Question New Build - Intel i9 questions - Advice welcome.

[MachoFantastico]

Hi folks,

So I'm currently looking into a new build but I need some clarification on a few things that aren't particularly clear to me. First of all, it relates to Intel and its i9 CPUs. I know they've got the i9-13900K releasing towards the end of October but having not been an Intel user for a good while now I was a little confused regarding the compatible motherboards. I was looking at the Asus Intel Z690 Maximus Hero board but it appears that there are now the Z790 boards. What's the key difference between the two types of board, I'm guessing the Z790 hasn't been released just yet but are Z690 boards still compatible with the i9 13900K?

I appreciate you get a lot of people asking you questions regarding builds on here. But this is a rough plan for my build right now:

Case: Fractual Meshify 2 XL.
Motherboard: Asus Intel Z690 Maximus Hero DDR5 - This could change depending on requirements.
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 Series 32GB DDR5 6400.
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 TI or RTX 4090 (though I doubt I'll be able to get one of those at launch) - Again, this could change depending on the situation.
CPU: Intel Core i9 12900K or i9 13900K.
PSU: Corsair RM1000x 1000W PSU.
Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 Dual Tower CPU Cooler 140mm (note: Believe I need the NM-i17xx MP83 Mounting Kit for Intel LGA 1700 Platform).

As I said, it's pretty rough so far but it's a baseline to work from. I want a more future-proof build than I've had in the past and something I can game on without any issues. If you have any tips and advice I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Inthrutheoutdoor]

Your build looks pretty solid so far...

Some of the advantages of the 790 boards (with a 13th gen CPU) are number & distribution of the pcie lanes, higher default & OC ram speeds, more I/O ports and possibly 1 or 2 additional m.2 slots and a few other minor differences, BUT all of this comes at a steeper price point, at least at launch time anyways (same for the 40xxx GPU's)...

But both 690 & 790 support both 12th & 13th gen cpus, so you should be good there whichever you decide to buy...

You will just have to decide if the extra $$ is justified for YOUR intended uses & expectations

 

[punkncat]

Traditionally the "first" chipset in Intels offering would need a BIOS update to work with the "second" CPU in the compatible series.

IE 6xx chipset might need BIOS update for 13xxx CPU where it shouldn't with 7xx chipset.

 

[geofelt]

Intel 13th gen will be released on 10/20.
For a top end build, the 13900K is as good as i gets(13900KS may be better ant a premium)
If you want one, enter a pre-order:
https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i9-13900k-core-i9-13th-gen/p/N82E16819118412?quicklink=true
Last time, the 12900K immediately went out of stock and it was some time before you could buy one.

Similarly, plan on a Z790 based motherboard.
There will be advances over Z690, particularly as applies to 13900K processors.
It looks to me to be an evolution of Z690 and I would expect fewer than normal bios fixes. Z690 will be compatible with 13900K if you really want to go that way.

You will have a choice between DDR4 and DDR5.
DDR5 will cost more, but it is unclear how much better it will perform.
Considering, I think I would go the DDR5 route.

Your case is excellent for air cooling.

Noctua NH-D15 is as good as it gets for a air cooler.
It comes with lga1700 mounting.
But, there will be a conflict with the trident ram which is 42mm high.
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15/specification
This can be resolved by sliding the front fan up 10mm. Your case has 185mm headroom so that is not an issue.

 

[Why_Me]

If the primary use is gaming I'd look at something like this ....

i7 13700K
Noctua D15 Chromax Black CPU Cooler
G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 6000 CL30 32GB (2x16GB) (latency plays big for gaming)
https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-Trident-CL30-40-40-89-F5-6000J3040F16GA2-TZ5S-Metallic/dp/B09YKHSG9Z

MSI Z790 Tomahawk WIFI
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144567

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-Z790-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

This case was just released recently and worth having a look at.

Lian Li LANCOOL III

LANCOOL III

<ul> <li aria-level="1">Mid-tower modular chassis for all kinds of configurations</li> <li aria-level="1">Equipped with 4 × 140 PWM fans (ARGB or non-RGB)</li> <li aria-level="1">Featured airflow optimized mesh structure and hinged side panels</li> <li aria-level="1">Supports up to 420...

lian-li.com

 

[MachoFantastico]

Thanks for the replies folks, some great info and I'll look into the recommendations people linked. Much appreciated.

 

[MachoFantastico]

Have a quick question regarding the PSU. I know that cards like the 4090 will require the new PCIe 5.0 power connector but I can't figure out if the PSU I have selected comes with one. I noticed that there are some new PSUs hitting the market with the PCIe 5.0 power connector included.

Could anyone clear that up for me?
Thanks.

