Help me build my first PC! A killer ITX gaming rig.

[TheLootGoblin]

Hey, all.

 

Looking for some advice on building my very first PC. Finally looking to get into gaming after feeling a little stale towards console games.

 

I’m coming from using Macs at home and at school, so I know there will be a bit of a learning curve, but I’m up for the challenge. Going into this totally blind to PCs and their components, but I’m the type who will spend months researching before making a big decision. And I've been researching enough that I feel confident in asking for help. Any and all input/criticism is more than welcomed.

 

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime in 2020, absolutely no rush. Willing to wait if better parts are about to be released.

 

Budget Range:  I’m the kind of person that follows the “buy once, cry once” style of advice. In other words, I’d rather spend money now and not have to worry about something breaking or being replaced. I’d like to save money where I can, but if I can get much better performance out of a $50 increase, I’d like to. Tentatively set the budget at $3500ish.

 

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Almost exclusively for gaming in FPS. I may browse the internet, and use Spotify/discord, with the occasional word document and very rarely, a photo edit with Adobe Creative Cloud, but that’s it.

 

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, I assume Windows 10 is the way to go here?

 

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Not opposed to buying online. Amazon, Newegg, and B&H seems like the norm, and I have no issue with any of those. I doubt I’ll find quality components locally.

 

Location: In the midwestern portion of the USA.

 

Parts Preferences: No real preference as far as brand loyalty, but I do certainly enjoy certain aesthetics. I enjoy the looks of RBGs and AIO coolers, but I’m not handcuffed to them, by any means. Would prefer an all matte black type of build.

 

Overclocking: Yes. Would prefer to squeeze as much out of my CPU as I can, reasonably.

 

Additional Comments: I’d like to have a smaller PC, I make smaller car trips a bit, and it would be nice to be able to bring my computer with me, if needed. Obviously, quiet is better, and I’d like at least one window on the case. I could definitely use help with case fans, though.

 

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cDr98M

 

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900KF 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($478.89 @ Amazon)

 

CPU Cooler: Deepcool Castle 240 RGB 69.34 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

 

Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste  ($6.85 @ Amazon)

 

Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z390-I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($213.99 @ Amazon)

 

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($139.99 @ Newegg)

 

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($169.99 @ Amazon)

 

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($169.99 @ Amazon)

 

Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card  ($1199.99 @ Newegg)

 

Case: NZXT H210i Mini ITX Tower Case  ($109.99 @ Amazon)

 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($249.99 @ Amazon)

 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($109.99 @ Newegg)

 

Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($169.99 @ Best Buy)

 

Mouse: Logitech G502 HERO Wired Optical Mouse  ($48.58 @ Amazon)

 

Headphones: Logitech Pro X Gaming 7.1 Channel  Headset  ($118.99 @ Newegg)

 

Total: $3187.22

 

Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-13 18:17 EST-0500

 

 

 

Thoughts/rationale on each component.

 

CPU: Not entirely opposed to an AMD like the 3900, but it seems like for gaming, Intel is still king. All other components seem to play nicely for AMD as well, so if there’s a reason I should go AMD, I’m all ears! Looking to overclock the 9900K to about 5.0 all cores. But admittedly, I’ve done very little research into how besides utilizing BIOS.

 

Cooler: Going more for aesthetic here than anything. Really love the way this looks, as well as the fact that the logo on the pump is removable/customizable. RGB doesn’t hurt, either. NZXT x52 was another I was looking at, but the software seems to be a nightmare, and the logo isn’t even rotatable.

 

Thermal Compound: Just going off the reviews. This seems good, and liquid metal scares me.

 

MoBo: Z390 seems like the logical choice for ITX. I was looking at Micro ATX, but it seems to be dying out. There’s a version of this board for AMD, as well. I also like the idea of Aura Sync.

 

Memory: These seem popular, and priced reasonably. Everything I read seems to indicate you don’t get much of a difference over 3200. Liked the Corsair Vengeances, too, but these seemed a little better looking to me.

