From the reading I’ve done, since I’m also looking for a viable computer to develop with Unreal Engine, AMD and Intel each have proprietary technologies that can enhance the processing. Smart cache is I think, in brief summary, like an AI based cache that ‘remembers’ frequently performed tasks and processes and data to speed up those frequently done things. So is the newest Optane technology, which seems almost like an extra batch of RAM that operates with the processor. The issue I see with getting 16 cores is a number of processes and tasks most likely are relegated to a certain number of cores because that’s what’s needed, not all 16 cores in every task/process. I might be wrong regarding the processors with more than 4 or 8 cores though. I was simply thinking that it may not perform much better than an 8-core if it rarely utilizes more than 8 cores. Depends on the developing work though, I would think also.
Is the motherboard able to accept either an Intel or an AMD?
I am looking into getting a new PC for work that should be able to handle many complex assests and I am hung up on which processor to choose. All of the other hardware, I have figured out. I currently have an i7 7700k (4 cores @4.5Ghz) and 4 cores are simply not enough. I have narrowed it down to two contenders that seem really close. Either:
AMD 3950x (16cores/32 Threads; @3.5-4.7Ghz; 64MB Cache) $700
Intel i9 10900k (10cores/20Threads; @3.7-5.30Ghz; 20MB of “Intel Smart Cache”) $500
*I am still not totally sure what Intel smart cache is and if its just clever marketing
Assuming money IS NO object, would I benefit from the extra 6 cores?
Assuming money IS an object, are the extra 6 cores worth $200 or will the increased speed make up for the loss of cores?
Does UE4 have any optimizations that work with Intel that I would be missing out on if I go AMD?
The motherboard will upgrade depending on which processor I choose. What you said makes sense. I mostly run into processor issues during compiling and light building. Sometimes light building will cause my system to crash because I am just too loaded on the 4 cores. I have no experience with anything above 4cores so if anyone else who has more than 8 cores has any input, this is a very valid point! will ue4 efficiently use the 16 cores?
In the recent years AMD has done a lot of catching up. And there’s the price, too. If you’re ever going to stick with UE4 only, go with with Intel. Other software benefits greatly from the crazy number of threads AMD chips boast, though - beating Intel in most tasks easily.
And then there’s UE5 which may account for advances in the parallel computing…
I’d suggest a 10-core Intel, or 8-core AMD or Intel. I’ve read a few comparison articles, and a few of the processors I’ve seen performing consistently better in various tasks are:
But there’s limits to the RAM for the Intel 9700 (2666 MHz) and probably a drawback or two with one or all of those AMDs I referenced. The AMD 3800 has 32 MB L3 cache, supports 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM, and supports PCIe 4.0, which is somewhat more flexible in other aspects of the computer than PCIe 3.0, though it depends on the makers.
The number of cores isn’t the only determinant of faster light building and shader compiling, and neither is base clock speed or overclocked speed. The RAM, hard drive or SSD speed, and probably the MB’s bus speed factor in rather importantly too.
