Mid-Life Crisis Gaming PC - High End

ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:25
Last edited 25/07/2023 - 21:17

Been thinking of buying into the pcmasterrace hype train for a while. I've held off because I'm not great at the self-control thing and limiting myself to consoles and a Mac somewhat helps.

Anyway, something has changed (not the self-control part) and I just want to do it now. This PC will form part of a sim racing rig as well but it's not a very demanding collection of games.

I don't intend on cheaping out on components, and I want it to be well built (which means I won't be building it).

The system will be built around a 4080 or higher class of GPU. I intend for it to be useful for next gen GPUs (e.g. 5090) when they settle down in price, but probably would end up waiting until the gen after that. Budget is whatever gets me a premium-but-not-lavish PC that stays cool and performs well.

What's the most economical way of getting a custom-ish PC built?

Current build: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/pcpartsam/saved/#view=x2zxf…

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • boomramada on 23/07/2023 - 18:28
    -5

    Ps5?

    • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:29
      +1

      Not answering the question. But a PS5 is going to be part of the gaming setup, too.

    • Morien on 23/07/2023 - 18:33
      +1

      I'm happy with my PS5, but how is this an answer to OP's question?

      • Drpepper666 on 23/07/2023 - 18:44

        Exactly. If he wants high end gaming he should get the Xbox series X, the most powerful gaming console ever made.

        • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:46

          Already have the XSX. I wish I picked team PS5 for this generation.

          • boomramada on 23/07/2023 - 19:11
            +2

            @ozbargainsam: The ultimate solution for a Mid-life crisis would be to get a PS or XB then get a huge fricken OLED that your partner wouldn't let you buy.

            • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 19:12

              @boomramada: How do I say this politely…I think you need to read what you're replying to.

              I already have the OLED (A95K) and the XBX (and the PS5 is a relative no-brainer for later).

              PC will be plugged into the TV, so something that can do 4K60+ is the ideal.

              • boomramada on 23/07/2023 - 19:21

                @ozbargainsam: aww, you need 83" then, lol
                I'm not joking, you will get bored of your high-end PC week after, if you buy it for a Mid-life crisis, not as a gamer.

                • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 19:24
                  +1

                  @boomramada: I'm not not a gamer. Still play plenty of games now, but I just don't have a PC to game on.

  • Morien on 23/07/2023 - 18:32
    +1

    Try messaging BPC Tech, enigma, and techfast and seeing what they can come up with for you. They post deals from time to time so may have something suitable for you.

    • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:39

      Yeah I've been keeping an eye out on those deals. Though the deals don't target what I'm looking for, but they're on my radar as custom PC builders.

  • povogamer on 23/07/2023 - 18:46

    I want it to be well built (which means I won't be building it).

    I don't follow the logic here. I think you are both overestimating the standard of prebuilt vendors and underestimating your ability (or perhaps you are overestimating the level of difficulty in assembling computer parts; it really is not difficult).

    Also you need to change the privacy settings on your pcpartpicker list. We can't access it because it's private

    • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:50

      I probably am on both counts. Maybe I should just watch a few videos but the part that concerns me is getting the cooling right. But, doing it myself at least means I would be less concerned about swapping out for upgrades.

      Not private. Not that the list is really anything I put any thought into. Just a pricing ballpark tool.

      • povogamer on 23/07/2023 - 19:22

        If you're worried about whether your choice of cpu cooler is enough for a cpu, you can just google something like "{cpu} {cpu cooler} reddit" and read about other users' experiences. If you're still concerned you can just go overkill and get a 360mm AIO. If it's system temp that you are worried about (so including your gpu), just have a case with decent airflow and you're fine

        • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 19:23

          So overspend on cooling + a case with good airflow/space and it'll almost always be okay?

          • povogamer on 23/07/2023 - 19:42

            @ozbargainsam: + case fans, yep pretty much, although I wouldn't say "overspend" on cpu cooling because the $180 deepcool LT720 outperforms >$300 competitors

            But I think you are a bit too worried about cooling. It's not like overheating will blow up your 4080 :p It will just run slower and your fans will spin faster. When it comes to cooling solutions people are usually more concerned about noise. Since you are a mac user this may not be something you have had to think about

            • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 20:53

              @povogamer: Yes. I meant overprovision on cooling.

