Question Haven't built a PC in >12 yrs, feedback please?

[lonb]

This is going to be my primary home computer. I used to build all my own computers, but for the past ~12 years I've just been buying preconfigured laptops. However, over the past 5-6 years I've gotten really into 3D modeling, 3D rendering, 3d printing, and more. I do play some games too, but that's not critical. I've found that when I use , my machine can't handle it at all. I am opting for a desktop because I don't really need to travel with a powerful machine, and for laptops, I prefer a 13" screen.

After a lot of research, it feels like we're on the brink of several key components upgrading, so I'm trying to find a balance between budget and not being too behind the curve.

My config is at the bottom of this post..

Approximate Purchase Date: soon

Budget Range: Trying to stay around $3k, but value is more important than absolute cost.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Autodesk Fusion 360, Blender, maybe some games

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: starting from scratch

Do you need to buy OS: Yes - planning to buy Windows
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'd love suggestions. Seems like Amazon is pretty good for many of these parts.

Location: Bellevue, WA, US

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: No
I dropped my configuration into the PC Builder site, to make it easier to see, you can find it here: https://pcbuilder.net/rigs/vpa6Ou/

But for text, here's the list:

• Intel Core I9-13900KF
• ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• Fractal Design Define R5
• Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, BK022
• MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDRR6X
• G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP) 64GB (2 X 32GB)
• Western Digital BLACK 1TB SN850X NVMe SSD
• Corsair RMX Series (RM850X) 850 Watt
• MS Windows 11

I'd love your thoughts on any of this, but some specific questions I have:

1. Do these look like the best valuable choices today (in the US)?
2. Does this config look compatible?
3. Any specific items in the list that you're specifically against? (I most struggled on the motherboard choice, because the price range is huge and there is such minimal differences)
4. What am I not thinking about? Meaning, what did I miss?

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[Lafong]

I'd guess you will hear:

Don't get an Intel CPU with an F suffix; they lack integrated graphics which can be handy at times. Extra cost for the non-F is small.

Some may try to point you toward a 13700 rather than 13900; and if you insist on 13900, maybe go with an upper end liquid cooler, not air.

Have you confirmed that cooler will fit in that case?

Newegg is another good parts source. Also Microcenter brick and mortar stores if you have one near you? Maybe not in WA?

Price differential between 1 TB and 2 TB drives is quite small. Maybe buy more storage than you think you need or maybe use a 2 drive configuration. One for OS/apps and the other storage.

 

[helper800]

That is a great build for diving into building again for the first time in 12 years. I would say that the 13900k is a bit much for what you are going to be doing if you are concerned about the value proposition of the build. A 13700k would do nicely as well and save you a greenback and a half. The motherboard is even more so overkill even for sustained workloads. Motherboards are a weird item to criticize though, as most of their features are either necessary for what you want to do, or actually meaningless. Suffice it to say, motherboard choice is something you can spend over 1000 dollars on, but are you getting what you need, want, or just because?

If I were to build it with a 13900k this is what I would do;

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor ($569.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 A-RGB 68.9 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($253.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($135.69 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1169.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($194.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $2954.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-04-19 08:56 EDT-0400

 

[lonb]

I'd guess you will hear:

Don't get an Intel CPU with an F suffix; they lack integrated graphics which can be handy at times. Extra cost for the non-F is small.

Some may try to point you toward a 13700 rather than 13900; and if you insist on 13900, maybe go with an upper end liquid cooler, not air.

Have you confirmed that cooler will fit in that case?

Newegg is another good parts source. Also Microcenter brick and mortar stores if you have one near you? Maybe not in WA?

Price differential between 1 TB and 2 TB drives is quite small. Maybe buy more storage than you think you need or maybe use a 2 drive configuration. One for OS/apps and the other storage.

Thank you Lafong -- I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Can I follow up on a few of these?
1. I struggled with the question of 13700 v 13900. As best I can tell the 13900 runs about 25-30% more expensive and outperforms by about 15-20% depending on the test. It seems like it's most useful on the high and low ends of usage. Meaning, it does most meaningfully better on single core usage and when those additional cores are leveraged. The reason I opted for it was because this will be my main machine so I suspect day-to-day apps may see the benefit of single core performance and then I will use it for 3D work which may see the benefit of the additional cores (but honestly I'm not sure). What would you recommend between the two?

