Build Advice Building new high end system, 12900K, 3090, need help tweaking the parts!

novus111

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Hi, I need a confirmation that the parts don't bottleneck each other and of course any kind of improvements you think I could make. The main purpose of the system is as a workstation (3D modeling, rigging, rendering) but will also occasionally be used for gaming.

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC
Mobo: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X73
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 2x 16Gb DDR4 3600Mhz
Fans: Corsair iCUE QL120 RGB
SSD: WD Black SN850 1TB
Case: Corsair 275R White
PSU: Corsair HX1000

Monitor: LG 27QN600-B (2K, 75Hz)

I suspect 1000W on the PSU might be slightly overkill but I want the system to be ready for next gen GPU's. The build is for my girlfriend and I'm giving her my leftover RAM to save a few bucks and because I saw them listed on several websites as top RAM for the 12900K, so that's why it's DDR4 even tho the mobo supports DDR5.
I'm unsure about the CPU cooling. The NZXT Kraken X73 is listed as one of the top AIO's for the chip but it sports 120mm fans and I'd prefer 140mm because of noise. Any suggestions? (bonus if it fits with a white theme😀)
 

kanewolf

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Hi, I need a confirmation that the parts don't bottleneck each other and of course any kind of improvements you think I could make. The main purpose of the system is as a workstation (3D modeling, rigging, rendering) but will also occasionally be used for gaming.

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC
Mobo: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X73
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 2x 16Gb DDR4 3600Mhz
Fans: Corsair iCUE QL120 RGB
SSD: WD Black SN850 1TB
Case: Corsair 275R White
PSU: Corsair HX1000

Monitor: LG 27QN600-B (2K, 75Hz)

I suspect 1000W on the PSU might be slightly overkill but I want the system to be ready for next gen GPU's. The build is for my girlfriend and I'm giving her my leftover RAM to save a few bucks and because I saw them listed on several websites as top RAM for the 12900K, so that's why it's DDR4 even tho the mobo supports DDR5.
I'm unsure about the CPU cooling. The NZXT Kraken X73 is listed as one of the top AIO's for the chip but it sports 120mm fans and I'd prefer 140mm because of noise. Any suggestions? (bonus if it fits with a white theme😀)
A 3090 GPU with a 1440P monitor is probably wasted money.
 
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novus111

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Feb 15, 2021
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A 3090 GPU with a 1440P monitor is probably wasted money.
I think you're looking at it from a gaming angle, where higher resolution and especially higher refreshrate will improve the gaming experience. However she uses Maya to work, which uses the GPU for various visual processes (tho she'll probably do CPU based rendering) which means she'll definitely benefit from a beefy graphicscard. I have to do more research to see if the 24Gb Vram are really necessary or if a 3080 will do the trick. But imho going for a higher res monitor will only take performance from the card which could be used for Maya performance.

Edit:
Looks indeed like she won't benefit from the high VRam when she's doing CPU based rendering. Will adjust the build to 3080 then.
Source: https://www.cgdirector.com/how-much-vram-do-you-need/
 

kanewolf

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I think you're looking at it from a gaming angle, where higher resolution and especially higher refreshrate will improve the gaming experience. However she uses Maya to work, which uses the GPU for various visual processes (tho she'll probably do CPU based rendering) which means she'll definitely benefit from a beefy graphicscard. I have to do more research to see if the 24Gb Vram are really necessary or if a 3080 will do the trick. But imho going for a higher res monitor will only take performance from the card which could be used for Maya performance.

Edit:
Looks indeed like she won't benefit from the high VRam when she's doing CPU based rendering. Will adjust the build to 3080 then.
Source: https://www.cgdirector.com/how-much-vram-do-you-need/
No, I am not a gamer so I wasn't thinking about refresh or anything. Maya was not mentioned in the original post. But if "workstation" functionality is what you are trying for, then a Quadro rather than a GTX GPU might be better. The Quadro drivers are optimized for workstation software. GTX drivers are optimized for games.
 

Phaaze88

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Fans: Corsair iCUE QL120 RGB
The QL series are showcase fans - all bling and no performance. If y'all experience cooling issues while using them, they would be one of the weak links.


CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
This is more of a heads up, to prevent possible panic later, but unlike the other 12th gens, that cpu is set to run at max power indefinitely.
When the missus is doing her work with it, don't be alarmed to see 90C+ core temperatures under load, even with a large AIO. That is well within the cpu's specs according to Intel, but some users are letting their personal feelings get in the way, going as far as to downclock the cpu, undervolt, lower power limits, and mod the motherboard, to get the load temperatures down to their personal comfort zones. IMO, may as well have gone with the i7 if they're going to do all that, but hey...
 

novus111

Commendable
Feb 15, 2021
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No, I am not a gamer so I wasn't thinking about refresh or anything. Maya was not mentioned in the original post. But if "workstation" functionality is what you are trying for, then a Quadro rather than a GTX GPU might be better. The Quadro drivers are optimized for workstation software. GTX drivers are optimized for games.
Well she's a gamer and will do some gaming, I'm afraid a Quadro won't be the best of both worlds, plus more high end quadros blow the budget. I downgraded to a 3080 now. I think that way she has max performance gaming on 1440p and near max performance working. The higher workloads for tasks in Maya usually go on the CPU anyway. Thank you for pointing that out, that made me recheck the GPU and push the overall price down substantially!


The QL series are showcase fans - all bling and no performance. If y'all experience cooling issues while using them, they would be one of the weak links.



This is more of a heads up, to prevent possible panic later, but unlike the other 12th gens, that cpu is set to run at max power indefinitely.
When the missus is doing her work with it, don't be alarmed to see 90C+ core temperatures under load, even with a large AIO. That is well within the cpu's specs according to Intel, but some users are letting their personal feelings get in the way, going as far as to downclock the cpu, undervolt, lower power limits, and mod the motherboard, to get the load temperatures down to their personal comfort zones. IMO, may as well have gone with the i7 if they're going to do all that, but hey...
Thanks for the headsup on the temps. Well I actually thought about overclocking that thing since the Mobo seems to be build for that according to GamersNexus. Also I changed the AIO to a Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280. I thought the tiny fan makes it super loud but looks like it does well on Db tests. So I just checked on QL, they indeed don't seem to move a lot of air. I wanted to get 4x 140mm QL fans (where as two of them would replace the Arctic ones) and 1x 120mm LL for the rear. The Corsair SP Series iCUE SP140 RGB Elite seem to have better performance while still being white and RGB, as the girl does enjoy that bling. But ofc it's retarded to dump all that money on a CPU when it's gonna slow itself from heat. Any suggestions?
 

logainofhades

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Hi, I need a confirmation that the parts don't bottleneck each other and of course any kind of improvements you think I could make. The main purpose of the system is as a workstation (3D modeling, rigging, rendering) but will also occasionally be used for gaming.

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC
Mobo: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X73
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 2x 16Gb DDR4 3600Mhz
Fans: Corsair iCUE QL120 RGB
SSD: WD Black SN850 1TB
Case: Corsair 275R White
PSU: Corsair HX1000

Monitor: LG 27QN600-B (2K, 75Hz)

I suspect 1000W on the PSU might be slightly overkill but I want the system to be ready for next gen GPU's. The build is for my girlfriend and I'm giving her my leftover RAM to save a few bucks and because I saw them listed on several websites as top RAM for the 12900K, so that's why it's DDR4 even tho the mobo supports DDR5.
I'm unsure about the CPU cooling. The NZXT Kraken X73 is listed as one of the top AIO's for the chip but it sports 120mm fans and I'd prefer 140mm because of noise. Any suggestions? (bonus if it fits with a white theme😀)

All of that, and only 32gb of ram? That rig deserves 64gb if not 128gb. 3080 12gb is probably the best choice, if not needing 24gb of Vram.
 

novus111

Commendable
Feb 15, 2021
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All of that, and only 32gb of ram? That rig deserves 64gb if not 128gb. 3080 12gb is probably the best choice, if not needing 24gb of Vram.
You're right it does. As mentioned the RAM I got leftover so she won't have to buy it and she's able to upgrade to 64Gb of DDR5 down the line if she wants to. In my experience with 3D software as long as the RAM is fast more Gb doesn't mean more performance. Anything beyond 32Gb only comes into play when handling particularly large files which doesn't happen often. For the next couple months this RAM will do the trick.
 

