7% extra clock speed. When is it worth it?

[MStein]

Hi. Thinking of a high single core performance cpu paired with a high performance gpu, I've been watching some CPU benchmarks and, as I started to dream of getting a 5950x , and, out of curiosity, I decided to compare some high end and mid end processors.
Started with ryzen 7s and ryzen 9s and ended up on ryzen 5 5600x (300 usd) and ryzen 9 5950x (800 usd). Spoiler alert: It was very dissapointing.
Of course the second one absolutely wrecked the first on multi core performance (6 vs 16 at higher turbo speed), but, when looking at single core performance (4.6ghz vs 4.9ghz) it was always a 4% to 7% difference.
And then I started to question myself. Does that 7% anyhow translate into a somewhat significant performance increment at, at least, any single core task? Maybe I'm missing something on how to read benchmarks
I see a lot of hype on how 5950x is the highest single core performance cpu on the market (same applied to Intel in the past) but, by how much? If you're planning to do practically no multi core usage, does it even make sense to spend an extra 500usd for that extra 4% to 7%?

Cheers!

 

[Jerry James]

Well, that's really a hard question to answer. The added fluidity can help quite a lot when you're working on scenes (especially if you tend to work through very complex scenes regularly). However, you do have to balance that advantage out with how much you spend to get the 'very best.'

That said, you should be looking at single-core and multi-core benchmarks here - Cinebench R23 Scores [Updated Results] (cgdirector.com)
It's a more accurate way of knowing how much better one processor will be compared to another. Moving around the viewport and actively working on scenes relies on single-core performance, while rendering a scene out will likely use multi-core performance and/or your GPU depending on your render engine.

I would say decide on what a suitable budget would be for your work and create a PC build around that number.

 

[MStein]

Thanks for answering Jerry!

I would say decide on what a suitable budget would be for your work and create a PC build around that number

Just to clarify, I'm not asking for a build in particular. This is more of a general question regarding single core performance.

Moving around the viewport and actively working on scenes relies on single-core performance

Exactly. But I wonder how much more fluid will the viewport (or any other single core intensive task) be with that extra 7% performance seen in benchmarks.
I mean, does a 7% faster viewport translate into a much better experience when working? Is it even noticiable of you're not an fps gamer?

 

[Jerry James]

Exactly. But I wonder how much more fluid will the viewport (or any other single core intensive task) be with that extra 7% performance seen in benchmarks.
I mean, does a 7% faster viewport translate into a much better experience when working? Is it even noticiable of you're not an fps gamer?

If you're asking whether it's noticeable, yes it is if you switch from one to the other. Plus it's more like a 7-14% difference in viewport performance - Cinema 4D Viewport Performance Benchmark & Scores (Updated Results) (cgdirector.com). However, if you haven't experienced anything faster, you won't miss it. It still won't hamper your work

For example, we've always liked Intel when it comes to viewport performance because even a 7700K used to deliver a smooth experience. By comparison, the 1st and 2nd Generation Ryzens were a bit slower (than the 7700K) and thus immediately noticeable.
Similarly, when 10th Generation Intel launched, it was noticeably snappier, but by a very tiny margin compared to Ryzen 3000. However, using a Ryzen 5000 vs. using a 10th Generation Intel now does immediately feel quite a bit better. Of course, a lot of it also depends on scene complexity.

 

[MStein]

Cinema 4D Viewport Performance Benchmark & Scores (Updated Results) (cgdirector.com).

Wow guys. That's a very useful benchmark!

If you're asking whether it's noticeable, yes it is if you switch from one to the other.

Yes. That was my biggest concern. I guess that difference might be worth the money when you reach a certain stability of projects to work on.
Once again, thank you Jerry!