Got lucky and got the new Ryzen 3900X

[richard greenidge]

I always check now and then to see what is the fastest CPU or GPU every now and then, https://www.cpubenchmark.net/index.php  then the day after it was released I saw that AMD came out with a new CPU, The Ryzen 3900X, it beat out a $8700 CPU, and it price was only $499. It's sold out in hours, and I was lucky to get one by pre-ordering and got it last Monday.  While I waited, I ordered a 570 chipset motherboard. I was using a i7 6800k CPU and a ASRock Taichi Motherboard and 128GB of RAM in 8 slots. The new AMD motherboards only come with 4 slots, and the 32GB stick of memory they recommend is not available now. I put the 3900X in the new motherboard, with only 64GB of RAM, and everything sounds so clear, playing back midi and 20 channels of Analog. I had to get rid of my Waves Plug-ins, I'm though with them, and used and bought some new plug-ins from elsewhere. When I look at the CPU usage, the usage of the 24 threads is so low you hardly see them moving. I'm putting the 128GB memory on hold, because this the best my DAW has sounded, and it's not because I got rid of the Waves plug-ins. Crooks are selling this CPU on EBAY for $800. Since I already have DDR4 memory, I paid $499 for the CPU and $160 for the motherboard plus tax. $660 + tax.  I may mess with the latency setting to my MOTU 24AO to see how low I can go now ore leave it alone. I use a MOTU 24AO, with 2 Behringer ADA8200's to give me 8 analog inputs and 40 analog outputs to my mixer.  So far this CPU is amazing also rendering my video program and saves 10 minutes of rendering for every minute of video. That's almost 2 hours for a 10 minute video.  

 

[craigb]

Nice!  I would have been happy just to get the Ryzen, but to get lucky too is a bonus!  ?

[Toddskins]

I've been reading on Gearslutz a lot of discussion about the new Ryzen Gen3 series, along with many tech site links, and it seems as though this is the actual series that will put them ahead of Intel.  It's all extremely fascinating to read about.  'Looks like AMD stock is on the rise again, too.

I gather you are using Windows 10 with your new system?

I love my Windows 7 Pro and have no interest in changing, but with some of the advances in PC tech that Win 7 cannot take advantage of I wish a new OS would pop up out of nowhere for consumers.  Just not from MS.

Edited July 25, 2019 by Toddskins

[richard greenidge]

Yes Toddskins, I'm using Win 10 Pro, so I could use 128GB of RAM to use with Cakewalk and iClone. I using Win 7 Pro with my mixdown computer. I remember I started with Cakewalk DOS. And the only reason I first reluctantly started using Windows 3, because with the new version of Cakewalk I was able to print out my sheet music. Windows 3, had about 10 small floppy disc, and I had it laying around for months, and only bought it, because I was passing a store in Manhattan and it was on sell for $29.99, and I thought, maybe one day I may use it. I was totally into DOS and machine codes. I didn't know what Windows really was.  Later Windows 3.1 came out with the CD ROMS and I was sold. 

Edited July 25, 2019 by richard greenidge

[InstrEd]

Can you post a screen shot of all those cores running

[richard greenidge]

Here you go IntrEd, I tried capture it at the moment most channels were working at the same time. I use two monitors. As you see I have a lot of plug-ins, and I'm using the Cakewalk effects channel too. The CPU is not even breaking a sweat. Could be me, but I think the sound is cleaner, or is it just me? Too late to do a A to B.  You have to zoom in the photo to see most of the cores. There are 24. I only had twelve with my i7 6800k.  Thanks I learned something today. I have Printkey-Pro on this computer, to screen capture, but I never knew how to do it with just windows on my DAW computer. I thought I had Printkey on that computer also. In September AMD is suppose to come out with the 3950X chip, with 16 core and 32 threads. It'll be $250 more than the 3900X at $749 vs $499. Well at least I can say I finally bought the fastest CPU for 2 months, instead of until after I put the heat sink on it, it became #44. And for under $999. The fastest CPU's always started about $1000, going back to  Cyrix, AMD and Intel.     

Edited July 26, 2019 by richard greenidge

[richard greenidge]

Sorry, I didn't know this Forum was going to shrink my +400k photo. So I zoomed and cropped the photo above with Photoshop. This crazy. This is less activity than I get when my songs are not playing and the machine is idling. 

[InstrEd]

Thanks for the picture.   I dream of that much CPU power said in a Tim Allen voice.

Yep the limit for embedded images is 50 megs so it is automatically resized    Better to use a hosting site like imgur and link to image that way.

[scook]

40 minutes ago, richard greenidge said:

Sorry, I didn't know this Forum was going to shrink my +400k photo.

Users have a 50MB image quota. The forum downsizes images. To avoid the quota and downsizing use an image hosting service (ex. imgur.com) and embed links to images in your posts.

[Jim Roseberry]

FWIW, Your DAW's CPU will not affect the sound.

