Please help with components selection of my new build

[richaron]

I am still trying to get more info. I don't think the Threadripper has AVX-512 or MKL support that some software are optimized for. If the Threadripper 2 has such support, that would be the best.

Nope I don't think TR V1 has that stuff. Are you using software which takes advantage of those? And since you're offloading processing to the GPU(s) do those instructions make a difference in your overall performance?

Obviously a platform which supports all the instructions is best, so maybe it might be best to wait for TR V2 or switch to an intel system. But maybe AVX-512 would be a moot point when you are offloading the grunt of your processing to a GPU.

 

[anandtechreader]

In case of going for the Intel route, which CPU is a step below the 7900X?

 

[Markfw]

In case of going for the Intel route, which CPU is a step below the 7900X?

Going from a 4 ghz 16 core down to an Intel 8 core ? Because the 7900x is a 10 core. Even if you have one app that uses AVX-512 and the TR only does AVX-256, you will still probably beat any 8 core Intel. And that AVX-512 (from what I understand) is not used very often.

 

[anandtechreader]

The developer of one of the programs I want to use just recommended Intel CPU. I asked him why not Threadripper. No further comment. Another colleague thinks it has something to do with some programs only accept SSE from Intel CPUs.

 

[Markfw]

The developer of one of the programs I want to use just recommended Intel CPU. I asked him why not Threadripper. No further comment. Another colleague thinks it has something to do with some programs only accept SSE from Intel CPUs.

Thats BS. TR has SSE, and all programs that have it will use it. Your friend does not know what he is talking about.

 

[whm1974]

Thats BS. TR has SSE, and all programs that have it will use it. Your friend does not know what he is talking about.

Wasn't SSE developed back in 1999 with the Pentium III?

 

[Markfw]

Wasn't SSE developed back in 1999 with the Pentium III?

Yes, or close to that. hence why his friend is a ignorant moron

From wiki

In computing, Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) is an SIMD instruction set extension to the x86 architecture, designed by Intel and introduced in 1999 in their Pentium III series of processors shortly after the appearance of AMD's 3DNow!. SSE contains 70 new instructions, most of which work on single precision floating point data. SIMD instructions can greatly increase performance when exactly the same operations are to be performed on multiple data objects. Typical applications are digital signal processing and graphics processing.

And from Cpu-world, all the extensions:

Features

• MMX instructions
• Extensions to MMX
• SSE / Streaming SIMD Extensions
• SSE2 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
• SSE3 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
• SSSE3 / Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
• SSE4 / SSE4.1 + SSE4.2 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 4 ?
• SSE4a ?
• AES / Advanced Encryption Standard instructions
• AVX / Advanced Vector Extensions
• AVX2 / Advanced Vector Extensions 2.0
• BMI / BMI1 + BMI2 / Bit Manipulation instructions
• SHA / Secure Hash Algorithm extensions
• F16C / 16-bit Floating-Point conversion instructions
• FMA3 / 3-operand Fused Multiply-Add instructions
• AMD64 / AMD 64-bit technology ?
• SMT / Simultaneous MultiThreading
• EVP / Enhanced Virus Protection ?
• AMD-V / AMD Virtualization technology
• SMAP / Supervisor Mode Access Prevention
• SMEP / Secure Mode Execution Protection
• Precision Boost
• Extended Frequency Range
  

 

[whm1974]

Yes, or close to that. hence why his friend is a ignorant moron

From wiki

In computing, Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) is an SIMD instruction set extension to the x86 architecture, designed by Intel and introduced in 1999 in their Pentium III series of processors shortly after the appearance of AMD's 3DNow!. SSE contains 70 new instructions, most of which work on single precision floating point data. SIMD instructions can greatly increase performance when exactly the same operations are to be performed on multiple data objects. Typical applications are digital signal processing and graphics processing.

