i7 13700k or R9 5900x for Dockers/Game Server/Gaming VM (Unraid)

[Chriexpe]

I'm planning on finally upgrading my server and using it as my desktop too (through KVM), after looking around many parts and prices, I ended up realizing that the combo of a 13700k + Z690 UD DDR4 and 5900x + x570s Tomahawk cost basically the same, so it sounds like a no-brainer choice and just go for the Intel one as it's way faster in single core and more recent right? But one thing bothers me, as I'll be pinning specific CPU cores for VM, dockers (auth, file manager, NVR) and Minecraft Server (it easily chomps my I7 4770), would this dance of P and E cores here and there actually end up hurting performance? Where instead I could go for 5900x w/ 12c24t but that have "homogenous" cores (2x6 CCX).

Ps. Yes I'll use only DDR4, the OS will be Unraid and energy efficiency isn't relevant.

[Dukesilver27-]

Not only 13700K more cores, it is also faster on all counts.

AFAIK, with windows 11, p cores will handle the heaviest task at hand while e cores will handle background task. And since games hardly use more than 6 cores, I don't think pinning the e cores to something would impact performance all that much or if at all.

Can't beat them extra cores and threads, even though they are smaller cores.

[LIGISTX]

1 hour ago, Chriexpe said:

I'm planning on finally upgrading my server and using it as my desktop too (through KVM), after looking around many parts and prices, I ended up realizing that the combo of a 13700k + Z690 UD DDR4 and 5900x + x570s Tomahawk cost basically the same, so it sounds like a no-brainer choice and just go for the Intel one as it's way faster in single core and more recent right? But one thing bothers me, as I'll be pinning specific CPU cores for VM, dockers (auth, file manager, NVR) and Minecraft Server (it easily chomps my I7 4770), would this dance of P and E cores here and there actually end up hurting performance? Where instead I could go for 5900x w/ 12c24t but that have "homogenous" cores (2x6 CCX).

Ps. Yes I'll use only DDR4, the OS will be Unraid and energy efficiency isn't relevant.

Honestly… I wouldn’t do it. 
 

But if you do, I believe unraid can correctly handle p and e cores, but you may want to confirm.

 

Why not just leave your server as your server and your desktop as your desktop? You say your finally going to upgrade your server, what is your current servers hardware?

[Chriexpe]

8 hours ago, LIGISTX said:

Honestly… I wouldn’t do it. 
 

But if you do, I believe unraid can correctly handle p and e cores, but you may want to confirm.

 

Why not just leave your server as your server and your desktop as your desktop? You say your finally going to upgrade your server, what is your current servers hardware?

I could say my thread is quite the oposite to this, but I was thinking about upgrading both, so the desktop would be one of these AMD or Intel, and the server, so aside from costing more, next year I'll be going to university and the desktop would be used only during vacation, so instead I could just bump the specs of one of it and double down as a OP server when I'm away.

Just for context, my server is an old HP Elitedesk 800G1 (I7 4770+32GB) and I'm quite bothered by it's I/O limitations and some other reliability issues as not booting unless I remove 2 RAM pairs, and my desktop isn't any better, I5 6600k+16GB+GTX970.

Ps. I'm probably going unnecessarily overkill with these specs.

 

[LIGISTX]

1 hour ago, Chriexpe said:

I could say my thread is quite the oposite to this, but I was thinking about upgrading both,

I’m confused. You said you plan to use the server as your desktop via KVM… 

 

What do you host on the server? Things like NVR won’t be of much use once your in college… so does your server have to stay home to provide this functionality to your family, or will it go with you anyways? If so, what are you actually trying to run on it?

 

I ask this because virtualizing your desktop may not be the best answer. If you just want to run a few docker containers, you can just do that under windows. 

[Chriexpe]

1 hour ago, LIGISTX said:

I’m confused. You said you plan to use the server as your desktop via KVM…

Bruh sorry I forgot to clarify that, yes I wanted to upgrade my desktop for quite some time but I was reluctant because I wouldn't have much use for it after this year, but I was about to get a proper/better server, and I realized I could run a W11 KVM there to play/browse internet.

 

1 hour ago, LIGISTX said:

What do you host on the server? Things like NVR won’t be of much use once your in college… so does your server have to stay home to provide this functionality to your family, or will it go with you anyways? If so, what are you actually trying to run on it?

That's a good question, I currently live with my parents and I installed a couple of security cameras, that's the reason for NVR, also there is a couple of home automation w/ Home Assistant, Nexcloud and a casual Minecraft Server, so as I would be moving away I wanted something more reliable that I could manage from far away (and maybe use it for other things).

Btw they have solar panels with plenty of energy credit that they would never use, so the server would run for free.

[LIGISTX]

5 hours ago, Chriexpe said:

Bruh sorry I forgot to clarify that, yes I wanted to upgrade my desktop for quite some time but I was reluctant because I wouldn't have much use for it after this year, but I was about to get a proper/better server, and I realized I could run a W11 KVM there to play/browse internet.

 

That's a good question, I currently live with my parents and I installed a couple of security cameras, that's the reason for NVR, also there is a couple of home automation w/ Home Assistant, Nexcloud and a casual Minecraft Server, so as I would be moving away I wanted something more reliable that I could manage from far away (and maybe use it for other things).

Btw they have solar panels with plenty of energy credit that they would never use, so the server would run for free.

Sounds to me like you should retire your current PC to be the server, and build a new PC… you don’t want to leave your powerful box at your parents and remote into it. That will suck for anything beyond webUI’s or SSH sessions. And you don’t want to take away their NVR or home automation.
 

So they need a server, and you need a PC. Build yourself a PC, and retire your PC to server duty. 

[Domrockt]

Unraid can handle P and E core no problemo you can stub cores to any Docker or VM, the IGPU is superb for Plex and anything you throw at it.

i have all my dockers stub the E Cores, only Plex and file converter have 2 of the faster P Cores stubbed. The Rest of the P Cores are for VM's.

i have an i9 12900 non K as Unraid CPU 96GB DDR4 on an Asrock Riptide z690 but i want to change it to an Asus one with more pcie 16 slots with 4x Speeds.

 i have an rtx 3060 for the game/streaming VM

this is whats running right now: