The high-end desktop isn’t what it was once. The marketplace for totally loaded, enthusiast-class HEDT CPUs and motherboards has modified drastically over the past a number of years, stagnating in a approach that has left an unaddressed hole in efficiency.
Ultra-expensive methods utilizing platforms comparable to Intel’s X99 and AMD’s Threadripper had been as soon as the stuff of goals, akin to having a Lamborghini poster in your wall. Did you need an “Extreme” 10-core CPU? Intel had you lined with the $2000 Core i7 6950X. If that wasn’t sufficient,18 cores arrived rapidly, adopted by the juggernaut AMD Threadripper CPUs packing as many as 64 cores.
The HEDT market encompassed each high-end avid gamers and workstation professionals who didn’t want server stage {hardware}, however nonetheless required superior options and critical processing energy. They’ve since all however disappeared with the rise of potent high-core mainstream CPUs from each Intel and AMD. Let’s talk about how mainstream and HEDT chips really stack up, and the way the characteristic set of high-end motherboards differs on these platforms.
The gradual dying of HEDT CPUs
Recently, boutique workstation builder Puget Systems posted an excellent article on this very topic. They have tons of gross sales knowledge to again up their findings, displaying the stark drop-off in gross sales for each Intel Core X CPUs and AMD’s Threadripper.
Aside from cited issues with provide, comparable to AMD’s Threadripper disappearing utterly in May, the drop off actually coincides with mainstream CPU releases from each AMD and Intel that pack a strong multicore punch for a lot much less price.
Intel’s ho-hum Core X has been limping alongside for months in Puget System builds, however now that AMD’s Threadripper provide has disappeared utterly, HEDT is presently a non-factor even for this boutique workstation builder.
Puget Systems
The pandemic impact can be obvious right here: With excessive demand and restricted functionality, it is sensible for each Intel and AMD to deal with the larger markets and fulfill that demand. The Xeon and Epyc server chips that normally function the incubation floor for HEDT lineups (which use cut-down server CPUs) are actually huge, in-demand markets proper now, sadly leaving the earlier HEDT Core X and Threadripper lineups to wither within the present environment. The remainder of the eye goes in the direction of the heavier adoption in Intel and AMD’s mainstream platforms.
AMD will get the credit score for beginning the strangulation of HEDT chips. With the introduction of its Ryzen sequence of CPUs 5 years in the past, the corporate started releasing ultra-high-core-count CPUs for mainstream motherboards, blossoming into really beastly CPUs just like the Ryzen 9 3950X and Ryzen 9 5950X, each with 16 cores and 32 threads. These had been capable of problem Intel’s getting older Core i9-10980XE, an 18-core providing on Intel’s getting older X299 HEDT platform, at lower than half the value.
In reality, minimal enhancements for X299 spelled the start of the tip for Intel’s current HEDT ambitions. The Core 7980XE, 9980XE, and 10980XE had been disappointingly minimal upgrades 12 months over 12 months. They rapidly grew to become outclassed by the mainstream Ryzen platform and completely demolished by AMD’s Threadripper HEDT chips in efficiency.
AMD’s mighty Threadripper in a customized water-cooled HEDT machine.
Thiago Trevisan/IDG
Alas, even the mighty Threadripper has seen its usefulness wane to some extent due to highly effective mainstream CPUs. Intel’s ferocious Core i9-12900K is a extremely performant CPU in each single-core workloads comparable to gaming in addition to the multithreaded workloads that had been as soon as the bread and butter of HEDT methods. The identical may be mentioned of AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X, which is without doubt one of the best-rounded CPUs available on the market.
Thus, with restricted demand and choices on HEDT platforms, most lovers jumped ship to the mainstream, together with many professionals.
Motherboards and important options on HEDT
We’ve established that mainstream CPUs have caught as much as a big a part of HEDT choices for many customers. (Though lovers with 32 cores and above are nonetheless comparatively protected—for now.) As far again as Intel’s X99, avid gamers nonetheless considered the HEDT platform as the final word gaming construct, even when it was overkill versus out there mainstream chips such because the Core i7-7700ok. This has dramatically modified, totally eradicating avid gamers from HEDT and leaving solely skilled customers with particular overhead wants.
Now we delve into the meat and potatoes of this hearty meal: HEDT motherboards and have units that they pack. Has the mainstream actually caught up with this facet of the coin, too? Nope, and that is the place the gradual dying of HEDT hurts probably the most.
PCIe lanes
Want to run a number of graphics playing cards, a number of SSD in a RAID array, video seize playing cards, and loads of NVMe m.2 drives? That’s the place platforms like Threadripper shine. With as much as 88 PCIe lanes out there, Threadripper completely dwarfs the headroom for additional units out there in mainstream AMD X570 and Intel Z690 platforms.
While newer platforms comparable to Intel’s Z690 pack cutting-edge applied sciences like DDR5 reminiscence and PCIe 5.0, for individuals who want plentiful expandability, Threadripper stays extremely related (with Threadripper Pro 5000 being the present cream of the crop right here, albeit solely in prebuilt Lenovo workstations.) Intel’s X299 platform additionally gives a wholesome providing of PCIE lanes. However, it’s fallen outdated in a number of different areas—community connectivity is lower than latest requirements, and X299 stays on PCIE Gen 3.
If you’re a high-end fanatic gamer, Threadripper is not acceptable. The PCIe lanes out there on mainstream platforms are adequate for even dual-GPU setups and loads of NVME drives. Plus, gaming efficiency is inferior on Threadripper versus one thing just like the Core i9-12900Ok. Only semi- and totally skilled customers profit from the additional PCIe lanes on this case.
Go forward and fill these PCIe slots up on this Threadripper Gigabyte Xtreme motherboard.
Thiago Trevisan/IDG
Memory assist
If 128GB of ram shouldn’t be sufficient, you’ll want a high-end platform on your workloads—Threadripper helps 256GB. You’ll even have entry to quad channel reminiscence, and assist for error code correction (ECC) reminiscence. Once once more, that is irrelevant for avid gamers, however can nonetheless show completely essential to skilled customers. Those customers have been sadly overlooked within the present market, and must compromise with mainstream platforms or spend extra for server-class choices.
Networking and connectivity
10Gbe and a great deal of USB ports had been as soon as the area of HEDT motherboards, however now they’re available on even mid-range choices such because the $469 Z690 Gigabyte Aorus Master (a mobo we adored). With current releases, you’ll additionally get sooner Wi-Fi requirements and Thunderbolt 4 on many mainstream motherboards—options which can be presently absent on getting older HEDT choices.
Cost
This is a significant factor within the demise of the HEDT. Intel’s $2,000 6950x solely supplied 10 cores, and the 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 3970X prices simply as a lot (when you’ll find it in inventory). In comparability, AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X may be present in at the moment’s marketplace for sale below $600 and sustain with many HEDT CPUs for a big value financial savings. There are additionally many extra inexpensive motherboard choices out there, serving to hold general price down.
Performance
To show some extent, I lately examined Shadow of the Tomb Raider with Nvidia’s monstrous GeForce RTX 3090 Ti on two CPUs: A 24 core Threadripper chip, and the Core i9-12900Ok. At 1080p decision, the Threadripper CPU was capable of common solely round 153 FPS on the best settings. The Intel 12900Ok simply flew previous 225 FPS. Of course, this isn’t an acceptable GPU or CPU setup for 1080p, however I needed to show some extent: Gaming has no place in HEDT any longer.
How about in additional multi-threaded workloads? While it’s true the Threadripper will win artificial benchmarks, many real-world workloads have switched loads of their focus to GPU intensive duties (take Davinci Resolve with video enhancing, for instance). If your workflow nonetheless depends closely on multithreaded CPUs, you’ll nonetheless want the ability that HEDT provides – however this too is reducing over time.
The field is fairly cool on this Core i9 10980XE, at the very least!
Thiago Trevisan/IDG
HEDT is just not out there in at the moment’s market
After taking account of efficiency, pricing, and even advantages like PCIe lanes, one bleak reality stays: There are scarcely any HEDT choices in the stores from Intel and AMD. Like, in any respect. Intel’s X299 CPUs and motherboards are nearly inconceivable to seek out, and the identical holds true for many Threadripper motherboards and CPUs. Even Puget Systems, knowledgeable methods integrator, indicates that they’ll’t purchase Threadripper merchandise from distributors.
Intel and AMD apparently bought the message. All of the good high-end, enthusiast-level {hardware} merely is geared in the direction of the a lot bigger mainstream market of X570 and Z690. This satisfies 99 p.c of customers, leaving solely the area of interest use instances that actually want the PCIe and reminiscence headroom to hunt out these venerable unicorn platforms. Pandemic provide chain woes actually put a damper on any new releases, comparable to Threadripper’s supposed 5000-series DIY CPUs failing to materialize after briefly being rumored.
Don’t overlook that actually workstation and server class merchandise exist for particular use instances that may by no means get replaced by mainstream CPUs. These are the Intel Xeon and AMD Epyc lineups that present super core counts, superior reminiscence assist, and general efficiency that make sense in a extremely specialised surroundings, and never for the standard high-end fanatic. These additionally pack a a lot increased value premium for entry, leaving out lots of the lovers and “prosumers” who might make use of those options. This is the place HEDT is missed probably the most.
Will the long run change? Potentially. AMD’s newly announced Ryzen 7000-series CPUs will seemingly show to make HEDT’s comeback even more durable. With much more options and efficiency packed into Ryzen 7000, it’ll additional restrict those that want HEDT platforms to carry out their work.
There continues to be room for HEDT, although. Even Ryzen 7000 received’t essentially reply the entire wants of this more and more area of interest group. Demands for extra strong PCIe lanes, reminiscence assist, and better core counts nonetheless depart some customers in a center floor. Hopefully, eventual next-generation Intel and AMD HEDT platforms can scratch these itches. Gamers, nevertheless, are actually squarely within the realm of mainstream choices—and that’s unlikely to vary.