 

Storage: Not much to say here.

 

GPU: Another one of the items I’m putting the most money into. Would like a 2080 Ti, but I’ve done zero research into what is coming or about to be released. If I’d be wise to wait, let me know. Also, unsure if I should go with an open air like this one, or something with a blower to make the most out of a cramped ITX case.

 

Case: Probably the least happy with this choice. It seems like EVERY new build features a random NZXT case. But ITX choices are limited, and I couldn’t find anything that stood out. I like the Razer Antec Cube a lot, but they’re discontinued. I’d like to have a case that isn’t as universal as this, but what can you do.

 

Case Fans: I have no idea what I’m doing. I know I’d likely run the AIO Rad up front, pulling air in. With a two fans in the rear/top working as exhausts. Not sure if that’d be enough to keep things cool with an OC, but I’m not opposed to using better fans to help out. Open to any and all options here. Preferably RGB.

 

Power Supply: Not much to say here. Wanted to get enough W to cover everything and then some.

 

OS: Apparently you can buy a windows key on Ebay for a lot less. Is that the way to go?

 

Keyboard: I know peripherals are getting into the weeds, but it was between this and a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate. Much prefer the look of the Razer, but the switch choices for the K70 make it edge out the Razer a bit.

 

Mouse: More clueless here. I use a fingertip grip, and would like some extra buttons. Extremely lightweight seems to be the move nowadays. Was also looking at the Logitech G Pro Wireless, Razer Basilisk Ultimate, Razer Mamba Elite, and Razer Viper Ultimate.

 

Headphones: Another person preference item. These seem to be getting great reviews for the money. And the Blue software integration is pretty nifty.

 

Sorry for such a long-winded post. Just wanted to give my thoughts and show that I’m not just clicking random things on PCpartpicker. Any and all help/suggestions/hate would be appreciated. I’m venturing into no man’s land as far as this goes, and don’t have any friends that can offer guidance as far as part selection is concerned.

 

Thanks!

[Slottr]

9900 is a space heater, and I wouldnt go about that for ITX.

 

What resolution do you plan on playing at? Do you have a monitor?

[Arrogath]

There are a few other options in terms of cases I would bring to your attention the Lian Li TU150 and the NCase M1 for starters. Personally I like having the handle on the TU150 for moving my mobile gaming rig, which uses a 3900x under a Dark Rock Pro 4 and 2080. The cases at https://www.sliger.com/ are also pretty decent for radiator support and functionality although quite expensive, although I can't say I've worked with any of their cases myself.

I'm not sure if you're aware that 9900k overclocking samples have been doing worse on average since the 9900ks was release so keep that in mind. In terms of price/performance a 3700x or 3800x would be better, but if you're going to be pushing a high refresh rate monitor I concede that the 9900k or ks would be the better choice. If you aren't pushing high refresh rates and are going for higher resolutions I would shift some of your budget from cpu to gpu and use a b450 or x570 bundle with either a 3600 or better. I would be surprised if new 8 cores aren't coming out from AMD by next January which will completely replace the 9900k if current trends continue.

For the windows 10 OS I would suggest you buy the key off of kinguin or scdkey to keep your costs lower, if you would prefer to keep the key more legit buy off amazon or newegg since you should still get a better price than Microsoft directly. I use kinguin myself personally and had no problems, but I chose the more expensive option of a key that can be activated online rather than over the phone with Microsoft. I would also point out that there are only a couple benefits to using pro over home, mostly just the extra control over your updates and virtualization support in windows.

 

The gpu would also depend on what resolution/refresh you want to play at. I would advise against the 2080ti since it's been out for a good while now and will probably be replaced in the near future thus loosing value quickly, unless you are able to get a good price for one. If you're shooting for 1440p 144hz or similar for non-esports titles the 2080ti  is the only real choice though.

