Question Ryzen 9 + Thunderbolt questions...

[Toonman]

Hello there. I was hoping someone here would be able to help me with this.
I'm getting ready to put together a Ryzen 9 (5950x) build next year. I'll start buying the parts soon. The one where I could use some input is the motherboard.
The main use for the computer will be music production, with video editing and 3d work as secondary (but important) tasks. And that's why I need to look into a motherboard that supports Thunderbolt (my audio interface uses Firewire800 and Thunderbolt for its I/O). From the available AM4 motherboards I've found, very few support Thunderbolt. I've narrower down my search to two:

1. ASRock x570 Creator
2. ASRock x570 Taichi

The difference being, the Creator has Thunderbolt ports included, whereas the Taichi requires an add-on card (and of course, the price).
What I wanted to know is, if there's any difference (say, in data transfer rates) between one option vs the other (other than losing a PCI slot to the Thunderbolt card). Is having the ports on board really worth it? (Especially considering the difference in price between both boards).

Any help is really appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of other options regarding MB's that support Thunderbolt, I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance!

Additional information (as per forum rules):
1. As mentioned, main tasks include: Music production, video editing, 3d rendering (and the very occasional game).
2. No budgetary restrictions (other than my common sense. Aqua? C'mon...)
3. I'll try to buy my parts directly in Canada. But there's always Amazon, so...
5. No specific brand preference for the mother board. This is my first AMD-based build, so...
6. No parts re-use. It'll be a brand-new system.
7. No plans to overclock. Stability is my main concern.
8. My monitor resolution will be whatever the video card supports (still undecided on the video card... based on recent news, I might go for AMD too)
9. I'll start buying the parts in a couple of weeks. The final build, as soon as the 5950x is available
10. I've got all the software I need already.

 

[vailr]

Did you consider the GIGABYTE B550 VISION D:

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Buy Gigabyte B550 Vision D (AMD Ryzen 5000/B550/ATX/3xPCIe 4.0/3.0/DDR4/ECC Memory/Titan Ridge/3xM.2/USB3.2 Gen 2 Type-C/Intel WiFi 6/Fully Quadro QVL Tested/Dual Intel LAN/1xHDMI 2.1/Motherboard): Motherboards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

It would need a bios update to support Ryzen 5000.
Intel will be offering a new chipset motherboard & CPU in about March of 2021. So that might be worth waiting for. Intel invented Thunderbolt, so an Intel chipset motherboard may have certain advantages compared with an AMD motherboard.

 

[Toonman]

Did you consider the GIGABYTE B550 VISION D:

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

It would need a bios update to support Ryzen 5000.
Intel will be offering a new chipset motherboard & CPU in about March of 2021. So that might be worth waiting for. Intel invented Thunderbolt, so an Intel chipset motherboard may have certain advantages compared with an AMD motherboard.

Thanks a lot for the reply! I didn't know about this board, so thanks for the suggestion! I've been leaning more towards a x570 board, but I'll check out the full specs on everything to see if a B550 would be a good option.
As for Intel... that'll be a no. I'm only trying to find out if there are any advantages by having Thunderbolt natively supported on the board over using an add-on card.
Thanks a lot for the post! Cheers!

 

[Pro Audio Head]

Hello there. I was hoping someone here would be able to help me with this.
I'm getting ready to put together a Ryzen 9 (5950x) build next year. I'll start buying the parts soon. The one where I could use some input is the motherboard.
The main use for the computer will be music production, with video editing and 3d work as secondary (but important) tasks. And that's why I need to look into a motherboard that supports Thunderbolt (my audio interface uses Firewire800 and Thunderbolt for its I/O). From the available AM4 motherboards I've found, very few support Thunderbolt. I've narrower down my search to two:

1. ASRock x570 Creator
2. ASRock x570 Taichi

The difference being, the Creator has Thunderbolt ports included, whereas the Taichi requires an add-on card (and of course, the price).
What I wanted to know is, if there's any difference (say, in data transfer rates) between one option vs the other (other than losing a PCI slot to the Thunderbolt card). Is having the ports on board really worth it? (Especially considering the difference in price between both boards).

Any help is really appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of other options regarding MB's that support Thunderbolt, I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance!

Additional information (as per forum rules):
1. As mentioned, main tasks include: Music production, video editing, 3d rendering (and the very occasional game).
2. No budgetary restrictions (other than my common sense. Aqua? C'mon...)
3. I'll try to buy my parts directly in Canada. But there's always Amazon, so...
5. No specific brand preference for the mother board. This is my first AMD-based build, so...
6. No parts re-use. It'll be a brand-new system.
7. No plans to overclock. Stability is my main concern.
8. My monitor resolution will be whatever the video card supports (still undecided on the video card... based on recent news, I might go for AMD too)
9. I'll start buying the parts in a couple of weeks. The final build, as soon as the 5950x is available
10. I've got all the software I need already.

