CPU Guidence

tblomega · April 8, 2023

Budget (including currency): USD 900(Comfortably)~$1500(manageable with planning)~2k(this will hurt but I can do it)

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: TRueNAS, Nested Proxmox, Nested Windows (with gpu passthrough), Nested Windows Server, Various Linux VM's

Other details I have a windows server (I work at a college so I get the software for free through azure for education, also job benefit 1 class per-semester so legit a student as well), running on a old gigabyte brix with 6 external drives (usb3) using windows storage spaces to a raid 5 effect, 2 drives have required replacing and the setup is ungodly slow for a lot of uses. I also use proxmox for a lot of projects and technology labs for learning how to do things, and my gaming machine is showing its age.

The storage bit alone had convinced me to make a proper NAS; a Collab video between craft computing and dave's garage planted the seed for this; and Linus's recent sapphire rapids review reminded me of that whilst I was thinking of related things.

Both as a science/lab project unto it's own and to accommodate everything named over the course of this year I am intending to buy everything piecemeal as able.

About the only thing solid at this time is I intend to have ten 4TB sata ssd's.

Every computer I have ever built (it's also been like 7+ years, sense I sourced all the parts for a scratch build, about 3 years sense I bought a hand me down mobo-ram-cpu off a coworker) was team blue but team red seems to be doing damn good of late, alas whilst I understand the intel naming & numbering conventions team amd's nomenclature has escaped me thus far. The nature of this build beyond the storage capacity will be determined by the CPU and I want the best performance but also highest core count that I can manage.

I am genuinely leaning towards the HEDT schema and I am unsure if it would be better to get a threadripper though they are a few years old, or get a brand new shiny sapphire rapids xeon.

My tax return just came in and added to my normal paycheck I have the opportunity to buy the most expensive bit presently, I just need to figure out which bit that is to be (I already have a graphics card (Nvidia 3060, may upgrade that later but is not a important spec presently)).

I am open to general suggestions as well but this ask is specifically about which CPU to choose; with all the other components to follow throughout the year.

Oh and the budget up top is for the CPU by itself, my budget for the other bits will be based on when it is their turn to get bought.

PDifolco · April 9, 2023

Won't a good ol' 5950X be a good answer ? Best overall price/perf/efficiency for productivity, maybe a bit "weak" compared to what you want...

tblomega · April 9, 2023

21 hours ago, PDifolco said:

Won't a good ol' 5950X be a good answer ? Best overall price/perf/efficiency for productivity, maybe a bit "weak" compared to what you want...

It was a thing to look at anyway, but you are right it is a bit 'weak' compared to what I want; that said looking up the product you named herein google also suggested it's modern brethren the 7950X, which just like what you recommended is at a much lower price point then I was expecting and prepared for (a good thing) yet surprisingly powerful and fast (also a good thing). I do find myself wishing for more "core's" then 16 (32 threads); however the 7950x is certainly on the list for consideration (and part of me is tempted to 'buy now') but I came here seeking options to consider and a option of 'one' is hardly a consideration.

So thus I ask if anyone else has some suggestions, or PDifolco if you also have other ideas/suggestions???