Planning yet another build!

[Nobaris]

Hey guys, Nobaris here again...

   I’m planning another build, but its not for me, but for my brother. He’s recently been starting to get interested in PC gaming, and both he and I think its about time we upgrade his 9 year old HP desktop. He doesn’t know much about PC stuff, so he came looking for me to help him build one. His budget is about $4000 (I’m not sure why he wants to go this much, maybe it’s because he wants it to last him a long time), and I’ve roughly planned a build. However, I have a few doubts and have come here once again to clear them. Hope people might be able to help me out!

    As far as the build goes, it’s been like this: 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$529.89 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	NZXT - Kraken X72 Liquid CPU Cooler	$179.96 @ Amazon
Thermal Compound	Thermal Grizzly - Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS ULTRA ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$244.54 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$290.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 970 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$159.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Samsung - 970 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$159.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card	$1449.99 @ Newegg
Case	Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400S TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case	$86.11 @ Newegg
Power Supply	EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$97.06 @ Amazon
Operating System	Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$99.39 @ OutletPC
Case Fan	Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans	$99.89 @ OutletPC
Case Fan	Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans	$99.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor	Acer - XZ271U bmijpphzx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$3527.68
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$3497.68
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-17 08:35 EDT-0400

    Regarding this plan so far, I have a few questions: 

     1. I haven’t decided on the motherboard, I just filled it in with the Gigabyte Aorus Ultra first. I want a Z390 motherboard with decent overclockability, along with a plethora of features. I am currently thinking of the Aorus Ultra, Aorus Master, or Aorus Xtreme. If you have other better choices, feel free to say it!

   2. I want all the fans in the case RGB. However, the fans on the Kraken X72 aren’t RGB, so I would like to replace them with 3 120mm fans. I also want both the case and radiator fans to be the same, for a much cleaner look. I was looking at the Corsair LL120 RGB, but turns out they aren’t ideal for radiators, instead much better as case fans. Could someone recommend  me RGB fans that have decent SP and AF (so that they can be used as case and rad fans), whilst being as, if not even more, beautiful than the LL120s?

   3. I’m not exactly happy with the P400s. I was looking for a stylish case with a futuristic look, but have searched to no avail...until I saw the COSMOS C700M! It looked beautiful, so beautiful, had excellent RGB placement, and was so stylish. Amidst all its glorious looks, I soon realised the pricing was just pure absurd. $470 for a case?! It shook me hard. Now, I have not been able to find an as-good-looking case as the C700M. The P350X comes really close, and is my second contender. Suggestions?

   4. Honestly, is 1g of thermal paste enough?

    5. The Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 Ti has great thermals, is good looking, and boasts nice clock speeds, but to me it looks like a black hole, with little to no RGB at all. This isn’t ideal as I want the PC to look as swag as possible . (RGB!!!) I need a suggestion for a 2080 Ti that has good thermals, looks great and performs well. At this level, price doesn’t matter, to be honest. However, don’t go too overboard and tell me to use a $2000 card or anything crazy like that. 

    6. Should I go for a custom loop? I should be able to squeeze it into the budget, but I’m still kind of a newbie, and I may not be able/experienced enough to deal with the tube bending, fitting, and planning that comes with a custom loop. (Please do not suggest flexible tubing, they look horrendous and extremely ugly) I really am not confident enough to take on a project like this, even though the results may look absolutely fantastic. 

    7. Should I include an RGB light strip, cable combs, cable extensions, or sleeved cables? They would definitely help it look nicer but is it worth the price and time? If so, do recommend me brands to look for. (This shall not be included in the $4000, I’ll surprise him with these of my own.)

    That’s all! Any other feedback or criticism is very much welcome here, after all, I want the best out of this build! Questions? Just ask! Well, that’s that, Nobaris out!

   Peace and happy building

 

Included below, respectively, are: Motherboard options currently considered, 

Phanteks P400s Gray 

Phanteks P350X

 

[NunoLava1998]

You use [bb] not HTML

[Nobaris]

Whoops. Corrected but still looks a little off! What’s wrong?

[Nobaris]

9 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

You use [bb] not HTML

Ahh its correct now, no worries!

[NunoLava1998]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($529.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.97 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($203.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($175.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 860 QVO 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($547.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card  ($1229.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Ultra Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case Fan: Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans  ($99.89 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Samsung - LC27JG50QQNZA 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($309.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: Optane 900P 480GB (3D XPoint) ($599.99)
Total: $3994.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-17 08:47 EDT-0400

You could do much better.

Still about the same specs, but removed the Windows license, changed the 6 RGB fans to 3 RGB fans, got a better case, got a cheap but good 2080 Ti, got RAM that's 32GB 3000MHz and still fairly inexpensive, switched out the water cooler for an equally performing air cooler, and upgraded the storage to a 4TB normal SSD and a 480GB Optane boot+games drive.