Hi, I don't know how much this will help but I am in the exact same boat as you, but I am going to a pro audio company that cherry picks components and builds the pc for me.
My system is also going to be for Music production Mainly and video/content creation work 2nd.

My Specs are
- 5950x

- Asrock X570 Taichi Motherboard with Asrock Thunderbolt AIC 2.0. (the add in tb3 card).

- 32gb 3600mhz Corsair LPX AMD optimised Ram (3733mhz was the best speed for ZEN 2 (3950x), but because it costs way more than 3600 (almost double), then 3600 is a good sweet spot). They are saying that 4000mhz ram will be a 1:1 perfect match for the 5950x, in terms of the Ram speed matching CPU's "Infinity Fabric" Clock, giving it 1:1 performance. For example the 5950x's infinity fabric clock is said to be 2000mhz which will match the 2000mhz RAM(you divide the total ram speed by 2 always, so 4000mhz divided by 2). Sorry if you already know all this. But 4000mhz ram is too expensive right now, so can't justify it yet.

3080 GPU - Irrelevant for music, but will help for video work and other content creation.

-Be quiet dark rock 4 Pro Air cooler. Optimal for audio work and silence. Also 4x be quiet silent wings fans.

- 850w Seasonic Prime TX 80+ Titanium rated PSU. I'm Not skimping out on PSU efficiency for an audio PC. It has a 12 year warranty, one of, if not the quietest PSU, and the fans don't actually turn on until 40 percent load.

- 1TB NVME for OS and only sound libraries that don't play nice on a separate SSD, and possibly current sessions.

- 1TB NVME for sound libraries, and current sessions.

- 2x 1TB SSD's for storage, older Sessions, current weekly system image backups of OS drive only, etc.

I also use an external 4tb hdd to back up sessions, sound libraries and everything music related/critical. I have a few more 1tb back up hdd's also just in case. You probably don't need this info 🤣 but it may help..

The thunderbolt Add in card will do exactly what you need it to. It connects via PCIE and provides the full 40gbps data rate. Over 2 ports though. I don't know if the Asrock creator does 40gb in each port but I didn't think it did. The add in will do 40gb in one port. 40gb is the standard.

If there is anything else you need feel free to ask.

 

[Pro Audio Head]

Also forgot to say that the taichi plus the thunderbolt card came in just over 100 cheaper than the Creator.

 

[Toonman]

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply Audio Head! Your system is pretty much a copy of what I had in my list too. And that's why I was interested in the whole Creator vs Taichi subject... just wanted to know if having the onboard Thunderbolt ports were really worth the extra $$ (I know it also has 10GB LAN, but I think I can live without that). So... it does look like it's going to be a Taichi for me.

Also, appreciate all the info on the RAM. It's good to know about all the details to consider when it comes to speed. I'll definitely look more into that to make sure I can get the most out of the 5950 (without breaking the bank).

I was also looking into the Dark Rock 4, but was wondering if the stock fan would do the job... some videos I've watched report they're quite adequate... but I also don't want to run into overheating. I guess better be safe than sorry.

For my videocard, I think I'm gonna wait until I see what AMD has up their sleeve. From what IU hear, the new cards are going to be killer when paired with AMD processors, so... I might find something really interesting in there.

Lastly, about the PSU, I currently have an 850w installed on my current computer, but given the amount of peripherals I can connect to the computer at one time, I was tinking of going for a 1000w just to be sure there is enough juice for everyone. Is that overkill? Lots of stuff feeding off from the USB ports (keyboard, external drives, cameras, mic, webcam, tablet, etc). I'll be plugging a few more things, but they have their own PSUs, so I can ignore them (drum kit, otehr keyboards, guitar processor, etc)

Again, thanks for your comments. I'll start by getting the easiest things to get for now (those that won't change in the next few months), such as the mobo, PSU, case, and drives, and wait until next year for the processor, RAM, and video card. I should be able to get everything done in a few months.
Good luck with your build as well! Cheers!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Intel invented Thunderbolt, so an Intel chipset motherboard may have certain advantages compared with an AMD motherboard.

Unfortunately (for a mild AMD fan such as myself), this is true. I haven't seen much in the way of TB implementations on AMD except as you discovered at the ultra high-end of mobos.

Intel boards of much more pedestrian variety seem to support TB much more commonly. If not on the back I/O panel directly, then with a TB header on the mobo, that needs to have a TB PCI-E card installed, and then plugged into the mobo header.