Phaaze88

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Well I actually thought about overclocking that thing since the Mobo seems to be build for that according to GamersNexus.
The 12900K does not really need overclocking. Plus, doing so brings more cons than benefits, and since the cpu will be used for work, system stability should be valued above what could be gained - or even lost - over a 99% stable overclock.


"...CPU when it's gonna slow itself from heat."
12th gen Intel does not slow itself from higher temperatures like Ryzen 3000-5000 does. Even if running at 95C, you're still getting max performance out of the cpu, but then it's back to the personal feelings I mentioned earlier.


"Any suggestions?"
1)Instead of the 275R White, might I suggest the 4000X RGB White that's preinstalled with 3 RGB fans. What it has going for it is that you don't need to buy extra A/RGB fans, and the possible cooling setups are a little more flexible.
2)Arctic has an ARGB version of the LF II 280.
Consider Corsair's H115i Elite Capellix.
NZXT has a Kraken X63 and Z63 with RGB fans and in white.


3)With top mounted AIOs, consider leaving that space empty, or install a filter there, like I did. The AIO's fans can get cool air from that way + the front.
4)An alternative to the above is to move the 3 preinstalled fans from the front of the 4000X to the rear and top slots, and the AIO to the front.
5)With AIOs, plan to have a back up cooler on hand for when the pump fails or shows signs of it. Fans are cheap to replace. Pump goes, and that's it: you're stuck waiting for a replacement, or running to a Micro Center or Best Buy, etc, for a new cooler.
 

jasonf2

Distinguished
For the money you are spending here I would move to the DDR5. That processor has a crazy high clock on the boosted big cores and DDR5 timings are really necessary to get the most out of it. Quantity is questionable at a point (Anything above 32 is questionable in most loads with 16gb working well at many loads), but that processor's compute fabric needs fast RAM to get the most out of it.
 

novus111

Commendable
Feb 15, 2021
25
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The 12900K does not really need overclocking. Plus, doing so brings more cons than benefits, and since the cpu will be used for work, system stability should be valued above what could be gained - or even lost - over a 99% stable overclock.


"...CPU when it's gonna slow itself from heat."
12th gen Intel does not slow itself from higher temperatures like Ryzen 3000-5000 does. Even if running at 95C, you're still getting max performance out of the cpu, but then it's back to the personal feelings I mentioned earlier.


"Any suggestions?"
1)Instead of the 275R White, might I suggest the 4000X RGB White that's preinstalled with 3 RGB fans. What it has going for it is that you don't need to buy extra A/RGB fans, and the possible cooling setups are a little more flexible.
2)Arctic has an ARGB version of the LF II 280.
Consider Corsair's H115i Elite Capellix.
NZXT has a Kraken X63 and Z63 with RGB fans and in white.


3)With top mounted AIOs, consider leaving that space empty, or install a filter there, like I did. The AIO's fans can get cool air from that way + the front.
4)An alternative to the above is to move the 3 preinstalled fans from the front of the 4000X to the rear and top slots, and the AIO to the front.
5)With AIOs, plan to have a back up cooler on hand for when the pump fails or shows signs of it. Fans are cheap to replace. Pump goes, and that's it: you're stuck waiting for a replacement, or running to a Micro Center or Best Buy, etc, for a new cooler.
Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions, I really appreciate it!
So I'm sticking with the 275R White but will go for the H115i Elite Capellix. Definitely makes more sense than spending more money on buying extra fans while potentially downgrading the out of box fans of the Arctic (which is cheaper than the H115i). I want to keep everything native iCUE if possible because, even tho mixing different RGB systems is possible, it can be a pain in the behind. For the rest of the case fan config my plan is: 2x SP140 RGB Elite for top and 1x LL120 for rear, all three pushing out. AIO on the front because according to this article that's the best config when the GPU uses an open multi fan system like the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 GAMING OC does.
 