 

As long as the case you choose gets fairly decent airflow I would suggest you don't get a blower model, unless the price is REALLY good. I have a blower 2080 which is pretty decent, but the temperature will be your limiting factor with these models. I would suggest a 5700xt but apart from the driver issues it would appear you want high performance so the 2070 super or 2080 super would be a better bet at this time. There should be some new gpus coming out in the high end before the end of the year, I'm hoping these new products upset the current price performance stagnation and offer some better high end choices.

 

I would advise against an all in one liquid cooler if you can help it, mostly just to reduce the number of failure points. If the fans die on a tower cooler it's an easy fix, if a pump dies in a closed loop cooler you're ukered. If you're feel up to something more complex there are some interesting modular water cooling systems you could build with a flow rate indicator/sensor to ensure that if/when the pumps die you notice the water isn't moving. I personally use EK watercooling parts in my primary tower, but I hear great things about Alphacool as well. Check out the new stuff that came out at this CES show.

 

I believe I've ranted long enough, it's good to see you're open to whatever hardware fulfills your needs. I'm interested to see what other people chime in with.

[TheLootGoblin]

1 hour ago, Slottr said:

9900 is a space heater, and I wouldnt go about that for ITX.

 

What resolution do you plan on playing at? Do you have a monitor?

I was worried about that. Seems like the cooler might not be able to keep up with the wattage, as well. Might have to look at different options to keep things cool. 

 

Knew I forgot something. I haven't shopped for a monitor for the home set up yet, but it seems like anything less than 4k/144hz might be a waste on this setup. Still reading into 144 vs 240 hz and OLED technology. Happy to take recommendations on what to get to get the most out of this build, as listed! 

23 minutes ago, Arrogath said:

There are a few other options in terms of cases I would bring to your attention the Lian Li TU150 and the NCase M1 for starters. Personally I like having the handle on the TU150 for moving my mobile gaming rig, which uses a 3900x under a Dark Rock Pro 4 and 2080. The cases at https://www.sliger.com/ are also pretty decent for radiator support and functionality although quite expensive, although I can't say I've worked with any of their cases myself.

I'm not sure if you're aware that 9900k overclocking samples have been doing worse on average since the 9900ks was release so keep that in mind. In terms of price/performance a 3700x or 3800x would be better, but if you're going to be pushing a high refresh rate monitor I concede that the 9900k or ks would be the better choice. If you aren't pushing high refresh rates and are going for higher resolutions I would shift some of your budget from cpu to gpu and use a b450 or x570 bundle with either a 3600 or better. I would be surprised if new 8 cores aren't coming out from AMD by next January which will completely replace the 9900k if current trends continue.

For the windows 10 OS I would suggest you buy the key off of kinguin or scdkey to keep your costs lower, if you would prefer to keep the key more legit buy off amazon or newegg since you should still get a better price than Microsoft directly. I use kinguin myself personally and had no problems, but I chose the more expensive option of a key that can be activated online rather than over the phone with Microsoft. I would also point out that there are only a couple benefits to using pro over home, mostly just the extra control over your updates and virtualization support in windows.

 

The gpu would also depend on what resolution/refresh you want to play at. I would advise against the 2080ti since it's been out for a good while now and will probably be replaced in the near future thus loosing value quickly, unless you are able to get a good price for one. If you're shooting for 1440p 144hz or similar for non-esports titles the 2080ti  is the only real choice though.

 

As long as the case you choose gets fairly decent airflow I would suggest you don't get a blower model, unless the price is REALLY good. I have a blower 2080 which is pretty decent, but the temperature will be your limiting factor with these models. I would suggest a 5700xt but apart from the driver issues it would appear you want high performance so the 2070 super or 2080 super would be a better bet at this time. There should be some new gpus coming out in the high end before the end of the year, I'm hoping these new products upset the current price performance stagnation and offer some better high end choices.