2a. For the Dark Rock Pro 4, the reason I opted for the air version was that I read it's notably more quiet than the liquid cooler pump. I couldn't find any one who actually gave the decibel output info though, so it all seems subjective. I would strongly prefer a quieter machine if possible. What do you think about the trade-off between sound and performance?

2b. I don't know how to confirm that cooler will fit into the Fractal Design Define R5 case. Do you have any guidance on how I can confirm this?

2c. Is there a different cooler your recommend?

3a. For the SSD - a few questions. First, it seems like the 2tb is about twice the price, of course this is only about $90. I've got a 1tb now and after years of usage, I've only used <350gb. I tend to be good about cleaning up and archiving. Plus I save a lot in the cloud. Why else do you suggest the 2tb?

3b. This drive has a version with heatsink and without. Do you think it's worth it to buy the heat sink?

Thank you again!!

 

[lonb]

That is a great build for diving into building again for the first time in 12 years. I would say that the 13900k is a bit much for what you are going to be doing if you are concerned about the value proposition of the build. A 13700k would do nicely as well and save you a greenback and a half. The motherboard is even more so overkill even for sustained workloads. Motherboards are a weird item to criticize though, as most of their features are either necessary for what you want to do, or actually meaningless. Suffice it to say, motherboard choice is something you can spend over 1000 dollars on, but are you getting what you need, want, or just because?

If I were to build it with a 13900k this is what I would do;

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor ($569.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 A-RGB 68.9 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($253.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($135.69 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1169.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($194.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $2954.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-04-19 08:56 EDT-0400

Thank you @helper800 -- I appreciate you taking the time for this feedback! Haha, it's a bit hard for me to compare because you changed almost every component in the build It'll take me time to study each of these suggestions, but since you commented on the motherboard specifically, I'll ask about that first:
1. That Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE you suggested looks super interesting and about $400 less expensive. I'm trying to compare the two and can't really figure out why the ASUS ROG is so much more expensive -- any thoughts as to what is being traded off between them, ie. why is the Gigabyte $400 less?

2. Can you provide any insight on why you suggested swapping any of the other components specifically?

Thank you!

 

[SkyNetRising]

Do these look like the best valuable choices today (in the US)?

Definite - No.

Does this config look compatible?

It's compatible.

Any specific items in the list that you're specifically against? (I most struggled on the motherboard choice, because the price range is huge and there is such minimal differences)

1. Pc case. It's not adequate for high power gaming grade components.
Look for case with mesh front instead.

2. If you're looking for best value choices, then choose DDR4 motherboard/ DDR4 ram.
It will save you significant portion of cost.

 

[Eximo]

Larger SSDs have more memory on which to write. Even with keeping low capacities on it that means that wear leveling has more to work with and should last longer.

250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB capacities for the 980 Pro:

MTBF	1.5 million hours
Warranty	TBW	150TB	300TB	600TB	1,200TB

Most motherboards have built in heatsink/covers. You only want the heatsink if you plan to run the drive as is and remove the cover.

Additionally, as motherboards have limited M.2 slots, it is best to start large rather than have to replace a drive later.

For the 13900k you really want the largest cooler you can afford. 360mm AIO is an option, most brands have similar performance. Really picking between appearance and RGB software, screens with temp readouts and other things. Pretty much all use a handful of designs out there for the pumps and the radiators are all pretty much made the same. Only at the very high end do you see all copper radiators and/or expandability either with quick disconnects or simple G1/4 threads for custom loops. (My system is an example of an AIO as the core of a custom loop)

Noctua NH-D15 has good noise performance, but is pretty expensive. There are cheaper alternatives from Thermalright, but will be louder when the system is under a heavy load. (You can always opt to replace the fans with your own)

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/sRPQzy/thermalright-silver-soul-135-82-cfm-cpu-cooler-silver-soul-135-black-d2

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/K6sV3C/thermalright-ft120-82-cfm-cpu-cooler-ft120

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GpbRsY/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-se-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-ps120se

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/R6kgXL/noctua-nh-d15s-chromaxblack-8251-cfm-cpu-cooler-nh-d15s-chromaxblack

These will all fit in a Fractal Define R5.

Personally I would drop the K entirely and get the 13900. It will use less power.

