Top End Specs for 3D and Rendering. Why is there no options for Air cooling for the AMD 7950X3D?

[DeyanDesign]

I am considering investing in a new machine for work ( Architectural visualisations and rendering with Unreal Engine 5) and just wanted a sense check from the community.

Any suggestions on how to make the PC below be the best possible machine for 3D and rendering are welcome.

I am mostly wondering about the CPU cooling. I am not sure why there doesn't seem to be any options for air cooling when trying to configure the PC with the AMD 7950X3D

I have never had a closed looped CPU cooling and I am a bit nervous about getting one. ( I have seen things about pump noise from the CORSAIR iCUE H150i ) Currently using Noctua fans on a AMD Threadripper 2990WX which is doing an amazing job even under high work loads like rendering.

Thank you

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 500 ARGB
Promotional Item
Get Overwatch 2 Ultimate Battle Pass Bundle with select GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs!
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-Cache/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (WIFI 6E, DDR5, PCIe 5.0)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (4 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4090 OC EDITION - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
8TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
ARGB Power Supply Extension Cables
LIAN LI ARGB STRIMER PLUS V2 24-PIN CABLE
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCI-E CARD

 

[B4zookaw]

I suspect there's not a lot of demand for high end air coolers, gamers probably want the RGB AIO look these days. Maybe configure your build with a cheap cooler that's enough to get it running, then buy a Noctua or other air cooler elsewhere and fit once you receive the build?

Edit: I would say that you want to check any air cooler will fit both the case and doesn't impact the RAM height. Some of the RGB RAM sticks are too high for some coolers

 

[Scott]

The X3D chip is aimed at the gaming market. If you're not looking to game then you want to opt for the 7950X, rather than the 3D variant.

Given you're coming from such a high end platform I'm not sure if the 7950X is best placed for you. It'll likely perform better, but I don't think it'll be the generational leap that I would hope for personally. The 4090 might be what you are after though.

I think it's expected that we will see the next generation of threadripper before the end of this year. I would suggest if the budget is going to be there for such a system again (Threadripper esque) then I would hold out for them to arrive. As above, the 2990WX is still very beefy.

With regards to the cooling. I wouldn't recommend air cooling on such a high end system nowadays. The AIOs frankly do a far better job when specced right. Aircoolers are great for shunt loads but over the course of hours you will get heat soak in them without the absolute best airflow through the case. This makes them quite noisy in my experience, as a package, it's either that or performance is being left on the table. Chips will down-clock when they hit thermal limits, I would be amazed if you're not hitting them without the exhaust fans sounding like a jet engine.... I guess it depends how much load is on the GPU as well though.

Feed back with your thoughts and we can put together a system. There seems to be a lot of excessive selections in your config as it stands. Additionally, I would even consider a 4090 with AIO attached, you're in the price bracket anyway.

 

[DeyanDesign]

Thank you both for the response!

That does make a lot of sense and you are absolutly right - I think I should probably go with the 7950X rather than the 3D variant.

I would love to upgrade to another version of Threadripper once it comes out although I wounder if it will be able to reach similar single core performance to the 7950 (although even if its 4.2 GHZ rather than 4.5 at 64 cores for example it would be pretty incredible for rendering).

( I am guessing the new threadrippers would be with the same socket as the 7950 so could potentially upgrade once those arrive)

You mntioned excessive selections - which other parts should I look in to potentially altering?

I have been toying with the idea of upgrading just my graphics card (curently with a 2080) but my power suply is 850W so I would have to probably change that as well . Also the 3GHz single core speed of the treadripper I have now is struggling with the more complex models I work with , which is why I started looking in togetting a whole new PC. (while keeping my current one as a slave machine for rendering)

 

[SpyderTracks]

Threadrippers are a different socket to Ryzen, the CPU is literally double the size, it's STRX4 for current threadrippers

 

[Scott]

Thank you both for the response!

That does make a lot of sense and you are absolutly right - I think I should probably go with the 7950X rather than the 3D variant.

I would love to upgrade to another version of Threadripper once it comes out although I wounder if it will be able to reach similar single core performance to the 7950 (although even if its 4.2 GHZ rather than 4.5 at 64 cores for example it would be pretty incredible for rendering).

( I am guessing the new threadrippers would be with the same socket as the 7950 so could potentially upgrade once those arrive)

You mntioned excessive selections - which other parts should I look in to potentially altering?

I have been toying with the idea of upgrading just my graphics card (curently with a 2080) but my power suply is 850W so I would have to probably change that as well . Also the 3GHz single core speed of the treadripper I have now is struggling with the more complex models I work with , which is why I started looking in togetting a whole new PC. (while keeping my current one as a slave machine for rendering)

Something seems a bit off if you're only seeing 3GHz from the single core, you should get a single core boost to 4.2Ghz. When rendering I would expect to be using all the cores you can throw at it though, hence why it should be an absolute beast.