 

I would advise against an all in one liquid cooler if you can help it, mostly just to reduce the number of failure points. If the fans die on a tower cooler it's an easy fix, if a pump dies in a closed loop cooler you're ukered. If you're feel up to something more complex there are some interesting modular water cooling systems you could build with a flow rate indicator/sensor to ensure that if/when the pumps die you notice the water isn't moving. I personally use EK watercooling parts in my primary tower, but I hear great things about Alphacool as well. Check out the new stuff that came out at this CES show.

 

I believe I've ranted long enough, it's good to see you're open to whatever hardware fulfills your needs. I'm interested to see what other people chime in with.

Thanks for such an informative reply. Not sure how I missed either of those cases in my initial search. Lian Li looks great, but it seems like I'd only be able mount the 240 AIO at the bottom. Not sure how much I like the idea of blowing hot air up towards everything else. Especially if the 9900k can get as toasty as everyone says. The N case looks great, but it's awfully pricey. No fans included, and I'm not sure I'm ready to totally ditch all RGB yet. I might have to end up going with that just to cool this setup, though. It was something I hadn't heard of before, so thanks for making me aware of it! Glad to hear there are ITX options out there, my vision is just narrowed to a few sites. Sliger may be the answer. The 570 and 580 look right up my alley. 

 

Glad to hear I'm at least somewhat correct on going intel. As much as I love the AMD/Intel debate, after a few hours, my head starts to spin. If I were streaming, or doing any video work, it'd be a much easier decision. I do plan on running higher refresh rates. 144 at a minimum. 

 

Have absolutely zero issue buying an OS key unofficially. Just didn't know if they were legit/reputable. Glad to hear some vendors are! 

 

Regarding the GPU, that's why I mentioned waiting. It feels like the 2080 has been out forever, and I find it hard to believe it's still hasn't been replaced by something. I have that feeling that some huge announcement is right around the corner. All the more reason for me to take my time planning. 

 

I'll have to reconsider the AIO cooler, especially after finding out I'd be pushing it to it's wattage limit with an overclocked 9900k. Maybe the KS could help that. Or maybe a 280 would handle it a bit better, but that'd change my case selection. I don't think I'm cool/confident enough to start bending tubes for a custom water cooled set up. 

 

I appreciate the input. These are exactly the type of answers I was hoping to receive. I know nothing, so any input is an improvement. At least that's my mindset. Seems like the case and the cooler are the only real issues. I was expecting a lot more problem!

[boggy77]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor	$493.84 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$139.99 @ Best Buy
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$249.99 @ B&H
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$175.99 @ Newegg
Storage	HP EX950 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$242.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC HYBRID GAMING Video Card	$1203.98 @ Newegg
Case	Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case	$77.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$109.99 @ Corsair
Monitor	Acer Predator X34 34.0" 3440x1440 120 Hz Monitor	$729.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$3474.74
	Mail-in rebates	-$50.00
	Total	$3424.74
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-14 04:35 EST-0500

 

alternative amd build. also a suitable monitor

[TheLootGoblin]

16 hours ago, boggy77 said:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor	$493.84 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$139.99 @ Best Buy
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$249.99 @ B&H
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$175.99 @ Newegg
Storage	HP EX950 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$242.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC HYBRID GAMING Video Card	$1203.98 @ Newegg
Case	Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case	$77.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$109.99 @ Corsair
Monitor	Acer Predator X34 34.0" 3440x1440 120 Hz Monitor	$729.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$3474.74
	Mail-in rebates	-$50.00
	Total	$3424.74
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-14 04:35 EST-0500

 

alternative amd build. also a suitable monitor

I actually have a list like that saved on pcpartpicker, oddly enough. Any reason to go AMD for a strictly gaming rig that you plan to OC? 

[Arrogath]

3 hours ago, TheLootGoblin said:

I actually have a list like that saved on pcpartpicker, oddly enough. Any reason to go AMD for a strictly gaming rig that you plan to OC? 

