Question New Gaming PC, around $6000

[zettez]

Backstory
I joined a small start-up and where I live it is much more beneficial to receive a computer than be paid a salary. I have a buffer with money so I will be fine for the coming months (currently I live very cheaply). Because I cannot get a salary but a computer, I want the best possible parts for my PC. I will mostly play games on it. I am not really interested in cost-efficient parts. I will overclock my CPU and maybe overclock the GPU. I will only buy an AIO cooler for the CPU, nothing for the GPU. I do not want to have any flashy lights from the case, so I will go with a very "minimalist look" with no see-through case. The limit will be around $6000, give or take a little. I can always discuss with my boss if I want to increase the limit. Currently I run a 1080p 144hz monitor but I will upgrade to a 1440p (not 4k) 144hz.

The Build
Currently my build looks like this:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($489.99 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H150i PRO 47.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($146.90 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME EATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($589.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z Royal 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-4000 Memory ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($247.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB MATRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB MATRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)
Case: Fractal Design - Design Define R6 USB-C Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair - 1600 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair - ML140 Pro 97 CFM 140mm Fan ($26.61 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair - ML140 Pro 97 CFM 140mm Fan ($26.61 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair - ML140 Pro 97 CFM 140mm Fan ($26.61 @ Newegg)
Total: $2653.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-12 05:09 EDT-0400

CPU: The CPU is great, I am not sure if there is any better for gaming.
CPU Cooler: H150i looks really good.
MOBO: Expensive but also top of the line.
RAM: Fast 32GB RAM that is also on the QVL list for the chosen MOBO.
Storage: 1TB M.2 SSD, that is enough for me. Also the fastest one I could find.
GPU: I am thinking about doing a 2 GPU (SLI/NVLink?) with the newest ASUS RTX 2080 Ti Matrix.
Case: No see-through, good reviews, plenty of place to build.
PSU: 1600W might be a bit overkill but I want to overclock the CPU and I will probably run 2 GPU.
Other: 3 case fans to replace the ones that come with the case. These ones are the same that are in the CPU Cooler chosen (these are 140mm and the ones in the cooler are 120mm).

Am I doing something completely weird? I want the best parts and I am not that cost efficient as I will not get a salary in the beginning anyways. What about heat if I run 2 GPU? Is there anything else I should think about? Is there any other MOBO that is better? I had to chose between this one (ASUS EXTREME), MSI GODLIKE and GIGABYTE AORUS.
Will I be able to run 144hz on a 1440p monitor with all settings maxed out (ultra)? I also checked on the sticky thread "$5,000 Ultimate Everything RGB Build" but I wanted to discuss these parts as I think these are better.
All help and comments are very appreciated!

Edit: There is no price for the GPU yet that is why the total amount is so much lower than the budget.
Edit2: Changed URL
Edit3: Added monitor sentence

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

That's overkill for 1440p. You don't want 4K 144Hz?

I would get a bigger case with better airflow. I'm sure it's good for single GPUs, but two GPUs will cause a lot of heat, especially for the top GPU. Perhaps a full-ATX case would be better.

 

[g-unit1111]

I'm kind of confused on this one here - you say you want "no flashy lights" or "see through cases", yet you chose a see-through case with fans that have lighting on them. Not to mention that RAM and cooler also have lighting components on them. And those Corsair ML fans won't work without a Corsair Lighting Node to control them.

Also the 1600W PSU is mega overkill, you could get by with a solid 1KW or something around that range.

 

[DSzymborski]

Could always get a $3000 PC with $3000 in extra parts you ought to be able to resell for $2000-$2200 in hard cash. You'll get diminishing returns in PC improvement long before you get to $6000.

 

[g-unit1111]

Could always get a $3000 PC with $3000 in extra parts you ought to be able to resell for $2000-$2200 in hard cash. You'll get diminishing returns in PC improvement long before you get to $6000.

Totally agree on this here.

 

[DSzymborski]

2080 Tis shouldn't require a massive hit selling "used." If you're building the PC rather than it being built for you, you don't even have to take them out of the sealed boxes. Just ask for a 2080 Ti x 3 or x 4 build and knock $150 off the prices for all but one on eBay.