 

[Eximo]

Definite - No.

It's compatible.


1. Pc case. It's not adequate for high power gaming grade components.
Look for case with mesh front instead.

2. If you're looking for best value choices, then choose DDR4 motherboard/ DDR4 ram.
It will save you significant portion of cost.

I also tend to stick to mesh front chassis. For workstations I often recommend Phanteks Enthoo Pro series. They still have an optical bay which can come in handy. (Though I have completely made mine useless)

DDR5 is the better choice for performance now. On such a high end build, particularly one aimed at workstation tasks, bandwidth is king.

 

[SkyNetRising]

DDR5 is the better choice for performance now. On such a high end build, particularly one aimed at workstation tasks, bandwidth is king.

Performance benefit here is not so great to warrant increased cost.

But yes, if you don't care about the cost, then go DDR5.

 

[Rokinamerica]

IFor workstations I often recommend Phanteks Enthoo Pro series. They still have an optical bay which can come in handy.

Never heard of this company, so I had to look it up. Now you have peaked my curiosity.

I currently use 2 desktops and a laptop in my daily workload. Looking at these cases really has me interested. TY!

 

[lonb]

Definite - No.

It's compatible.


1. Pc case. It's not adequate for high power gaming grade components.
Look for case with mesh front instead.

2. If you're looking for best value choices, then choose DDR4 motherboard/ DDR4 ram.
It will save you significant portion of cost.

Thank you so much @SkyNetRising ! Given your and @Eximo's comment on the case, looks like I'll need to explore a different option there.

For the memory, the reason I went with DDR5 was because of the bandwidth usage on the 3D applications. The price delta is ~$120, but that could be worthwhile...

 

[geofelt]

You already have some good suggestions.
Yes, you can build as is.
Here are my thoughts:

Amazon and newegg are good places to buy IF you buy directly and shipped by amazon or newegg.
If you buy from an affiliate, there can be supply or shipping issues.

The extra $25 or so for Non F suffix processor is good insurance if you ever have discrete graphics card issues.
As a plus, you get quick sync which may or may not benefit you.

Intel® Video Processing Library: Video Codecs

Unlock media features on CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, and other accelerators with a successor to Intel® Media SDK—a video-processing API for encode and decode.

www.intel.com

The motherboard looks to be very good, but the Maximus brand units are very highly priced and designed for overclocking. I think you can buy something good at half the price.
No longer is overclocking the thing to do unless you are a hobbyist.

The cooler is OK. I like Noctua for quality and quiet.
You may want to read this article on cooling a 13900K with a less than top end cooler:

Core i9-13900K Cooling Guide: Testing Intel's Flagship With Budget Air and Big AIOs

The Core i9-13900K can push even the most capable liquid coolers to their limits, but you don’t lose that much performance if you go with budget-priced air cooling.

www.tomshardware.com

Fitment of an air cooler is primarily determined by the height available in the case.
No issue with the fractal design R5, it can handle 180mm. Most top end coolers,will need 160-165mm.
Any cooler needs a good source of fresh air to feed the cooler as well as the motherboard vrm's and the graphics card.
The R5 is a bit deficient here. Yes, it has two 140mm front intakes, but the quieting shroud will reduce their effectiveness. A mesh front will provide better airflow. Do not exclude the R5, but look at some others.
Lian li still makes top quality cases.

On ram, you pay extra for RGB bling and you get tall heat spreaders which can impact some coolers. The 44mm height will impact the 40mm available on the DRP cooler.
Low profile may be more appropriate and less costly.

Do you really need a 4080 card if you are not a gamer?
High end graphics cards can have high peak power spikes.
I think I would opt for 950w. Corsair RMx is top quality. Seasonic Focus is also good. on either look for the 10 year warranty units.

You make a cogent argument for a 1tb m.2 device.
I might still go for 2tb.

 

[helper800]

Thank you @helper800 -- I appreciate you taking the time for this feedback! Haha, it's a bit hard for me to compare because you changed almost every component in the build It'll take me time to study each of these suggestions, but since you commented on the motherboard specifically, I'll ask about that first:
1. That Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE you suggested looks super interesting and about $400 less expensive. I'm trying to compare the two and can't really figure out why the ASUS ROG is so much more expensive -- any thoughts as to what is being traded off between them, ie. why is the Gigabyte $400 less?

