltage.

When 'just pressing the button' it uses a mapped voltage that will be high to ensure stability.

 

[modeonoff]

Thanks. By "unstable", what do you mean? How do I change the voltage? If I make a mistake during this process, will I damage the expensive components?

Do you know the answers to the rest of the questions?

 

[13thmonkey]

Using various stability tests (see the OCing stickies), see whether it passes. The voltage is changed in bios, yes you can damage it, but that's why you approach it carefully (however it's 10x easier than prior to the FX/core 2 series and 100x easier than anything before that).

2. I suppose if your software will use only up to 8 cores then the 8/16 version is the one to go for, personally having a spare core might be useful. But then you have to consider budget.

3. See the reviews, particularly the single threaded sections, cache will make a difference depending on the workload & architecture, so just because it has more or less than some other solution doesn't make it more or less better. Historically cache has been used to cover up for a less good processor design, we are possibly past that now.

 

[modeonoff]

Thanks. So, if I just use the motherboard application to do the OC, it will be safe but the system will consume more power and generate more heat. Are those extra power consumption and heat significant enough to prompt for the possibly risky stability tests?

In case I just drop the CPU to the motherboard, the 1900X, 1920X and 1950X will just run at 3.8, 3.5 and 3.4 GHz. Am I right?

 

[13thmonkey]

It'll be safe, just noisier, and you may not go as high, and you won't have learnt as much.

 

[modeonoff]

Thanks. I prefer a quiet system! I had a high end system 10 years ago. It was so noisy that when I switched the computer on, even people outside the room could hear that. Everybody in the lab complained about the noise.

Speaking of noise, how the Threadripper CPUs compared with the i9 7900x and 7920x?

 

[13thmonkey]

Comes down to cooler and tdp. No idea how loud stock cooler is.