Here in the states the 5950X CPU is 449.99 alone. So I would say that is a good deal.
I don't know what you mean warranty if it break I understand but what about if you are not happy with the performance?

 

Last edited: Apr 19, 2023

I understand what you're saying, but that does run into its own issues. The balance is the most important part. The example I provided would fundamentally depend on the CPU and its architectures ability to divvy out workloads. Without some hardware accelerator/scheduler, the task of splitting workloads amongst the "buckets" as you described will almost always fall on the first and second CPU core. Separating work amongst 16 cores uses a lot more overhead than amongst 8 cores. Combined with the fact that when you move up in core count, the speed of each core usually decreases. (Though, this is almost no longer true with the release of AMD's latest generation of 3D-cache chips) It wasn't until recently where we've seen high core count processors with usable clock speeds. You can see this in data center chips especially, where the clock speeds are still in the 2.5 Ghz range where consumer chips are leaving the factor with a base clock of 4.5+ Ghz.

Ultimately, as you stated yourself: a balance between a good number of cores and single threaded performance is ideal for most workloads, especially music production. As with most things in life, there is never one answer.

 

With a deal like that, you're saving money on motherboard more than you are the CPU. That said, I wouldn't argue that you're getting a good value.

You could get a 7700X and a cheaper AM5 board for about the same price, with a few added bonuses.

• The 7700X boasts better single threaded performance than the 5950X, which is usually more important for music production.
• Multi-core performance is across the board faster with the 7700X in dual, quad, and octa-core workloads.
• You'd be under the new AM5 platform, which should boast the mythical "future-proofing"

I would only consider the 5950X if you were getting a really good deal on it compared to an equivalent processor, not just if you were getting a good deal on the chip itself. Also, if you really do need the extra cores; then it's a no brainer, stick with the 5950X. It all depends on the kind of work you do, so my answers may not mean nearly as much to you as they would to me.

 

Who's that from?

 

ARM Hackintosh )

 

Yes I was thinking of upgrading myself

 

It is a local seller near me and I've taken a punt on it. I paid £525 for:

- AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU (£350-400)
- Gigabyte Aorus Master X570 Motherboard (£200-275)
- G.Skill 32GB DDR4 CL16 3600 RAM (£120)

It looks to me like separately they sell used for around the prices in the brackets on the like sof eBay, so seemed to be a good deal, especially as they come with the 24 month warranty to replace if any issues (as in faults with any of the components).

I am likely to sell the RAM though and invest in 64GB of DDR4 to accommodate Kontakt libraries, which I will expand further to 128GB in the foreseeable future too, making it a system with a 5950X and 128GB in the not too distant future. I have seen 64GB (2 x 32GB) RAM bundle for similar price to what I can sell the 32GB of G.Skill for. It may not be quite as good in terms of quality, but it's still branded RAM (was by Crucial) and Kontakt loves GB over MHz in term of RAM obviously.

 

I get my PC building and Tech news info from these guys.

 

If you care about the lowest latency possible and you building a dedicated workstation then Intel is your choice. Period. Because for most music producers this is a critical parameter.
If you need to do other multimedia stuff, e.g. AV production, gaming, AND/OR limited funds, AND/OR you care about performance per/watt/$, multithreaded performance, then go for AMD.
This is simple like that.

 

Thanks for the info, is it a private seller or a shop? Have you got a source for setting up the bios? And 64GB should be enough RAM for Kontakt unless you are doing stuff like film scores, etc.

PS this dude made a series of videos if you (or anybody else) needs any pointers when building an audio PC.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzR35OQr-uwvt4L35vwK66grX5vyVsC7O

 

Last edited: Apr 20, 2023

Its a small independent shop in my area that buys, sells, and refurbishes laptops mainly, but has the odd desktop hardware item. It's been there about 20+ years too, so the 24 month warranty should be good!

I have 64GB RAM in my old machine and did sometimes hit it when using Kontakt libraries from Spitfire, Cinesamples, Cinematic Studio, Audio Imperia, and so on, as I do sometimes dabble with film score type of music. This is why I will be maxing to 128GB eventually but not a priority for now.

 

Well decent deal! Cheapest (new) 2x32GB RAM (CL16, 3600Mhz -> wouldn't go higher cq. lower) however i can find is still ~€180.