[razor7music]

I don't want to take this post too OT (but it is the Coffee House), but I have to ask...you spent a lot on your DAW components--and forgive me if I've confused you with someone else, but don't you get a new rig once a year? Anyway, I'm reading your post while wiping the drool off my chin and then I read "Behringer" and I wake up out of my dream state and scratch my head. Behringer? Really? Aren't they the low-end cost savings brand?

Years ago when I worked at GC in pro audio, Behringer everything were the cheapies the kids would buy that couldn't afford the high-end, more expensive stuff. I realize that was a long time ago, and most manufacturers have their high and low-end models--but at least that time (18-ish) years ago, Behringer didn't sell a high-end model of anything that GC stocked--and that was a  lot.

Please enlighten me.

[richard greenidge]

Razor, I worked on electronic crap since 1958. It took me awhile to use transistors instead of vacuum tubes. Early transistors and chips used to have freq response of only 15kHz, compared to today. I buy what my budget affords, and there was a time I designed my own mixers, compressors etc. I worked for some of the top companies too. Every company has a return & repair dept. Some companies make their own parts, but all mechanical things break if you use them, that's what they do. And you know what most do? They try to see how we can make the parts cheaper so we can make more profit. Internally each batch is different there are no identical components, some will fail before others. The price of ADATS were very expensive, and the only one in my budget was the Behringer. The ADA 8200 and the model before it had a good reviews and most said it was the best Behringer product. I'm fine as long as the signal I'm putting in, is the same I get out. I bought a second one to have 40 analog channels to my mixer in 2017.  Last month, it started making noises, I had to remove it. The one I bought in 2015 is still working fine.  If I want to replace it, it's cheap enough where I wont feel it at all and can do it tomorrow with my monthly allowance and not have to borrow. 85% of everything is made in China, some good some bad. Like life there are no guarantees, just warranties.  This unit now cost $229, the next unit is $699 made by Focusrite, who the heck are they? I'm not paying thousands of dollars and no one can hear a difference. Who's can say the don't have the same D/A converter chips from the company that Behringer gets their from. I found out that IC chips from other companies are not all the same. When digital video cameras first came out you, for the best ones you need faster SD cards and the best were from Micro Center who had the cheapest prices. I tested them with the big guys, and the Micro Center SDHC Cards, beat them by a lot. They are the only cards that I'll buy now. I think I paid $299 for the last ADA8200. It lasted 2 years, it cost me $3 a week. I'll buy another before I'll buy the $700 one, (~$800 after tax shipping). I'm not a patient or a return person,  I'll throw it in the garbage and buy a new one unless I have to go there to exchange for a new one, so it has to be within my price range to do it.  I think I only purchased one bad item in my whole life, and that was a expensive cassette unit. Do you know how long that was ago? Been lucky, I hope I stay that way. Behringer has a return dept, you also have Amazon today, so if you don't like a product you can return it. I'm sure the $2000 D/A converter folks had their share of returns too. Part of being a good sound engineer is getting the music to sound it's best with what you have to work with. Here's somethin I've never though about. Behringer is still around, do you know how many companies I bought stuff from, no longer exist or changed owners? I'm not pushing any companies, but just saying.  

[richard greenidge]

Jim. When I'm trying to tweak my settings so I can have the best latency, with my 24AO and I have about 20 analog and mini channels going, various plug-ins. There are dropouts at various times, sometimes inaudible and some with noises. When you change these settings, you can see the output load increase or decrease with the CPU threads. I have up to 30 Analog channels I can playback on my setup, and  by the time a song is finished I never have less than 18 audio channels. I usually back off these setting by one, from when things stop or pause. There has been times during playback one or two channels, didn't play and I didn't notice right away or were not clear. I had people say with a program I use iClone, that it didn't matter if you used more than 16GB of RAM. Well I increased it 32, 64, 96 all the way to 128GB, and everything got better as I increased it. I've been building/designing electronic things since 1958, and worked in the best companies and there is no such thing as; "It don't or it can't", especially if you haven't tried it. A lot of thing were discovered by accident not because it was planned. Then we try to find out why. Other Engineers used to always asked me, how did I find that out. My response was, because I did it a home. There response was, they have to build a lab at home too. All I'm going to say and I sent photos in of my CPU activity, and it looks like my activity of my old CPU when it was idle. Now if you are happy with your sound, your system then don't do a thing. I'm not coming on here to debate, only to tell about my results. There are people buying records today saying they sound better, but technically there is surface, static and dust noise, frequency reduction as the needle moves in. Not my money, or do I care.  A few months ago, my daughters' 65" flat screen TV blew out. I fixed color TV's since the late 60's when we had one color TV station, but I've never been in back of a flat screen TV, because mine are still working. Since it was expensive I told her husband to let me see if I could fix it, they were going to throw it out. There were 3 boards, I figured out which board it had to be, and when it came, we put it in and it worked. They both told me a few days later, that the picture really looks better than ever. There is nothing to adjust on the board so I really want to tell them that's impossible. So I'm going to take their word because they have no reason to lie. One of the reasons I've been the best out there, because I've been very observant.  Unless you have a 24AO and a similar setup, you can't say what will happen, there are too many factors involved. The Cakewalk program, which you did not design, the audio engine, the MOTU 24AO, my computer. I might be wrong, so other than making or recording music, what is you technical background if any, I'm curious? Have a great weekend all.    

