Intel's 10th Generation CPUs are getting hard to find

[etorix]

There are also multiple threads about Z590 builds in this forum, so I'm not sure what information you read…

Your DDR4 RAM is possibly not 3200 MHz, and 16 GB definitely looks small for 12+ cores. Do not forget the AMD dGPU, which will certainly also help a lot. And the CPU cooler would need an adapter for socket 1700.
So with Alder Lake, you're looking at a substantial rebuild.

If you do find a Z490 motherboard and 10th gen. CPU, a less expensive, but less powerful, iGPU build is possible.

 

[MissCatD]

Nah, my Corsair Vengeance DDR4 is indeed 3200MHz. And I typo'd, I have 32gb RAM - which has so far been efficient enough for Premiere and Logic, on my current build. I wouldn't mind getting another 32gb some time in the future, however, just for the security. As for GPU, I've been closely eyeing the Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 XT for the past few months. The more-than-double-MSRP prices are a bit exhausting to look at, but for the sake of upgrading my OS, and in turn upgrading all my software, caving becomes more and more tempting every day.

It would indeed be a substantial and expensive upgrade. The GPU, the motherboard, the CPU, and a 1700 cooler adapter. Despite being 4 years old, my system still operates wonderfully. I'm just so tired of being on High Sierra.

 

[e-troc]

I feel I am not a novice (first hackintosh was on G35 I believe) but i also do not have much time. So - woud it make sense to buy unsupported (but very promising) architecture now ?

Thoughts ?

I am in a similar position, not a novice, though not much time, looking to upgrade. Honestly, I feel the obvious route to take is to pick components that match one of the well-supported Golden Builds. Saves time and trouble.

What do you really gain by going with Z690 and Alder Lake, in the practical sense? It all looks shiny but I fail to see the relevance in real-world applications. Some related thoughts in this thread:

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/upgrading-from-z370-to-z490.317351/

 

[MissCatD]

I am in a similar position, not a novice, though not much time, looking to upgrade. Honestly, I feel the obvious route to take is to pick components that match one of the well-supported Golden Builds. Saves time and trouble.

What do you really gain by going with Z690 and Alder Lake, in the practical sense? It all looks shiny but I fail to see the relevance in real-world applications. Some related thoughts in this thread:

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/upgrading-from-z370-to-z490.317351/

Relevance really just comes down to future-proofing. I want something that I know will last me more than just a couple years - even if it means ditching Mac. Designing a build around the newest available CPU should secure that.
My current CPU (Intel Core i7-6700K) still works fabulously, and although I got it in '17, it was initially released in '15 - 6 years ago. The only reason I've decided it needs replacing is because 8-cores is efficient but no longer great for specifically video production, and I can no longer update my Motherboard.

I'm sure 12th-gen CPUs will have new Motherboard support for at least a couple more years, and it would be great to get a good 6 years out of it.

 

[etorix]

It would indeed be a substantial and expensive upgrade. The GPU, the motherboard, the CPU, and a 1700 cooler adapter. Despite being 4 years old, my system still operates wonderfully. I'm just so tired of being on High Sierra.

"Just" the dGPU would get you out of High Sierra. Of course, that's the most expensive part, but you could upgrade progressively, starting with GPU before CPU+motherboard.

What do you really gain by going with Z690 and Alder Lake, in the practical sense? It all looks shiny but I fail to see the relevance in real-world applications.

More performance (IPC) and somewhat better efficiency than Z490+Comet Lake, though Alder Lake still uses a LOT of power. More PCIe lanes, and of version 5.0 or 4.0 rather than 3.0, though you will probably never make full use of all the extra bandwidth (that's the "real-world check").
There was not much of a case to upgrade from Z390 to Z490, and with the loss of "official" support for the CPUs and, most importantly, their iGPU, the case for an upgrade from Z390/Z490 to Z590/Z690 is… complicated.
Coming from the original Skylake, @MissCatD probably has a good case for upgrading. Whether that should be the Z490 (support) or Z690 (latest) is another question.

I'm sure 12th-gen CPUs will have new Motherboard support for at least a couple more years, and it would be great to get a good 6 years out of it.

Intel changed socket every two generations, and socket 1800 is already on the roadmap. I would not bet that motherboard support for Alder Lake/socket 1700 will last long. 6 years is likely about what you'll get from macOS before Apple and software vendors drop support for x86.

 

[e-troc]

Relevance really just comes down to future-proofing. I want something that I know will last me more than just a couple years - even if it means ditching Mac. Designing a build around the newest available CPU should secure that.
My current CPU (Intel Core i7-6700K) still works fabulously, and although I got it in '17, it was initially released in '15 - 6 years ago. The only reason I've decided it needs replacing is because 8-cores is efficient but no longer great for specifically video production, and I can no longer update my Motherboard.

I'm sure 12th-gen CPUs will have new Motherboard support for at least a couple more years, and it would be great to get a good 6 years out of it.