 

[Why_Me]

Have a quick question regarding the PSU. I know that cards like the 4090 will require the new PCIe 5.0 power connector but I can't figure out if the PSU I have selected comes with one. I noticed that there are some new PSUs hitting the market with the PCIe 5.0 power connector included.

Could anyone clear that up for me?
Thanks.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Accessories-|-Parts/PC-Components/Power-Supplies/600W-PCIe-5-0-12VHPWR-Type-4-PSU-Power-Cable/p/CP-8920284

https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/n...quirements-for-geforce-rtx-40-series-gpu.html

https://hothardware.com/news/nvidia...r-requirements-and-whether-you-need-a-new-psu

 

[MachoFantastico]

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Accessories-|-Parts/PC-Components/Power-Supplies/600W-PCIe-5-0-12VHPWR-Type-4-PSU-Power-Cable/p/CP-8920284

https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/n...quirements-for-geforce-rtx-40-series-gpu.html

https://hothardware.com/news/nvidia...r-requirements-and-whether-you-need-a-new-psu

Thanks, sounds like there hopefully won't be any issues then. I was concerned that there might be some power delivery issues with older PSUs compared to the newer ones.

 

[MachoFantastico]

So I decided against the XL version of the Fractal Meshify case. From looking at some reviews it seems like overkill for my needs. So instead I'm looking at the standard Meshify 2 case. It seems like most new GPUs should fit fine and the Noctua DH-15 even fits into the Compact version so it should fit into the standard version.

Have a few questions I need help with though:

- I'm concerned about how the DH-15 will fit with the G.Skill Trident Z5 Series 32GB DDR5 ram, with it being such a big air cooler. Does anyone have any idea how it fits, having done some research it should fit but I wanted to be sure?

- I've also been considering an AIO cooler over an air cooler, though I have zero experience with them. I looked at the Corsair iCUE H100i Pro XT and Fractal Celsius S36 but some of the user reviews for the ICUE H100i have been rather poor. Just thought an AIO cooler would look cleaner in the case than a giant air cooler. Would appreciate any opinions on this.

Sorry for being a nuisance with these questions, but have not done a build for a good 7-8 years I'm trying to catch up on everything that's new. Thanks for everyone's help. Much appreciated.

 

[Phaaze88]

I'm concerned about how the DH-15 will fit with the G.Skill Trident Z5 Series 32GB DDR5 ram, with it being such a big air cooler. Does anyone have any idea how it fits, having done some research it should fit but I wanted to be sure?

In the default position - 165mm, the front fan only has clearance for ram no taller than 31mm. For taller kits, the fan can be raised to a point, and it does increase the cooler's total height.
For ram kits that are too tall, like some of the 50-ish mm tall Corsairs, the fan can be installed behind the 2nd tower of the heatsink.
Trident Z5 is 44mm tall. D15 height will be 178mm + 1(space between fan and ram), for a total height of 179mm. Make sure the case you choose will have at least that much clearance(180mm), or install the fan behind the 2nd tower.
There's also the D15S, which overcomes much of the original's shortcomings: lighter, offset heatsink, shorter... superior to the original, and their current #1 if it fits in the user's case - IMO.

Noctua also has a motherboard compatibility checker that can help: https://ncc.noctua.at/motherboards

I've also been considering an AIO cooler over an air cooler, though I have zero experience with them. I looked at the Corsair iCUE H100i Pro XT and Fractal Celsius S36 but some of the user reviews for the ICUE H100i have been rather poor. Just thought an AIO cooler would look cleaner in the case than a giant air cooler. Would appreciate any opinions on this.

Well... looks are subjective; some folks like the look of certain air coolers over AIO/CLC and vice versa.

Corsair sometimes gets thrashed on their iCUE software, which is mandatory to operate their iCUE coolers. You'll love/neutral/hate it. NZXT is in the same boat with CAM software and Kraken coolers.
The hardware is also more complex/confusing to connect, in part due to the software. IDK, as I have not used one, but it's a fact that 'where do these cables go', or 'is this working correctly' for iCUE/CAM coolers pop up more than any others...

If a fan(s) breaks on either cooler, not a big deal. The pump on AIO/CLCs, on the other hand... when they fail, or start giving you trouble, that's usually all she wrote.
I love to suggest having a backup cooler on hand just in case. This does mean spending significantly more cash than one initially intended to on a cooler.

The gap between air coolers and AIO/CLC is not very large in practice.
If you've seen reviews with noise normalized performance, those are closer to how some people will run their hardware, but those testing scenarios may still be too audible for some, who will slow down fans further, or even go and change the fans($$$).
A significant factor between the 2 types is that the fan(s) on an air cooler exist for it, and the one(s) on an AIO/CLC exist for the cooler and the other components inside - they are cpu cooler and case fans.
Most are going to treat AIO/CLC fans like case fans. Thing is, the fans on those coolers have worse balance; typically higher(and thus louder) max parameters than that of air coolers, but for good reason - though that reason means naught when noise = bad/unwanted.

