Need a fairly high-end Adobe After Effects/Premiere Pro/Cinema 4D workstation...and CPU/GPU supply times

[Hello Paul]

Hello,
I am looking to replace my ageing workstation with something more powerful, and wondered if anyone's willing to give me some advice. I need it for Adobe After Effects (likes very fast CPU clock speeds), Premiere Pro (eats VRAM for breakfast) and Cinema 4D (uses all the cores all the time). I will be using the system all day every day for my job, so I have a reasonable budget available, but would like to keep the total under ~£6000 inc. VAT if possible. So I want a CPU as fast as possible, with plenty of cores, and a GPU with as much VRAM as possible.

My existing 11GB GTX1080Ti regularly runs out of VRAM, so I'm hoping for an RTX3090 with 24GB VRAM, but these are made entirely of unobtanium. So I'm considering ordering a PC with no GPU, using my existing GTX1080Ti for now, then getting an RTX3090 as soon as they become available. I currently use three monitors: an Asus ProArt 4K display, a 27" Dell 2560x1440 and a little 23" one - can't remember the resolution - I think it's even less than 1920x1080.

Which kind of solves the GPU issue for now...so on to the CPU. The AMD 5950X seems like the fastest thing around, but are these available yet? I'm not in a screaming rush for this PC, but ideally I'd like to have it before the end of March 2021. If the 5950X is not available, what would be the next-best (but available) option?

As far as a case/cooling/PSU goes, I'm looking for advice here too - I'd be happy to experiment with some mild overclocking so need enough power and cooling to allow for this. Also, I'd need enough power to fuel an RTX3090 in future. I'm not concerned with looks or case lighting - I just want the system to be fast and reliable. I'd also like the motherboard to support as many M.2 drives as possible. For RAM: 64GB would suffice for now, with space to upgrade it at a later date.

So if anyone has any thoughts/advice/experience, I'd be very interested to hear it!

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Bigfoot]

With your budget you could consider one of the Threadripper CPUs. They have plenty of cores and processing power. They are all still 3000 series at the moment and I don’t know when the next version is due. TRs will need a really good basic infrastructure (case, motherboard, PSU and cooling). Someone with more knowledge would need to advise you on a spec.

 

[Hello Paul]

Hello again - thanks for suggestions and help so far. I have a few more questions in case anyone's interested in giving me some more advice (please!)...

Overclocked CPU
AMD Threadripper 3970X 32 Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.3GHz): How much overclocking am I likely to get out of this CPU? My current PC has a 6-core Intel i7-3960X overclocked to 4.5GHz. Am I right in assuming that the single-core performance of the Threadripper at 4.3GHz will be superior to single-core performance of my existing 4.5GHz old processor? (Obviously anything taking advantage of the multi-cores will be lovely and fast on the AMD).

If I decide in future to get a 3990X or 5950X would it be an easy swap?

RAM
The highest amount of 3600MHz RAM is apparently 64GB. With this processor/motherboard, will I notice the benefit of 3600MHz vs. 3200MHz? (I can apparently put 128GB of 3200MHz RAM on this board). Is this limitation just the availability of 3600MHz 16GB DIMMs?

Motherboard/Case:
I've chosen a motherboard (ASUS® ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA) which appears to have five M.2 slots so I can (in future) populate it with many M.2 drives. But presumably this board is huge, and needs a gigantic case to fit it. Will it fit in anything smaller than the Fractal Define 7 XL? I was hoping to get a PC smaller than my existing one. I have no need for loads of space for drives or cards; if I'm using mainly M.2 drives (which I assume slot directly onto the motherboard) then I'll probably only need 2 other drive bays in the case. I will need space for one high end graphics card - maybe an RTX3090 when they eventually materialise. Front ports: A couple of USB3 ports would suffice.

PSU
Would I really need 1200 Watts? Or would 1000W suffice for this system (including a hefty graphics card such as RTX3090)? This reckons 1000W should suffice - probably.

Storage
I'm planning to transfer some of the SSDs from my old system to this one. I currently have a couple of SSDs, a mechanical 2TB drive plus an M.2 Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD. I plan to add further M.2 drives in future as and when I need them. I've specced a new 2TB M.2 drive as the system drive.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 XL BLACK QUIET TOWER CASE
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked AMD Threadripper 3970X 32 Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.3GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA (DDR4, Wi-Fi 6, CrossFireX/SLI) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (8 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML360 RGB TR4 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £4,018.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-x399-overclocked/5ARtGDjFNF/

 

[Hello Paul]

Thanks to all who have given suggestions and help so far. I have a few more questions in case anyone's interested in giving me some more advice (please!)...I'd like to get this system's specs finalised ASAP and get it ordered this week.