2. Can you provide any insight on why you suggested swapping any of the other components specifically?

Thank you!

No problem. So most of the changes I made are small optimizations. Allow me to go down the list and be more detailed.

1. CPU - I agree with most others here that a 13900 (non-k) will serve you better if noise is a concern, after all, cooling more heat from the 13900k either means it runs hotter or louder.

2. CPU Cooler - The 13900k is a hot chip that has lots of core density. Under 100% load it can suck 250-300 watts of power. The best coolers on the market, like the one I suggested, can either keep the chip cooler with higher fan speeds or conversely run quieter at the same temperature as other coolers.

3. Motherboard - While the motherboard you picked is great, it may not have the BIOS out of the box to support the 13000 series CPU. This is not a huge issue though because that motherboard has a BIOS flashback feature. The Gigabyte model I added has many of the same features as the ASUS but is considerably less expensive. The main difference between them is that the Gigabyte is going to have out of the box support for the 13000 series intel CPUs. Other differences include the power phases and VRM layouts, but both are sufficient for all CPUs you can put into them.

4. Memory - We have used similar kits of RAM in our builds.

5. Storage - As others have mentioned, you only get so many NVMe slots on a motherboard for storage and getting a 2tb drive is typically a better usage of a slot in the long run than 1tb. This particular drive, the Samsung 980 Pro, is very fast and has 2 gb of DRAM for cache without breaking the bank.

6. Video card - This is the same graphics chip as the one you picked. The difference is that Gigabyte designed the PCB and cooler. The differences between different 4080s is pretty negligible. I just picked the one with the best cooler at the bottom of the price list to help save a bit of money.

7. Case - I chose the Fractal design Meshify 2 case because it could house the 420mm AIO cooler and has great airflow and space design for cable management.

8. PSU - The PSU I picked is one of the best PSUs money can buy. The PRIME series of PSUs from Seasonic are even better than Corsairs's fantastic RMx line of PSUs. I just prefer Seasonic over Corsair, and I never save on the PSU.

Taking into account the above feedback I would change to a 13900, keep the air cooler or move to an AIO for better acoustics, and change the case to something that is also nice, has good airflow, and cable management like the H5 Flow that I linked below.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900 2 GHz 24-Core Processor ($570.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($253.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($297.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($135.69 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1169.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H5 Flow ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($194.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $2808.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-04-19 12:56 EDT-0400

 

[Why_Me]

This is going to be my primary home computer. I used to build all my own computers, but for the past ~12 years I've just been buying preconfigured laptops. However, over the past 5-6 years I've gotten really into 3D modeling, 3D rendering, 3d printing, and more. I do play some games too, but that's not critical. I've found that when I use , my machine can't handle it at all. I am opting for a desktop because I don't really need to travel with a powerful machine, and for laptops, I prefer a 13" screen.

After a lot of research, it feels like we're on the brink of several key components upgrading, so I'm trying to find a balance between budget and not being too behind the curve.

My config is at the bottom of this post..

Approximate Purchase Date: soon

Budget Range: Trying to stay around $3k, but value is more important than absolute cost.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Autodesk Fusion 360, Blender, maybe some games

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: starting from scratch

Do you need to buy OS: Yes - planning to buy Windows
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'd love suggestions. Seems like Amazon is pretty good for many of these parts.

Location: Bellevue, WA, US

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: No
I dropped my configuration into the PC Builder site, to make it easier to see, you can find it here: https://pcbuilder.net/rigs/vpa6Ou/

But for text, here's the list:

• Intel Core I9-13900KF
• ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• Fractal Design Define R5
• Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, BK022
• MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDRR6X
• G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB Series (Intel XMP) 64GB (2 X 32GB)
• Western Digital BLACK 1TB SN850X NVMe SSD
• Corsair RMX Series (RM850X) 850 Watt
• MS Windows 11

I'd love your thoughts on any of this, but some specific questions I have:

1. Do these look like the best valuable choices today (in the US)?
2. Does this config look compatible?
3. Any specific items in the list that you're specifically against? (I most struggled on the motherboard choice, because the price range is huge and there is such minimal differences)
4. What am I not thinking about? Meaning, what did I miss?

Thank you so much in advance!

