Advise on going AMD or Intel

[Sin Stalker]

I currently have a Ryzen 2700x. Before this I had a 1700x and before that I had an i7-930. 

 

I have had so much trouble with the 2700x and 1700x over the years. Both were linked to the motherboards. The current issues have been narrowed down to motherboard or PSU and I am planning for if it is the motherboard (again).

 

I refuse to get another 1st gen Ryzen board. When I look at x470 and b450, I am not liking what I am seeing is available. So another option is to go B550 (I refuse to go X570 as I don't want that chipset fan). But my 2700x won't work on a B550, so I would have to grab another CPU. However this brings me to a price point that makes an Intel option appealing.

 

I loved my old i7-930. It was my first build and I never had issues with the mobo or cpu. Everything was solid and just worked. This adds to the temptation of grabbing an i5-10600k. I've also always dreamed of OCing a CPU to 5GHz stable, which again adds to the temptation. Especially since OCing on AMD isn't a rewarding thing to do.

 

What deters me are the less lanes and practices of Intel. A part of me doesn't want to support them. I feel like a betrayed fanboy from back in the day. 

 

 

I mainly game on this PC. Games like Apex Legends (or other BRs), Rust, MMOs, etc. I have a 144hz monitor for those competitive games like Apex. I also have fun live streaming from time to time. The PC is also used by my wife to teach remotely (video calls). I also use the PC for school, mainly zoom or whatever video conferencing application in this instance. I do some very light 2D and 3D art.

 

The 2700x has been good (when there wasn't stability issues going on), but I have wanted a bit more power when playing Apex Legends or Warzone.

 

I also have been thinking the 8 cores is more than I actually need. And if games in the future need more cores, I can just upgrade at that point.

 

 

I am running a GTX 1080, 280mm rad aio, 250 m.2 NVMe 960 EVO SSD, 1tb sata ssd, 1tb HDD and 16gb 3200 ram, with the current system that'll be placed with these parts.

 

 

Here is the intel cpu and mobo I was looking at:

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-10600k-core-i5-10th-gen/p/N82E16819118124?Item=9SIA12KBF24976

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145194?Item=N82E16813145194 or https://www.newegg.com/evga-z490-ftw-wifi-122-cl-e497-kr/p/N82E16813188201?&quicklink=true

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145195?Item=N82E16813145195 (edited to replace option with this)

 

And here is the AMD option I was looking at:

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-3600xt-ryzen-5-3rd-gen/p/N82E16819113653?Item=N82E16819113653

https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-b550-aorus-pro-ac/p/N82E16813145216?Item=N82E16813145216

https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-b550-aorus-master/p/N82E16813145217?Item=N82E16813145217  (edited to replace option with this)

 

 

I'd love some POVs on the two options here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Haro]

Neither. 

If you have a 2700x. It'll be good for now and check what zen 3 has to offer. The 2700x should do for now in all honesty. 

1 minute ago, Sin Stalker said:

PSU and I am planning for if it is the motherboard (again).

What PSU and that motherboard do you have now?

[xg32]

3 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

if ur going amd just get the 3600, if u plan on going with rtx 3000, get the 10600k, better if u already have an aftermarket cooler.

[Haro]

Just now, xg32 said:

, if u plan on going with rtx 3000, get the 10600k,

What does that have to do with a 10600k exactly?

[xg32]

Just now, TofuHaroto said:

What does that have to do with a 10600k exactly?

if he's gonna go from a 1080 to a rtx 3070 or something then the 10600k is a better choice for gaming.

[Sin Stalker]

3 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

Neither. 

If you have a 2700x. It'll be good for now and check what zen 3 has to offer. The 2700x should do for now in all honesty. 

What PSU and that motherboard do you have now?

What board should I get for my 2700x, then?

[Sin Stalker]

Just now, xg32 said:

if he's gonna go from a 1080 to a rtx 3070 or something then the 10600k is a better choice for gaming.

Eventually, I'd like to. 

[xg32]

Just now, Sin Stalker said:

What board should I get for my 2700x, then?

think they cut off support for zen + on b550, so the best bang for buck board you can get is a b450 tomahawk max

[Mateyyy]

The 10600K is technically better strictly for gaming performance, but even for 1080p 144Hz the 3600 should keep up, and the XT seems to have a little more OC headroom so you could try squeezing the most out of it. Whether I'd pay $250 for it though is a different question.

