High budget portable 4090 + Intel i9 CAD/3D concert previsualization rig

[jacoporicci]

Budget (including currency): 2000+ Euros (can go higher if needed, excluding 4090FE that I already own)

Country: Italy

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Heavy 3D previsualization of concerts, events and live shows with Syncronorm Depence 3, designing in CAD (Vectorworks), 3D modeling on Blender, occasional gaming and video editing with Premiere/Da Vinci

 

 

Hello everyone, long time LTT fan and viewer. I'm a creative director and show designer from Rome, Italy working for worldwide A-class artists and tours. I'm planning on building a portable previsualization rig that I can transport on-site when there's the need to keep working on the programming and previz of such shows on location but that can also be used in an office space. I already own a RTX 4090 FE that's still in the box and wanted to include that in the system obviously.

 

CASE / MAKING IT PORTABLE

The main concern is the transportability and safety in doing so and from here the first question: would you rather have a small form factor case that can fit in a Pelican case with custom foam or like a 3/4U ATX rack case that can fit everything and would be transported in a shock mounted flight case like THIS? What are the best practices in making a system portable? I'm concerned about a GPU that big moving around and how to prevent it from doing that.

 

I don't know many rack mountable ATX cases and the best I found is THIS from Density. Seems expensive and maybe not very good front IO but it's the only one that can carry a large GPU like the 4090 and allow for ample colling and an AIO that I suppose would be necessary for such a high end system. Also, adding onto this, I would like this to be as silent as possible when not used on the road in the previsualization suite we have at the studio, hence the requirement for AIO support.

 

I'm obviously open for more suggestions regarding cases since I've already looked into all the main brands and didn't find a good alternative at the Density.

 

CPU / RAM 

I've been watching LTT for over 9 years now but choosing components such as CPU and RAM without going "sort from price (descending)" has never been my thing. I was oriented towards a i9-13900K just because from a quick search it looks like it's the most powerful nowadays even though I've seen from multiple sources (LTT included) that it's impossible to cool. I wonder if a 360 AIO would do the trick tho. Same goes for RAM, I know I want DDR5 but what parameters should I take into consideration when choosing RAM for my application?

 

MOBO

There's way too many of them and watching LTT's ultimate guide on building a pc twice didn't prevent an eternal indecisive person like me from freezing in front of the million options presented. I've been recommended the ProArt series from Asus but don't know if it's too overkill or if there's anything better.

 

PSU / SSD / AIO

As for all the other components, like PSU, SSD and AIO I'm even more in the dark so feel free to suggest the best options for a high end system.

It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be powerful so the balance is more towards power, aesthetic is just an added bonus if possible. After all, this thing probably won't have a windows but we're still a creative company ahah

 

MONITOR

I was looking at the Dell U4919DW (not included in the aforementioned budget). What's your opinion on it? I like that I can have multiple sources and be able to use it for displaying the screen(s) out of this pc and maybe an additional laptop if needed. Any other suggestions? I'm not married to the one monitor thing, I've actually spent most of time using a laptop with a secondary monitor so pretty used to have two instead of a big one.

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read through this and sorry for any eventual misspelling and the lenghty post.

 

Cheers from Italy!

 

 

 

[jaslion]

21 minutes ago, jacoporicci said:

GPU that big moving around and how to prevent it from doing that.

Honestly not really much you can do except custom making brackets.

 

Simply put no matter what you do you will need to put in some time making a gpu holder that is STURDY AF. Because the 4090 WILL come loose.

 

Basically I'd ask a boutique builder to make a special itx rig that can be held togheter strongly.

 

Removing it is also not a real option forever as a pcie slot is only meant to be plugged/unplugged about 20 times before it degrades. I have seen multiple systems over the years where the connectors simply wore out. Same for me on my gpu tester rig I went though quite a few boards over the years before I found a good cheap replaceable pcie extender. However the pads on the gpu will also wear out

 

As for cpu the 13900k is basically not coolable unless you have BEYOND top tier cooling or start undervolting it. In your case you'd want at least some thermal headroom so I'd say overspend on cooling and undervolt if you opt for the 13900.

