Page 1: Hardwareluxx Christmas recommendations 2017

Also before this unusual Advent season the Hardwareluxx editorial team put their heads together (with a distance, of course) and discussed this year’s Christmas recommendations. That wasn’t always easy, because the last few months have been unusual for us too. A lot of new hardware was shown, but it wasn’t always available. With the Christmas hardware hunt this year you need a bit of luck. Our editorial team has compiled the most interesting processors, the fastest graphics cards, the new storage solutions and much more. Which product is worthwhile under the Christmas tree? We clarify!

Processor recommendations:

For multicore fans: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990 X

AMD started with its Ryzen Threadripper processors in August 2017 the hunt for if possible many CPU cores for the end user and brought this year with the Ryzen Threadripper 3990 X finally its newest flagship. Proud 64 cores and 128 He puts threads on the scales, is one of the most powerful processors ever, but is a real niche product for a very special target group, because for gamers or even just simple everyday work it is simply too oversized with one Price of almost 3. 650 Euro anything but a bargain.

Technically speaking, the fastest Threadripper has a lot to do with the Ryzen Threadripper 3970 X and 3960 X common, the AMD together with the TRX 40 platform about a year ago, but still on 32, or. 24 cores were restricted. It continues to build on the Zen 2 architecture and offers an integrated quad-channel DDR4 memory controller and up to 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes. Despite doubling the cores and caches, AMD is sorting its current Threadripper flagship in the 270 – W-TDP class, with which the clock rates at least slightly in the boost had to be corrected downwards.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990 X works with at least 2.9 GHz and boosts up to 4.3 GHz. For comparison: At 24 Cores strong Ryzen 3970 X it was up to 4.5 GHz, with the Ryzen 9 5950 X it is even up to 4.9 GHz.

Especially for smaller film studios that work with many special effects in post production, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990 X a real win. But the is also for professionals who feed their workstation daily with complex computing tasks such as video rendering or software compiling – Kerner’s recommendation. Everyone else will find it difficult to actually use the core monster to capacity.

Hardware luxx test: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990 X in the test: With 128 Threads on the multi-threaded Throne

The all-rounder in the high-end: AMD Ryzen 9 5950 X

With a price of about 850 Euro is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X, its platform costs Thanks to the AM4 socket, they are also significantly lower than the Threadripper model. This is represented by 16 cores and 32 Threads still have more than enough cores available to be able to offer high power even in a professional environment. The top-of-the-line AM4 model has only been available in stores since the beginning of November and is therefore based on the new Zen 3 architecture, which has been able to catch up, especially in terms of single-core and gaming performance, and thus bring down the last Intel bastion . The Ryzen 3990 – generation offers high gaming performance, a lot Multicore power and a much better price-performance ratio than the competition.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950 X can reach up to 4.9 GHz in turbo and even beats the smaller Ryzen 9 5900 X with twelve cores. The base clock, however, is 3.4 GHz, the L3 cache is 64 MB, the TDP class to 105 W.

Like its predecessor, AMD’s Ryzen also supports 5000 DDR4 – 3200 in dual-channel operation 20 PCIe Gen4 lanes and is produced in the 7 nm process . Price has to be around 850 Euro for the Ryzen 9 5950 X.

Hardware Luxx-Test: Generational stragglers: AMD Ryzen 9 5950 X and Ryzen 7 5800 X in the test

Cheaper 10 – Core entry: Intel Core i9 – 10850 K

With the Intel Core i9 – 10850 K the core number within our Christmas recommendations is further reduced. For the LGA socket – 972 are currently ten cores and 20 Threads the maximum that our recommendation from the Comet Lake S series has to offer. Compared to the Intel Core i9 – 10850 K as the reigning top model of the platform actually only sinks on paper Tact. The basic clock rate, single core boost, Max Turbo 2.0 and the thermal velocity boost fall over 100 MHz lower, while the TDP specifications continue to 125 W and is thus even above the significantly more powerful Ryzen processors. Even the PL1 and Tau remain identical to the top model.

But not the price: It falls from around 514 Euro on only 419 Euro significantly, with which the Core i9 – 10850 K clearly does offers better price-performance ratio with only marginally lower performance and is therefore perfect for our next Christmas recommendation.

