Hello,

I've been (somewhat) a devoted Intel user for generations now but everything transpiring lately, I thought I'd make the switch to AMD -- or at least to check out one of these ThreadRippers that debuted, anyway. *{I built my Current rig in ~2008~ and it has served me well throughout the years. So well, that while I would truly like to stick with EVGA for the MoBo in my Next Decade-Build, this Zenith seems to be the current* winner to upgrade to}
I went ahead and got this motherboard -- yet to receive* -- because of HolidaySales. I don't know much about comparing the two in regards to architecture/etc. (Intel vs. AMD), I just know that the Ryzen TR series` offers A LOT more cores.
One of the main features this board has going for it, is that it offers 5× 2280 M.2 Bays. I guess the two upfront make direct use of the CPU, while the bay on the back and the "dimm" expansion port utilize the SB-chipset. Considering this, should I look into getting 5× Drives and establishing two independent RAID configurations?
Again, I don't know much -- I heard though that putting 'x' Drives on effects performance*.
At the moment, this is what I am considering (for parts) -

MoBo: ASUS TRX40 ROG Zenith II Extreme
CPU: 64-Core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X @ 4.3GHz + EK Liquid-Cooling
RAM: 128GB DDR4 [8×16] Corsair Vengeance LPX @ 5000MHz, CL:18 (CMK32GX4M2Z5000C18)
GPU: (*)4× 'xx'GB EVGA Hydro Copper RTX 3090
C:\8TB - 2× 4TB Sabrent Rocket Q4 M.2 SSD (RAID "0")
D:\24TB - 3× 8TB Sabrent Rocket Q M.2 SSD (RAID "0")
Chassis: ?

Primarily the build is going to be used for Server orientated purposes, and I intend to get into 'DeepLearning'.
...
Would I be better off with a "Server" CPU?


Thanks.

I have also been using Intel CPUs in all my builds for a long time. I upgrade more frequently, but I don’t think I’ve selected an AMD chip since the 1990s. Now, however, I am tempted. But when I look at the 3990 and 3970, I notice that although the 3970 obviously has fewer cores, it still has more than the i9-10980 and with about the same clock speed. Factor in the price differentials and the fact that future AMD chips will continue to use the same motherboards for a while, and the 3979 starts to look like the sweet spot.