Apple M2 Ultra SoC isn’t faster than AMD and Intel last year desktop CPUs

Post by ilyt » Sat, Jun 10, 2023, 9:24 PM UTC

kitsunesoba wrote: post #165

llm_nerd wrote: post #123

The M2 has been a bit underwhelming in general through all of its iterations: Apple jumped into such a lead with the M1 [1], so it was disappointing when they slowly iterated while Intel and AMD have made enormous strides catching up. Everyone keeps citing TDP, but given that we're talking about desktops that just isn't a huge factor. Having said that, the 7950X was released late February, and the 13900KS was release…

IMO driving down power consumption should still be a goal even for desktop machines. It means that the overwhelming majority of users get cooler, quieter, less bulky machines, while the fringe who need raw power at all costs can overclock to the moon if they really want to. This also pushes more "desktop like" performance to both ultraportable and reasonably portable laptops, allowing these machines to fully replace…

Post by dehrmann » Sat, Jun 10, 2023, 9:28 PM UTC

wmf wrote: post #161

dehrmann wrote: post #158

All all the M2 variants just Apple going down the binning path because of yields?

M2, M2 Pro, and M2 Max are different dies; they aren't binned versions of the same die. Apple showed "photos" of the dies and you can see they are different sizes with different stuff on them.

Post by ilyt » Sat, Jun 10, 2023, 9:29 PM UTC

BaculumMeumEst wrote: post #130

spiderfarmer wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Desktop pcs requiring a ludicrous amount of power and cooling is absolutely problematic. The amount of people willing to put up with big honking machines is dwindling.

AMD and Intel are jacking up the default power settings to absurd levels because it gives marketing bigger numbers to to throw around. You can drastically reduce the power you supply to desktop chips with BIOS settings. You'll generate far less heat, can use a smaller power supply and form factor, while still getting great performance. If Intel/AMD get to a level where their chips rival M1/M2 while power throttled, t…

Post by ilyt » Sat, Jun 10, 2023, 9:31 PM UTC

pdpi wrote: post #179

burmanm wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it? Why? My machine is entirely silent on normal operations (Zen 3 5600X and RX 6700). All the fans, on both GPU and CPU are stopped in desktop usage. And it doesn't obviously eat that much power (my monitor probably eats more). The only moment I could hear them is if I play games. And then I have headset on, so I can't hear them. I really couldn't care less if it ate twice the amount of power when playing games.

> Is it? Why? Because, while gaming, the vents in my case blow air at over 40 degrees Celsius, and that heat has to go somewhere. Absent a setup that can put the case several meters away from me, that "somewhere" is on top of me.

Post by ilyt » Sat, Jun 10, 2023, 9:33 PM UTC

sgtnoodle wrote: post #207

kitsunesoba wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AIOs aren't a great option for users who want to set it and forget it. Even the best ones lose fluid to sublimation and/or start leaking after a few years, which is why there's still a market for coolers like the NH-D15.

I went with the NH-D15 when I built my 5950x desktop. I've never fiddled with liquid cooling, and having to locate a radiator seemed like a pain. I very much hope not to need to touch it again for a decade. After tweaking the fan profile, it's silent most of the time. Of course, it does make it kind of a pain to remove my GPU because it's so bulky; I need to use a shim to reach the PCI-E latch.