And if you're really set on putting everything in the PC rather than getting some money back and do a lot of actual work-work things on your PC, get a case that can support two PCs in the chassis and make a gaming build and a more work-focused one with a lower-clocked, higher-core CPU.

As I said, the quality of gaming is really hard to capture in dollars three thousand and up, you can dump in a larger power supply and more GPUs, but multi-GPU solutions scale very poorly; in a disturbing number of games, you'll actually perform worse than you would otheriwse and in many, you'll gains will be surprisingly minimal. Some enthusiasts still expect it to be an option and there are some work-related edge cases, but generally speaking, it's expensive and craptacular.

 

[zettez]

That's overkill for 1440p. You don't want 4K 144Hz?

I would get a bigger case with better airflow. I'm sure it's good for single GPUs, but two GPUs will cause a lot of heat, especially for the top GPU. Perhaps a full-ATX case would be better.

Sure I can go 4k 144hz, I was just unsure if the two GPUs could achieve a 144 FPS on ultra settings. I have heard of 4k 60 FPS and I cannot go back to 60.. That is why I thought maybe 1440p on ultra will be able to give me 144 FPS with this setup? Am I wrong?

Can you recommend a good big case without a glass window?

 

[zettez]

I'm kind of confused on this one here - you say you want "no flashy lights" or "see through cases", yet you chose a see-through case with fans that have lighting on them. Not to mention that RAM and cooler also have lighting components on them. And those Corsair ML fans won't work without a Corsair Lighting Node to control them.

Also the 1600W PSU is mega overkill, you could get by with a solid 1KW or something around that range.

The case is not see-through. There are two variants, one with a "glass" window and one that does not have it. All the components I chose was because they seemed to be the best, not because of the RGB things. I would gladly take something else without the RGB if it was a better component.

I see, I thought you could just plug these bad bois in the case and that was it. Do I need to get the PWM ones instead?

Thanks for the input, I might go to 1K or 1.2K PSU!

 

[King Dranzer]

Sure I can go 4k 144hz, I was just unsure if the two GPUs could achieve a 144 FPS on ultra settings. I have heard of 4k 60 FPS and I cannot go back to 60.. That is why I thought maybe 1440p on ultra will be able to give me 144 FPS with this setup? Am I wrong?

It depends on the games you play. If you play demanding games then yes this build is better suited for 1440p 144Hz gaming but if play not so demanding games then you can go with 4K and get satisfactory result.

 

[zettez]

2080 Tis shouldn't require a massive hit selling "used." If you're building the PC rather than it being built for you, you don't even have to take them out of the sealed boxes. Just ask for a 2080 Ti x 3 or x 4 build and knock $150 off the prices for all but one on eBay.

And if you're really set on putting everything in the PC rather than getting some money back and do a lot of actual work-work things on your PC, get a case that can support two PCs in the chassis and make a gaming build and a more work-focused one with a lower-clocked, higher-core CPU.

As I said, the quality of gaming is really hard to capture in dollars three thousand and up, you can dump in a larger power supply and more GPUs, but multi-GPU solutions scale very poorly; in a disturbing number of games, you'll actually perform worse than you would otheriwse and in many, you'll gains will be surprisingly minimal. Some enthusiasts still expect it to be an option and there are some work-related edge cases, but generally speaking, it's expensive and craptacular.

That is some good advice. I will check with my boss but he will probably want the computer built by someone else and not deliver parts to me. So just for the sake of it, let us say I have to spend $6000 on this machine and get the best stuff around. I am a programmer so I might do other things with my PC other than gaming so maybe it is good to max it out.

Regarding the multi-GPU, are you sure it will perform worse? Is it not just one card that will run and the other will just stay off? Will not the other passive card be used to calculate stuff like the old SLI?

 

[zettez]

It depends on the games you play. If you play demanding games then yes this build is better suited for 1440p 144Hz gaming but if play not so demanding games then you can go with 4K and get satisfactory result.

