[SOLVED] Upgrading to Ryzen 5 2600 or Threadripper 1900X?

[grebgonebad]

Hi all!

Been a while since I posted here, been a bit out of the loop computer hardware wise over the last 6 years or so due to some major life changes. But I think it's about time I upgraded my ageing Piledriver rig. While it serves me well to this day, I want to treat myself. Ha ha!

Anyway, to the specifics. I'm currently running an FX-8350 with 16gb DDR3 and a GTX 1060 6Gb. Not a slouch by any means, but I'm pretty sure my 8 year old CPU is bottlenecking my GPU somewhat, so while I've got the chance to upgrade to a newer architecture I may as well. At this time I've got my eye on 2 potential choices, the Ryzen 5 3600 or the Ryzen Threadripper 1900x. Both seem comparable in terms or price and performance from the admittedly limited research I've done thusfar, however I have noticed the not unsubstantial discrepancy with regards to power usage? Namely that while the 3600 is rated at 65W the 1900x is rated at 180W? Is this accurate or is there something I'm missing?

If anyone could shed some light as to why there's such a huge difference between the two given their similar performance levels I'd very much be interested to know the reason why?

Alternatively, if anyone has any other suggestions for CPU's around the £150 mark I'd be more than happy to listen. Currently I'm looking to spend around £320 on my upgrade, including Motherboard and Memory, assuming that I can get a half decent mobo for ~£100 and at minimum 16gb RAm for ~£60-70. I'm not against going the Intel route either should a CPU/mobo/RAM combo come up that seems appealing for the right price. I'm all ears for your suggestions!

Thanks in advance for any replies. I'll try and keep an eye on this thread over the next few hours and get back to anyone who replies post haste. Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

There is no point to go for first or even second gen Threadrippers, and there is especially no point to do it in a build like yours. I would go for the Ryzen 5 2600, it's a solid upgrade. Less TDP, cheaper and faster.

The memory & mobo recommendation will have to be given by someone else more experienced in how AMD hardware works. All I know is that 3200 MHz DDR4 CL16 memory works wonders for Ryzen processors, as long as it's not Corsair LPX.

 

[grebgonebad]

There is no point to go for first or even second gen Threadrippers, and there is especially no point to do it in a build like yours. I would go for the Ryzen 5 2600, it's a solid upgrade. Less TDP, cheaper and faster.

The memory & mobo recommendation will have to be given by someone else more experienced in how AMD hardware works. All I know is that 3200 MHz DDR4 CL16 memory works wonders for Ryzen processors, as long as it's not Corsair LPX.

Many thanks for your speedy reply, much appreciated. =)

I did wonder whether Threadripper would be somewhat overkill for my build, so thanks for the confirmation. Still, I'm interested to know why the TDP is so different between the two architectures?

I did initially look into the 2600/2600x however the difference in price between those and the 3600 is only around 30 quid, and I'd like to somewhat futureproof my build so that I've got room to upgrade at some point over the next couple of years, hence my attraction to the 3600. From what I've seen it's about a third more powerful than the 2600 so for the extra money it seems worth it in my opinion? I'm open to discussion however. =)

Thanks for your warning about Corsairs LPX memory. I wasn't aware of this. Could I ask why? Not to disagree of course, I'm just interested to know. Ha ha.


Cheers again!

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I did wonder whether Threadripper would be somewhat overkill for my build, so thanks for the confirmation. Still, I'm interested to know why the TDP is so different between the two architectures?

Again, that's out of my field of expertise. Probably because it's meant for workstation builds? No idea.

Thanks for your warning about Corsairs LPX memory. I wasn't aware of this. Could I ask why? Not to disagree of course, I'm just interested to know. Ha ha.

I've seen several people on this forum complain about memory/CPU issues while using Corsair LPX memory bundled with Ryzens. It's a good idea not to go down that path. It might not happen to you, but better safe than sorry.

As for the Ryzen 5 3600, it's not a bad choice if you can spend a little bit more on it. Both 2600 and 3600 are great.

Or, alternatively, if you don't need an immediate rig upgrade, you could wait for AMD to release their Ryzen 4000 series and get more bang for your buck that way, along with a B550 motherboard. Of course, this is only an alternative. Getting the Ryzen 5 3600 is still not a bad choice.

 

[CountMike]

Threadripper of any generation is more of workstation/light server orientation with security and error correction needed for those uses.

 

[Vic 40]

The TDP is kinda how much heat a "standard" cooler must be able to dissipate from a certain cpu. That's is why you get such a small cooler with the Ryzen 3600 (65W TDP) and a bigger with a 105W TDP Ryzen.

Why the Threadripper is higher TDP, because it uses alot more power than the Ryzen cpu. Using (burning) energy results in a certain amount of heat output. That is physics 101.

 

[grebgonebad]

@justquant

Again, thanks for your reply.

Fair enough, I'll steer clear of LPX. Ha ha.