              And yes, if I go for a build with a throttled 4090 I may as well just buy a 4080/Ti 🙂 so actually making sure it's got the right setup to not waste the big GPU is a little important.

              I hear fans from my Intel work PC like it's afraid of being forgotten. But playing a maxed out game on the M1 Max MBP and not hearing anything does spoil you a bit.

  • Emphasise on 23/07/2023 - 18:55
    +3

    You can try https://www.logicalincrements.com/ for a bit of an overview on what parts to expect for certain price frames

    • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 18:59

      Now that's a useful page! Thanks.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 23/07/2023 - 20:08
    +2

    Treat yourself to a companion steam deck too while you’re at it matey

    • ozbargainsam on 23/07/2023 - 20:47

      No Ally?

      Anyway, I don't think I want or need that much gaming in my life. A dedicated place I distract myself is enough.

  • loropy9 on 24/07/2023 - 00:11

    I built a similar pc about 18 months ago. I've been building pcs for a long time, really isn't that hard. The first time you'll need to read up, but the good thing is you get to keep the knowledge forever. It will give you immense sense of power and freedom around your PC and you won't have to depend on others in the future.
    If you prefer the best, in my opinion you can do better than Asrock MB. I rate Asus and MSI motherboards first tier, followed by GB and the rest. The MB in your list doesn't have WiFi and no DDR5 support. DDR4 will be great for another 2-3 years, but is already becoming the RAM of yesterday.
    Same with Corsair, which I don't think is premium build quality.
    Your case needs to be at least mid tower to allow for air flow.
    Noctua make good quality fans. BTW, water cooling is a bit of a fad if you ask me. Leaks, noise etc. If you pick a good size case and good CPU cooler, your GPU won't make that much noise under load.
    All this being said, you can probably save a couple hundred $$$ if you go with your list. If money is not a problem I'd pay up for the premium parts.
    Oh and if you don't plan to overclock, the K version CPU is a waste of money.

    • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 01:10
      +1

      Thanks. Yeah, I think I will build it myself. Not least to take advantage of component pricing deals, but as you and the earlier poster said: it's not that scary.

      I may consider starting from the monstrous build here (https://www.logicalincrements.com/), pick the 13700 (or the 14700) non-K, go for a cheaper mobo, small CPU cooler, drop the HDD and go for a larger main SSD. When time comes closer, I'll need the help of OzB and reddit to fill in the gaps of the sundry components.

  • conza on 24/07/2023 - 08:31
    +2

    As it happens, it's a difficult time to buy PC parts when considering value, all because of the GPU.

    I'd steer to AMD for CPU at the moment, Intel has their own use cases and typically will allow higher ram frequency (again, certain use cases games benefit from this, very few though), AMD has just started a brand new platform which will typically last for quite a few years / several CPU generations.

    GPUs, you've basically got 3 choices, 2 sensible and 1 where you don't care about value at all. For AMD it's the 7900XTX 24GB of VRAM, slightly faster rasterisation performance than a 4080 but will also consume more power and is missing DLSS upscaling (though you can use FSR, both upscaling is limited to the games that support them). The RTX 4080 at 16GB of VRAM, it's a solid card but isn't worth the premium (imo) over a 7900XTX unless you have a specific use case, you want to run at ultra low power, you are using/want to use DLSS in 3+ games, etc.
    Then there's the RTX 4090 which is off the charts in terms of both extremely poor value, but also performance. If you can afford it and don't care, it will give more performance than the other two by about 25% (double check your resolution, game, etc).

    Everything else you basically can't go wrong in today's market, Power supply invest in a quality OEM/reseller (Seasonic, Corsair, a few others are fine), RAM DDR5 at 6000M/Ts or higher, NVMe SSD/s Gen 4 preferably just in case, most cases have good airflow unless you go out of your way not to, CPU coolers big air tower or 240/280mm AIO will be fine unless you've got overclocking in mind, and even most of the time then they will - overclocking is pointless now for gaming performance in most scenarios, the CPUs are mostly overclocked out of the box now.

    • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 08:57
      +1

      I'll give AMD a proper look. Don't care which vendor it is but the longevity of the platform is important, plus AMD is technically on a better node process. As long as the GPU isn't bottlenecked or games aren't CPU bottlenecked. Etc.

      I think it was always going to be a 4090 build. I was going to plug this PC into a 4K120 (A95K) OLED TV anyway so may as well get something that reliably gets above 4K60 on AAA titles on higher settings and maybe RT.

      It is a 'mid life crisis' (though not really, just an excuse) purchase. And I'm not planning on buying a fast car. This is gonna be way cheaper than any car.

      • ChickenLips on 24/07/2023 - 09:39

        +1 for AMD CPU. The 7800x3D is absolutely insane for gaming. The AM5 platform has just started so expect upgrades to become available.

        With intel when you upgrade to the next gen CPU you’ll need to upgrade the motherboard also, which can be quite painful if you aren’t confident building a PC. Will also mean reformatting windows.

        • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 13:22
          +1

          I've heard great things about the X3D specifically for gaming. Maybe that's what I'll go with. I assume they've solved the scheduling issue on the 7800 with that hack workaround?

          • ChickenLips on 24/07/2023 - 13:45
            +1

            @ozbargainsam: The 7800 doesn’t have the scheduling issue as the CPU only has one CCD

            • ozbargainsam on 25/07/2023 - 12:32

              @ChickenLips: Okay so it's the 7950X3D that has the scheduling issue. Worth $300 more…hmm

      • conza on 24/07/2023 - 19:24

        Yeah fair enough, it's all relative, the 4090 is the best out there and if you're thinking it's a $6k purchase for an all out PC, may as well spend that instead of $5k with slightly less mileage. the 4090 is an excellent product with no competitors, for 4k120 it's basically the only option today when taking it to the max. When you settle on the build would be great to update the OP I'd be interested to see what you went with.

        • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 20:42

          Yup. No sense spending all that money and cheaping out.

          For sure I'll share it here. After getting all these replies it would be a waste.

  • Boomstick on 24/07/2023 - 09:02

    I mean, if you’re in Brisbane I’d be more than happy to build a pc for you, I really enjoy pc building and have built a few hundred over the years.

    I can’t stand cable mess or poor cable management and cheap components that aren’t worth the cost of manufacturing.

    Otherwise, never had an issue with places like Computer Aliance where you buy all the parts and pay a build fee.

    Not the cheapest place or most expensive however their customer service and quality has always excelled for anyone I’ve sent there who’s had to do warranty claims or general service enquires.

    • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 11:06

      Thanks for the offer :) Not in Brisbane but the others here have already convinced me to build it myself.

      I'm concerned about the cable management. In the sense I can be a bit anal about it. I'll be futzing with cables for a while as a first timer.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 24/07/2023 - 10:53

    Do you game much already? I gamed a bit in my twenties, took a break for a few years then built a high end rig in my thirties and it's seen single digit hours of gaming in 2 years. Should have just bought a PS5.

    • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 11:02

      I have plenty of time for gaming but I've been intentionally limiting myself (failing often). If actively playing a game (i.e. something new, or going for an achievement) it's >10 hours a week. I have 'maintenance' games like Forza and favourites like CS:GO which I play occasionally.

      The rig is for getting into 'real' PC gaming, not console/controller games.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 24/07/2023 - 11:06

        Ah fair enough then. I have the time I just can't sit down and get into a game for long periods any more.

        • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 11:08
          +1

          Yup. I know exactly what you mean. Maybe it's the old age kicking in (mid-30s, so mostly a joke) but I can't get into games with new mechanics. I loved the first RDR and I cannot get into RDR2 at all.

  • bmxr on 24/07/2023 - 13:27

    Aftershock are higher end gaming focussed PCs that will have a few options for you that you can customise.

  • Gekov on 24/07/2023 - 16:12

    "What's the most economical way of getting a custom-ish PC built?"

    If you want SILENT (viz: NO FANS) as well
    go to this site.

