Build Advice Need a new PC/Workstation ... Config help

[dimebag11]

My current PC config is :

NZXT Phantom Case
Asus Rampage IV black Edition
i7-4930k
64gb (8x8) Kingston DDR3-1600 ram
Noctua DH-14
Two monitors
Seasonic 1050W PSU
10TB HDD Iron Wolf NAS / 250gb Samsung 840 EVO / 1tb Samsung 870 EVO
Nvidia 3060 Ti

Its about 9-10 years old and the mobo/cooler have begun giving problems resulting in too many BSOD's. Looking for a change.

I need help choosing a new rig and my usage is in the 3d Rendering / Animation / VFX area . So I'm looking to build something heavy duty.

My main concern is the RAM since DDR5 is currently on the market and I'm wondering how long I have to wait before the prices drop or how many more improvements are going to arrive soon. My plan is to have more RAM in the new system , maybe even start off with 64 before upgrading to 128 or 256gb.

The other area is the CPU. It seems that the i9-12900K is the best choice although it does get very hot apparently. Will other CPU's be arriving on the market anytime soon?

I guess I can keep the storage , the monitors. Wonder if I need more PSU and a bigger case.

I purchased the 3060 Ti recently. I read that Nvidia might come out with a new line to go with DDR5.

Overall just need suggestions on a new config that would be future proofed for atleast 2-3 years. I dont want to buy something only to see massive changes 6 months later.

All suggestions , tips etc welcome

PS: Never used AMD before. I read that they have extremely good CPU's but I am extremely hesitant since I never used them before and have a bias towards intel always being better. Feel free to suggest anyways.

 

[Why_Me]

My current PC config is :

NZXT Phantom Case
Asus Rampage IV black Edition
i7-4930k
64gb (8x8) Kingston DDR3-1600 ram
Noctua DH-14
Two monitors
Seasonic 1050W PSU
10TB HDD Iron Wolf NAS / 250gb Samsung 840 EVO / 1tb Samsung 870 EVO
Nvidia 3060 Ti

Its about 9-10 years old and the mobo/cooler have begun giving problems resulting in too many BSOD's. Looking for a change.

I need help choosing a new rig and my usage is in the 3d Rendering / Animation / VFX area . So I'm looking to build something heavy duty.

My main concern is the RAM since DDR5 is currently on the market and I'm wondering how long I have to wait before the prices drop or how many more improvements are going to arrive soon. My plan is to have more RAM in the new system , maybe even start off with 64 before upgrading to 128 or 256gb.

The other area is the CPU. It seems that the i9-12900K is the best choice although it does get very hot apparently. Will other CPU's be arriving on the market anytime soon?

I guess I can keep the storage , the monitors. Wonder if I need more PSU and a bigger case.

I purchased the 3060 Ti recently. I read that Nvidia might come out with a new line to go with DDR5.

Overall just need suggestions on a new config that would be future proofed for atleast 2-3 years. I dont want to buy something only to see massive changes 6 months later.

All suggestions , tips etc welcome

PS: Never used AMD before. I read that they have extremely good CPU's but I am extremely hesitant since I never used them before and have a bias towards intel always being better. Feel free to suggest anyways.

What country are you located and what is your budget?

 

[Lafong]

the mobo/cooler have begun giving problems

What's the problem with the cooler?

 

[dimebag11]

What country are you located and what is your budget?

India . Budget in my currency would be RS. 2-3.5 lakhs . Could spend a little more if it is really worth it.

 

[dimebag11]

What's the problem with the cooler?

Apparently its not doing its job. The overheating and not the RAM ( which was my initial guess , and I ran memtest86 as well and it gave errors) is the cause of the problem apparently . Maybe a motherboard issue as well.

 

[Why_Me]

You want a board with decent VRM's if you go with an i9. The locked i9 cpu's are easier to keep cool while netting you similar results. Your psu is a bit aged I'm guessing. A 750w psu will do you just fine with that gpu.

This one has integrated graphics.

https://mdcomputers.in/intel-core-i9-12900-bx8071512900.html

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...12900-processor-30m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz.html

And this one doesn't.

https://mdcomputers.in/intel-core-i9-12900f-bx8071512900f.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-30m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz/specifications.html

 

[Lafong]

Apparently its not doing its job. The overheating and not the RAM ( which was my initial guess , and I ran memtest86 as well and it gave errors) is the cause of the problem apparently . Maybe a motherboard issue as well.

That's a strong cooler. I would not give up on it without more evidence.

Next generation from Intel is 3 to 6 months away by most estimates.

DDR 5 is more expensive, but the price difference is decreasing recently.

