Transition from Intel to AMD

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

After reading about AMDs new Ryzen processors, and how they work, i wanna get either a 1600 or 1600x and overclock it to 4ghz or over even if its at 4.01 ghz or 4.1ghz. which ever does the job just fine.

From what i read, the MSI tomahawk B350 or any other good x370 motherboard is the way to go for the overclock. For the intel SRT experiance, intels Optane drives should do the job.

But what leaves me confused is memory. From what i am reading, ryzen owners would pair memory that operates at around 3200mhz or a little less with this processor but only get it to work at either 2133mhz, 2666mhz, or 2933mhz and so on. In the past, when i bought a processor, i would look at the bus speed, maybe do a little math, and then buy the ram that matched the bus speed. so if i bought a E5200, i would buy ddr2-800. or if its a 3570k, i would buy 1600mhz memory. But with AMDs Ryzen 1600x, i do not know its actual bus speed which confuses me as to what ram i should get for it.

Games i mainly play are
Battlefield 1
Battlefield 4
Overwatch
DOOM
Half-Life Deathmatch
sven co-op
The Specialists
CounterStrike GO

and possibly others.

should i wait for ryzen to improve? Get another monitor? buy ryzen instead of another monitor?

EDIT: the reason i decided to go ryzen is because i need to upgrade the memory in my computer from 8gb to 16 or more or wathever. i know crazy right? like, the good kind of crazy.

 

[Alaric]

The motherboard's QVL for memory will eliminate problems with RAM. If the board is rated for 3200 MHz and the RAM is on the QVL it will run at 3200 MHz.

 

[wingman99]

G.SKILL make Flare X memory for AM4, they also have QVL for motherboards. Link: http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c14d-16gfx

 

[EarthDog]

I honestly have no idea why you are moving to amd from your current pc. Its literally just as fast, or the amd a hair faster. Are you able to use more than 8 threads? If not, no way id move to amd unless i wanted to save money.

Id rather go KL or stick with what yoy have and overclock the cpu as well as upgrade your memory.

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

The main reason why i decided to get ryzen is because i need more memory. My motherboards Ram slots A1 and A2 are not working. If i put any ram in them at all, the computer gives me error code 55. And this has been going on for years. I tried re-seating the processor and make sure i put the head sink on carefully but i still get the same results. So the only way to get the computer to boot is by putting both ram sticks in slots B1 and B2. I have read this is a known issue and decided that since i might end up spending more money for bigger ram sticks, or have to buy a new motherboard and another 8gb kit, i should just get an upgrade on both the cpu, motherboard, and memory.


And my apologies, but i also forgot to mention that i like to web browse while playing games.

 

[wingman99]

That is some good points. I would go with Ryzen 5 1500X 4 core 8 threads for gaming, like intel i7 7700k.

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

Is there any reason why i should get a 1500x? because according to user benchmark, the 1500x is about the same as my 3570k. so i thought a 1600x would be a little bit better. what ram speed should i be getting here? 2666mhz?

im not sure about bf1, but when im playing in bf4 with lots of people, cpu usage is at 100 all the time.

 

[sobe]

Since you brought it up, why not just grab some more RAM if you keep hitting the limits of 8GB? I've never had an issue with having a game on one screen, photoshop or sony vegas on another alongside a browser with 20 tabs give or take, and movie or show streaming on the 3rd. A good Chrome app you should look into is "The Great Suspender".

 

[wingman99]

For gaming the the Ryzen 5 1500X 4 core 8 threads scores the same as the 1600x unless the game can use twelve threads and the games you posted will use 4-8 threads. With the 1600x there is a noticeable improvement with software and bench scores that use more threads. I do fine with a 4 core i5 6600k OC 4.5GHz running BF1 at 144 fps. I would not go by CPU utilization for FPS. Example with my i5 6600k stock or overclocked I have the same utilization 100% in the same games however my fps is faster overclocked, it depends on clockspeed, processor, game, and Video card for the FPS performance. It's your choice if want to spend more on the 1600x for gaming.

G.SKILL make Flare X memory for AM4, they also have QVL for motherboards. 3200 speed Link: http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c14d-16gfx

From 2400-3200 speed memory the FPS on AMD is only few FPS gain, if any depending on the game.

 

[EarthDog]

Or, just get 2x8GB sticks on the current mobo.... I don't see a point in this upgrade considering you can solve the issue spending a lot less cash.

RE: 55... did you add SA voltage as that is sometimes needed with 4 sticks...

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

I dont think i explained myself clearly with this board.

If i put ram sticks into slots a1 and b1 or a2 and b2 or a1 and a2, it will not boot and show error message 55. i did not fiddle around with the voltages. i just put in the ram and press the power button expecting it to power on to desktop.

any stick in slots a1 or a2 will prevent the computer from booting to desktop. which means i will need to get a new board to get more memory if i want to use up the other two slots or just buy bigger ddr3 sticks that will only work in single channel in slots b1 and b2.