 

https://www.xcase.co.uk/products/xpc-400-4u-400mm-e-atx

 

Also here is a generic case that will fit your stuff. I can see making a metal frame that sits FIRMLY against the gpu OR using a pcie extender on a matx/itx board. Basically making a cage the gpu can NOT move from.

 

As for cooler oddly enough an aio would probably be best here and depending on if noise is a concern or not I'd opt for some actual delta fans. They need 24v but there are plenty 12v sata -> 24v fan convertor options out there. or they require higher amperage and use 12v which there are also boards for.

[jacoporicci]

16 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Honestly not really much you can do except custom making brackets.

 

Simply put no matter what you do you will need to put in some time making a gpu holder that is STURDY AF. Because the 4090 WILL come loose.

 

Basically I'd ask a boutique builder to make a special itx rig that can be held togheter strongly.

 

Removing it is also not a real option forever as a pcie slot is only meant to be plugged/unplugged about 20 times before it degrades. I have seen multiple systems over the years where the connectors simply wore out. Same for me on my gpu tester rig I went though quite a few boards over the years before I found a good cheap replaceable pcie extender. However the pads on the gpu will also wear out

 

As for cpu the 13900k is basically not coolable unless you have BEYOND top tier cooling or start undervolting it. In your case you'd want at least some thermal headroom so I'd say overspend on cooling and undervolt if you opt for the 13900.

 

https://www.xcase.co.uk/products/xpc-400-4u-400mm-e-atx

 

Also here is a generic case that will fit your stuff. I can see making a metal frame that sits FIRMLY against the gpu OR using a pcie extender on a matx/itx board. Basically making a cage the gpu can NOT move from.

 

As for cooler oddly enough an aio would probably be best here and depending on if noise is a concern or not I'd opt for some actual delta fans. They need 24v but there are plenty 12v sata -> 24v fan convertor options out there. or they require higher amperage and use 12v which there are also boards for.

Hey jaslion! Thanks for replying so fast, very precious advices here.

 

So, from my understanding it's either a very compact ITX case that keeps it firm or a rack case with a very well engineered GPU bracket/holder/cage, correct?

No removing the gpu every time is not option also because I'd want it to be very fast to setup and be ready to go. Ideally the shock mount flight case it will travel into will be bigger and already equipped with a patchbay/networking/ups, so I can just slide the system in and make it travel ready.

 

Might be relevant or not but I forgot to mention that said "travel" will only be made by me or on a truck provided by the tour production, never by a shipping company or by air/sea so it's somewhat "controlled".

 

Attached is a tentative part list I just put together, overall it's overbudget considering it's still missing the case. Where can I optimize? My "sort by descending price" attitude to determine performance has hit again and I'm stuck.

 

MOBO: The ProArt board seems like it has everything I need, I don't know if there's something better (even if it's more expensive) or something with the same level of performance for a better price. Also, I know that Z790 chipset are better than Z690 but I noticed that the ProArt Z790 is cheaper than its Z690 version, why is so? What about TUF boards? They looked rugged but was wondering if it's just marketing.

CPU: is there a better option than the 13900 for this specific application? Is the pain cooling it worth the performance or better look into other options, if any?

RAM: I just went for the fastest DDR5 speed I could find on pcpartpicker, but I don't know if that has to be my only source for parts. I'm really having a hard time gauging RAM, any advice? Also, in the filters it also gives bundles, is there a meaning to it? Do I have to buy in bundle because they're matched? Can't I just do 2 x 64gb sticks to reach 128gb of RAM? If I filter for 64gb DDR5 sticks I only end up with one result.

SSD: I thought it might be a good idea to have them in RAID1 for redundancy, am I correct?

PSU: might be another area where I can cut some more budget, might not need titanium and at this point I'd prefer something reliable and rugged.