    They will custom build a PC for you.

    https://quietpc.com.au/

    • ozbargainsam on 24/07/2023 - 21:11

      Saw that outfit from another thread. They are quite aesthetic builds but I think I'm already mentally committed to building my own. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

      • Gekov on 08/08/2023 - 21:40

        "I'm already mentally committed to building my own"

        I did my own build too,
        but I picked up a lot of tips from the site on the best components for a QUIET PC BUILD!

        Thanks to them my PC build did not require a lot of research on silent components - this saved me a heck of a lot of time & effort!

        • ozbargainsam on 08/08/2023 - 22:02

          Oh I see now. Yes that'll definitely help me narrow down my choices since quietness is one thing I want to optimise for. Thanks!

  • psdillon on 25/07/2023 - 07:49

    This is the cheapest solution to a mid-life crisis I've ever heard of. Your wife doesn't know how lucky she is!

    Throw in a Steelcase Leap and an electric up-down desk while you're at it.

    • ozbargainsam on 25/07/2023 - 10:42
      +1

      :D This thing is just one part of it. There's the OLED (already bought), the sim racing gear (a few K).

      But of course, much cheaper than a new car.

  • ozbargainsam on 25/07/2023 - 21:17

    Current working build here (also in OP): https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/pcpartsam/saved/#view=x2zxf…

    Copied it from a completed build, and updated it with a LC 4090, 7950X3D, ATX3.0 PSU.

    Case fans are as copied. Assume some of it needs to go as the 4090 block would vent out of the case anyway?

    • alan13 on 27/07/2023 - 17:40

      Jealous of your build!

      I have the same case.. do you know where you'll be mounting your radiators? Might want to double check because top mounting might cause some issues with RAM for a full size motherboard. I had to front mount, which has really limited GPU's.. although your one looks quite short so you might be alright for that position.

      • ozbargainsam on 27/07/2023 - 18:51

        Someone's gotta buy those 4090s!

        You ask me about fan placement and mounting and…I have no idea what I'm doing :D Since the internet told me that building a PC isn't scary, now it's the internet's responsibility to tell me which parts go together.

        But I'll keep what you've said in the back of my mind. Thanks :)

        • jk82 on 28/07/2023 - 15:44
          +1

          I'm assuming that's just a parts list and not the price but just be aware that there's no need to spend $3.2k on the STRIX OC 4090. They're all pretty much the same, and they all run at boost clocks anyway - so an "OC" model won't actually net you much of a performance gain. No need for "best of the best" here - they're all the best!

          PNY 4090 will perform pretty much the same for around $500 cheaper - they're a good brand, they usually supply the Quadro series in the business sector but they're a good AIB
          https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/graphics-cards/nvidia/10…

          If you want the ASUS brand just go the TUF
          https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/graphics-cards/nvidia/99…

          But yeah - they all run the exact same chips, it's just the cooling system that differs from model to model.

          Enjoy that beast once you get it! :)

          • ozbargainsam on 28/07/2023 - 18:41

            @jk82: Good shout. Dropped it down to the TUF.

            On one hand, I'm saving some money but on the other hand, I kinda wanted to be a little extravagant.

            Already down almost $1k from the original noob build. I think the fans are the last items to consider.

            • jk82 on 28/07/2023 - 18:55

              @ozbargainsam: If you want to go extravagant spend that extra cash on an OLED (or two) ;)

              LG C2 or Alienware AW3423DW

              • ozbargainsam on 28/07/2023 - 19:00

                @jk82: Already have the 65A95K (yeah it's a TV gaming PC) 🙂 plan on getting a sim racing rig to go along with it.

                But if there's a screen I might get it's the Samsung G9 OLED. Not planning on getting that yet.

    • povogamer on 29/07/2023 - 17:23

      Came back here after seeing your reddit thread

      • for a 4090 card, the gigabyte gaming oc has been the best reviewed by users whereas the asus cards (both tuf/strix) have been reported to have coil whine.
      • which of the case fans are you actually planning on getting? in your list currently there are too many fans for the o11 air mini
      • the only possible issue I see is that case might be a bit too small to fit a 4090 (4090 cards are all huge). you might be able to fit it but it will be a very tight fit (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4g8K4K6NKE) not only in terms of length but width. see lian li's 4090 compatibility list
      • I like how you even included the thermal paste lol

      overall looks very cool, certainly a dream build for many if money wasn't a constraint

      • ozbargainsam on 30/07/2023 - 02:11

        I wondered how long until someone here found the reddit post.

