[feynman]

Hi,

just wondering if the i7 3960x, 3930k and 2600k are still the sweet spot (price/performance) for a render node these days?

Thanks!

[jojojoj]

I think it's gone over to the 4770k which scores very well (assuming you don't have an absolute need for 8 memory slots). 3960x never was the sweet spot, 3930k is a great chip

[feynman]

I think it's gone over to the 4770k which scores very well (assuming you don't have an absolute need for 8 memory slots). 3960x never was the sweet spot, 3930k is a great chip

Thanks, I see... We use 3930k and 2600k processors - the 4770k needs a different motherboard, though?

[jojojoj]

Yes, that's right it needs Z87 and LGA 1150.

[feynman]

Yes, that's right it needs Z87 and LGA 1150.

Bummer...

[jojojoj]

Why? do you only need an upgrade?
I think there would be no viable substitute for LGA 1155. 3770k is not worth it considering that 2600k overclocks very well.

[feynman]

Why? do you only need an upgrade?
I think there would be no viable substitute for LGA 1155. 3770k is not worth it considering that 2600k overclocks very well.

Yes, upgrade preferred, keeping the motherboards. But maybe that's just not an option. Or, rather, it's best to keep with oc'ed 3930k processors for now.

[jojojoj]

well then I think I can only confirm that the upgrade options won't be worth the money. the possible gains are minimal compaired to what you spend and what you could get if buying a new machine for the same money. you'll mostly be throwing away some pretty decent hardware !!

[feynman]

well then I think I can only confirm that the upgrade options won't be worth the money. the possible gains are minimal compaired to what you spend and what you could get if buying a new machine for the same money. you'll mostly be throwing away some pretty decent hardware !! :-)

Looks like it, yes. Well, I don't want to throw away several motherboards for near-zero gain, so - thanks for your opinion!

[numerobis]

if your 2600K and 3930K are already overclocked to something around 4,5GHz or more, a newer chip will not give you much improvement - it's even possible that a new 4930K will hit a wall around 4,2-4,3GHz, which would be even worse - the IPC of the 4930K has been improved only by a few percent.
For the 4770K compared to a 2600K it looks a bit better, maybe 10-12% improvement, but they run very hot compared to the Sandy Bridge 2600K (heatspreader not soldered, only cheap thermal paste)
So i think the best solution for now would be to buy another 3930K or 4930K or to upgrade the 2600K with one of them.
Hopefully intel will release an overclockable octocore in the not too distant future - there have been rumours about a 4990K... but we'll see.

[feynman]

if your 2600K and 3930K are already overclocked to something around 4,5GHz or more, a newer chip will not give you much improvement - it's even possible that a new 4930K will hit a wall around 4,2-4,3GHz, which would be even worse - the IPC of the 4930K has been improved only by a few percent.
For the 4770K compared to a 2600K it looks a bit better, maybe 10-12% improvement, but they run very hot compared to the Sandy Bridge 2600K (heatspreader not soldered, only cheap thermal paste)
So i think the best solution for now would be to buy another 3930K or 4930K or to upgrade the 2600K with one of them.
Hopefully intel will release an overclockable octocore in the not too distant future - there have been rumours about a 4990K... but we'll see.

Thanks; I have not built any replacement machines since winter 2012 and thought that by now socket compliant processors would be out that would really get things going at lower cost. Interesting that this is not the case. In fact, when today I looked at the retail price of the 3930k and 2600k compared to December 2011 when I bought the processors for all builds, the cost is not much different today. Isn't that odd?

[itsallgoode9]

Thanks; I have not built any replacement machines since winter 2012 and thought that by now socket compliant processors would be out that would really get things going at lower cost. Interesting that this is not the case. In fact, when today I looked at the retail price of the 3930k and 2600k compared to December 2011 when I bought the processors for all builds, the cost is not much different today. Isn't that odd?

as far as i've ever noticed, the prices of the chips never really drop over time. for the most part they seem to keep the same price until intel discontinues them and replaces them with a new form factor.

[feynman]

Thanks; I have not built any replacement machines since winter 2012 and thought that by now socket compliant processors would be out that would really get things going at lower cost. Interesting that this is not the case. In fact, when today I looked at the retail price of the 3930k and 2600k compared to December 2011 when I bought the processors for all builds, the cost is not much different today. Isn't that odd?

as far as i've ever noticed, the prices of the chips never really drop over time. for the most part they seem to keep the same price until intel discontinues them and replaces them with a new form factor.

Oh well, so be it then.

[numerobis]

as far as i've ever noticed, the prices of the chips never really drop over time. for the most part they seem to keep the same price until intel discontinues them and replaces them with a new form factor.

the i7 970 has got a 30% price cut last year as the production had been stopped... http://geizhals.de/eu/?phist=524845 (i have bought 2 of them at this time )
But normally you're right... today for most of the intel CPUs the price stays high until they are sold out.

Btw. another option i'm considering is to replace my 3930K with a 10-core Xeon E5-V2 (the P9X79 WS supports them), but only if it is possible to run them with a BCLK of at least 110-112MHz to reach 4GHz+ in single core turbo (No.3 of the benchwell list is allegedly a 12-core running at 112MHz - and here http://www.gpucomputer.pl/testy/test-b/5/ ) But i'm not sure about that... one other test i have found shows only 107-108MHz.

[feynman]

as far as i've ever noticed, the prices of the chips never really drop over time. for the most part they seem to keep the same price until intel discontinues them and replaces them with a new form factor.

the i7 970 has got a 30% price cut last year as the production had been stopped... ;) http://geizhals.de/eu/?phist=524845 (i have bought 2 of them at this time :mrgreen: )
But normally you're right... today for most of the intel CPUs the price stays high until they are sold out.

Btw. another option i'm considering is to replace my 3930K with a 10-core Xeon E5-V2 (the P9X79 WS supports them), but only if it is possible to run them with a BCLK of at least 110-112MHz to reach 4GHz+ in single core turbo (No.3 of the benchwell list is allegedly a 12-core running at 112MHz - and here http://www.gpucomputer.pl/testy/test-b/5/ ) But i'm not sure about that... one other test i have found shows only 107-108MHz.

The i7-970 is too slow for my liking, and I'd like to continue using our motherboards, coolers, etc.

It really seems that oc'ed 3930/2600 solutions are still the best for price/performance. The next fundamental step up, both in terms of speed but cost also, would be Xeons.