CASE: I like your suggestion but I'm looking for something with at least one usb-c front connector if it exists. OR I just thought I can have a front patch panel with some more IO routed from the back of the case to the front, but I'd need to slim down the system to 3U, which i don't think it's feasible considering the 4090.

Noob question: can I swap the AIO fans with Noctua or better performing ones to help reducing noise?

 

Again, thanks for replying and sorry for the million questions, definitely not an easy build to do by myself!

 

J

 

[jaslion]

6 minutes ago, jacoporicci said:

or something with the same level of performance for a better price

Legit a generic not craptastic b760 board will do just fine. A motherboard has NO performance impact what so ever unless it's literal garbage. Any particular reason the proart was taken?

 

Raid 1 is a good idea in case of drive death

 

Cooling wise I opted for a better one and potentially upgrade it even more with some arctic MAX fans.

 

The x73 is a good cooler but not better and has one MAJOR flaw. It REQUIRES NZXT cam to run to adjust pump speed which is a MASSIVE flaw and issue if the software borks up because then it goes into eco mode and temperatures will go up a lot.

 

As for the pc keep it simple, keep it cheap keep it doable build has 180 for case + whatevers left.

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/LfzpyK

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor  (€607.88 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€131.53 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B760 GAMING X ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  (€160.50 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory  (€231.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory  (€231.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€143.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€143.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000e (2022) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  (€172.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1820.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-05-28 16:57 CEST+0200

 

I'd also recommend finding a 128gb kit but if not get 2 32gb kits as a kit is guaranteed to have compatibility.

 

As for case sadly I find no usb c because simply put rack mount cases follow older tried and true designs. So usb c is not on the menu there at all.

[PC HEROES]

1 hour ago, jacoporicci said:

Budget (including currency): 2000+ Euros (can go higher if needed, excluding 4090FE that I already own)

Country: Italy

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Heavy 3D previsualization of concerts, events and live shows with Syncronorm Depence 3, designing in CAD (Vectorworks), 3D modeling on Blender, occasional gaming and video editing with Premiere/Da Vinci

 

 

Hello everyone, long time LTT fan and viewer. I'm a creative director and show designer from Rome, Italy working for worldwide A-class artists and tours. I'm planning on building a portable previsualization rig that I can transport on-site when there's the need to keep working on the programming and previz of such shows on location but that can also be used in an office space. I already own a RTX 4090 FE that's still in the box and wanted to include that in the system obviously.

 

CASE / MAKING IT PORTABLE

The main concern is the transportability and safety in doing so and from here the first question: would you rather have a small form factor case that can fit in a Pelican case with custom foam or like a 3/4U ATX rack case that can fit everything and would be transported in a shock mounted flight case like THIS? What are the best practices in making a system portable? I'm concerned about a GPU that big moving around and how to prevent it from doing that.

 

I don't know many rack mountable ATX cases and the best I found is THIS from Density. Seems expensive and maybe not very good front IO but it's the only one that can carry a large GPU like the 4090 and allow for ample colling and an AIO that I suppose would be necessary for such a high end system. Also, adding onto this, I would like this to be as silent as possible when not used on the road in the previsualization suite we have at the studio, hence the requirement for AIO support.

 

I'm obviously open for more suggestions regarding cases since I've already looked into all the main brands and didn't find a good alternative at the Density.

 

CPU / RAM 

I've been watching LTT for over 9 years now but choosing components such as CPU and RAM without going "sort from price (descending)" has never been my thing. I was oriented towards a i9-13900K just because from a quick search it looks like it's the most powerful nowadays even though I've seen from multiple sources (LTT included) that it's impossible to cool. I wonder if a 360 AIO would do the trick tho. Same goes for RAM, I know I want DDR5 but what parameters should I take into consideration when choosing RAM for my application?

 

MOBO

There's way too many of them and watching LTT's ultimate guide on building a pc twice didn't prevent an eternal indecisive person like me from freezing in front of the million options presented. I've been recommended the ProArt series from Asus but don't know if it's too overkill or if there's anything better.