        It'll all make sense when you see where I copied it from :) I don't even know how I landed on that build. Just picked one that had some upvotes and comments.

        https://pcpartpicker.com/b/DZqp99 and I've added it to the description on my build.

        The first reply on the reddit post mentioned the fans needed and the build has the right amount and size. Still need to revisit/research the fans.

        Lemme check out the Gigabyte. I'm not married to any vendor. But apparently Asus fixed the coil whine on the Strix OC but no idea how to identify them.

        Thanks for your advice.

      • ozbargainsam on 30/07/2023 - 19:25

        Swapped to the Gigabyte OC card. If I'm reading the compatibility thing right, I need something like this? https://www.pccasegear.com/products/61867/cablemod-12vhpwr-9…

        The extra fan was an oops. Should be the right amount now.

        • povogamer on 01/08/2023 - 16:40

          As for compatibility, you do not strictly need that, since the PSU you picked out is ATX 3.0 so it will have its own 12VHPWR connector that goes directly into the graphics card.

          The 90 degrees cablemod adapter is mainly for clearance/cable management. Since the heatsinks on 4090 cards are so wide, when you plug in the 12VHPWR cable you might not have enough space between where the cable is inserted and the computer case side panel, and the issue is this might cause the cable to bend where it's not supposed to.

          So yeah I'm not really sure about that :p sorry, I don't have experience with 4080/4090 cards sadly

  • MrMcHairyHead on 31/07/2023 - 08:45
    -2

    You want a mid life Crysis gaming PC? Well Crysis came out in 2006 so altho it had high system requirements at the time, just about any PC can run it now. Even a 3060 would be way overkill for Crysis, it only had a requirement for 640MB of VRAM, 2GB of system RAM and a Core 2 Duo. You could get 60FPS at 1440p easily on just about any system with a dedicated GPU.

  • conza on 01/08/2023 - 18:53

    A couple of observations on the current build - it's perfectly fine btw, depends what your preferences are.

    Case size - The O11 Mini / Air, is ITX/mATX/ATX with modular components, really nice case. For ATX you are potentially a wee bit size limited, so this will mean, less and/or smaller fans, possibly with high power components (like a 4090), it will either be louder and/or run hotter than a solution in a larger case.

    How much louder/hotter, may not be much, but in a larger case with bigger fans, you'll more likely to address both of those concerns by going bigger. You may not want to, and that's… was going to say cool, obviously fine.

    SSD - Read up on the Samsung 990s, they're probably fine but earlier on this year they were randomly failing, it's probably sorted now but just to be sure.

    Air cooler - Go for the best

    GPU - Consider comparing the AIBs for sound/temperature, the ASUS TUF is the same price (at time of writing), have been fairly favourable these past 2 generations.

    Here's some suggestions - https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/8bTZxH

    • ozbargainsam on 01/08/2023 - 21:04

      That's the thing. I don't really know what I want so I picked a completed build that looks alright without really knowing about its pros and cons.

      And so thanks for your build and the hints. As long as it's not a giant case, it will work, so a mid tower is good. Some question of your build:

      • the Corsair is better/quieter than the be quiet!?
      • I'll stick with the 990 and make sure the firmware is updated (was aware of the premature drive death issue)
      • the TUF and Strix had many complaints of coil whine. Not sure if they add replaced the VRMs on the TUF but they did on the Strix
      • Noctua all good to me.

      I'm happy to spend up for a little more performance (staying stock/factory OC). Especially in the noise and heat department. As reddit had suggested, though, I should stay on air cooling for simplicity.

      Part of me is tempted to just go for bragging rights and get the 7950X3D and the Strix. It's just like a few extra hundo per part.

      • conza on 02/08/2023 - 06:49
        +1

        To answer your questions, I'd be hard pressed to prove to you Corsair is better than bequiet or
        Seasonic, Corsair has I'd argue the best reputation, those other two are fine. However, I picked Corsair since it's a 20mm shorter PSU, has a zero RPM fan mode (bequiet might but I can't verify that) and it was $10 cheaper. Both have 12VH power connectors, which are more preferable to the adapter that comes with some cards, if your GPU uses it, really plug that thing in to be sure.