As above, unfortunately Threadripper is a whole beast of its own. It's a very focused platform and wouldn't fit in typical desktop solutions.

You do have a lot to mull over to be honest. You could go for a current Threadripper upgrade (They are beastly), you could go for a 7950X upgrade (Would keep you modern and allow a CPU upgrade down the line) or you could hold off for the next generation Threadripper.

I'm surprised the 2990WX is struggling with anything in all honesty. I would maybe have a look at your temps when rendering in case the system needs a mini overhaul. The likes of the 4090 would have a huge impact if you went for CUDA rendering, but as you rightly surmise.... you would need a PSU upgrade as well to stay within comfortable margins.

Lets have a little nosey...

 

[Scott]

Monster current gen Threadripper. More than likely also indicative of next generation costs etc:

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 XL BLACK QUIET TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX 32 Core CPU (4.5GHz, 144MB CACHE)
Motherboard
ASUS® Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI II (Intel dual 10 G LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port, SLI)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Kingston DDR4 3200MHz ECC Registered (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
8TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W HX SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® PLATINUM, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML360 RGB TR4 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
2 x 10 GIGABIT ETHERNET PORTS
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [MUP-00005]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
48 HOUR INSURED PALLET DELIVERY TO UK (MON-FRI, INC. HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £7,703.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-wrx80-pc/fYybbmQXz5/

 

[Scott]

Monster AM5 build. I would ask PCS to fit another 4TB Corsair MP600 drive. They will happily do so. If they came into stock I would recommend the Firecudas though.

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 500 ARGB
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (WIFI 6E, DDR5, PCIe 5.0)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
8TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W HX SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® PLATINUM, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
ARGB Power Supply Extension Cables
LIAN LI ARGB STRIMER PLUS V2 24-PIN CABLE
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCI-E CARD
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £4,504.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/8p33pmRTub/

 

[DeyanDesign]

Hello,

Thank you Scott for suggesting the alternative built and taking the time to advise on all of this.
As the new gen of Threadrippers are rumored to be announce around September/October I have decided to hold out on an upgrade until than. ( I am also waiting for Unreal 5.2 to come out of preview mode and for some additional plug ins around it so I can keep using my current graphics card for a couple of more moths)

Just one last question , any particular reason for option for the 1200W power supply in the last built you suggested?
( I also couldnt decide between 1000W and 1200W as the PCS website was calculating I wouldnt need more than 800, hence 1000W seemed sufficient ) Although my thinking of going with 1200W was for future proofing and in case I need some extra power for overclocking or fututure graphic card upgrades.

In case you were wondering I checked up on my current Threadripper and single core speeds do go up to 3.5ghz when working in 3D. WHen rendering it uses all cores at roughly around that speed. I have not been overclocking the CPU so maybe thats why it doesnt go up to 4.2 ghz (or maybe I am missing something else)

Temperatures have always been sterady around 68-70 degrees even in prolonged rendering (which is why I have been quite happy with the Noctura air cooling up to this point and was debating on sticking with air cooling for the new machine.

I appreciate all the help!

 

[Scott]

Hello,

Thank you Scott for suggesting the alternative built and taking the time to advise on all of this.
As the new gen of Threadrippers are rumored to be announce around September/October I have decided to hold out on an upgrade until than. ( I am also waiting for Unreal 5.2 to come out of preview mode and for some additional plug ins around it so I can keep using my current graphics card for a couple of more moths)

Just one last question , any particular reason for option for the 1200W power supply in the last built you suggested?
( I also couldnt decide between 1000W and 1200W as the PCS website was calculating I wouldnt need more than 800, hence 1000W seemed sufficient ) Although my thinking of going with 1200W was for future proofing and in case I need some extra power for overclocking or fututure graphic card upgrades.

In case you were wondering I checked up on my current Threadripper and single core speeds do go up to 3.5ghz when working in 3D. WHen rendering it uses all cores at roughly around that speed. I have not been overclocking the CPU so maybe thats why it doesnt go up to 4.2 ghz (or maybe I am missing something else)

Temperatures have always been sterady around 68-70 degrees even in prolonged rendering (which is why I have been quite happy with the Noctura air cooling up to this point and was debating on sticking with air cooling for the new machine.

I appreciate all the help!

Sounds like a good plan. You will certainly get more productivity from them than you will the current desktop offerings.

I wouldn't take much notice of the PCS calculator. These calculators were great when the suppliers used straight up facts for their power usage, but there's a ton of boosting considerations to think about. Additionally transient spikes from the current gen of hardware with the shock loads absolutely slams the PSU, so you want to have the headroom to cope without any BSODs etc. And of course there's the upgrade path and future potential.

3.5Ghz still isn't right unfortunately. Something isn't working correctly in my mind. In completely stock guise you should see 4.2Ghz single core speeds, at the very least for a short period of time. If single core and all-core are the same then something has been fettled with. Was it an OC build when you purchased it?