So I heard ya’ll super smart :), was watching the awesome video on youtube and thought it might be a good idea to get some thoughts here.
I used to build computers, but this was 8 years ago and things have changed significantly.
So the other day I purchased a new Asus Strix 1080 TI to go in my aging gaming build. I had an issue with memory compatibility in my old board and have since sorted it but just kind of feel silly now with this huge bottleneck.
So I’ve ordered,
Asus Strix x299 motherboard
i7 7800x
Samsung 1TB 960 Evo PCIe SSD
To go with the new 1080 Ti.
Heard in the video some thought needs to go in to which slot the PCIe SSD will use due to lanes or something.
Maybe somebody has already been through this? Would love any thoughts you peeps have.
X299 especially with the 6 core is extremely gimped when it comes to direct connect PCIE lanes. So many of the slots are hooked up through the chipset (essentially a switch) rather than directly connected to the CPU.
Now this isn’t a massive issue unless you’re hitting IO all at once with multiple devices but it still can cause trouble. Just check your motherboard manual. It will tell you how the slots are wired and if there is one available that is directly connected to the CPU it will say so and you should use that one.
Looking at the manual it looks like any of the X16 slots should be fine to use but none of the X4s. So use one of those and you should have best performance
As for M.2 PCIE I think you’re gonna want to use the top M.2 slot that is PCIE only though even that may go through the chipset. Not sure
Again though it isn’t a huge deal. You won’t see the chipset bottlenecks unless you’re really hammering IO.
Personally though I think you should cancel you order if possible or even return it if they don’t charge restocking fees.
X299 is a bit of a mess and doesn’t make that much sense from a value or performance perspective. Especially with a 6 core part (which for whatever reason, prob the tiny L3 cache and latency, especially in games, has surprisingly poor performance and uses a lot of power comparatively). Personally I’d return X299 and grab a Z370 with an 8700K (which would be cheaper and net more performance) or if you need more cores/PCIE lanes make the jump to X399 ThreadRipper if you have the cash.
X299 is of dubious value to me especially with 6 and 8 core CPUs when those are available on the mainstream now for little sacrifice
That’s interesting, I mean I don’t want to go through the trouble of returning everything if I can help it.
2066 is a new platform, right? I’m currently running an i7-3770K so to me this 7800x seemed like a big upgrade. With the potential to change CPU in a few years as 2066 should still be in use?
I mostly game on this machine and stream also.
Maybe I’ve confused this process as it was much simpler a few years ago, I thought X-Series was the latest generation. I was a bit concerned about the 6 cores but unless I’m rendering video it felt unneeded?
I mean I’m all for value for money, but also don’t mind putting a little extra in to get what I’m comfortable with which is Intel as I know they are solid for gaming as whereas AMD is great in some but really bad in others.
So with this information, do you think I need to return these? I want to upgrade now that is my problem, if the performance difference between 7800x and 8700k is negligible in real-world practice (as in just a few fps to me) then surely it’s not going to be worth all the trouble of me returning everything, and getting an older socket type?
In a nutshell, I could get a cheap i9 in a few years time right? but with Z370 i’d have to get a new motherboard again etc…
You shouldn’t have any expectations of Intel keeping the same socket - or socket version - in use for more than 1 or 2 generations.
About the 7800X seeming like a big upgrade over 3770K: Sure, it will be a big upgrade, but if you consider what else is available, you could do cheaper for same performance.
This is because the “thousands” in Intel Core processor numbering don’t align between the mainstream (up to x7xx) and high end desktop (HEDT; x8xx and x9xx) lines. Even though 7800X sounds like it should be 4 generations past 3770K, it’s actually only 3 - it’s Skylake, which for mainstream is up to 67xx and for HEDT is 78xx/79xx.
There have already been two more advanced generations of mainstream Intel Core processors since Skylake-E, and the latest generation offers the same number of cores as 7800X, but with cheaper platform costs and higher clock rates - never mind two generations better IPC.
Yes. It is. It is also a rush/panic job by Intel lol but that is another story.
But Z370 is also a new platform. It just came out in October. It’s actually newer even though it retains the same 1151 socket.
It is for sure.
Maybe… Intel lives to change sockets and platforms and considering X299 is so far behind TR in IO and has issues with Kaby Lake X support they may change sooner than you think. There is no guaranteed future proofing for tech but especially Intel platforms. Z270 came out and less than a year later we got Z370 with no compatibility with older stuff so it can be a crap shoot. I would buy the best you can now and expect to change platfotms in 3-5 years.
The X series is actually never the latest. At least for sure since X79. Not sure about X58. X is always a generation behind or so. It’s a workstation server platform primarily so they want stability. The 6 core+ x299 parts are all Skylake based with some modifications to cache. The latest is CoffeeLake lake with Kabylake in-between.
Games are increasingly using more cores and if you want to stream you def want as many as you can. 6 cores with HT can be fine but it isn’t ideal. Especially when the 7800X is quite a bit slower than the 8700K in games and costs more money.
Comfort is fine though a little silly imo but I can see it. Don’t know where you heard that. Ryzen is fine pretty much across the board. On average the 6 core Ryzen is about the same to a little faster in games then the 7800X. It also.only costs $200.
You still can. What an extra week of waiting to grab the 8700k?
It can be up to 30 FPS in some cases. Especially at lower resolutions. The effort is up to you.
It is still a new platform.
Maybe. Past two years new cpus likely won’t work and Intel CPUs do not go on fire sale nor lose value in the used market. The idea that in 3 years you can just drop in a 10 core for $300 is highly unlikely. Still prob gonna be $1000 or slightly less.
Again maybe. There is no guarantee and Intel is launching 8 cores this year on the socket so it isn’t dead. Z370 1151 is different from Z170/270 1151. Again two years from now both platforms will likely be dead so I wouldn’t count on not changing platforms when you upgrade.
The last thing is cost. The 8700k is about $20 cheaper but the motherboards are significantly so. The Strix Z370 is over $140 less than the one you got and if you’re not using the extra Pcie anyways it’s not a big deal and you’ll save alot while getting more performance and less power consumption
Thank you for your advice. I will be refusing the delivery tomorrow and order an 8700k setup when I receive the refund.
I believe you’re right and might as well go for the best performance now for the same money as buying an i9 in a few years time will probably be as much as a new mobo/cpu upgrade anyway for the mainstream.
Yeah well indeed like pretty much anyone pointed out allready.
If you main goals are gaming with the system, then HEDT isn’t really a good platform to invest money on.
THe best gaming performance can be find with the Z370 mainstream platform and the 8700K which is also a 6 core 12 threads part.