Also, the 10600K might be able to stretch its legs more for high refresh rate 1080p when paired with stronger next-gen GPUs, though depending on how fast they turn out to be, I'd probably also consider going to 1440p at that point which would take some of the load off the CPU.

 

If you do end up going with Intel though, at that price I'd look at a Z490 Unify or Strix Z490-E, or a cheaper Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI.

For AMD, the B550 Aorus Pro is a solid choice.

 

And you could also wait until Zen 3 gets launched if your system runs, to see what that brings to the table.

[Sin Stalker]

1 minute ago, xg32 said:

think they cut off support for zen + on b550, so the best bang for buck board you can get is a b450 tomahawk max

That's a $200+ board from what I see. 

 

Makes more sense to upgrade to a newer board and CPU. Then I can sell the 2700x to recoup some of the cost.

[Haro]

3 minutes ago, xg32 said:

then the 10600k is a better choice for gaming

Regardless of what GPU it is. A 10600k is a better chip for gaming compared to the 3600. GPU doesn't really matter in this case. 

 

Just now, Sin Stalker said:

Makes more sense to upgrade to a newer board and CPU.

I mean. If possible wait for zen 3. And then move to a different board as a whole. 

[Mister Woof]

15 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

Neither. 

If you have a 2700x. It'll be good for now and check what zen 3 has to offer. The 2700x should do for now in all honesty. 

What PSU and that motherboard do you have now?

But it doesn't work; that's the main issue.

[Sin Stalker]

2 minutes ago, Mateyyy said:

The 10600K is technically better strictly for gaming performance, but even for 1080p 144Hz the 3600 should keep up, and the XT seems to have a little more OC headroom so you could try squeezing the most out of it. Whether I'd pay $250 for it though is a different question.

Also, the 10600K might be able to stretch its legs more for high refresh rate 1080p when paired with stronger next-gen GPUs, though depending on how fast they turn out to be, I'd probably also consider going to 1440p at that point which would take some of the load off the CPU.

 

If you do end up going with Intel though, at that price I'd look at a Z490 Unify or Strix Z490-E, or a cheaper Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI.

For AMD, the B550 Aorus Pro is a solid choice.

 

And you could also wait until Zen 3 gets launched if your system runs, to see what that brings to the table.

1440p gaming isn't in the cards for at least another two years for me. 

 

Why do you recommend another z490 board? The reason I was looking at that were the proper fin array heatsink on the VRMs. 

 

System is not running at all right now. Been dealing with problems for almost a year now and finally the system crashes right away. 

 

3 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

Regardless of what GPU it is. A 10600k is a better chip for gaming compared to the 3600. GPU doesn't really matter in this case. 

 

I mean. If possible wait for zen 3. And then move to a different board as a whole. 

With my living condition, I need my gaming outlet every few days. So waiting on Zen3 isn't really an option.

 

However Zen 3 is another reason to possibly go with the 3600 instead of the xt. The B550 should be able to handle a Ryzen 4xxx CPU with a bios update. So then I resell the 3600 once a 4600 comes out. I did that exact same thing with my 1700x and 2700x. My mobo was having instability issues (wasn't fully crashing consistently like my system is now). The flip made it so my upgrade only cost me around $50 in the end.

 

17 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

 

What PSU and that motherboard do you have now?

Missed this question before.

I have an EVGA G3 850w PSU and a Asus x370 Crosshair VI Hero AC/WIFI mobo.

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, Sin Stalker said:

have an EVGA G3 850w PSU and a Asus x370 Crosshair VI Hero AC/WIFI mobo

PSU is an ok unit. Shouldnt have any issues related to that. 

 

What sort of stability issues?

 

What is the memmory kit you are running?

[Sin Stalker]

2 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

PSU is an ok unit. Shouldnt have any issues related to that. 

 

What sort of stability issues?

 

What is the memmory kit you are running?

 

Tried two different memory kits. A 2x8gb kit of Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200 (tried at stock and rated speeds), as well as a 2x8gb kit of TridentZ 3466.

 

I've also switched out the CPU with a 1600AF.

 

Its definitely down to the PSU and mobo. 

[dizmo]

Like you, I had massive problems with my first gen Ryzen stuff. So I'm still pretty put off it.