 

PSU / SSD / AIO

As for all the other components, like PSU, SSD and AIO I'm even more in the dark so feel free to suggest the best options for a high end system.

It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be powerful so the balance is more towards power, aesthetic is just an added bonus if possible. After all, this thing probably won't have a windows but we're still a creative company ahah

 

MONITOR

I was looking at the Dell U4919DW (not included in the aforementioned budget). What's your opinion on it? I like that I can have multiple sources and be able to use it for displaying the screen(s) out of this pc and maybe an additional laptop if needed. Any other suggestions? I'm not married to the one monitor thing, I've actually spent most of time using a laptop with a secondary monitor so pretty used to have two instead of a big one.

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read through this and sorry for any eventual misspelling and the lenghty post.

 

Cheers from Italy!

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, jacoporicci said:

Hey jaslion! Thanks for replying so fast, very precious advices here.

 

So, from my understanding it's either a very compact ITX case that keeps it firm or a rack case with a very well engineered GPU bracket/holder/cage, correct?

No removing the gpu every time is not option also because I'd want it to be very fast to setup and be ready to go. Ideally the shock mount flight case it will travel into will be bigger and already equipped with a patchbay/networking/ups, so I can just slide the system in and make it travel ready.

 

Might be relevant or not but I forgot to mention that said "travel" will only be made by me or on a truck provided by the tour production, never by a shipping company or by air/sea so it's somewhat "controlled".

 

Attached is a tentative part list I just put together, overall it's overbudget considering it's still missing the case. Where can I optimize? My "sort by descending price" attitude to determine performance has hit again and I'm stuck.

 

MOBO: The ProArt board seems like it has everything I need, I don't know if there's something better (even if it's more expensive) or something with the same level of performance for a better price. Also, I know that Z790 chipset are better than Z690 but I noticed that the ProArt Z790 is cheaper than its Z690 version, why is so? What about TUF boards? They looked rugged but was wondering if it's just marketing.

CPU: is there a better option than the 13900 for this specific application? Is the pain cooling it worth the performance or better look into other options, if any?

RAM: I just went for the fastest DDR5 speed I could find on pcpartpicker, but I don't know if that has to be my only source for parts. I'm really having a hard time gauging RAM, any advice? Also, in the filters it also gives bundles, is there a meaning to it? Do I have to buy in bundle because they're matched? Can't I just do 2 x 64gb sticks to reach 128gb of RAM? If I filter for 64gb DDR5 sticks I only end up with one result.

SSD: I thought it might be a good idea to have them in RAID1 for redundancy, am I correct?

PSU: might be another area where I can cut some more budget, might not need titanium and at this point I'd prefer something reliable and rugged.

CASE: I like your suggestion but I'm looking for something with at least one usb-c front connector if it exists. OR I just thought I can have a front patch panel with some more IO routed from the back of the case to the front, but I'd need to slim down the system to 3U, which i don't think it's feasible considering the 4090.

Noob question: can I swap the AIO fans with Noctua or better performing ones to help reducing noise?

 

Again, thanks for replying and sorry for the million questions, definitely not an easy build to do by myself!

 

J

 

Hello, I think this build will be a wonderful option for you. I took your ideas and I tried to come up with a way to make them all work together. For someone who's done this a few times it gets easier with time and practice. You can use any case you want for travel, you just have to know how to make it safe. Here are some basic rules to follow.

 

1. Make sure that your PC is Carry On, Pick a PC Case that will fit inside a Rolling Suite Case that is able to fit inside it.

 

2. Find a Packing Material that will work, here is a link to buy what I use. It is an expanding Foam Pack of air and it forms to anything you want. Just watch the video on how to use it and when you activate it just put the side of the PC case on really really quick. Instapak® Quick RT

 

3. Use a GPU Bracket that I have included into the build list.

 

With all this said Please don't get this list you have for some reasons that I will explain.