Good advice, thanks. I will probably not take a bet and go for more demanding games. Then it is a bonus if I play low-end games. I just want to be prepared for everything now that I will buy this great computer.

 

[King Dranzer]

Can you name few of the games you plan on playing

 

[SgtScream]

Get the i9 9990xe when it's available along with an asus equivalent motherboard and a good quad channel kit:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i9-9990xe-pricing-retail,39050.html

The sweat spot monitor for gaming is 3440x1440p ultrawide which has more pixels than 1440p and less pixels than 4k, while providing you a better immersive gaming experience via the ultrawide form factor:
https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-34GK950F-B-gaming-monitor
The freesync model has nano IPS technology at 1ms response time, goes to 144hz refresh rate and is now supported by Nvidia graphics cards. It doesn't get better than this (as of right now).

Note: Go with one RTX 2080 ti (It will be plenty) for that resolution.

 

[g-unit1111]

The case is not see-through. There are two variants, one with a "glass" window and one that does not have it. All the components I chose was because they seemed to be the best, not because of the RGB things. I would gladly take something else without the RGB if it was a better component.

I see, I thought you could just plug these bad bois in the case and that was it. Do I need to get the PWM ones instead?

Thanks for the input, I might go to 1K or 1.2K PSU!

There's plenty of RAM modules that you can get that don't have RGB lights on them. Just because it's the most expensive product does not automatically mean that it's the best. If you want something that minimizes the RGB or eliminates it I would recommend a build like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($489.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Ultimate 76 CFM CPU Cooler ($94.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WI-FI) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($278.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($205.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($97.41 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1209.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Define R6 Black ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA P2 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3984.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-12 14:20 EDT-0400

That's $2K less than the proposed build and nearly eliminates the RGB components.

 

[zettez]

Can you name few of the games you plan on playing

Sure! PUBG, Monster Hunter World, Atlas, Cyberpunk 2077 when it comes, Witcher 3 and so on.

 

[zettez]

Get the i9 9990xe when it's available along with an asus equivalent motherboard and a good quad channel kit:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i9-9990xe-pricing-retail,39050.html

The sweat spot monitor for gaming is 3440x1440p ultrawide which has more pixels than 1440p and less pixels than 4k, while providing you a better immersive gaming experience via the ultrawide form factor:
https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-34GK950F-B-gaming-monitor
The freesync model has nano IPS technology at 1ms response time, goes to 144hz refresh rate and is now supported by Nvidia graphics cards. It doesn't get better than this (as of right now).

Note: Go with one RTX 2080 ti (It will be plenty) for that resolution.

Are you sure there will be several 9990xe available for purchase? It looks like this is some kind of limited edition that no regular person buys? Otherwise it looks good. Do you think it is much better than the 9900k for gaming?

Ah great, I thought it went from 1080p, 1440p and then 4k. Did not know there was something in between.

So you are sure I can hit 144 FPS on every game with ultra settings with one GPU instead of two?

Edit: I read some reviews and 1440p ultrawide is not supported in all games. So I think i will just go for a 1440p, like this one: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/XvfmP6/asus-monitor-pg279q

 

[zettez]

There's plenty of RAM modules that you can get that don't have RGB lights on them. Just because it's the most expensive product does not automatically mean that it's the best. If you want something that minimizes the RGB or eliminates it I would recommend a build like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($489.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Ultimate 76 CFM CPU Cooler ($94.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WI-FI) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($278.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($205.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($97.41 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1209.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Define R6 Black ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA P2 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3984.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-12 14:20 EDT-0400

That's $2K less than the proposed build and nearly eliminates the RGB components.

Ok thanks for the input. Let us compare our builds and disregard if it has RGB or not and only look at performance.

CPU Cooler: You downgraded the water cooling option to fan cooling. I never specified that I wanted water cooling but as far as I know that is the best one can have. Looking at the reviews of the H150i (also ASUS Ryujin and Kraken X72) makes me think this is a downgrade.
MOBO: A cheaper variant of the one I chose.
RAM: Slower RAM.
GPU: Not sure about this one, did you take these because they are cheaper RTX 2080 Ti' or because they are better than the one I chose?
PSU: I understand that my PSU of 1600W was a bit much but why is this better than Corsair's?