Ditto, my recent purchase and soon attempt to use a M.2 AX200 wifi on an AMD platform, it may not work. Intel platforms still have some advantages, for Intel-centric technologies.

 

[Pro Audio Head]

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply Audio Head! Your system is pretty much a copy of what I had in my list too. And that's why I was interested in the whole Creator vs Taichi subject... just wanted to know if having the onboard Thunderbolt ports were really worth the extra $$ (I know it also has 10GB LAN, but I think I can live without that). So... it does look like it's going to be a Taichi for me.

Also, appreciate all the info on the RAM. It's good to know about all the details to consider when it comes to speed. I'll definitely look more into that to make sure I can get the most out of the 5950 (without breaking the bank).

I was also looking into the Dark Rock 4, but was wondering if the stock fan would do the job... some videos I've watched report they're quite adequate... but I also don't want to run into overheating. I guess better be safe than sorry.

For my videocard, I think I'm gonna wait until I see what AMD has up their sleeve. From what IU hear, the new cards are going to be killer when paired with AMD processors, so... I might find something really interesting in there.

Lastly, about the PSU, I currently have an 850w installed on my current computer, but given the amount of peripherals I can connect to the computer at one time, I was tinking of going for a 1000w just to be sure there is enough juice for everyone. Is that overkill? Lots of stuff feeding off from the USB ports (keyboard, external drives, cameras, mic, webcam, tablet, etc). I'll be plugging a few more things, but they have their own PSUs, so I can ignore them (drum kit, otehr keyboards, guitar processor, etc)

Again, thanks for your comments. I'll start by getting the easiest things to get for now (those that won't change in the next few months), such as the mobo, PSU, case, and drives, and wait until next year for the processor, RAM, and video card. I should be able to get everything done in a few months.
Good luck with your build as well! Cheers!

No problem at all. I was looking up stuff regarding my build, saw your post and since it was so similar to mine, I made an account so I could respond.

Regarding the air cooler, definitely go for the dark rock 4 Pro over a stock cooler. The stock coolers fan will be smaller and louder. The DRP4 will be very quiet and is a beast for cooling. Essential for low noise, especially if you will be recording. Also forgot to mention that I am going with a be quiet dark base 700 case. It comes with 2 Silent wings fans. I then added 2 more silent wings fans to the build giving me 4 in total. This will make the case as quiet as possible. A step further would be to opt for a case with no window, like the Silent Base 801 (has a non window variant with extra foam). All ensuring the case will be very quiet. Fractal have good cases for this too like the Fractal design define 7.

850W is perfect and 1000w is overkill, but not as overkill as 1200 - 1600w. If your current Psu does the job, is working efficiently, is at least 80+ Gold Rated, then use that.

As for connecting peripherals, you will be fine. Just make sure that every item that comes with its own psu is plugged into the wall. Even if Bus powering it is an option. Just to be safe. You will have plenty headroom with 850w. Also check out Psu calculator and input your config there. It will recommend the required wattage.

Thanks and good luck to you too 😁🤞

 

[vailr]

There's a PC build video that uses the GIGABYTE B550 VISION D motherboard:

 

[Toonman]

No problem at all. I was looking up stuff regarding my build, saw your post and since it was so similar to mine, I made an account so I could respond.

Regarding the air cooler, definitely go for the dark rock 4 Pro over a stock cooler. The stock coolers fan will be smaller and louder. The DRP4 will be very quiet and is a beast for cooling. Essential for low noise, especially if you will be recording. Also forgot to mention that I am going with a be quiet dark base 700 case. It comes with 2 Silent wings fans. I then added 2 more silent wings fans to the build giving me 4 in total. This will make the case as quiet as possible. A step further would be to opt for a case with no window, like the Silent Base 801 (has a non window variant with extra foam). All ensuring the case will be very quiet. Fractal have good cases for this too like the Fractal design define 7.

850W is perfect and 1000w is overkill, but not as overkill as 1200 - 1600w. If your current Psu does the job, is working efficiently, is at least 80+ Gold Rated, then use that.

As for connecting peripherals, you will be fine. Just make sure that every item that comes with its own psu is plugged into the wall. Even if Bus powering it is an option. Just to be safe. You will have plenty headroom with 850w. Also check out Psu calculator and input your config there. It will recommend the required wattage.

Thanks and good luck to you too 😁🤞

Well, thanks even more for going out of your way to answer my post.
I'll definitely go for the DRP4 then. Thanks for the comments.
I'll stay at 850w for my PSU. A lot of my peripherals do have their own PSUs, but some don't. I'll do a check of what I've got that would need to feed off the main PSU and see if I'm still within limits. I don't know how much the video card will pull, since the AMDs are not out yet, although maybe the specs have been released. I'll check.

Thanks a lot again!