        990 should be fine yes. Tuf, Strix, coil whine, it's possible, usually this occurs when you're running at very high fps, like 300+ (in my experience), and can occur on most high power graphics cards, pretty much. I'd rate fan rpm, therefore sound and at noise normalised temperatures (same temperature, same test, who has the lowest rpm).

        7950X3D May have worse gaming performance in some situations, I think it's literally a waste of money if you don't have the productivity use cases. Strix, again, all about noise normalised temperatures for me, if the aesthetics are worth the extra cost for you though, it'll likely be a solid card.

        EDIT: Fans I changed for the different case, if you've got slightly positive pressure (more intake than exhaust), that's ideal, with dust filtering, will stop dust getting in via other smaller gaps in the case. Here it would be 2:1 Intake:Exhaust.

        • ozbargainsam on 02/08/2023 - 15:08
          +1

          Thanks. That's just weird how's the 7950X3D isn't universally faster than the 7800.

          I think I'm pretty happy with your build. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

        • ozbargainsam on 06/08/2023 - 17:31
          +1

          I must've committed some /r/buildapc faux pax because I got no responses for my post.

          Again, thanks for your build, but I was hoping for one final consensus post to double check everything - not that I don't trust you (what't the KGB thing? Trust but verify)…anywho.

          I'm just gonna tack these questions on since I'm replying anyway, don't feel the need to answer them if you can't:

          • I can't see any issue with converting DP1.4 on the 4090 to USB-C for a USB-C (5K) monitor. Do you? May have to use my 5K (Studio Display) for a few months
          • I don't think there are any 'IPMI' or DP-in AM5 motherboards for TB display support?
          • conza on 06/08/2023 - 17:57
            +1

            @ozbargainsam: Interesting that buildapc… Look they're not the right subreddit here is the main one for the PC community, don't take my word for it either there are 8.3 million people subscribed, so that'll probably do it. https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/

            Always good to get as many opinions and do as many research angles as possible, when you feel you've got enough information to justify alternatives to what people are proposing, you probably have done enough research at that point. Besides, other people may show you things you haven't found or considered.

            DP 1.4 - I think you're looking for a Displayport to USB-C cable that is a high enough bandwidth, the monitor should tell you but yes, this has been done and can be done.

            IPMI/AM5/DP - The closest thing I would know about would be, onboard thunderbolt passthrough? Some AM4 motherboards had this, it is likely AM5 boards exist by now, this is usually an Intel tech thing but AMD have had it.

            Monitor research is it's whole own thing, my advice is, for gaming, look for variable refresh rate and don't rule out 1440p. You have enough horsepower to go 4K high refresh, but 5K gaming monitors really don't exist. In fact, I searched 5120 x 2880 on pcpartpicker there are 2 monitors none had prices.

            • ozbargainsam on 06/08/2023 - 18:56
              +1

              @conza: Thanks for the quick response. I'll give that other sub a go. There's so many similar looking subs lol

              I didn't find any AM5 boards that clearly advertised it. Maybe pcmr can tell me. But based on the AM4 generation discussion, my guess is if it's not on a server board it'll be on a $800+ godlike board).

              The USB-C/5K question is because I already have a 5K productivity monitor and I'll just tweak games to run at a stable 60 fps until I regain exclusive use of my main TV (long story). Longer term i may get a G9 OLED or a microLED thing when they come to market.

              • conza on 06/08/2023 - 19:08
                +1

                @ozbargainsam: Oled and Gaming, doesn't get better, I think LG really are the best for simple plug and play, when I make the jump one day I'd be going for a C2 42".

                For the 5K in the meantime, 1440p would scale perfectly 4:1 pixels so, that might get you by anyway.

                • ozbargainsam on 06/08/2023 - 19:21
                  +1

                  @conza: Let's see how the 4090 goes at 5K (1.56x more pixels to 4K) @ 60hz. Either way, not a big deal to scale to a non-integer resolution for games. 1440p gaming on a 4090 would be sacrilege 😂

                  Yeah, I could've gone for a G2/3 for gaming and I think FreeSync, but I decided I wanted the RGB pixels (A95K) instead of WOLED for general purpose use and colour accuracy.