But since thats going to cost around 300-400 dollars, i may as well get an upgrade anyway.

 

[EarthDog]

It will???????? 2x8gb 1866 sticks are $110....https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...31615&cm_re=2x8gb_ddr3-_-20-231-615-_-Product

Z77 Motherboards can be found for $100 new, maybe less used if you look. Way less than $300 total....

But, if you want to upgrade, I still wouldn't go to AMD HEX... Id go Sky/KL, otherwise, you are not really upgrading. MOre cores are only useful if you are actually using them....... are you???

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

So ivy bridge isnt that old yet? well i did do a quick check for NEW z77 motherboards and heres what i found

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...CH&Description=z77&ignorear=0&N=-1&isNodeId=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B007RIFJPY/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B007R21JJK/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_...-asc-rank&keywords=z77&ie=UTF8&qid=1494455774

is there another source where i can find these 100 dollar z77 motherboards at?

reason why im going to pick the 1600x, i know he tested an octo core but im choosing hexa because i know that i do not need an octo core. These videos remind me of the time when i used to play counter strike source on a single processor pentium 3 desktop and dual socket pentium 3 desktop. And from what i experienced playing counter strike source on a dual socket pentium 3 was that it was smoother experience and the microphone wasnt cutting in and out unlike the single processor pentium 3 the experience was a little sluggish but the microphone would cut in and out ALOT and i could not find a way to fix it.

And that is what makes me want to buy a 1600x. Quad cores have been easily availible to the consumer since the core 2 quad. its 2017 and there are already games that, like wingman said, use 4 cores 8 threads. Gamers like myself who use other programs in the back ground while playing video games could probably use some hexa or octo core processors.

And while it is true that intel also makes hexa core and octo processors, they are not 200-500 dollars like ryzens. IF i could get me an intel hexacore processor for 250, i would. But multi threading is becoming a thing is it not?

Now the final question is, Which motherboard to get? Should i get the MSI x370 Gaming PLUS? that should allow me to hit 4ghz easily yes?

 

[EarthDog]

I see some in the low 100 range (refurb) at newegg.

Ill say it a third time...if you dont use the cores, dont get more cores... go for a faster chip in the intel. Your logic on choosing a processor is fundamentally flawed... what happened with a single core pentium and dual core 15 years ago in cs doesnt mean ****. Seriously. Go to techspot and look up some game testing and see...

Dont get caught up in the hype...'is my xxxx old'. If it works for you it works, it doesnt matter how old. Ivybridge wont hold things back for a couple years...and again, overclock it.... if you want to get away with spending as little as you can, as i said already, get 2x8gb.. done. Single channel... so what. If that bugs you, spend $250 and get a board with it. Otherwise, just get kabylake for the same price and better perfomamce up to 8t.

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

1. I see some in the low 100 range (refurb) at newegg.

2. Ill say it a third time...if you dont use the cores, dont get more cores... go for a faster chip in the intel. Your logic on choosing a processor is fundamentally flawed... what happened with a single core pentium and dual core 15 years ago in cs doesnt mean ****. Seriously. Go to techspot and look up some game testing and see...

3. Dont get caught up in the hype...'is my xxxx old'. If it works for you it works, it doesnt matter how old. Ivybridge wont hold things back for a couple years...and again, overclock it.... if you want to get away with spending as little as you can, as i said already, get 2x8gb.. done. Single channel... so what. If that bugs you, spend $250 and get a board with it. Otherwise, just get kabylake for the same price and better perfomamce up to 8t.

1. Links or it didnt happen.

2. wingman said that games nowadays are 4-8 threads. So im thinking that if i get a Ryzen 1600x, my games will be able to use 4 cores for itself and whatever other programs i have will automatically use the other cores right? or am i just stupid?

3. hype? if slots a1 and a2 on my motherboard were working, i would have never made this post and bought the ram a while ago. But they arent. And because i will have to buy anther mother board, i figured, why not upgrade? i mean i like to use my favorite web browser google chrome and play video games at the same time. maybe listen to music or run other applications in the background so i thought AMD ryzen would be perfect since it handles multitasking well right?

Sorry for wanting to try something new. ill just wait it out a little longer while saving up more pennies for whatever else comes out in the future.

 

[EarthDog]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting something new. Thats a perfectly valid point.

1. There are two there, one matx. However i see now both are out of stock.
https://m.newegg.com/ProductList?keyword=Z77

There is one refurb for 143.
https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA63953G6912

Try ebay maybe..? It seems you are set on using dual channel now, so if you stay on that platform a mobo is a must.

2. Games today are 1-8 threads or so sure. Varies by title. What he left out was most titles still use less than 4. There are only a small percentage of games that use more than 4t. As time goes on, certainly more will become multi threaded, indeed. But they have been saying that since the q6600 came out. 3 hears from now, who knows, but it wont be a slouch. Games still generally perform better with faster ipc cpus than it does with more cores. Again, there are a few exceptions. So yeah, youll be able to browse the web and play a game at the same time for years to come on a 4c/8t processor, be it amds 1500 or kaby lake.