I do not think one should just remove all the RGB because it has RGB, but rather look which has best performance.

Edit: The RGB will not be shown as the case does not have any window, or am I missing something?

 

[SgtScream]

Are you sure there will be several 9990xe available for purchase? It looks like this is some kind of limited edition that no regular person buys? Otherwise it looks good. Do you think it is much better than the 9900k for gaming?

Ah great, I thought it went from 1080p, 1440p and then 4k. Did not know there was something in between.

So you are sure I can hit 144 FPS on every game with ultra settings with one GPU instead of two?

Edit: I read some reviews and 1440p ultrawide is not supported in all games. So I think i will just go for a 1440p, like this one: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/XvfmP6/asus-monitor-pg279q

You're right about the 9990xe (I was trying to fill that budget ) and your not going to get double the performance with two 2080ti's and some games may not even optimize for SLI or in this case nvlink so there'd be no point for a second graphics card. I play black ops 4 on ultra at 3440 x 1440p witha gtx 1080ti and I had to put a fps limiter on to ensure gsync stays enabled. So if my 1080 ti can go in excess of 100fps then the 2080 ti well you get the point.
Purchase the one 2080 ti then when performance suffers upgrade to the latest and greatest. Don't complicate things with dual 2080 ti's for negligible performance. How old was that article? Many games support ultrawide. I guarantee any new triple A title supports ultrawide. If not then there's very few.

 

[g-unit1111]

Ok thanks for the input. Let us compare our builds and disregard if it has RGB or not and only look at performance.

CPU Cooler: You downgraded the water cooling option to fan cooling. I never specified that I wanted water cooling but as far as I know that is the best one can have. Looking at the reviews of the H150i (also ASUS Ryujin and Kraken X72) makes me think this is a downgrade.

Depends on how far you want to overclock. If you think you're going to get a significant speed boost out from using a liquid cooler, then by all means go with that. Otherwise most people benefit from a strong air cooler, or use the stock cooler.

MOBO: A cheaper variant of the one I chose.

Why do you need to get the most expensive one? For a motherboard anything over $250 - $300 is not only overkill, but as was previously stated here, you'll get diminishing returns on your investment the more you spend past a certain price point. For me, $300 is about the max I would pay for a motherboard. You're not going to get some magical overclocking speed if you pay twice as much for a motherboard with literally identical features.

RAM: Slower RAM.

DDR4-4000 is MASSIVE overkill. Most Z390 motherboards by default run at DDR4-2133 - regardless of stated stock speed, and even if you do enable XMP, it's not always possible that you'll get the advertised speeds.

GPU: Not sure about this one, did you take these because they are cheaper RTX 2080 Ti' or because they are better than the one I chose?

You can't go wrong with any of them since for the most part they all come off the same Foxconn assembly line in China. I choose EVGA since they are generally known for their customer service, but you can't go wrong with Asus, EVGA, MSI, or Gigabyte.

PSU: I understand that my PSU of 1600W was a bit much but why is this better than Corsair's?

The P2s are widely regarded as being some of the best you can buy since they are based on the Super Flower platform (and are also cheaper than the Corsairs), but the Corsairs are good units as well. You can't go wrong either way there.

I do not think one should just remove all the RGB because it has RGB, but rather look which has best performance.

True, but I guess the question there is - do you want a window or do you not want a window? The Define R6 is a TG case, they also have one without TG, but there's nothing inbetween really unless you are willing to go with a different case manufacturer.

 

[mdd1963]

This appears to have gone into a 'how much can I spend if/when it's someone else's money' exercise...; one would expect to soon see a pair of 8 TB SSDs...in RAID1, of course, to completely maximize wasted money, of course...

 

[King Dranzer]

You will not be able to get high frame rates at 4K in games like Monster Hunter World, Cyber Punk 2077, Witcher 3. Better stick with 1440p as you can enjoy high fps at very high settings.