If I were you, I'd go the Intel route if you have the money. Might as well. You get an extra generation of support over what you'd get with AMD.

Realistically by the time games need 8 cores, you'll be wanting to upgrade to a DDR5 capable platform anyway.

 

Do you really need the extra lanes Intel provides? What practices are you against?

 

30 minutes ago, Mateyyy said:

The 10600K is technically better strictly for gaming performance, but even for 1080p 144Hz the 3600 should keep up, and the XT seems to have a little more OC headroom so you could try squeezing the most out of it. Whether I'd pay $250 for it though is a different question.

Also, the 10600K might be able to stretch its legs more for high refresh rate 1080p when paired with stronger next-gen GPUs, though depending on how fast they turn out to be, I'd probably also consider going to 1440p at that point which would take some of the load off the CPU.

 

If you do end up going with Intel though, at that price I'd look at a Z490 Unify or Strix Z490-E, or a cheaper Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI.

For AMD, the B550 Aorus Pro is a solid choice.

 

And you could also wait until Zen 3 gets launched if your system runs, to see what that brings to the table.

IIRC the XT variants of the CPUs are mostly useless and not worth the added cost. GN's reviews showed very minimal gains if anything, even overclocked.

 

[Sin Stalker]

Just realized both boards I put didn't have debug code displays. With what I've dealt with, I feel it is a must. So I edited the original post to add in the next tier mobo up that has them.

[Sin Stalker]

1 minute ago, dizmo said:

Like you, I had massive problems with my first gen Ryzen stuff. So I'm still pretty put off it.

If I were you, I'd go the Intel route if you have the money. Might as well. You get an extra generation of support over what you'd get with AMD.

Realistically by the time games need 8 cores, you'll be wanting to upgrade to a DDR5 capable platform anyway.

 

Do you really need the extra lanes Intel provides? What practices are you against?

 

IIRC the XT variants of the CPUs are mostly useless and not worth the added cost. GN's reviews showed very minimal gains if anything, even overclocked.

 

I'm two boards down now. I have a bad taste in my mouth for first gen boards and Asus (both were asus). 

 

The lanes I am unsure about. I have 3 HDDs and 2 SSDs attached to my system, plus a corsair lighting nod. Besides USB devices like gaming keyboard, gaming mouse, wireless headset, mic, webcam and whatever else may be added in the future, I am unsure how many lanes I actually need. 

I originally wanted more for all the USB devices I had plugged in for VR but that isn't an issue with this board anymore. They were an issue on my b350-f, but not on this board. 

 

I think you are right about the XT. Someone else pointed out Zen3 is coming out in a few months. So it would be cheaper right now and easier to flip a 3600 and grab a 4600 later, if I wanted to. 

 

I just wish the b550 could operate with a 2700x. It would make everything so much easier right now. But needing to upgrade my CPU is making the intel option an option. In either case, my wife is going to be very annoyed with me.

 

 

 

[GoldenLag]

22 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

Its definitely down to the PSU and mobo

Sounds like instability due to CPU or memmory. 

 

Which would be either, board or memmory. 

 

Id try setting a more conservative memmory setting like 1.1v SOC + 1.4v ram, 3000mhz cl16. 

 

I am assuming memmory sticks are slotted in the dimm slots according to the manual. 

[Sin Stalker]

4 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

Sounds like instability due to CPU or memmory. 

 

Which would be either, board or memmory. 

 

Id try setting a more conservative memmory setting like 1.1v SOC + 1.4v ram, 3000mhz cl16. 

 

I am assuming memmory sticks are slotted in the dimm slots according to the manual. 

I've done stock on the ram. As in the 2133 or whatever it is, which I think is the most conserved it can get.

 

The system also doesn't post with a single stick in any dimm for the corsair ram. For the tridentz, it only posts when one stick is used, not two.

 

Also ran memtest on the system's ram (but in the media PC I have) and passed. 

 

Problem is 100% not either kit of memory or the CPU. 

[GoldenLag]

3 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

Problem is 100% not either kit of memory or the CPU. 

Well that leaves the board. 

 

As for a new CPU + board. 10600k would be a good option if buying right now, or the cheaper 3600.

 

Only notable difference in PCIe connectivity is that AMD gives a direct 4x connection from the CPU to an Nvme drive, and not through the chipset. They are otherwise quite similar. 

[Mateyyy]

40 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

1440p gaming isn't in the cards for at least another two years for me. 