The 'case fans' are handy for cases that don't come with any preinstalled, or 1-2.

 

[MachoFantastico]

Thanks for the reply Phaaze88, super helpful information.

It looks like the Factual Design Mashify 2 case has a max CPU cooler height of 185mm. The D15S sounds like a really good option, I'll check it out further.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

You might think about going with a slghtly higher wattage PSU. The 3090ti/4090 have insane powerspikes. The RMX are pretty good at handling it. Maybe a Corsair HX1200i might be better there. Allow a bit more room. As I understand it, the 4090 will have power spikes bigger than the 3090ti which has spikes north of 650w alone. It can sometimes trip overprotections on some PSU's.

The Brewing Problem with GPU Power Design | Transients - YouTube

 

[MachoFantastico]

You might think about going with a slghtly higher wattage PSU. The 3090ti/4090 have insane powerspikes. The RMX are pretty good at handling it. Maybe a Corsair HX1200i might be better there. Allow a bit more room. As I understand it, the 4090 will have power spikes bigger than the 3090ti which has spikes north of 650w alone. It can sometimes trip overprotections on some PSU's.

The Brewing Problem with GPU Power Design | Transients - YouTube

This is something I've been looking into today. Did a quick calculation and it was around 750-800W for my system build (with the 4090) but given that we don't know all the details regarding the 4090 or the i9 13900K for that matter means it might be better to go with something with more headroom.

That said I looked up the HX1200i and it looks like there are not many on sale, most likely due to this recall.

Might have to look elsewhere, the 1500W Corsair might be a bit to much.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

This is something I've been looking into today. Did a quick calculation and it was around 750-800W for my system build (with the 4090) but given that we don't know all the details regarding the 4090 or the i9 13900K for that matter means it might be better to go with something with more headroom.

That said I looked up the HX1200i and it looks like there are not many on sale, most likely due to this recall.

Might have to look elsewhere, the 1500W Corsair might be a bit to much.

Yeah, I've seen that before. Given the recall was well over a year ago, I'd expect the bogey units to be long gone by now. You could check the part number before purchase to be sure.

So, if you look at the 3090ti for example, the transients are up to 650w alone (GPU), with the rest of the system on top of that it canspike up to 1000w (depending on your exact components). The 750w-800 by calculation (and recommended for some GPU manufacturers) is a little on the low side.

But I think you're on it.

Good luck, and happy gaming

 

[MachoFantastico]

Yeah, I've seen that before. Given the recall was well over a year ago, I'd expect the boegy units to be long gone by now. You could check the part number before purchase to be sure.

So, if you look at the 3090ti for example, the transients are up to 650w alone (GPU), with the rest of the system on top of that it canspike up to 1000w (depending on your exact components). The 750w-800 by calculation (and recommended for some GPU manufacturers) is a little on the low side.

But I think you're on it.

Good luck, and happy gaming

Thanks for the info, appreciated.

I'll have to take a good look around to find a better PSU. Another issue is if the PSUs will be suitable for the 4090 for example as I know they have a different power connection. Nvidia has said that some cards will come supplied with the required power cable for these cards but not sure if all partner cards will. That might be something we'll have to wait and see until the 12th.

Thanks again.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Nvidia has said that some cards will come supplied with the required power cable for these cards but not sure if all partner cards will

I'd say the AIB's will too. They could hardly rule out a whole heap of potential customers by not doing so.

Also, ya know, the PSU doesn't have to be Corsair. They just use quality caps that are known to have high tolerances for transients.

There's also Superflower Titanium, EVGA T2 among a few others.

 

[MachoFantastico]

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated.

One question I had regarding AIO coolers like the iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX is if it would fit in the Meshify 2 case. I can't find a confirmed answer, it looks like there might be some issues fitting it to the top of the case but the front might be an option. If anyone knows if this is the case I would appreciate it.

I'm still struggling with the PSU choice. A lot of mixed messages regarding the 4090 requirements, not to mention the i9 13900 requirements. It might just be something I'll have to wait and see when reviews hit.

Speaking of which, is it worth investing in the HXi versions of Corsairs PSUs over the standard HX versions? The main difference seems to be the ability to connect them to Corsair's software, but I wasn't sure how beneficial that would be.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[cAllen]

I went AX1600i, but I like a big tank on my rig. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zCn2Bj

YMMV

 

[MachoFantastico]

I'm still having some difficulties figuring out which case is best suited and I'm reading mixed messages regarding the most suitable power supply requirements. Some cases I've looked at just don't fit the HX1200 (and the HX100 for that matter) so I've been looking elsewhere.