Phaaze88

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...according to this article...
That article doesn't take into account variable factors such as chassis design and fan speeds.
AIO's are most efficient when their radiator is installed against an open mesh panel. The Carbide 275R's front panel and the rad are both sources of air resistance, and combining them can be akin to 'stacking walls'.

Good airflow can be brute forced by running more aggressive or maximum fan curves, because the fans have to work harder to get air through that... but no one's willingly going to do that, so obviously, the fans will still be ran at low rpm, or whatever is tolerable. But done that way, plus the semi-solid front panel: the performance penalty to the cooler is greater and it's less efficient Vs open mesh.

Top AIO works well with open air gpus when one can over-provision on AIO size, but the 275R doesn't allow that. It's capped at 240mm - just like the popular Lancool II Mesh is, but that one has a meshed front panel at least.


I wish in the Bitwit video, he'd have done some tests using the top AIO without that rear exhaust fan, but oh well...
 

novus111

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Feb 15, 2021
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That article doesn't take into account variable factors such as chassis design and fan speeds.
AIO's are most efficient when their radiator is installed against an open mesh panel. The Carbide 275R's front panel and the rad are both sources of air resistance, and combining them can be akin to 'stacking walls'.

Good airflow can be brute forced by running more aggressive or maximum fan curves, because the fans have to work harder to get air through that... but no one's willingly going to do that, so obviously, the fans will still be ran at low rpm, or whatever is tolerable. But done that way, plus the semi-solid front panel: the performance penalty to the cooler is greater and it's less efficient Vs open mesh.

Top AIO works well with open air gpus when one can over-provision on AIO size, but the 275R doesn't allow that. It's capped at 240mm - just like the popular Lancool II Mesh is, but that one has a meshed front panel at least.


I wish in the Bitwit video, he'd have done some tests using the top AIO without that rear exhaust fan, but oh well...
Alright, I get your point. It's just she's not a fan of the 4000X's design and she likes the 275R. I'ma try to convince her on one of the Lancool products.
 

Phaaze88

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Alright, I get your point. It's just she's not a fan of the 4000X's design and she likes the 275R. I'ma try to convince her on one of the Lancool products.
Now I feel like a villain...
No, you don't have to do that - stick with the 275R White. The cooling is just a compromise.
Front mount the AIO, and install its fans behind the radiator - not in front - to pull air through and into the PC. That's going to be the best way to deal with semi-solid panels.
Then, purchase 3 A/RGB fans, as this model is preinstalled with 2 plain ol' fans. What kind? Well, as long as the QLs are avoided, you should be ok... one of these 3-packs, if they're available?
 
You're right it does. As mentioned the RAM I got leftover so she won't have to buy it and she's able to upgrade to 64Gb of DDR5 down the line if she wants to. In my experience with 3D software as long as the RAM is fast more Gb doesn't mean more performance. Anything beyond 32Gb only comes into play when handling particularly large files which doesn't happen often. For the next couple months this RAM will do the trick.
How are you gonna use DDR4 in a DDR5 motherboard?
 

Zerk2012

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You're right it does. As mentioned the RAM I got leftover so she won't have to buy it and she's able to upgrade to 64Gb of DDR5 down the line if she wants to. In my experience with 3D software as long as the RAM is fast more Gb doesn't mean more performance. Anything beyond 32Gb only comes into play when handling particularly large files which doesn't happen often. For the next couple months this RAM will do the trick.
You can't use DDR4 memory in a DDR5 motherboard.
 

novus111

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Feb 15, 2021
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You can't use DDR4 memory in a DDR5 motherboard.
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro supports DDR4 as well as 5.

Now I feel like a villain...
No, you don't have to do that - stick with the 275R White. The cooling is just a compromise.
Front mount the AIO, and install its fans behind the radiator - not in front - to pull air through and into the PC. That's going to be the best way to deal with semi-solid panels.
Then, purchase 3 A/RGB fans, as this model is preinstalled with 2 plain ol' fans. What kind? Well, as long as the QLs are avoided, you should be ok... one of these 3-packs, if they're available?
No worries man, you made a good point. We changed to the 275R Airflow. Still probably less airflow than with a mesh, but better for sure! Thanks for pointing that out.
 

Zerk2012

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