You want a Z790 board due to the superior DDR5 memory controller.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2Y...1700-motherboard-rog-strix-z790-e-gaming-wifi
Asus ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI $490.04

ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI | Gaming motherboards｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global

The ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi supercharges builds with its robust 18-stage power solution, hyperspeed DDR5 memory, and next-gen PCIe 5.0 connectivity. It features five M.2 SSD slots with heatsinks, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support, WiFi 6E, AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, Two-Way AI...

rog.asus.com

or ...

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Yh...-atx-lga1700-motherboard-mpg-z790-carbon-wifi
MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI $429.00

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-Z790-CARBON-WIFI

Low profile RAM so that it doesn't impede the cpu cooler.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BJ...ddr5-6000-cl32-memory-f5-6000j3238g32gx2-rs5k
G.Skill Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 64GB (2x32GB) CL32 $249.99

Seeing how you are going with air cooling then I would go with the locked version of that cpu.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/kNkWGX/intel-core-i9-13900-2-ghz-24-core-processor-bx8071513900
Intel Core i9-13900 $570.99

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-36m-cache-up-to-5-60-ghz/specifications.html

Upgrade on the cpu cooler.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/84...black-8252-cfm-cpu-cooler-nh-d15-chromaxblack
Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black Dual Tower CPU Cooler $119.95

Look for a case with better airflow as in a front mesh panel.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KLQcCJ/fractal-design-pop-air-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-poa1a-01
Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case $88.98

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-air/black-solid/

or ...

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/gWFbt6/fractal-design-focus-2-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-foc2a-07
Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case $79.98

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/focus/focus-2/black-solid/

Rear exhaust fan for the Focus 2.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GJGF56L
ARCTIC P12 PWM 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $9.99

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/26...-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020200-na
Corsair RM850x (2021) 850W 80+ Gold Modular ATX Power Supply $149.99

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ B&H)

Highly recommended. Love it. It also got a good review from GN.

View: https://youtu.be/qTW2KHGzbM0

Upgrade on the cpu cooler.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/84...black-8252-cfm-cpu-cooler-nh-d15-chromaxblack
Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black Dual Tower CPU Cooler $119.95

This too.

 

[lonb]

This is PHENOMENAL feedback.. Thank you so much @Why_Me & @helper800. I've made adjustments based on your feedback. I swapped to the 13900, the Noctua cooler, the Gigabyte motherboard, the ripjaws RAM, 2tb SSD, Gigabyte video card, SeaSonic PSU, and added a rear fan.

And the guidance from y'all on the case is super helpful. After digging around, I'm pretty interested in the Fractal Design North case. It has a mesh front and sides, and it's just beautiful. Reviews online seem like people love it for a first build. However, I do get some concerns, like the biggest, is whether or not the Noctua will fit in there?

Here's my new build:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-13900 2 GHz 24-Core Processor ($570.99 @ Newegg)
• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S chromax.black 82.51 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.95 @ Amazon)
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($253.92 @ Amazon)
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($277.99 @ Newegg)
• Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Adorama)
• Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1169.99 @ Amazon)
• Case: Fractal Design North ATX Mid Tower Case ($151.98 @ Newegg)
  Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular
• ATX Power Supply ($194.98 @ Newegg)
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit ($117.98 @ Other World Computing)
• Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)

Any further feedback is appreciated. I'm a bit nervous, but also excited! Btw, for fun, I priced out a comparable mac: $15k.

 

[sonofjesse]

I would go with a 13700k and the peerless cooler is really cheap but cools really good. Or the deepcool AK620. I love noctua, but your paying a lot for the name IMHO.

I would go with 1000k watt power supply. Shift RMX 1000 is not a bad choice or a atx 3.0 PS.

Overall your better off spending the same money with 2 builds over 10 years then one build and keeping it 10 years in my experience.

Looks to be like a fund build!!

 

[GarrettL]

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Intel Core i9-13900K Face Off

Zen 4 vs Raptor Lake, Fight!

www.tomshardware.com

The Intel 1700 socket is at a dead end. Look at all the threads of those under-volting in order to control the temperatures on the 13900K.

The AMD 7950x performs almost equally with the 13900k. Lags in some while better in others. Blender is one.

The AMD AM5 socket is new and will have at least one more cpu upgrade.

