AMD Thread Ripper 1950x & Intel 8700k

Hi,

I'm going to be building a new PC next week but just have a question about CPU's. From what I've researched it seems DCS world works best with 4-6 cpu cores running at a high clock speed. So if I was only using the PC for DCS I would go with an Intel 8700k.

However, gaming aside, I use photoshop a lot, do a lot of programming and and run multiple virtual machine instances at the same time on my system. So in this respect I need as many cores and as much horsepower as possible out of my setup within my budget.

I currently use an iMac and MacBook Pro, but I'm moving away from Apple for the following reasons.

1. Can't do any gaming on a Mac

2. iMac's and MacBook Pro's are underpowered and overpriced for my work needs. I looked at the the new iMac pro but with 64gb of memory it's £5600. The latest MacBook pro's get crushed by Dell's XPS 15in laptops which are also cheaper.

3. They overheat to a ridiculous level when I'm programming and running multiple virtual machines.

4. Apart from using photoshop and editing videos, I use Linux for everything else. So I'll only be using windows 10 for DCS, Battlefield 4 and Photoshop/video editing.

My question is how much noticeable would the performance be between a AMD Thread Ripper 1950X 16 core and an Intel 8700k in DCS? I'm going to be going with the Thread Ripper CPU as work obviously comes first over gaming.

The only other CPU that I've considered is the Intel i9 7900x pre binned at 4.9Ghz with 10 cores, but it's double the money of the AMD Thread Ripper 1950X, and I'm going to be buying the new Dell XPS laptop when it comes out this year to replace my MacBook Pro, so my budget needs to get me 2 computers.

Put it this way. If you have a new CPU over 4ghz, you won't need to worry. I run DCS on an i7 950 @ 3.8ghz (4 cores, 8 threads).

The issue with DCS is the GPU. I have a Palit 8GB 1070 Ti and DCS with mostly high settings, MSAA x2, shadows on, gives me 50FPS on the ground, 60-70 in the air, and upto 130 FPS over the water.

So you need a decent CPU 3.8ghz+, 16GB+ ram, SSD drives, and a decent 8GB GPU.

I also have a 144Hz 1080p monitor with a 1ms response time over Display Ports for the faster FPS. 60hz = 60FPS max.

Excellent, thanks for the info. That's what I wanted to hear :).

BTW, been watching the grim reaper videos on Youtube. I used to always be on LOMAC 10 years ago when I last had a windows PC. Watching the grim reaper videos should of been No.5 of why I'm ditching Apple lol

Excellent, thanks for the info. That's what I wanted to hear :).

 

BTW, been watching the grim reaper videos on Youtube. I used to always be on LOMAC 10 years ago when I last had a windows PC. Watching the grim reaper videos should of been No.5 of why I'm ditching Apple lol

Hope you enjoy the video's! We have a lot of fun but also put a lot of effort in. Always learning...:thumbup:

As a fellow VM running dev, I do have to ask if you actually use the many VM's under decent load all the time.

If you do, fair enough, you'll need the cores (ps: rumours are new Thread Rippers are coming end of the Summer).

If not, the new top Ryzen+ might be a better shout than the Thread Ripper.

As for DCS, officially it's still 2 cores (1 sound, 1 everything else) so speed > cores is still in play, although it does seem to be making use of more these days.

Yeah I tend to put all the VM's under quite a lot of load so things can really bog down. I'll do some research into what the new thread ripper might be at the end of the summer.

I've put off building a new rig for longer than I should have because I'm always waiting for the next top end CPU that's always just around the corner but at some point I just need to make the move before I end up spending the cash on something else. Now that you've mentioned a there's a rumor of a new Thread Ripper at the end of the summer, I'll end up thinking to myself "wait for that to come out and wait for the 1080ti replacement" while I'm sitting in my home office sweating like I'm in a sauna with all these Apple products around me over heating while I'm compiling and rendering stuff. All this while sitting there thinking 'I could be on DCS right now'

For gaming alone the number of cores currently doesn't mean much once you're using a quadcore or bigger. Clock speed has a bigger impact on performance, although that could change with the future implementation of the Vulkan API. If running on a 970 or better @ 1080p performance gains become apparent as you start to get over 4ghz.

Once you start gaming at 2k or higher resolution, GPU selection makes a bigger difference than clockspeed adjustments.

Currently - any MSAA at all causes a massive drop in frames per second in DCS World due to the nature of deferred shading. Probably best to just leave it off at this point.. and I don't recommend fxaa as it seems to make things shimmer in the distance (at least at the resolution I play at)

Right now it's kind of a toss up on whether you want smoother image quality with at least msaa 2x, or higher framerates without any AA at all.

I can't speak for virtual machines.. but intel still has the title of "best gaming cpus" on lockdown simply because of the achievable clockspeeds. Performance between my i5 2500k @ 4.5ghz and my i7 8700k @ 4.7ghz is negligable.

Threadripper would most certainly render videos faster than my 8700k, but my machine's first purpose is gaming and simming, and the fact that pushing the cpu to 4.7ghz hardly causes it to break a sweat was the determining factor in choosing the cpu personally. I am now hindered by my video card..which.. I'm waiting for the next generation of nvidia GPU's to tackle that desire, and perhaps move into the realm of VR.