The Intel Core i9 takes its place – 10850 K in LGA – 1200 – Socket with Z 490 – chipset that 16 PCI-Express -Provides lanes for connecting a graphics card and still trusts the 3.0 standard, but already offers 2.5Gbe. The memory controller comes with DDR4 – 2666 rightly. Overall, the Intel Core i9 – 10400 K is a very fast gaming processor that is only marginally is slower than the current top model of the Comet Lake S family. In the price comparison it is currently for 419 Euro available.

Hardwareluxx-Test: cheaper 10 – Core entry: Intel Core i9 – 10850 K in the test

Older representative with eight cores: The Ryzen 7 3700 X

The Ryzen – 5000 – Generation is still quite young and currently consists of only four models. The entry starts at around 270 Euro for the Ryzen 5 5600 X, but with six cores it offers a little less computing units than our next recommendation. Because for about 20 You get more euros with the Ryzen 7 3700 X equals eight cores and 16 Threads, which significantly increases the multicore performance, but a small one for the player There is a disadvantage in terms of single-core and gaming performance, as the previous generation is still based on the Zen 2 architecture. In practice, however, the differences should be limited, especially since the graphics card is the more decisive component when gaming anyway.

AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700 X offers eight cores with clock speeds of 3.6 up to 4.4 GHz to work and on a 32 MB large L3- Cache. The TDP is reduced with 51 W indicated, which makes the model comparatively efficient.

Like the current Ryzen processors, the Ryzen 7 3700 X space in the AM4 platform and offers in the third generation 24 PCI Express 4.0 lanes, four of which are reserved for connecting the chipset and thus 16 + 4 remain for the connection of the graphics card and other components such as an SSD. The memory is DDR4 – 3200 supported. Round 270 Euro are currently for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700 X declared in price comparison.

Hardwareluxx test: AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700 X and Ryzen 9 3900 X in the test

Without K a good all-rounder: The Intel Core i5 – 10400 F

As a non-K model, the Intel Core i5 – 10400 F several special features: Not only does it dispense with the multiplier that is open at the top, making it a little more difficult overclock, as a rule, depending on the batch, Intel no longer relies on the large 10 – Core-Die, in which only four cores and the integrated graphics unit are switched off, which reduces the power consumption and waste heat e further minimized.

The Intel Core i5 – 10400 F offers six cores and active HyperThreading, which means that a total of twelve threads can be processed at the same time. Thanks to the omission of the graphics solution, the TDP drops to economical 65 W, the LP2 can temporarily ch also with 134 W lie. The memory interface is on DDR4 – 2666 and thus somewhat slower than with the larger Core i7 models. The six Comet Lake S cores get to work with a base and turbo clock of 2.9 to 4.3 GHz, the L3 cache of the 14 – nm-CPU amounts to 12 MB.

In terms of price, you have to pay for the Intel Core i5 – 10400 F currently only barely 134 Euro, which means the small Intel model in many of our tests Price-performance ratio is always very high.

Hardwareluxx-Test: Without K a good all-rounder: The Intel Core i5 – 10400 F in the test

Small but nice: The AMD Ryzen 3 3100

With the introduction of the AMD Ryzen 3 3300 X and Ryzen 3 3100 AMD rounded the Matisse family down further in May. The two entry-level CPUs still take their place in the current AM4 socket, but are particularly suitable in connection with the B 550 – chipset is best, as it is a bit cheaper than the X 570 variants are offered. The AMD Ryzen 3 2933 is our entry-level recommendation for this year in view of its performance and especially its overclocking potential.

It offers a total of four Zen 2 cores with SMT for eight Threads, making the Hyper-Threading feature a novelty in the generation comparison. There is PCI Express 4.0 support as well as DDR4 – 3200 – support and a multiplier that opens upwards. The processor can be easily overclocked via the latter, which actually works quite well in practice. Because while the more powerful models of the Ryzen 5 to Ryzen 9 family work hard at the limit and sometimes cannot be operated outside the specified maximum frequencies at all, it can handle a few hundred megahertz more.

By default, the base and boost clock is 3.6 to 3.9 GHz. The L3 cache holds 14 MB of data. In terms of price you only have to barely 90 Invest euros for the entry-level model.

Hardware Luxx test: AMD Ryzen 3 3300 X and Ryzen 3 3100 in the test: Small Ryzen for gamers really big