 

[g-unit1111]

This appears to have gone into a 'how much can I spend if/when it's someone else's money' exercise...; one would expect to soon see a pair of 8 TB SSDs...in RAID1, of course, to completely maximize wasted money, of course...

Yeah exactly - buying the most expensive parts does not make the best rig, nor does it mean that you chose the best parts necessarily. It just means you paid $500 for a motherboard that has the same features as one that costs 1/2 as much.

 

[zettez]

You're right about the 9990xe (I was trying to fill that budget ) and your not going to get double the performance with two 2080ti's and some games may not even optimize for SLI or in this case nvlink so there'd be no point for a second graphics card. I play black ops 4 on ultra at 3440 x 1440p witha gtx 1080ti and I had to put a fps limiter on to ensure gsync stays enabled. So if my 1080 ti can go in excess of 100fps then the 2080 ti well you get the point.
Purchase the one 2080 ti then when performance suffers upgrade to the latest and greatest. Don't complicate things with dual 2080 ti's for negligible performance. How old was that article? Many games support ultrawide. I guarantee any new triple A title supports ultrawide. If not then there's very few.

That is good thinking! I wonder if I can get my hands on one of those.

That is reassuring, so you think with a single RTX 2080 Ti I will be able to play on ultra and get 144 FPS with my ultrawide monitor? I have read reviews from others that claim it is not supported in most games and I am better off with a 1440p 144hz to get my 144 FPS.

 

[zettez]

Depends on how far you want to overclock. If you think you're going to get a significant speed boost out from using a liquid cooler, then by all means go with that. Otherwise most people benefit from a strong air cooler, or use the stock cooler.



Why do you need to get the most expensive one? For a motherboard anything over $250 - $300 is not only overkill, but as was previously stated here, you'll get diminishing returns on your investment the more you spend past a certain price point. For me, $300 is about the max I would pay for a motherboard. You're not going to get some magical overclocking speed if you pay twice as much for a motherboard with literally identical features.



DDR4-4000 is MASSIVE overkill. Most Z390 motherboards by default run at DDR4-2133 - regardless of stated stock speed, and even if you do enable XMP, it's not always possible that you'll get the advertised speeds.



You can't go wrong with any of them since for the most part they all come off the same Foxconn assembly line in China. I choose EVGA since they are generally known for their customer service, but you can't go wrong with Asus, EVGA, MSI, or Gigabyte.



The P2s are widely regarded as being some of the best you can buy since they are based on the Super Flower platform (and are also cheaper than the Corsairs), but the Corsairs are good units as well. You can't go wrong either way there.



True, but I guess the question there is - do you want a window or do you not want a window? The Define R6 is a TG case, they also have one without TG, but there's nothing inbetween really unless you are willing to go with a different case manufacturer.

This is great advice, thank you. The thing is my company will buy the computer and I thought maybe it is better to opt for a more expensive component even if it only gives 1% increase in performance. If we compare our MOBOs, is not the more expensive one a few percentage better in quality/features/overclocking performances?

I see, so RAM speed is redundant after 3000-ish? Why are there RAM that are advertised as up to 4600? Is there any way to reach those numbers?

I rather go without a window just because I get distracted by flashing lights and stuff. With that said, I do not mind RGB components being inside the case where I cannot see them, if the parts are better performance wise. I agree it is stupid to buy a component with RGB for $500 more that has the EXACT same performance of another component that does not have RGB. The question is, are they really identical or will the RGB component perform slightly better because of price/release date/other factor?

 

[zettez]

This appears to have gone into a 'how much can I spend if/when it's someone else's money' exercise...; one would expect to soon see a pair of 8 TB SSDs...in RAID1, of course, to completely maximize wasted money, of course...

Yes maybe that is where this thread is going. Actually I just want the BEST GAMING PC available, and most of the times more money = more performance. Until the diminishing returns happens. Compare a $200 computer to a $1000 computer. The second one is much better. But when we start to compare $5000 and $6000, maybe the performance is 1-2%, which is not feasible, but for my case I want those 1-2% even if it costs me $1000 more. Call me stupid and cost-inefficient, but this is what my thread is actually about.