 

[egda23]

Here an interesting discussion about cooling a 19-12900k

Question - MSI z690-a pro wifi + 12900kF + ddr5 + kraken x73 360mm cooler, high temps? bios settings? Fails after 5 hours p95 blend

Im using this combo with the ram being: CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5200 (PC5-41600) C40 1.25V (32gb total), ‎CMK32GX5M2B5200C40 I have the lga 1700 bracket, everything is tight, cpu was done two different times with two different pastes/methods, same results. 2nd time now with...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[dimebag11]

That's a strong cooler. I would not give up on it without more evidence.

Next generation from Intel is 3 to 6 months away by most estimates.

DDR 5 is more expensive, but the price difference is decreasing recently.

Yeah that was my guess. I always used to get this CPU Fan error upon booting and just used to set it from AUTO to DISABLE in the BIOS. So I dont know if that contributed to anything.

Alder lake is their latest. Are they launching one more soon?

 

[dimebag11]

Here an interesting discussion about cooling a 19-12900k

Question - MSI z690-a pro wifi + 12900kF + ddr5 + kraken x73 360mm cooler, high temps? bios settings? Fails after 5 hours p95 blend

Im using this combo with the ram being: CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5200 (PC5-41600) C40 1.25V (32gb total), ‎CMK32GX5M2B5200C40 I have the lga 1700 bracket, everything is tight, cpu was done two different times with two different pastes/methods, same results. 2nd time now with...

forums.tomshardware.com

Thank you for the information.

 

[Lafong]

Yeah that was my guess. I always used to get this CPU Fan error upon booting and just used to set it from AUTO to DISABLE in the BIOS. So I dont know if that contributed to anything.

Alder lake is their latest. Are they launching one more soon?

Yes. Raptor Lake estimated in 3 to 6 months; 13000 series; you can get some early reports on it on this forum and elsewhere via google.

I'd certainly pull off a case side panel and look with my own eyes what was happening with your fans before coming to conclusions. Or you could use a good hardware monitor like HWInfo64.

 

[dimebag11]

You want a board with decent VRM's if you go with an i9. The locked i9 cpu's are easier to keep cool while netting you similar results. Your psu is a bit aged I'm guessing. A 750w psu will do you just fine with that gpu.

This one has integrated graphics.

https://mdcomputers.in/intel-core-i9-12900-bx8071512900.html

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...12900-processor-30m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz.html

And this one doesn't.

https://mdcomputers.in/intel-core-i9-12900f-bx8071512900f.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-30m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz/specifications.html

The 12900k is what I was looking at. I dont intend to overclock since I never have.

 

[Lafong]

The 12900k is what I was looking at. I dont intend to overclock since I never have.

Very little advantage to i9 unless you absolutely must have the latest and greatest and are willing to accept a greater likelihood of some cooling issues.

 

[dimebag11]

Yes. Raptor Lake estimated in 3 to 6 months; 13000 series; you can get some early reports on it on this forum and elsewhere via google.

I'd certainly pull off a case side panel and look with my own eyes what was happening with your fans before coming to conclusions. Or you could use a good hardware monitor like HWInfo64.

I have to wait to get my PC back from the shop to run any more tests myself.

Im guessing the raptor lake series will have a higher price tag as well.

Very little advantage to i9 unless you absolutely must have the latest and greatest and are willing to accept a greater likelihood of some cooling issues.

Whats an alternative to the i9 . RYZEN?

 

[Lafong]

Whats an alternative to the i9 . RYZEN?

Yes, as far as I know. I don't really follow AMD. Check the Ryzen 9 series....5900, 5950?

AMD also has the more costly Threadripper series.

 

[egda23]

At the high end side, Ryzen is clearly a strong contender. Especially for your type of use.
Wait for people with real knowledge of the ryzen 5900 and over to give an opinion

 

[dimebag11]

It would be a first. Have never chosen an AMD and the i9 definitely outworks the 5900X series from AMD. The threadripper is a monster but it has a price tag that is a bit steep for me.

Heres my thought:

Buy a DDR4 compatible motherboard and load it up with high performing DDR4 Ram ( say 64 or 128gb even) OR
i9 + DDR5

From what I have read the DDR5 is faster but its latencies are not high enough to offer a massive increase in performance and its only sold in 32gb kits for now.

Since major changes are afoot should I splurge on the DDR4 and ride out the next 2 years and then change or get the i9+DDR5 now

 

[Bob.B]

My current PC config is :

NZXT Phantom Case
Asus Rampage IV black Edition
i7-4930k
64gb (8x8) Kingston DDR3-1600 ram
Noctua DH-14
Two monitors
Seasonic 1050W PSU
10TB HDD Iron Wolf NAS / 250gb Samsung 840 EVO / 1tb Samsung 870 EVO
Nvidia 3060 Ti

Its about 9-10 years old and the mobo/cooler have begun giving problems resulting in too many BSOD's. Looking for a change.

I need help choosing a new rig and my usage is in the 3d Rendering / Animation / VFX area . So I'm looking to build something heavy duty.

My main concern is the RAM since DDR5 is currently on the market and I'm wondering how long I have to wait before the prices drop or how many more improvements are going to arrive soon. My plan is to have more RAM in the new system , maybe even start off with 64 before upgrading to 128 or 256gb.