And from Cpu-world, all the extensions:

Features

• MMX instructions
• Extensions to MMX
• SSE / Streaming SIMD Extensions
• SSE2 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
• SSE3 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
• SSSE3 / Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
• SSE4 / SSE4.1 + SSE4.2 / Streaming SIMD Extensions 4 ?
• SSE4a ?
• AES / Advanced Encryption Standard instructions
• AVX / Advanced Vector Extensions
• AVX2 / Advanced Vector Extensions 2.0
• BMI / BMI1 + BMI2 / Bit Manipulation instructions
• SHA / Secure Hash Algorithm extensions
• F16C / 16-bit Floating-Point conversion instructions
• FMA3 / 3-operand Fused Multiply-Add instructions
• AMD64 / AMD 64-bit technology ?
• SMT / Simultaneous MultiThreading
• EVP / Enhanced Virus Protection ?
• AMD-V / AMD Virtualization technology
• SMAP / Supervisor Mode Access Prevention
• SMEP / Secure Mode Execution Protection
• Precision Boost
• Extended Frequency Range

Thanks. I have to ask but since the OP is going to do all of the work using GPUs, then wouldn't the 8-core Threadripper be suitable for his needs? I'm not an expert but I'm thinking that he mostly needs PCIe lanes and memory bandwidth, correct?

 

[Markfw]

Thanks. I have to ask but since the OP is going to do all of the work using GPUs, then wouldn't the 8-core Threadripper be suitable for his needs? I'm not an expert but I'm thinking that he mostly needs PCIe lanes and memory bandwidth, correct?

At this point, I am about done with this thread. Coming in looking for advice, then ignoring it all to listen to a moron. I will reply when I see sanity return.

 

[whm1974]

At this point, I am about done with this thread. Coming in looking for advice, then ignoring it all to listen to a moron. I will reply when I see sanity return.

I don't blame you at all. You have been giving good advice and answering questions. I thank you for that.

 

[anandtechreader]

Another issue is that I have not seen people getting 64GB 3200C14 working with Threadripper. From what I read, they had to lower the clock speed to slightly below 3K to make the RAM work.

 

[richaron]

Another issue is that I have not seen people getting 64GB 3200C14 working with Threadripper. From what I read, they had to lower the clock speed to slightly below 3K to make the RAM work.

By now it's pretty obvious you're grasping at straws and just want an intel system. This is really the status quo with intel vs AMD (and nVidia vs AMD). It's easy to listen to nonsense and partial logic from people you look up to, or the mob in general. It's harder to actually understand case by case situations and make up your own mind.

 

[anandtechreader]

It is not true that I just want an Intel system. There was a new announcement on 8 more spectre issues. Intel CPUs are affected and it is not certain about AMD's CPUs. Why would I want to buy Intel if it has more and more issues? I don't want to buy, try and refund and repeat so I need to make sure that everything works out. I have spent a month on this already. Somewhere I read that the Threadripper CPUs cannot support RAM more than 32GB running at over 3K speed. I need to find out if this is really true.

I appreciate all of you giving me advice on the Threadripper system. I am sure it is a very good system for general use. However, if the scientific software programs developed by researchers that I plan to use have compatibility issues with the Threadripper, even I get excellent advice to make the best system in the world, I will not be able to use it fully for my work.

One of the person who asked me to go Intel is a developer of a software I will use. I cannot ignore his suggestion. I am trying to be impartial. I questioned him if there is any compatibility issues between the Threadripper and his program and related ones. Haven't heard from him yet.

I also plan to run some software developed by Intel. I don't know if they optimize their software for Intel CPU using some instructions not available in the Threadripper.

 

[UsandThem]

One of the person who asked me to go Intel is a developer of a software I will use. I cannot ignore his suggestion. I am trying to be impartial. I questioned him if there is any compatibility issues between the Threadripper and his program and related ones. Haven't heard from him yet.

Maybe you should wait to hear back from the developer, as I think this thread has run its course. I would be surprised if anyone would come into to offer any kind of advice/suggestions at this point. Anyways, good luck with your future build.