[NunoLava1998]

also get a 850w psu

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($529.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.97 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($203.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($175.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 860 QVO 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($547.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card  ($1229.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Ultra Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case Fan: Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans  ($99.89 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Samsung - LC27JG50QQNZA 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($309.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: Optane 900P 480GB (3D XPoint) ($599.99)
Total: $3994.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-17 08:47 EDT-0400

You could do much better.

Still about the same specs, but removed the Windows license, changed the 6 RGB fans to 3 RGB fans, got a better case, got a cheap but good 2080 Ti, got RAM that's 32GB 3000MHz and still fairly inexpensive, switched out the water cooler for an equally performing air cooler, and upgraded the storage to a 4TB normal SSD and a 480GB Optane boot+games drive.

That spec is all over the place.

 

If he wants it to look nice then that means no Noctua Brown.

 

Gigabyte Z390 > Any other Z390 at the same price point.

 

That Samsung SSD isn't as good as the 860 EVO.

 

That monitor isn't a G-Sync. He has the budget for one.

 

Also Optane is a waste for a gaming pc. No way I would pay $600 for that much little storage.

 

 

[NunoLava1998]

Just now, lee32uk said:

That spec is all over the place.

 

If he wants it to look nice then that means no Noctua Brown.

 

Gigabyte Z390 > Any other Z390 at the same price point.

 

That Samsung SSD isn't as good as the 860 EVO.

 

That monitor isn't a G-Sync. He has the budget for one.

 

Also Optane is a waste for a gaming pc. No way I would pay $600 for that much little storage.

 

 

Alright, fixed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($529.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.97 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($289.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($175.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($695.00 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card  ($1229.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 1300 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($223.98 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans  ($99.89 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Asus - ROG SWIFT PG279QZ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor  ($599.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $4030.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-17 09:00 EDT-0400

[Nobaris]

10 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

You could do much better.

Still about the same specs, but removed the Windows license, changed the 6 RGB fans to 3 RGB fans, got a better case, got a cheap but good 2080 Ti, got RAM that's 32GB 3000MHz and still fairly inexpensive, switched out the water cooler for an equally performing air cooler, and upgraded the storage to a 4TB normal SSD and a 480GB Optane boot+games drive.

Well, not trying to be harsh or anything, but there are many things wrong/over the place. 1. $550 SSD? Thats pure mad, He doesn’t even need that much. 1TB is good enough. Also, it isn’t as fast as the 970 PRO. 2. Its a good aircooler, but I’m going for style too m, so it’s a big nono. 3. Removing the window license to fit the budget? He needs that! 4. That RAM isn’t gonna cut it for this build. 5. The EVGA card has crappy thermals. It wouldn’t stand aggressive overclocking. 

[Nobaris]

8 minutes ago, lee32uk said:

That spec is all over the place.

 

If he wants it to look nice then that means no Noctua Brown.

 

Gigabyte Z390 > Any other Z390 at the same price point.

 

That Samsung SSD isn't as good as the 860 EVO.

 

That monitor isn't a G-Sync. He has the budget for one.

 

Also Optane is a waste for a gaming pc. No way I would pay $600 for that much little storage.

 

Thank you for the clarification. Great advice, by the way. Thanks!

[NunoLava1998]

1 minute ago, Nobaris said:

Well, not trying to be harsh or anything, but there are many things wrong/over the place. 1. $550 SSD? Thats pure mad, He doesn’t even need that much. 1TB is good enough. Also, it isn’t as fast as the 970 PRO. 2. Its a good aircooler, but I’m going for style too m, so it’s a big nono. 3. Removing the window license to fit the budget? He needs that! 4. That RAM isn’t gonna cut it for this build. 5. The EVGA card has crappy thermals. It wouldn’t stand aggressive overclocking. 

1. Makes sense.

2. Makes sense.

3. You can run Windows 10 perfectly without a license. You only have some advanced personalization settings removed.

4. It's still 32GB and 3000MHz.

5. Makes sense.

[Nobaris]

5 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

Alright, fixed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($529.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.97 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($289.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($175.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($695.00 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card  ($1229.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 1300 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($223.98 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair - LL120RGB LED (Three Fans With Lighting Node PRO) 43.25 CFM 120mm Fans  ($99.89 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Asus - ROG SWIFT PG279QZ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor  ($599.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $4030.57

Why do I need a 1300w PSU for a 450w-500w consuming desktop? Simply overkill. As for the RAM, I think 3600MHz is the bare minimum, no going below that. Above that point, and its just ridiculous prices. The case is good, I’ve seen many people recommending it, but it just doesn’t do my taste justice. Looking for a much more stylish case (refer to something thats looks like the C700M).