3. The activities you are describing, a quad core without threads would handle. Its web browsing and listening to music for god's sake. You arent encoding 4k content while playing a game!!

O viously the choice is yours in what you do. You posted here with a direction and your uses and i jumped in with what i felt were better (arguable clearly, lol) options for your intended use. For MY money similar costs (it would be ~$80 more over 1600x system) , and your use model, Id rather have a 4c/8t Kaby Lake. Yes, you have more cores, but its slower per clock and barely overclock all cores past its own boost of 4.0 with only a couple threads.

I'm not bashing it it any way, but these are details which an enthusiast should know when making buying decisions. It may not be worth the $80 difference to you, which is of course ok... but make the decision for the right reasons, and not the ones you stated and thought made a difference (web browsing, listening to music and gaming).

You'll be plenty happy with ryzen and saving 80, i just dont feel that upgrade is worth it over ivybridge. Id rather stick to z77 run single channel and buy 2x8gb, or spend $250 on a board and ram for z77 than spend $500 on ryzen 1600+ for teo more cores. If im willing to spend $500, Im willing to spend $580 on the top of the line mainstream intel chip which is going to be faster per clock by around 10%, is clocked higher out of the box (4.5ghz), and can easily reach 4.8ghz on cheap air (5ghz with good/air or 2x120 aio).

Choice is yours. Good luck.

 

[wingman99]

I went for a 4 core i5 6600k from i5 2500k last year just for the fun of it, it was totally unnecessary for game surfing the web listing to music at the same time. So don't justify Ryzen 4 core or 6 core as a necessary purchase because it will be not much of a upgrade. If you just want a new system I would purchase i7 7700k with DDR4 memory and Z270 motherboard. That will be more than I want, I'm very happy with new games and 4 core i5 6600k and my GTX 1070 is the restriction. I will be good with 4 cores and gaming for next 3 years because going from i5 2500k to i5 6600k was a 25% improvement.

Recent game gears of war DX 12 the i5 2500k does 63-132 FPS plenty Link http://www.techspot.com/review/1263-gears-of-war-4-benchmarks/page4.html

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

I am not set on trying to use dual channel. I could care less about dual channel. i just want ram slots a1 and a2 to work again so i can stick in another 8gb kit. The only reason why i would even use dual channel is because if ram slots a1 and a2 were working, i would have setup these ram stick in the correct configuration only because its dual channel memory.

3. The activities you are describing, a quad core without threads would handle. Its web browsing and listening to music for god's sake. You arent encoding 4k content while playing a game!!

i know that any quad core can handle web browsing and music only. Its web browsing with a few tabs open (like 5-10 tabs), some music music, and gaming all at the same time.

From the looks of those refurbs, there are only boards made by asus. not wasting my time with asus and never will again.

As for overclocking the processor, i did a google search on overclocking "5ghz on air" just for the iggles of it. yes, iggles. and found this article.

http://wccftech.com/ryzen-overclocks-cpchardware-5ghz-on-air-tease/

So i guess in the mean time i can go ahead and wait it out a little bit longer until another revision comes out since im now not sure which direction i should go at this point.

EDIT: or do what wingman says and buy a 7700k upgrade.

 

[EarthDog]

If you arent set on dual channel, then buy a 2x8gb kit like i linked above for $110...done.

Gin, clearly i know that you meant gaming and web browsing (even multiple tabs) and listening to music. Again, even a quad can handle it. See what wingman said (seems you hear and understamd him, though we have said the exact same thing twice now).

Not sure what wrong with asus or why you hold a grudge... i guess there is always some reason...

As for 5ghz on air, clearly i was talking about the 7700k there, not ryzen...maybe zen+ will hit it...i certainly wouldnt hold my breath.. if you are ready to upgrade, upgrade.

Good luck man..this was way too complicated to explain for no reason (honestly feels like you still dont understand toally what i said...). Im out.... and enjoy whatever you decide to do.

 

[Alaric]

I can (and sometimes do) easily have 20 tabs open across two browsers while streaming music videos while gaming and burning CDs through Media Player. And I get nowhere close to taxing my quad core. I could do everything I do with my rig at once and probably could have gotten away with an i5 and 8 GB of RAM. I run out of internet bandwidth before I run out of horsepower. A slower six or eight core would be a downgrade for me. Not saying this applies to everybody, but my Skylake chews through as much as I can give it and it has never seen 100% usage outside of stress testing. An awful lot of software won't use 6-8 (or more) threads. For the vast majority of day to day uses speed is still king. And if your multi threaded application uses floating point computations Haswell/Broadwell is the one you want.

The Ryzen family are great chips, and they slay Intel on price/performance, provided that what they do is actually what you need. Having said all that, new stuff is fun and doesn't always have to be "sensible". LOL