Yeah, if you are happy to use Windows that's another story. Though in this case, why not make the switch now? It doesn't look like macOS will ever fully use the Alder Lake architecture, and I doubt you'll achieve Z370-490 levels of support and reliability with Z690.

More performance (IPC) and somewhat better efficiency than Z490+Comet Lake, though Alder Lake still uses a LOT of power. More PCIe lanes, and of version 5.0 or 4.0 rather than 3.0, though you will probably never make full use of all the extra bandwidth (that's the "real-world check").

Isn't the better efficiency somewhat spoiled by the lack of support for the architecture (E- and P-Cores)?

There was not much of a case to upgrade from Z390 to Z490, and with the loss of "official" support for the CPUs and, most importantly, their iGPU, the case for an upgrade from Z390/Z490 to Z590/Z690 is… complicated.
Coming from the original Skylake, @MissCatD probably has a good case for upgrading. Whether that should be the Z490 (support) or Z690 (latest) is another question.

It's not that I don't see the benefits, I just don't think it's worth the trouble while there is still some supply of Z490 boards. Especially if someone doesn't have much time like @Darkesha, or wants a production machine like @MissCatD. In my case, not having much time and relying on the machine in the studio, it's no question really.

 

[etorix]

Isn't the better efficiency somewhat spoiled by the lack of support for the architecture (E- and P-Cores)?

Alder Lake P-cores are already more efficient than Comet Lake, that's the gain!

 

[Darkesha]

I am in a similar position, not a novice, though not much time, looking to upgrade. Honestly, I feel the obvious route to take is to pick components that match one of the well-supported Golden Builds. Saves time and trouble.

What do you really gain by going with Z690 and Alder Lake, in the practical sense? It all looks shiny but I fail to see the relevance in real-world applications. Some related thoughts in this thread:

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/upgrading-from-z370-to-z490.317351/

Today is my 2 weeks time I can return last i5 10th gen in stock I bought when I posted this thread. I still feel 10th gen is way to go - but there are no more boards - and boards left are shooting up in price.
I do have a discreete AMD I paid $200 used last winter so that should do the trick for iGPU incompatibility. I did not have enough of time to do plenty of research though but it seems that forgetting efficient cores should get me to somewhat practical Adler Lake installation.

At the end of the day - how many new macOS we expect - 2 to 3 might be fair assumption ?

 

[e-troc]

Today is my 2 weeks time I can return last i5 10th gen in stock I bought when I posted this thread. I still feel 10th gen is way to go - but there are no more boards - and boards left are shooting up in price.

Yeah, I think it’s now or never. The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G is still popping up at reasonable prices though. I bought used since I really wanted a Vision D for a number of reasons.

 

[MissCatD]

"Just" the dGPU would get you out of High Sierra. Of course, that's the most expensive part, but you could upgrade progressively, starting with GPU before CPU+motherboard.

For sure, for sure! Yeah, that's the plan. I wanna see how it operate with simply the boosted OS and GPU, then feel it out. What makes the CPU so appealing is just a better-running Premiere Pro and Logic Pro X. Logic's mostly fine on its own, along with FL, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc etc Adobe, but Premiere Pro struggles some, with rendering. I'm certain a CPU with more than 8 cores would help significantly. I think I read on Adobe's website that 8 is considered enough, but it operates best on 12+. QUESTION, THOUGH! IF ANYONE HAS AN ANSWER! How many of the 16 cores in the Alder Lake CPU would Monterey even recognize? I'd have no surprises if it were only a fraction.

More performance (IPC) and somewhat better efficiency than Z490+Comet Lake, though Alder Lake still uses a LOT of power. More PCIe lanes, and of version 5.0 or 4.0 rather than 3.0, though you will probably never make full use of all the extra bandwidth (that's the "real-world check").
There was not much of a case to upgrade from Z390 to Z490, and with the loss of "official" support for the CPUs and, most importantly, their iGPU, the case for an upgrade from Z390/Z490 to Z590/Z690 is… complicated.
Coming from the original Skylake, @MissCatD probably has a good case for upgrading. Whether that should be the Z490 (support) or Z690 (latest) is another question.

For sure, for sure! That's pretty much what I expected, too. I've definitely been waiting out enough on upgrades, to get my original money's worth. Thanks for the input!

Intel changed socket every two generations, and socket 1800 is already on the roadmap. I would not bet that motherboard support for Alder Lake/socket 1700 will last long. 6 years is likely about what you'll get from macOS before Apple and software vendors drop support for x86.

Yeah, which is also what I was expecting. Goodness, technology moves so fast, these days. My first laptop (Macbook Pro, back when they weren't good, they were /great/) with 4 cores, 8gb ram and 500gb storage lasted a freakin' 7 years!! XD Things move much faster now, though. Crazy to think that it was once considered a top dog. Now you can get more in a phone, pfft. >< I've managed to get by on High Sierra for 4 years, though. I wonder how long Alder will last on a Hack, before being wiped off the planet forever.