 

[geofelt]

A new socket is also more prone to new product glitches.
Reading these forums, my sense is that ryzen. both AM4 and AM5 have more than their fair share of ram compatibility issues.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

The Intel 1700 socket is at a dead end. Look at all the threads of those under-volting in order to control the temperatures on the 13900K.

The AMD 7950x performs almost equally with the 13900k. Lags in some while better in others. Blender is one.

The AMD AM5 socket is new and will have at least one more cpu upgrade.

1700 being at a dead end is why I went with AMD for the first time since 2001. That and the fact AMD said AM5 will be supported through 2025. If AM4 is any indication I expect that to hold true. If there was any time to jump ship to AMD it would be right now.

Thermals were another reason I went with AMD. I ran an all core CPU burn for 30 mins last night on my 7950x3D and it peaked at 86C with the Noctua D15 hitting 1480 rpms and power was something like 125W.

Efficiency at its finest.

A new socket is also more prone to new product glitches.
Reading these forums, my sense is that ryzen. both AM4 and AM5 have more than their fair share of ram compatibility issues.

After 2 days I've been good so far. No issues to report. Am seeing 50-75% benchmark improvement with the 7950x3D/4090 over my old 10900k/3090.

 

[helper800]

A new socket is also more prone to new product glitches.
Reading these forums, my sense is that ryzen. both AM4 and AM5 have more than their fair share of ram compatibility issues.

Not in my personal experience with the many am4 and am5 builds I have done. The 1000, 2000, and 3000 am4 CPUs did have some RAM issue being worse in the older generations while being very few in the latter.

 

[lonb]

The AMD 7950x performs almost equally with the 13900k. Lags in some while better in others. Blender is one.

The AMD AM5 socket is new and will have at least one more cpu upgrade.

This is a good push @GarrettL thank you! I've long been an AMD fan. However, the reason I went Intel is because overall the Intel ousts AMD slightly in most categories except power, which is not a big concern for me. And the Intel chips being out longer seem to have greater compatibility at the software layer. All of it's minor, but I wanted to reduce my headaches.

 

[GarrettL]

This is a good push @GarrettL thank you! I've long been an AMD fan. However, the reason I went Intel is because overall the Intel ousts AMD slightly in most categories except power, which is not a big concern for me. And the Intel chips being out longer seem to have greater compatibility at the software layer. All of it's minor, but I wanted to reduce my headaches.

Choose whatever you like.

I am not a fanboy of either company as I've built both Intel and AMD gaming pc's over the last couple of decades. Intel fumbled the ball in the lithograpy process but appear to be back on track with a new process node coming. This will reduce heat issues associated with the 12900k/13900k as the TDP should be lower.

Any new chipset from Intel or AMD will have some bugs to be worked out at launch. The issues tend to be minor and fixed quickly by both companies.

Here was my point. You can buy the 13900K and run it until you build another pc.

You can go AMD AM5 and in 3-5 years drop in a new cpu with the typical 10%-20% IPC uplift and a new gpu. This route will cost less in the long vs building another pc.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

This is a good push @GarrettL thank you! I've long been an AMD fan. However, the reason I went Intel is because overall the Intel ousts AMD slightly in most categories except power, which is not a big concern for me. And the Intel chips being out longer seem to have greater compatibility at the software layer. All of it's minor, but I wanted to reduce my headaches.

Power wasn't a concern for me either... I just felt that after 20 years with Intel that now was the time to move to AMD.

I am not a fanboy of either company as I've built both Intel and AMD gaming pc's over the last couple of decades.

Same here.

Here was my point. You can buy the 13900K and run it until you build another pc.

You can go AMD AM5 and in 3-5 years drop in a new cpu with the typical 10%-20% IPC uplift and a new gpu. This route will cost less in the long vs building another pc.

That's the biggest reason I felt now was the time to switch... moving to AMD at the beginning of a new platform.

 

[Eximo]

A lot of logic in it if you plan to upgrade the CPU over the next few years.

For a workstation I would actually want to stick with Intel, at least right this second. I would be worried about software issues with a new AMD platform.

I've been seriously eyeing the 7800X3D myself, but I think I will hold out for one more generation. Zen 5 early numbers look impressive and I am curious how Intel's first stab at tiling/chiplet will go.