[NunoLava1998]

2 minutes ago, Nobaris said:

Why do I need a 1300w PSU for a 450w-500w consuming desktop? Simply overkill. As for the RAM, I think 3600MHz is the bare minimum, no going below that. Above that point, and its just ridiculous prices. The case is good, I’ve seen many people recommending it, but it just doesn’t do my taste justice. Looking for a much more stylish case (refer to something thats looks like the C700M).

It doesn't consume 500W, more like 800-1000W. PCPartPicker is just inaccurate in this case, because it thinks the 9900K consumes 95W, while it actually consumes about 200-300W.

2400MHz is the bare minimum. There is very little benefit going past 3200MHz.

The case concerns make sense

[Nobaris]

3 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

It's still 32GB and 3000MHz.

Well, it overheats prematurely and can’t be overclocked (though I’m not sure of this). The G.Skill Trident Z RGB is of much higher quality. Going with your point, wouldn’t getting 32Gb of DDR4-3000 RAM of some cheap ripoff that costs $100 be the same? It does matter. 

[NunoLava1998]

Just now, Nobaris said:

Well, it overheats prematurely and can’t be overclocked (though I’m not sure of this). The G.Skill Trident Z RGB is of much higher quality. Going with your point, wouldn’t getting 32Gb of DDR4-3000 RAM of some cheap ripoff that costs $100 be the same? It does matter. 

Then go for the Trident Z.

Going past 3200MHz literally makes no difference

[Nobaris]

1 minute ago, NunoLava1998 said:

It doesn't consume 500W, more like 800-1000W. PCPartPicker is just inaccurate in this case, because it thinks the 9900K consumes 95W, while it actually consumes about 200-300W

That might be true. Spare me some time; I’ll use a PSU calculator to verify this point. 

[Guest]

As a rough guide I would do something like this. No real need for 32GB Ram to be honest, but it easily fits in the budget.

 

Gigabyte 2080 ti might not be the best thermal wise but it is stunning when lit up. Other option would be the Waterforce version if you have enough room for the extra rad.

 

Case is subjective. This Cooler Master has good airflow and front RGB fans.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($529.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML360R RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($149.99 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($289.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($109.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($109.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($277.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB AORUS XTREME Video Card  ($1299.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master - MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($73.98 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Asus - ROG SWIFT PG279QZ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor  ($599.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $3545.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-17 09:08 EDT-0400

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Nobaris said:

That might be true. Spare me some time; I’ll use a PSU calculator to verify this point. 

You won't need anything more than a 650W. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

It doesn't consume 500W, more like 800-1000W. PCPartPicker is just inaccurate in this case, because it thinks the 9900K consumes 95W, while it actually consumes about 200-300W.

2400MHz is the bare minimum. There is very little benefit going past 3200MHz.

The case concerns make sense

Where you getting 800W - 1000W from ? 

[NunoLava1998]

Just now, lee32uk said:

Where you getting 800W - 1000W from ? 

It's more like 700-800W.

I went for the 1300W PRIME PSU because it was cheaper than the 1000W PRIME ULTRA TITANIUM

[Guest]

1 minute ago, NunoLava1998 said:

It's more like 700-800W.

I went for the 1300W PRIME PSU because it was cheaper than the 1000W PRIME ULTRA TITANIUM

Still wrong. The 9900K can pull around 250W when under torture i.e a 100% stress test like Prime 95 with AVX. That is not realistic for gaming. 

 

The gpu might pull up to 300W under full load. A 650W psu is easily enough for this system.

[NunoLava1998]

Just now, lee32uk said:

Still wrong. The 9900K can pull around 250W when under torture i.e a 100% stress test like Prime 95 with AVX. That is not realistic for gaming. 

 

The gpu might pull up to 300W under full load. A 650W psu is easily enough for this system.

I'd probably go for atleast 800W then

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

I'd probably go for atleast 800W then

Why ? The system won't use anywhere near that amount. Even 650W has headroom.

[NunoLava1998]

1 minute ago, lee32uk said:

Why ? The system won't use anywhere near that amount. Even 650W has headroom.

Because iirc he's OCing the CPU, GPU and RAM heavily.

[Nobaris]

16 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

It doesn't consume 500W, more like 800-1000W. PCPartPicker is just inaccurate in this case, because it thinks the 9900K consumes 95W, while it actually consumes about 200-300W.

You must’ve been mistaken. Even after adding extremely aggressive overclocking, as well as 6 fans, an RGB strip and 3 monitors (he’s planning to use 1 only), this was the end result:

 

(The recommended PSU was the EVGA SuperNOVA 750w N1, 80+ Non-Rated)