That being said - you should still be able to enjoy DCS on a threadripper which is more suited to your VM needs.

After to speaking to a few people who know more about hardware than me about my specific usage... this is what I've settled on

Intel i9 7900x that's overclocked to 4.80ghz over all 10 cores by 8Pack at overclockersuk

Asus ROG Rampage VI Apex (Socket 2066) Intel X299 EATX Motherboard

EK Watercooling Kit

64Gb of DDR4 4000mhz

2X SAMSUNG 960 EVO POLARIS 500GB M.2 2280 PCI-E 3.0 X4 NVME SOLID STATE DRIVE

Asus 1080TI Rog Strix OC graphics card

Corsair HX1200I 1200W '80 PLUS PLATINUM' powerunit

Cooler Master COSMOS II ULTRA TOWER CASE

Alienware AW3418DW - 34" QHD Ultra Widescreen Gaming Monitor, 120Hz WITH G-SYNC

threadripper 2000 series are going to be released this summer. If you can wait a bit longer...

Threadripper2 :thumbup:

I could bitch so much about Z370/8700k..but I better stop now and dont spoil my day

After to speaking to a few people who know more about hardware than me about my specific usage... this is what I've settled on

 

Intel i9 7900x that's overclocked to 4.80ghz over all 10 cores by 8Pack at overclockersuk

Asus ROG Rampage VI Apex (Socket 2066) Intel X299 EATX Motherboard

EK Watercooling Kit

64Gb of DDR4 4000mhz

2X SAMSUNG 960 EVO POLARIS 500GB M.2 2280 PCI-E 3.0 X4 NVME SOLID STATE DRIVE

Asus 1080TI Rog Strix OC graphics card

Corsair HX1200I 1200W '80 PLUS PLATINUM' powerunit

Cooler Master COSMOS II ULTRA TOWER CASE

Alienware AW3418DW - 34" QHD Ultra Widescreen Gaming Monitor, 120Hz WITH G-SYNC

ehhh 4.8 on all 10 cores with EK ??? you better get another cooling solution tbh, EK is shiny, and that's it. Read their reviews and forums....I would avoid EK where ever I can.

A 4.8 10c OC is on the edge and very depending on Bios versions and what is attached to your rig. It may work in the config that it arrives in, it may hold it..it may not.

I would not bet on that OC number and I would seriously consider NOT hopping on that board.

Not what you want to hear but I think what you need to hear. Don't get blinded by ads and too colorful stories.

Bit

ehhh 4.8 on all 10 cores with EK ??? you better get another cooling solution tbh, EK is shiny, and that's it. Read their reviews and forums....I would avoid EK where ever I can.

 

A 4.8 10c OC is on the edge and very depending on Bios versions and what is attached to your rig. It may work in the config that it arrives in, it may hold it..it may not.

 

I would not bet on that OC number and I would seriously consider NOT hopping on that board.

 

 

Not what you want to hear but I think what you need to hear. Don't get blinded by ads and too colorful stories.

 

Bit

I got the EK bit wrong, it's actually a custom water cooler kit made by the people who overclock it. You can see the package here https://www.overclockers.co.uk/8pack-elite-tier-intel-core-i9-7900x-4.80ghz-overclocked-enthusiast-gaming-bundle-bu-00m-8p.html

It comes with a 3 year warranty from them with 12 months labour and people speak pretty highly about their overlocked packages.

With the work I use it for the system pays for itself after 2 weeks max. When threadripper 2 comes I'll take the 1080ti out and sell it to one of my employees and just take the money out of their wages each month. This is what I've done with my MacBook pro's over the years.

What's wrong with your 8700k? I thought it was the best gaming cpu. If it wasn't for my work needs and the computer was used for just gaming then I'd probably get this package from overclockers https://www.overclockers.co.uk/8pack-elite-tier-overclocked-i7-8700k-5.00ghz-gaming-bundle-bu-00w-8p.html

I don't like the chipset that comes with it, Z370 and the hassle that is attached to delidding/relidding etc.., than it refuses it run my RAM at XMP without hassle. It still does freak out so I reverted to 3200, now back to 2133 and no OC at all for now.

I am fed up with this 8700k/Z370 combo. The CPU alone maybe gave a better experience with a better board. I may change the board if I keep the CPU. I will then grab a Gigabyte, after 2 decades of Asus.

I just checked the combo.

Honestly, that cooler is WAY WAY too small for that much wattage.

YOu cant cool that 10core chip with an AIO, that's what it is.

You should get a real custom cooling with double 360's or douboe 480's..or like I have, a big external radiator.

The wattage you will pump into that system, believe me, will heat it up in a very short time.

If you really need all 10 cores for work at full tilt, than that combo is nonsense, I tell you this a a server builder. The cooling is OK for gaming and occasional video editing.

edit* I'd also watercool the VRM's if you want this full tilt @ work for hours and hours. The VRM's will suffer if you pump 300+ watts continuously through them.

Really, think twice !