Hey everyone! I'm diving into some AI projects and my current 32GB RAM just isn't cutting it anymore. I considered getting 64GB of DDR4, but the prices for DDR4 have skyrocketed lately, and honestly, it feels silly when DDR5 is almost the same price. To upgrade to DDR5, I'd need a new motherboard since my current setup only supports DDR4.
I'm torn between a Z790 motherboard—which would let me keep my existing Intel i9-12900KF CPU—and the newer Z890, which requires a new CPU. I've heard mixed reviews about the performance of the new Arrow Lake CPUs. Alternatively, I could switch to an AMD setup, which I haven't used in years. I've heard they're generally better for gaming than productivity, and there are questions about whether they work well with AI tasks, but maybe that's more about their GPUs than CPUs.
Here's my current setup:
- ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4
- Intel i9-12900KF
- G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB
What do you all think would be the best path forward?
4 Answers
Honestly, considering the latest Intel chips would be smart. DDR5 was more expensive when you first built your system, and now that DDR4 is getting pricey, it’s worth hunting for the newer Intel options. They're not as great in gaming against the latest Intel generation, but they're shining for AI workloads, which sounds perfect for your projects.
Going with a Z790 and some DDR5 RAM is probably your best bet right now. The prices for those should be better than other options because you can reuse your current setup a lot easier. Your CPU performance is comparable to newer ones like the 13700k and 14700k, so it should hold up fine for your needs.
What’s your game plan? Are you looking into tasks like fine-tuning or training with your machine? Just a heads up, AMD CPUs usually give you more bang for your buck unless you're working with specific industrial software. AI workloads are primarily GPU-dependent, and AMD’s gaining ground with better ROCm support lately.
But let’s be real, for consumer AI, the CPU choice isn’t as crucial as you might think. AMD Epyc CPUs or even Apple Silicon might better serve heavy RAM needs than anything Intel has.