 

Why do you recommend another z490 board? The reason I was looking at that were the proper fin array heatsink on the VRMs. 

 

System is not running at all right now. Been dealing with problems for almost a year now and finally the system crashes right away. 

Right, well the 10600K makes sense in that case.

 

Well, compared to the Aorus Pro, the Unify has stronger VRMs with just as good heatsinks, same with the Z490-E.
I noticed you edited in an additional two boards - the Z490 Aorus Ultra has the same VRM as the Pro, so it's not worth it, and the B550 Aorus Master is just a bad purchase.

 

23 minutes ago, dizmo said:

IIRC the XT variants of the CPUs are mostly useless and not worth the added cost. GN's reviews showed very minimal gains if anything, even overclocked.

Yeah the difference is not even close to being worth the extra ~$70-80. If OP's after every last frame possible, Intel'd be the way to go.

[Sin Stalker]

1 minute ago, GoldenLag said:

Well that leaves the board. 

 

As for a new CPU + board. 10600k would be a good option if buying right now, or the cheaper 3600.

 

Only notable difference in PCIe connectivity is that AMD gives a direct 4x connection from the CPU to an Nvme drive, and not through the chipset. They are otherwise quite similar. 

 

1 minute ago, Mateyyy said:

Right, well the 10600K makes sense in that case.

 

Well, compared to the Aorus Pro, the Unify has stronger VRMs with just as good heatsinks, same with the Z490-E.
I noticed you edited in an additional two boards - the Z490 Aorus Ultra has the same VRM as the Pro, so it's not worth it, and the B550 Aorus Master is just a bad purchase.

 

Yeah the difference is not even close to being worth the extra ~$70-80. If OP's after every last frame possible, Intel'd be the way to go.

I just watched an LTT video where Intel denied an RMA due to "overclocking" the ram to its rated speed and timings... Which kind of pisses me off so much, I am leaning back towards going 3600 (non-xt) and grab a b550.

 

Why is the Aorus Master a bad purchase? 

 

I added those boards because I forgot that I want debug code readers. That is the only reason.

[Mateyyy]

11 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

I just watched an LTT video where Intel denied an RMA due to "overclocking" the ram to its rated speed and timings... Which kind of pisses me off so much, I am leaning back towards going 3600 (non-xt) and grab a b550.

 

Why is the Aorus Master a bad purchase? 

 

I added those boards because I forgot that I want debug code readers. That is the only reason.

Enabling XMP on Intel does indeed "void your warranty", but considering you can just tell them that you didn't enable it, or if you do tell them you can just call back 10 minutes later and talk to someone else, it's kind of nonsense really. GN did a video on this a little while ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2gQ_bOnDx8

Same thing applies to AMD if you enable PBO, a feature which is advertised by AMD themselves. It "voids your warranty", since it's technically still overclocking , but unless you deliberately tell them that you overclocked they've no way of telling that you did.

 

The B550 Aorus Master is a bad purchase because the stupid dual BIOS implementation makes memory overclocking absolutely tragic, and at that price you should be looking at X570 boards instead. Also, the VRM isn't really a selling point since the B550 Aorus Pro can easily handle a 3950X with PBO enabled.

 

At around the same price as the B550 Aorus Pro, Strix B550-F, B550 Tomahawk and B550 Gaming Edge WIFI, you can get a B550 Steel Legend which does have a POST code, though it sacrifices in the VRM department for it.

For Z490, both the Z490-E and Z490 Unify have POST codes.

[xg32]

13 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

 

I just watched an LTT video where Intel denied an RMA due to "overclocking" the ram to its rated speed and timings... Which kind of pisses me off so much, I am leaning back towards going 3600 (non-xt) and grab a b550.

 

Why is the Aorus Master a bad purchase? 

 

I added those boards because I forgot that I want debug code readers. That is the only reason.

gigabyte's boards have had QC issues lately, it started out fine but went downhill, check newegg reviews on the %doa on the motherboards, it's pretty bad. the 10600k is mostly better than the 3600xt even if u get a good oc for the same price. The 3600 might be a significant bottleneck if u were to say, upgrade to a rtx 3070 later down the line, and if u don't wanna wait for zen 3 that leaves the 3600 and the 10600k as the top 2 choices. refer to @mateyyy for the motherboard choices.