I'm looking for a fast machine to run mainly Adobe After Effects, some Premiere Pro (4K editing, sometimes with 8K source footage) and some Cinema 4D. My current system has an Nvidia GTX1080Ti 11GB graphics card which I plan to transplant into my new machine for now, even though I regularly run out of VRAM when rendering a video in Adobe Media Encoder and doing something in After Effects at the same time. I plan to buy something with more VRAM (maybe a 24GB RTX3090) as soon as they they become available/affordable for the new machine.

My monitors:
Asus ProArt PA329C 4K 60Hz
Dell U2713H 2560x1440 60Hz
Samsung 1680x1050 60Hz

My current system has 64GB RAM which has been sufficient for all my needs so far, so 64GB would do, but I feel having 128GB would be more future-proof.

If possible, I'd prefer something in a smaller case than my current system if possible (243 x 560 x 564mm), but that's not a priority. I'm not at all bothered by case lighting or aesthetics. I'm not interested in gaming.

Overclocked CPU
AMD Threadripper 3970X 32 Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.3GHz): How much overclocking am I likely to get out of this CPU? My current old PC has a 6-core Intel i7-3960X overclocked to 4.5GHz. Am I right in hoping/assuming that the single-core performance of the Threadripper at 4.3GHz will be far superior to single-core performance of my existing 4.5GHz old processor? (Obviously anything taking advantage of the multi-cores will be lovely and fast on the AMD). AMD's specs say the max. single-core boost speed is 4.5GHz for the 3970X.

If I decide in future to get a 3990X or 5950X would it be an easy swap?

RAM
The highest amount of 3600MHz RAM is apparently 64GB. With this processor/motherboard, will I notice the benefit of 3600MHz vs. 3200MHz? (I can apparently put 128GB of 3200MHz RAM on this board). Is this limitation just the availability of 3600MHz 16GB DIMMs?

Motherboard/Case:
I've chosen a motherboard (ASUS® ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA) which appears to have five M.2 slots so I can (in future) populate it with many M.2 drives. But presumably this board is huge, and needs a gigantic case to fit it. Will it fit in anything smaller than the Fractal Define 7 XL? I was hoping to get a PC smaller than my existing one. I have no need for loads of space for drives or cards; if I'm using mainly M.2 drives (which I assume slot directly onto the motherboard) then I'll probably only need 2 other drive bays in the case. I will need space for one high end graphics card - maybe an RTX3090 when they eventually materialise. Front ports: A couple of USB3 ports would suffice.

PSU
Would I really need 1200 Watts? Or would 1000W suffice for this system (including a hefty graphics card such as RTX3090)? This reckons 1000W should suffice - probably.

Storage
I'm planning to transfer some of the SSDs from my old system to this one. I currently have a couple of SSDs, a mechanical 2TB drive plus an M.2 Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD. I plan to add further M.2 drives in future as and when I need them. I've specced a new 2TB M.2 drive as the system drive.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 XL BLACK QUIET TOWER CASE
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked AMD Threadripper 3970X 32 Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.3GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA (DDR4, Wi-Fi 6, CrossFireX/SLI) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (8 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML360 RGB TR4 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £4,018.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-x399-overclocked/5ARtGDjFNF/

 

[Stephen M]

The PSU type the suggest is the bare minimum required but not piece of equipment wants to be run close to 100% and a bigger PSU should last longer.

As PCS have an open case policy, you can work on machines without voiding warranty, I would suggest starting at your current 64 GB RAM, then upgrading if needed.

 

[sck451]

With the processor, you could put a 3990X in instead, but not a 5950X. The Threadripper processors use an entirely different socket to the standard Ryzen processors. When Threadripper 5000 comes out (surely it will) you could put one of those in instead.

The single-core performance of Threadripper 3000 is far above the i7-3960X. A quick glance at benchmarks suggests at least a 50% single-thread improvement. Most AMD processors get very little benefit from overclocking. If I were you (and I was convinced I really needed 32 cores) I would look at non-overclocked Threadrippers instead; the 3970X at stock speeds would do a more than adequate job.

With the memory, PCS don't offer more than two sticks of 3600MHz RAM in a system. Apparently there have been some stability problems, which may be the reason, though I've not seen any formal confirmation of this. Personally, I'd be a little reluctant to fill all eight DIMM slots if I thought it conceivable I may want to go for more memory in the future. There will be a measurable performance drop between 3600MHz and 3200MHz; whether it's significant enough I'm not sure. Personally I'd want the capacity for future upgrades rather than pushing the speed to the limit.

 

[Hello Paul]

Thanks @sck451 for those comments.

So I think I'll stick with 64GB 3600MHz RAM for now, and up my power to 1200W, as suggested by @Stephen M . Regarding the case, will the ASUS® ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA fit in a smaller case? And is that motherboard a good choice for:

• performance
• future upgrades
• M.2 drives?