 

1. Please don't get those individual RAM sticks. Always buy them in a Kit. Also the MAX stable speeds right now is 6000mhz CL30. You are on the right track with just some tweaking here and there.

 

2. The rest looks ok, a lot of what I picked is the same. If you need any help on how something will work then please get back to me.

 

I have been building PCs for 30 years so if you have any questions please ask and if you need any other help them please DM me and I will give you by business email and I will give you my Phone number as well.

 

 

https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/gLRnZw

 

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor  (€607.88 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken 360 78.02 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€189.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: Asus ProArt Z790-CREATOR WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  (€569.26 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  (€265.72 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€143.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€143.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Video Card: NVIDIA Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card  (Purchased For €0.00)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact Lite ATX Mid Tower Case  (€104.35 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 1300 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  (€359.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Custom: EZDIY-FAB - Supporto per scheda grafica GPU, supporto per scheda video e supporto per schede video in alluminio anodizzato (nero)  (€25.60 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €2407.71

 

[brob]

The toaster aspects of the i9-13900K(F) are overblown. No doubt enthusiasts and reviewers can amaze the!selves with how much heat can be generated trying to reach 6.x GHz on all cores .

 

That is not my understanding of this use case. Rather, what is required is a powerful production box that is reliable. Performance, while important, being secondary. In which case an i9-13900 with appropriate power limits can be easily cooled with a high-end air tower.

 

As others have indicated, some sort of GPU bracket would be prudent.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900 2 GHz 24-Core Processor  (€650.69 @ Amazon Italia) 
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler  (€72.00 @ Amazon Italia) 
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790I EDGE WIFI Mini ITX LGA1700 Motherboard  (€406.07 @ Amazon Italia) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL32 Memory  (€275.90 @ Alternate Italia) 
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€383.06 @ Amazon Italia) 
Case: Lian Li TU150 Mini ITX Desktop Case  (€122.07 @ Amazon Italia) 
Power Supply: Asus ROG LOKI 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  (€257.89 @ Amazon Italia) 
Total: €2167.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-05-28 18:21 CEST+0200

[jacoporicci]

Hello, it's me. again!

 

Sorry for the very late reply but got caught in a mad work week.

 

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions, lots of great hints over here and I've slightly rethought the system as follows:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor  (€654.04 @ Amazon Italia) 
CPU Cooler: EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Dark 72 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€170.00) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z690-G GAMING WIFI Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  (€362.39 @ Amazon Italia) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  (€267.16 @ Amazon Italia) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  (€267.16 @ Amazon Italia) 
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€192.88 @ Amazon Italia) 
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€192.88 @ Amazon Italia) 
Video Card: NVIDIA Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card  (Purchased For €0.00) 
Case: Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  (€100.00) 
Total: €2206.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-01 22:10 CEST+0200

 

Still unable to find 128gb kits of RAM but I'll follow some of your suggestions above and eventually go with 2x64gb kits, hence the 4 ram slots matx motherboard. Ripjaws vs Z5? I just filtered DDR5 6000Mhz CL30. Just out of curiosity, is there a reason why is so difficult to find fast DDR5 kits of that size? Regarding mobo, I went TUF just because it looks rugged, but I've also seen the Asus ROG STRIX Z690-G GAMING WIFI, which is more expensive. I'm still confused on what chipset I should go with but this board looks like it has the same features as the strix while costing less. 

 

EDIT: Also just realized that the mobo I choose wouldn't need a K processor because of its chipset and only has one USB 3.2 Gen 1 header whilst the case has two USB 3s in the front. Also, doesn't seem it has enough PCI-E lanes for everything considering a 10gb ethernet upgrade down the line. Replaced it with the Strix, but also looking into MSI MAG Z690M MORTAR WIFI Micro ATX. Am I wrong?

