CPU Performance and L2/L3 Cache

General Questions
1

Hi, I’m looking to choose between two AMD processors for a new workstation build. I’m trying to choose between a Ryzen 9 9950X and a Ryzen 9 7950X3D (see screenshot)

  • Both are 16 core processors, nominally the 9950 runs at 4.3 GHz and the 7950 runs at 4.2 GHz
  • Both have 16MB L2 cache
  • The 7950 has 128MB L3 cache while the 9950 has 64MB
  • The 9950 is approximately $110 cheaper at the moment

Which will translate to better real-world FEA performance, assuming all else is equal? Does L3 cache have a significant effect on FEA performance? Does this change with single versus multicore processing?

(important to note - I’ll be using a mix of commercial and open-source FEA codes. The commercial codes are significantly cheaper to run with only 4-cores, though I’d consider paying for HPC licenses to use all 16 cores. The open source codes will use all cores.)

Thank you!

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2

You should check and try some benchmarks (there are several at least for Abaqus). Performance is heavily dependent not only on hardware but also particular problem (solver, analysis type, some specific features).

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