Dalamud - upper end gaming for 2018

[porina]

Today is the day I finally update my gaming system. I'm going to use components from other systems to avoid more spend. Stats in the sig might change later, but for now the main two donor systems I'm taking parts from are:

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Main rig: Asus Maximus VIII Hero, i7-6700k stock, Noctua D14, G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200 2x8GB, Asus 1080 Ti Strix OC, Corsair HX750i, In Win 303 NVIDIA, Samsung SM951 512GB, Optane 900p 280GB, Crucial MX200 1TB, Sandisk 960GB, WD Blue 1TB, Acer Predator XB241YU

Coffee tasting: Asrock Z370 Pro4, i7-8086k @ 5.2 GHz, Noctua D15, G.Skill TridentZ 3000C14 @ 3866C17 2x8GB, 1060 3GB, ancient OCZ PSU, Corsair 600C, Crucial BX300 120GB

Main system was build around summer 2015, so it is nearly 3 years old now. I'm starting to feel the pinch in high fps gaming with the quad core. Still fine for 60fps, but I'm no peasant.

 

New system is moving some bits from main rig to Coffee Tasting rig.

 

CPU: 8086k - stock for now, I'll revisit OC later but I know it benches at 5.2 GHz all cores

CPU cooler: Noctua D15 - debating running single fan or keep two

Mobo: Asrock Z370 Pro4 - cheap but it works

Ram: G.Skill TridentZ 3000C14 2x8GB - I'm debating replacing this with Corsair RGB from another system, but the Noctua obscures the ram slots so it wouldn't be very visible.

GPU: Asus 1080 Ti ROG Strix OC

OS drive: Optane 900p 280GB

Game storage: Sandisk 960GB + Crucial MX200 1TB

Video recording storage: HGST 1TB 7200rpm 2.5" HD

Other storage: Optane 32GB module - wasn't going to use this but I can't extract it without taking the CPU cooler off so it might as well stay. Will make it the swap/temp drive.

PSU: Fractal Edison 550W semi-modular

 

I'm in the process of installing software on it right now. Fresh Win10 install with only the minimal stuff needed on it for a gaming system, with a side order of overclocking.

 

Note (old) main system will still be kept running. I've been wanting to separate my day to day system and gaming system for a while, and this is the ideal chance.

 

 

The GPU is the only thing in there that lights up to any degree. I'm running the stock case fans for now, but could replace them with RGB...

 

The Asrock system I previously named Odin, but have decided to rename it Dalamud in this rebuild. I'll have to change the colour scheme to more orange/red I think... and here is the part. I want to do more with the looks of the case, but I'm not exactly flowing with ideas. I never really got beyond the "put a lot of parts together" stage, and could go more custom, even if I'm not sure how yet...

[Crunchy Dragon]

One of these days, I should separate my main rig and gaming rig.

Heck, I use my desktop for everything my laptop can't do.

 

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Coffee Tasting previously run an 8350K at 5Ghz?

[porina]

8 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

One of these days, I should separate my main rig and gaming rig.

Heck, I use my desktop for everything my laptop can't do.

The way I'm currently setup is I'm gaming, and have youtube going on, and likely some other background stuff... but all that load is affecting my gaming experience. Not by being a distraction, but it is eating enough CPU cycles it is no longer smooth unless I shut extra stuff off. Also, my main system has a TON of software gathered over the years. I don't want to mess with it, but it certainly isn't helping my gaming. A split is the sensible choice here.

 

A separate problem I don't know how to resolve yet is, how do I run two systems? I have one desk, and it isn't big enough for two sets of controls. I don't think a KVM will work well with gaming displays. The software thing that Linus is sponsored by might be an option.

 

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Also correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Coffee Tasting previously run an 8350K at 5Ghz?

Yes. I still have that CPU, currently lying topless on the desk next to me. If I feel like another system I might get a mini-ITX mobo for it, but I really don't need another system  Want is another matter... that particular sample would bench at 5.0 GHz fine but it needed a bit more voltage than I'm comfortable with for 24/7.

[racer243l]

Oh reading this isn´t good I recently started thinking about replacing my 6700k as well and getting a more elegent case.