 

In the end, I'm more oriented towards a mATX case with a Pelican case + custom foam. The reason why I went for this particular one is that is one of the few mATX cases that I could find that supports a 4090 + a 360 AIO for the 13900k and couldn't find anything better on CaseEnd.com . I didn't wanna go ITX and sacrifice temps, I still want a powerful yet reliable system. Plus, not a lot of ITX boards seem to support 4 sticks of RAM. As for the GPU anti sag bracket, I'll have a company custom CNC one for me that can go from the top to the bottom of the case (like a rack retainer, pic attached) and clamp the 4090.

 

AIO: They all look too "gaming" for a workstation so I went with that EK. Looks expensive and I wanted to swap all fans for Noctuas, still a good idea even if that comes with (what I only suppose are) good fans?

 

CPU wise, can I save a few €€ and go 13900KF or better have also integrated graphics?

 

PSU: If I filter for Platinum/Titanium of at least 1300W (pcpartpicker says that I'm at 950W, excluding other SSDs and/or fans) with a high power 12v connector on board I'm left with very few options on pcpartpicker. Any directions here?

 

Almost ready to start buying components and start this journey, thanks everyone!

[brob]

4 hours ago, jacoporicci said:

Still unable to find 128gb kits of RAM but I'll follow some of your suggestions above and eventually go with 2x64gb kits

 

Don't. First off, Trident Z5 Neo are intended for AMD CPU, they have EXPO OC profiles. Intel uses XMP profiles which can be found in Trident Z5.

 

From the G.Skill notes, similar caution also found in Asus memory QVL notes and elsewhere.

• Do not mix memory kits. Memory kits are sold in matched kits that are designed to run together as a set. Mixing memory kits will result in stability issues or system failure.

If you must have 128GB of memory I would suggest using a DDR4 motherboard.

 

4 hours ago, jacoporicci said:

Also just realized that the mobo I choose wouldn't need a K processor

 

Z690 and Z790 motherboards are designed for use with K suffixed (unlocked) CPU. Of course they can run non-K versions as well.

 

 

[cmndr]

Have you considered an AMD Ryzen 7950X or 7950X3D? Similar performance to the 13900k at half the peak power draw. 

 

here's some benchmarks on the matter. 
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/amd-ryzen-9-7900x3d-and-7950x3d-content-creation-review/#Video_Editing_DaVinci_Resolve_Studio

 

 

Also note that you can tune the peak power draw to be around half of a 13900k

 

 

 

RAM can definitely be a bit trickier on the AMD side than the Intel side though. If you get an X3D part memory performance won't matter much though since so much will land in the cache. 

If you basically need need TONS of memory... I'm a fan of the idea of 64GB "decent RAM" and a reasonably priced 118GB Intel Optane 800p/P1600X stick to use solely for page file. They're like $70 on ebay and will get you 'close enough' for the handful of times you're pushing memory limits. 

 

 

[jacoporicci]

On 6/2/2023 at 2:14 AM, brob said:

 

Don't. First off, Trident Z5 Neo are intended for AMD CPU, they have EXPO OC profiles. Intel uses XMP profiles which can be found in Trident Z5.

 

From the G.Skill notes, similar caution also found in Asus memory QVL notes and elsewhere.

• Do not mix memory kits. Memory kits are sold in matched kits that are designed to run together as a set. Mixing memory kits will result in stability issues or system failure.

If you must have 128GB of memory I would suggest using a DDR4 motherboard.

 

 

Z690 and Z790 motherboards are designed for use with K suffixed (unlocked) CPU. Of course they can run non-K versions as well.

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion, definitely a life saver.

 

So in terms of my application (CAD, 3D renders and previsualization suite) would I benefit from a DDR5 ram or can I not overthink RAM and just go with a good DDR4 kit? opinions? 

 

 

On 6/2/2023 at 2:20 AM, cmndr said:

Have you considered an AMD Ryzen 7950X or 7950X3D? Similar performance to the 13900k at half the peak power draw. 

 

here's some benchmarks on the matter. 
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/amd-ryzen-9-7900x3d-and-7950x3d-content-creation-review/#Video_Editing_DaVinci_Resolve_Studio

 

 

Also note that you can tune the peak power draw to be around half of a 13900k

 

 

 

RAM can definitely be a bit trickier on the AMD side than the Intel side though. If you get an X3D part memory performance won't matter much though since so much will land in the cache. 

