CPU Upgrade advice for C4D animation? (Threadripper 2950x to Ryzen 7950x?)

[TAnim8r]

I built my PC with advice from here on CG Director back in 2019, and it's been great--thanks! I would totally do it again.

I'm looking to upgrade my CPU now, tho, and need some advice on doing so. My current Threadripper 2950x build works well for "live" work, but I wouldn't mind a boost to the rendering. I render in CPU, not GPU. Hopefully I wouldn't have to start from scratch, and can keep some (or all?) of my existing components, but not sure if that's possible or practical. My current build is as shown below. I guess the "wish" question is: can I just replace the CPU with a newer one? More practically I suppose I'd probably have to replace the motherboard at least? Also, maybe a loaded question, but I was looking at the Ryzen 7950x, which appears to be twice as fast as my current Threadripper 2950x for a really reasonable price, but is that compatible with my current built? If not, any recommendations for the best/least disruptive build? Thanks!

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X Processor

GIGABYTE X399 AORUS PRO (AMD Ryzen Thread Ripper TR4/ATX /3X M.2/Front USB 3.1 Type C/Intel LAN/ALC1220/ Motherboard)

Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16 Memory Kit

MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDRR6 256-bit HDMI/DP/USB Ray Tracing Turing Architecture HDCP Graphics Card (RTX 2070 ARMOR 8G)

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB SSD (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM)

CORSAIR RMX Series (2018), RM650x, 650 Watt, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular Power Supply

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4, BK023, 250W TDP, for AMD TR4 Only, CPU Cooler

Phanteks Enthoo Pro Full Tower Chassis Without Window Cases PH-ES614PC_BK

 

[Jerry James]

can I just replace the CPU with a newer one?

Sadly nope. The X399 platform was discontinued and you'll need a new motherboard for newer parts.

More practically I suppose I'd probably have to replace the motherboard at least?

Correct. I'd recommend hopping to a Ryzen 9 7950X and an X670/B650 motherboard if you want to stay on a consumer platform.

If not, any recommendations for the best/least disruptive build?

Here's a build that our PC Builder generated:

CGDirector.com Parts List: https://www.cgdirector.com/pc-builder/?=6NExh

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5GHz 16-Core Processor ($589.99)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 ($89.90)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B650-P WIFI ATX AM5 ($219.99)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070TI 8GB - EVGA FTW3 Ultra Gaming ($709.00)
Memory: 32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Flare X5 Series DDR5-6400 CL32 ($199.99)
Storage PCIe-SSD: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 2TB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive ($139.99)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx Series RM750x 750W Power Supply ($198.90)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($150.53)
Total: $2298.29

MSI GAMING GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDRR6 256-bit HDMI/DP/USB Ray Tracing Turing Architecture HDCP Graphics Card (RTX 2070 ARMOR 8G)

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB SSD (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM)

CORSAIR RMX Series (2018), RM650x, 650 Watt, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular Power Supply

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4, BK023, 250W TDP, for AMD TR4 Only, CPU Cooler

From the parts you listed, you can continue using your SSD, GPU, PSU, CPU Cooler, and PC Case.

 

[TAnim8r]

Thanks so much! This is super helpful. Would my old cpu/motherboard/ram be any use to anyone? Is it worth trying to sell them, or even donate them? I see online suggestions, but I'm wondering what CGD's take on this is.

 

[Jerry James]

Would my old cpu/motherboard/ram be any use to anyone?

Yeah, you should be able to sell it on the used market. Or recycle it into another PC, donate them to someone who needs the parts, etc.
Depends on how much effort you want to put into it, tbh

 

[TAnim8r]

Okay, thanks! Is there a trusted used marketplace site? I looked online, and see a lot of cautionary messages.