One of the primary benefits would probably be pci-e gen 4 and the fact that the platform isn't a dead end. If something better comes along you can upgrade to the newer processor and just sell your used cpu. As I was saying earlier, in terms of game performance for high refresh rates AMD is doing fairly well already and will likely match or overtake the 9900k with the next iteration.

[TheLootGoblin]

4 minutes ago, Arrogath said:

One of the primary benefits would probably be pci-e gen 4 and the fact that the platform isn't a dead end. If something better comes along you can upgrade to the newer processor and just sell your used cpu. As I was saying earlier, in terms of game performance for high refresh rates AMD is doing fairly well already and will likely match or overtake the 9900k with the next iteration.

I'm new to the AMD/Intel debate, so forgive me for not being 100% up to speed on things. Are the up and coming AMD CPUs basically guaranteed to utilize the same chipset? I know that's a big selling point for them, but I dunno if they've come out and said as much. 

 

Also, any truth to them running cooler? 

[Arrogath]

1 minute ago, TheLootGoblin said:

I'm new to the AMD/Intel debate, so forgive me for not being 100% up to speed on things. Are the up and coming AMD CPUs basically guaranteed to utilize the same chipset? I know that's a big selling point for them, but I dunno if they've come out and said as much. 

 

Also, any truth to them running cooler? 

This varies a bit depending on which parts you're comparing. If we're talking heat in terms of watts then yes AMD seems to produce less heat although my information is mostly second hand apart from my current AMD builds. Comparing temperatures between architectures and fab types isn't very informative which is why I was talking total heat in watts. On that note, 7nm Ryzen temperature and clock behaviour is similar to a GPU and tends to look weird to most people at first so you may see some threads talking about high idle temperature behaviour due to the chip boosting up and down to clear off tasks.

The AM4 should get a bit more support before AMD bothers to change the socket, with backwards compatibility for possibly a couple more generations of processors. The flexibility is the big selling point though, since you can get up to 16 cores on this platform already letting it act as anything from media machine to HEDT competitive workstation. If your needs changed it would be fairly straightforward to change your rig's purpose with a couple parts.

As for the right now best 144+hz gaming PC, I've already said Intel holds that crown for the time being although next gen they'll probably be sharing it. Unfortunately next gen AMD probably isn't coming till late this year or early next year, which leaves you with a dilemma of waiting or buying without a definite release date yet.

[brob]

Since the purchase is not imminent, I'd wait a bit to see if the new Intel desktop cpu are going to be worth consideration. A new Nvidia architecture may also appear.

 

Cases with glass side panels are not the best option when one plans to travel.

 

While the I9-9900K can generate a fair bit of heat, a good 240 or 280 aio should not have any problems handling it.

 

A 1000W psu is far more capacity than needed. A good 850W is more than enough.

 

Consider a 2TB NVMe drive instead of two smaller units. 

 

With a compatible mini-ITX case, you might consider a hybrid gpu. Should offer better cooling given the confines of a small case.

 

There is no real need to get thermal compound. New cpu coolers include the necessary interface material.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900KF 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($478.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($134.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z390-I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($213.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($399.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC HYBRID GAMING Video Card  ($1299.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($68.98 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Best Buy) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($99.99 @ B&H) 
Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 HERO Wired Optical Mouse  ($48.58 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech Pro X Gaming 7.1 Channel  Headset  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $3314.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-15 01:33 EST-0500

[boggy77]

7 hours ago, TheLootGoblin said:

I actually have a list like that saved on pcpartpicker, oddly enough. Any reason to go AMD for a strictly gaming rig that you plan to OC? 