If you basically need need TONS of memory... I'm a fan of the idea of 64GB "decent RAM" and a reasonably priced 118GB Intel Optane 800p/P1600X stick to use solely for page file. They're like $70 on ebay and will get you 'close enough' for the handful of times you're pushing memory limits. 

 

 

 

As for the CPU, that was the only thing that I wasn't gonna question but the idea of not having a lot of heat to dissipate kinda intrigues me more for the fact that can help me scale down the whole build and fit everything in a ITX case like the Dan C4 which can then fit into a smaller foam case for transportation.

 

If I go ITX i just need to rethink RAM and try to get to 128gb with just two sticks

 

[brob]

1 hour ago, jacoporicci said:

 

So in terms of my application (CAD, 3D renders and previsualization suite) would I benefit from a DDR5 ram or can I not overthink RAM and just go with a good DDR4 kit? opinions? 

 

If you must have 128GB now, DDR4 would be the way to go. In a few months time that may change. If you can live with 96GB, there are 2x48GB kits that are qualified for some motherboards.

 

While DDR5 can make a difference, having enough memory will have a larger impact on performance.

[jacoporicci]

18 minutes ago, brob said:

 

If you must have 128GB now, DDR4 would be the way to go. In a few months time that may change. If you can live with 96GB, there are 2x48GB kits that are qualified for some motherboards.

 

While DDR5 can make a difference, having enough memory will have a larger impact on performance.

So can I just find an mAtx board that supports both ddr5 and 4 and upgrade down the line?

[brob]

4 hours ago, jacoporicci said:

So can I just find an mAtx board that supports both ddr5 and 4 and upgrade down the line?

 

No. The choice is one or the other. There are no motherboards that offer support for both DDR4 and DDR5.

 

 

[jacoporicci]

13 hours ago, brob said:

 

No. The choice is one or the other. There are no motherboards that offer support for both DDR4 and DDR5.

 

 

Copy that and thanks for the clarification. Should I look into the 7950X or 7950X3D suggested by @cmndr now that sourcing RAM shouldn't be an issue if I go high capacity DDR4? That would help shrinking down case size since a 360 radiator won't be mandatory leaving me with only the AP201 Prime case for the build.

 

 

As of now, this is what I've pieced together:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor  (€610.88 @ Amazon Italia) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€152.22 @ Amazon Italia) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B760-G GAMING WIFI D4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  (€215.00) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 128 GB (4 x 32 GB) DDR4-4000 CL18 Memory  (€427.37 @ Amazon Italia) 
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€199.99 @ Amazon Italia) 
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  (€199.99 @ Amazon Italia) 
Video Card: NVIDIA Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card  (Purchased For €0.00) 
Case: Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  (€100.00) 
Total: €1905.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-09 14:14 CEST+0200

 

I'm missing the PSU, and I filtered for the ones that have the high power connector for the 4090 natively on board, not a lot of choice and this Silverstone HELA 1200R Platinum which is from a brand I trust and it's not the most expensive on the list. The reason for the on board high power connector is just cable management but if it's not a big deal i'll just broaden the filters a bit.

 

Thanks!

[brob]

I would suggest a memory kit that is on the motherboard memory QVL. Perhaps https://it.pcpartpicker.com/product/bxNgXL/gskill-trident-z-neo-128-gb-4-x-32-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c18q-128gtzn.

 

A 1200W PSU is significantly more capacity than needed, but given the options the model you mentioned makes sense.

 

I would suggest two additional fans.

 

The 7950X and 7950X3D are DDR5 only.

[jacoporicci]

39 minutes ago, brob said:

I would suggest a memory kit that is on the motherboard memory QVL. Perhaps https://it.pcpartpicker.com/product/bxNgXL/gskill-trident-z-neo-128-gb-4-x-32-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c18q-128gtzn.