[razor7music]

Hey @richard greenidge

Sorry if I pushed a button!

See what I did there?! 

I'm just messing with ya. My question on Behrigner was real though.

[richard greenidge]

No Razor, all's good, I'm just trying to be honest. I just try to answer questions as best as I can. I even had two Behringer SX4882 mixers. The first one I spilled some liquid in it (smoke & fire), I took it apart and couldn't save it. The second one I gave away after a few channels failed. Behringer products are not, repair friendly. I would not buy another of their analog mixers. I ended up get a Digital Mixer from PreSonus. Right now on Sweetwater, all of Behringer's digital mixers are rated 4.5 stars, so they are making somebody happy. If I need to record a song and need 40 channels of analog, I'll buy another BehringerADA8200. When I get a musician or vocalist saying they sound funny, I'll buy the $700 one. I liked the way the meters looked on the SX4882. Some meter bars cost more than the mixer. I made my own for my PreSonus. I'm a LED and light freak. Anything with a lot of lights and colors, I'm sold. When fiber optics became a possibility, there were no fiber optic cable, so we (while working for GE) had to go to Radio shack and cut up some toy Xmas trees and made our own. I was disappointed that the LEDS we used were infrared and invisible to us.    

Edited April 6, 2020 by richard greenidge
spelling

[craigb]

Behringer gear isn't all bad (just not top-end).  It's cheap because they steal everything!  We used to joke how their R&D departments were [insert list of high-end gear here].

[antler]

On 7/25/2019 at 7:03 AM, richard greenidge said:

I had to get rid of my Waves Plug-ins, I'm though with them, and used and bought some new plug-ins from elsewhere

I'm genuinely confused: I see some posts where people say they absolutely love Waves plugins and seem really excited when a sale comes round; and I also get the feeling that some people can't wait to abandon their Waves plugin collection. Could someone explain to me why if their plugins are as good as their reputation suggests, why do some people seem to want to get rid of them?

[richard greenidge]

Antler, I love the Wave plugins. I've been dealing with computers for a long time and Cakewalk since Cakewalk DOS. I have a lot of plug-ins that go back to 1990 that wasn't from Cakewalk. I have more Wave plug-ins than anyone else because of sales, discounts etc. Almost every year I upgrade, my computer or had to increase the size my hard drives. I have no problem installing  other plug-ins I bought from others, I have a iLok. With Waves every time I upgrade something, they don't use regular VST extensions, they have some special folders, and when it doesn't load Cakewalk can't find the Wave files. I found out when my boot drive failed last year and I thought it was my motherboard, that they only allow you to download their files once a year. So they only option you have is you have to go a year without it, or buy a new one which you may pay more than the original. They also want you to pay yearly for each plug-in you bought for upgrades, and updates for each, and mine come up to over $300 a year if I'm correct. Everyone else, if you change hardware, you either have a iLok, put in your serial numbers go to the website, sign in, if you have to download the program again like Cakewalk and it works, I have no problem. The problem is, that I bought this item and I expect it to be available to me when I want to use it. It takes hours of adjusting to get the sound you wanted and then it's not there now because you altered your computer. They know you are not a pirate because you have to sign in, but if you want to download your stuff again, you have to pay if you did it once that year. So all your 50 plug-ins are dead, for a year unless you want to pay for something you already paid for. Are you willing to pay them $400 after you just upgraded your computer for something you thought you bought and was your forever. You can't make up for the hours you spent customizing settings etc. For me, if I have a problem with something I have to let it go. I feel like I have been robbed, me upgrading my computer has nothing to do with what I purchased from you. If you policies don't agree and it wasn't free. I am not willing to get ripped off anymore, and that's what I feel they did is ripped me off. If that is their EULA sorry if I don't agree and didn't see it coming and it is NOT the norm. I not looking to change their policy for just me, it's not like anyone else's.   

[Jim Roseberry]

Behringer has absorbed numerous great companies over the past 10+ years (Midas, Kark Teknik, TC Electronic).

Some of their latest gear is very good.

 

If you're a fan of the original 1176 and LA-2A compressors, you should check out the 76-KT and KT-2A.

They're inexpensive... and sound excellent.

The 76-KT works wonders on drums.  

 

[richard greenidge]

Thanks Jim. I never used those compressors, but I'll check them out. My buying days are over until the spring. Have to pay for Copyrights, and personnel the next few weeks.  I do really like how the KT-2A looks and the price and customer ratings is what I like seeing. I just have enough rack space now too.