think about it this way: currently, the best 2 gaming chips from intel are 8700k (6cores/12threads) and 9900k(8core/16threads). think of the ryzen 5 3600 as a slightly lower clocked 8700k (say 90% of it's performance, for half the price) and the ryzen 7 3700x as a slightly lower clocked 9900k (again, 90% of the performance, roughly half the price). now, the 3900 is 12 cores 24 threads, again a bit slightly lower clocked than the 9900k. but more and more of the newer games are able to take advantage of as many cores as possible, while reducing their dependency on high clock speeds. i think future games will benefit more from more cores than more Hz, that's why I think on the long term the 3900 will outlast the 9900. plus, if the new 4000 series can utilise the x570 boards (and the roumours say they will), I'm sure the 4700x (or equivalent 8 core chip will have the same performance as the 9900 or better, while the 16 core chip (the 4000 version of the 3950x will be something the world has never seen before).

[TheLootGoblin]

15 hours ago, Arrogath said:

As for the right now best 144+hz gaming PC, I've already said Intel holds that crown for the time being although next gen they'll probably be sharing it. Unfortunately next gen AMD probably isn't coming till late this year or early next year, which leaves you with a dilemma of waiting or buying without a definite release date yet.

That's all I keep hearing. They're so close with the Ryzen 9 line. Makes me wanna wait for 10.... especially if I'm not in a hurry. AMD seems to be the way of the future. I can't help but imagine if they set their minds on a strictly gaming CPU. Intel would be extinct. 

 

14 hours ago, brob said:

Since the purchase is not imminent, I'd wait a bit to see if the new Intel desktop cpu are going to be worth consideration. A new Nvidia architecture may also appear.

 

Cases with glass side panels are not the best option when one plans to travel.

 

While the I9-9900K can generate a fair bit of heat, a good 240 or 280 aio should not have any problems handling it.

 

A 1000W psu is far more capacity than needed. A good 850W is more than enough.

 

Consider a 2TB NVMe drive instead of two smaller units. 

 

With a compatible mini-ITX case, you might consider a hybrid gpu. Should offer better cooling given the confines of a small case.

 

There is no real need to get thermal compound. New cpu coolers include the necessary interface material.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900KF 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($478.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($134.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z390-I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($213.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($399.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC HYBRID GAMING Video Card  ($1299.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($68.98 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Best Buy) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($99.99 @ B&H) 
Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 HERO Wired Optical Mouse  ($48.58 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech Pro X Gaming 7.1 Channel  Headset  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $3314.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-15 01:33 EST-0500

I appreciate the help. Glad to hear a 240 AIO should be able to handle it. I intend to add as many case fans as possible, just to help out. The case I'm looking at in place of the NZXT has much more fan support. 

 

I should probably update my parts list, as the PSU has been replaced after everyone told me that's easily the most foolish thing in the list, as has the NVMe drives. The price tag just stings a bit. 

 

Thanks! 

11 hours ago, boggy77 said:

think about it this way: currently, the best 2 gaming chips from intel are 8700k (6cores/12threads) and 9900k(8core/16threads). think of the ryzen 5 3600 as a slightly lower clocked 8700k (say 90% of it's performance, for half the price) and the ryzen 7 3700x as a slightly lower clocked 9900k (again, 90% of the performance, roughly half the price). now, the 3900 is 12 cores 24 threads, again a bit slightly lower clocked than the 9900k. but more and more of the newer games are able to take advantage of as many cores as possible, while reducing their dependency on high clock speeds. i think future games will benefit more from more cores than more Hz, that's why I think on the long term the 3900 will outlast the 9900. plus, if the new 4000 series can utilise the x570 boards (and the roumours say they will), I'm sure the 4700x (or equivalent 8 core chip will have the same performance as the 9900 or better, while the 16 core chip (the 4000 version of the 3950x will be something the world has never seen before).

Very well said! Makes it easy to understand, even for someone like me. I haven't looked into the potential capabilities of a 4000 series AMD CPU, but I would tend to believe you're right in saying that's where AMD fully takes over. Especially if they can price them the way they have everything else. Might just be worth waiting for. Here's hoping they utilize the same socket.