 

A 1200W PSU is significantly more capacity than needed, but given the options the model you mentioned makes sense.

 

I would suggest two additional fans.

 

The 7950X and 7950X3D are DDR5 only.

 

Thanks, and I just googled what QVL is. So the Trident Z looks good but not very available here, I'll have a more in depth look to other options. As for the PSU, pcpartpicker calculated 938W and I thought to allow for a little headroom just in case but now I'm just wondering if I really need to narrow my options because of this high power connector. I would still buy a cablemods adapter i think though.

 

EDIT: @brob just did a second quick search, what about this? https://it.pcpartpicker.com/product/Vh2bt6/corsair-vengeance-lpx-128-gb-4-x-32-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-cmk128gx4m4d3600c18

 

Copy for the two fans!

 

And thanks!

[brob]

2 hours ago, jacoporicci said:

 

Thanks, and I just googled what QVL is. So the Trident Z looks good but not very available here, I'll have a more in depth look to other options. As for the PSU, pcpartpicker calculated 938W and I thought to allow for a little headroom just in case but now I'm just wondering if I really need to narrow my options because of this high power connector. I would still buy a cablemods adapter i think though.

 

EDIT: @brob just did a second quick search, what about this? https://it.pcpartpicker.com/product/Vh2bt6/corsair-vengeance-lpx-128-gb-4-x-32-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-cmk128gx4m4d3600c18

 

Copy for the two fans!

 

And thanks!

 

That kit is on the motherboard memory QVL which can be found at https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b760-g-gaming-wifi-d4-model/helpdesk_qvl_memory/.

[jacoporicci]

23 minutes ago, brob said:

 

That kit is on the motherboard memory QVL which can be found at https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b760-g-gaming-wifi-d4-model/helpdesk_qvl_memory/.

 

Can I consider it at the same level of the G Skill? The price is lower

[brob]

3 hours ago, jacoporicci said:

Can I consider it at the same level of the G Skill? The price is lower

 

If you are not planning to overclock memory beyond its rated speed, there is little difference between memory brands.

[cmndr]

On 6/8/2023 at 9:24 AM, jacoporicci said:

 

As for the CPU, that was the only thing that I wasn't gonna question but the idea of not having a lot of heat to dissipate kinda intrigues me more for the fact that can help me scale down the whole build and fit everything in a ITX case like the Dan C4 which can then fit into a smaller foam case for transportation.

 

If I go ITX i just need to rethink RAM and try to get to 128gb with just two sticks

 

 

Just be aware that for AM5 you can only use DDR5 RAM. 

 

And yeah, you'll probably have lower temps with less noise with a thick 120x120 rad with a 7950x3D running at stock vs a 13900k with a double or triple rad. Having under half the heat dump helps. The 13900k is a hair more efficient at low load though but that is probably a non issue. 

 

The x3D parts are intentionally run at lower voltages. 

Though setting a power limit on the 13900k is also viable. You don't give up much performance. 

[jacoporicci]

Okay, I should be there. 

 

Dropped the high power connector on the psu because I thought I could just replace it with a cablemod 12VHPWR to PCI-e cables (how many for a 4090? 3? 4?) for THIS Be Quiet PSU which seems like a good deal at 240 euros on Amazon for a Platinum psu, couldn't find anything better myself on pcpartpicker. I would also pair it with a 180 degree adaptor from cablemod for a cleaner install.

 

Any opinions on the PSU? Couldn't find much infos online about it and Corsair and Seasonic seem a little too expensive.

 

Also, @brob RAMs listed on the mobo QVL are not so available here in Italy. Is the QVL really important or can I just follow the supported speeds on the specs?

 

Thanks!

[brob]

https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/ says the PSU is Tier A. 

 

With DDR4, as long as it supports XMP and is a reasonable speed any 4x32GB kit should be fine.

[jacoporicci]

In the quest to tame the 13900K should i look into installing a contact frame? I've been looking at various videos including GamerNexus' and it looks a pretty solid solution. Any experience?