The other area is the CPU. It seems that the i9-12900K is the best choice although it does get very hot apparently. Will other CPU's be arriving on the market anytime soon?

I guess I can keep the storage , the monitors. Wonder if I need more PSU and a bigger case.

I purchased the 3060 Ti recently. I read that Nvidia might come out with a new line to go with DDR5.

Overall just need suggestions on a new config that would be future proofed for atleast 2-3 years. I dont want to buy something only to see massive changes 6 months later.

All suggestions , tips etc welcome

PS: Never used AMD before. I read that they have extremely good CPU's but I am extremely hesitant since I never used them before and have a bias towards intel always being better. Feel free to suggest anyways.

Just another opinion.

Cpu.....12700k.
Ram....ddr4@3600.
OS.....w11 for the scheduler.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

I don't have access to the Indian market, but for your suggested use case;

i9-12900 - the Noctual DH-14 should handle cooling it, and they'll give you free mounting hardware. You might also need to order a new fan if your old one is 10 years old
high end B660 board
4x 32GB DDR4-3600/18
RTX 3090 (you might try risking a used one off Ebay, where the prices are crazy low)
at PCIe 4.0 x 4 1 TB SSD for boot, and 1 or 2 more 2 TB NVMe drives for storage, which can be slower (PCIe 3.0x4).
high quality 1000-1200W 80+ Gold/Platinum PSU

If that 10 TB drive is 5 years old or older, replace it with a newer 8/16/20TB Drive.

 

[Eximo]

Ryzen 5950X is a 16 core CPU (16c/32t)
Intel 12900 is also 16 cores, but it is 8 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores that are single threaded (16c/24t)

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/AMD-Ryzen-9-5950X-vs-Intel-i9-12900K/3862vs4597

In terms of raw performance, there are many tasks which a Ryzen chip can do better at. Intel has the advantage when it comes to clock speed and single core performance. So for tasks that use less than 8 or 12 cores, the Intel will be faster.

You have a lot of parts you can recycle. However, for the Noctua NH-D14 you will likely need to order a new set of hardware from Noctua. LGA1700 and AM4 are certainly newer than your i7-4930k, so chances are good that cooler won't have the included mounting.

Sadly the PSU should be replaced. Even if it is oversized and had a light job, it wasn't designed with high end 30 series cards in mind. Chances are good your over current protection would get triggered with

Nothing wrong with a 3060Ti if it meets your needs. DDR5 is not really relevant to upcoming GPUs, but not much reason to not get it in a workstation, more bandwidth the better. Still, the idea of buying a used RTX 3090 isn't a bad idea. That 24GB of VRAM makes a difference.

Certainly want a new NVMe boot drive.

I would probably get a Z series board, just for features and quality even with a non overclockable CPU like the 12900. Having things like thunderbolt and 2.5 Gbps network are good to have.

 

[Eximo]

Added a few replacement fans.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900 2.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($508.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 64.95 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z690-P ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($203.84 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL40 Memory ($407.39 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL40 Memory ($407.39 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red Plus 12 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card
Case: NZXT Phantom ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan ($24.84 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan ($24.84 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan ($26.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan ($26.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $2041.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-15 11:33 EDT-0400

 

[dimebag11]

Added a few replacement fans.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900 2.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($508.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 64.95 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z690-P ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($203.84 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL40 Memory ($407.39 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL40 Memory ($407.39 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red Plus 12 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card
Case: NZXT Phantom ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan ($24.84 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan ($24.84 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan ($26.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan ($26.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $2041.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-15 11:33 EDT-0400

Not that far off from a build I had considered .
I already have the 3060 Ti and the Phantom Case and 1050W PSU.
Would it not be better to swap out the 128gb worth of DDR5-5600 CL40 with a 64gb 6400 (I'm guessing G.Skill)

Any suggestions on the DDR4 vs DDR5 ram and a DDR4 build?

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Not that far off from a build I had considered .
I already have the 3060 Ti and the Phantom Case and 1050W PSU.
Would it not be better to swap out the 128gb worth of DDR5-5600 CL40 with a 64gb 6400 (I'm guessing G.Skill)

Any suggestions on the DDR4 vs DDR5 ram and a DDR4 build?

Right now, there is only little performance difference between DDR4 and DDR5, however high-end DDR4 (3600 or faster) seems to outperform DDR5 4800

 

[Eximo]

You can certainly adjust the build as desired.

DDR4 4400 is also an option, and isn't usually the expensive. A little tricky to get working though.
DDR5 5600 or 6400 will have the superior bandwidth, but inferior latency.

Latency good for games, bandwidth good for number crunching.

 

[Why_Me]

The 12900k is what I was looking at. I dont intend to overclock since I never have.

That's another reason why I'd be looking at the 12900 / 12900F.