As far as waiting for the 4000 series to release is concerned I think I'll just wait and see how the land lies when it comes around to me actually purchasing the gear. If they're only a few weeks away by that point then I might hold off. =)

 

[grebgonebad]

Threadripper of any generation is more of workstation/light server orientation with security and error correction needed for those uses.

Ahh fair enough, I thought it would be something like this but I wasn't too sure. Again, been out of the loop a while so I'm not as up to date as I'd like to be. Ha ha. Cheers!

 

[grebgonebad]

The TDP is kinda how much heat a "standard" cooler must be able to dissipate from a certain cpu. That's is why you get such a small cooler with the Ryzen 3600 (65W TDP) and a bigger with a 105W TDP Ryzen.

Why the Threadripper is higher TDP, because it uses alot more power than the Ryzen cpu. Using (burning) energy results in a certain amount of heat output. That is physics 101.

Ahh okay, that makes sense. Cheers for the reply. =)

 

[grebgonebad]

So what I can gather from these replies going for the 3600 would be my best bet. That's sorted then.

In that case, any recommendations for an AM4 motherboard? Something around the 100 quid mark? I need at least 2 PCI-e 16x slots along with a single PCI-e 4x? A solid power delivery system would be best as well as I regularly like to tinker with clocks and the like. I've really not looked into mobo's much yet so I'm open to any and all suggestions. =)

 

[Vic 40]

So what I can gather from these replies going for the 3600 would be my best bet. That's sorted then.

Yup.😁

For a motherboard,
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jcYQzy/msi-b450-tomahawk-max-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-tomahawk-max
although it doesn't have a x4 slot.

If you can spend more,
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/mc...4-motherboard-b450-gaming-pro-carbon-max-wifi

 

[grebgonebad]

Yup.😁

For a motherboard,
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jcYQzy/msi-b450-tomahawk-max-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-tomahawk-max
although it doesn't have a x4 slot.

If you can spend more,
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/mc...4-motherboard-b450-gaming-pro-carbon-max-wifi

Brill, cheers! I'll take a gander now and see what they're like. I'm not against spending a little more if it's worth it. Better to pay a little more now than have to just swap it out in the future. Ha ha.

 

[cryoburner]

MSI's B450 Tomahawk Max is a good option, though B550 boards should be launching within the next couple weeks, on June 16th, so those might be worth considering too.

Ryzen 4000 processors likely won't be coming for a number of months though.

 

[grebgonebad]

MSI's B450 Tomahawk Max is a good option, though B550 boards should be launching within the next couple weeks, on June 16th, so those might be worth considering too.

Ryzen 4000 processors likely won't be coming for a number of months though.

Cheers for the recommendation!

 

[grebgonebad]

@Vic 40

I've taken a look at those motherboards and while they definitely look like good choices, there's something I should probably have mentioned before.

Both myself and my boyfriend are upgrading our rigs at the same time, and while it's not an issue for me, his mobo needs to be SLI compatible as he's currently using dual 970's. A GPU upgrade is in the works for him as SLI is being phased out, but his budget doesn't allow for it at this time. Are there any comparable AM4 mobo's that you could suggest that are SLI compatible, or would it be beneficial to simply forgo his SLI setup in favour of a single 970 for the time being in order to get a better mobo that isn't SLI compatible?

Sorry for being a pain. Ha ha.

 

[Vic 40]

Does your boyfriend still play games that support SLI? And will he keep on doing that?

Might be better to make a seperate thread for him, but what parts does he have now?

 

[grebgonebad]

Does your boyfriend still play games that support SLI? And will he keep on doing that?

Might be better to make a seperate thread for him, but what parts does he have now?

Apologies for my late reply.

He does yes, and for the most part his SLI does offer some amount of performance benefit with non SLI compatible games by tinkering with Nvidia Profile Inspector. As I said before, a GPU upgrade is on the table in the future, but for now he's stuck with the initial CPU upgrade.

It may not be a problem anymore now anyway, I've a friend who's interested in purchasing his 970's off him anyway so the point may be null and void all going well. Ha ha.

 

[Vic 40]

Apologies for my late reply.

He does yes, and for the most part his SLI does offer some amount of performance benefit with non SLI compatible games by tinkering with Nvidia Profile Inspector. As I said before, a GPU upgrade is on the table in the future, but for now he's stuck with the initial CPU upgrade.

It may not be a problem anymore now anyway, I've a friend who's interested in purchasing his 970's off him anyway so the point may be null and void all going well. Ha ha.

Hope the friend will go through with it. A single better gpu is the option to go for and will give him more choice in motherboards.

 

[grebgonebad]

Hope the friend will go through with it. A single better gpu is the option to go for and will give him more choice in motherboards.

My sincerest apologies for the horrendously late reply.

I've spoken with my boyfriend and we've decided the best course is for him ton simply upgrade to a new, single GPU, so your advice was definitely helpful. Cheers again. =)