She served and still does serve me well but I just like you got the feeling I need moar powaaa 8 cores are what I´m looking at since decoding a video in handbrake at 14 FPS and 40ish FPS in Resolve is a pain

I might wait till december when all my courses I have to do for work are over.

[porina]

12 minutes ago, racer243l said:

Oh reading this isn´t good I recently started thinking about replacing my 6700k as well and getting a more elegent case.

Ooh, we have (had) similar specs... as far as gaming anyway.

12 minutes ago, racer243l said:

She served and still does serve me well but I just like you got the feeling I need moar powaaa 8 cores are what I´m looking at since decoding a video in handbrake at 14 FPS and 40ish FPS in Resolve is a pain

I might wait till december when all my courses I have to do for work are over.

Well, by then the Intel 8 core should hopefully be around, so you can compare that against the Ryzen offerings, and maybe a next gen nvidia card too... if the wallet will handle all that!

 

 

Back to my system... software install is at a stage where I can start doing game installs. In the past I've taken a shortcut by re-using installed files, but given this is a clean build, I'll do a fresh download of FFXIV at 33GB, this could take a while... the Steam games are on the two SSDs I've yet to connect up, no way I'm re-downloading best part of 2TB there!

[racer243l]

3 minutes ago, porina said:

Ooh, we have (had) similar specs... as far as gaming anyway.

Well, by then the Intel 8 core should hopefully be around, so you can compare that against the Ryzen offerings, and maybe a next gen nvidia card too... if the wallet will handle all that!

Back to my system... software install is at a stage where I can start doing game installs. In the past I've taken a shortcut by re-using installed files, but given this is a clean build, I'll do a fresh download of FFXIV at 33GB, this could take a while... the Steam games are on the two SSDs I've yet to connect up, no way I'm re-downloading best part of 2TB there!

That´s what I´m hoping for. But Ryzen is tempting after all. GPU wise I´m not sure, since I want to get a Asus PG35VQ 3440x1440 200Hz when they come out so money might get an issue but it more depends on what nVidia will offer us performance wise.

 

Your system is really nice. I like it But I wouldn´t use RGB fans, rather one or two RGB LED strips inside the case for background illumination, but that´s just me

Downloading so much stuff is a pain, hence I will also reuse my MX300 WD Black.

[porina]

 

Done some extra tweaks to the layout and I'm using the system now. Nice and clean in front... Oh, that's my former main system lurking in the back corner.

 

 

...and a messy behind. How's my cable management skills? I use what I call the holiday packing method, where you basically push the lid on and hope it fits.

 

After some game testing, the performance is night and day vs my old quad core. More often than not, I'm hitting the 144fps limit on FFXIV 1440p maximum settings. No stutters or anything. On the old system, it varies much more depending on what was going on, and a more typical value was 90's to low 100's. Unfortunately the above seems to have bought out a new problem. After some testing, it seems when the GPU gets hot and the fans speed up, it now rattles slightly. It didn't do that in the old system, and there are two possibiilities. I'm wondering if it doesn't like running the opposite way up to normal, or is the new CPU simply giving it enough power to fully max out the GPU? I've checked there's no obstructions around the fans. As a workaround, I'm actually running the game's with a framerate limit. I tried 120 Hz, then 100 Hz, and now I'm on the built in 1/2 rate limiter, so I'm locked onto 72fps solidly now. This reduces the load on the GPU enough that it doesn't go noisy. Given the heat at the moment, I'll take the heat reduction also. Can't put my finger on it, it still feels more responsive than vsync at 60 Hz. Maybe because I'm on G-sync even thought the framerate isn't higher, the input lag reduction helps.

 

[porina]

Finally got around to sorting out my control for the two systems. I had been using a mouse directly on the old system, but keyboard input required VNC. I debated using a wireless keyboard but didn't want another device lying around.

 

Seeing the ads for Synergy I thought I'd give it a go... but saw a GoodBytes post saying Mouse Without Borders does the same thing between Windows systems for free. I just tried it... and so far so good. On the desktop, it just works. I'm not sure now it'll handle gaming, which will be the next test.