    • ozbargainsam on 12/08/2023 - 00:20
      +1

      Looks like you're on the hook to get me over the line 🙂

      So this is the latest parts list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/pcpartsam/saved/6K4V4D

      • Looking at the newer Corsair - somewhere in the middle of your original one and the ASUS ROG (which seems to be well-reviewed).
      • Gonna try and get the Lian Li vertical GPU mount (or take a risk with an adaptor/cable)
      • Changed to a 2x3 120mm fan setup: 4 in/2 out
      • Apparently that CPU cooler is too big for the case, I think I'll need to drop it down to the reliable Peerless Assassin

      I think of the two stores closest to me, I can probably grab everything (except the vertical GPU mount) on the one day.

      Appreciate any further input :)

      • conza on 12/08/2023 - 11:11
        +1

        Hey no worries at all.

        First of all, GPU factory overclocks are a pure waste of money, you'd be better off burning $100 for warmth, it will make 0 difference, so the same TUF ASUS GPU without it is the way to go. GPUs auto overclock themselves with enough thermal and power headroom, get MSI Afterburner once you've got the system together, set your case, cpu and gpu fans how you like them, then run the auto-overclocker, may squeeze a tiny bit of performance (1-3%), but really it'll be maxed out, out of the box.

        Also please save the $10 on that Arctic Silver 5, the Noctua NT-H1 or H2 are some of the best, unnecessary spend, won't do anything for you. EDIT: H1 should come with the Noctua cooler*

        Looking at the newer Corsair PSU, I don't see what it does the RM1000e 2023 doesn't do? If it has a feature or features with $55 sure, otherwise not sure why.

        Vertical GPU, consider temperatures, GPU temperatures are the most important (in my opinion), since the lower the temperature the more performance you get, CPUs don't really scale as well although they perform similarly - https://youtu.be/o0wecnSTdy4?t=1171

        9x120mm fans is perfectly fine. For consideration though, that's $450, this case supports bigger fans, which spin slower for the same airflow, the slower fans spin the quieter they are. If you went for 3 x Lian Li Uni Fan SL 2-Pack 140mm, that fills out the case, less cabling (may not need a hub, or it's less complex if you do), fewer components to go wrong, etc, not to mention is $330 or $300 for those sets in Black or White respectively.

        This exact CPU Cooler is used in Lian Li's marketing for this case, the official height clearance is 167mm, the "Height (with fan)" of this cooler is 165mm, so I'm not sure if someone has tried test fitting and it didn't work, but should be fine in theory.

        Other comments, I still think the Samsung 990 isn't worth the money, Crucial P5 Plus is $175, it's does have a DRAM cache, you could have twice as much storage for and extra $45 if you bought 2 instead of 1 990 (2TB 990 = $306, 2x2TB P5 = $350).

        So with those revisions, it would look something like this, $250 cheaper, twice the storage, quieter,

        https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/RpLpgB

        • ozbargainsam on 12/08/2023 - 12:46
          +1

          Thanks for all that! I was at the store when you replied. Made those changes to the build and put the order in there and then.

          I'm sure I paid a little bit more by not sourcing it over time and waiting for deals but I…went down the option of them building it for me. $200 for build warranty and them handling RMAs etc, and their problem if something doesn't fit, including the GPU and cooler (which is now mounted normally).

          The case fans I swapped to Noctuas (same price but better). Otherwise it's almost the same.

          Thanks again for your help, and everyone else's. I know I didn't opt to build it myself but I think the extra is worth it for the assurance. I'll post photos…should be about a week away.

          • conza on 12/08/2023 - 15:13
            +1

            @ozbargainsam: Wow, ok cool!

            Yeah Noctua I mean, especially at the same price, they'll be even better performance / noise wise, you'll have no regrets there, very likely can keep many of these parts for multiple builds too if you were so inclined btw.

            Honestly the build yourself, yep always better value and all of that, but everything you have here is true, could get back luck with a part, saves that drama, it's usually about half a day of your time. $200 seems about fair.

            My only remaining question, did you buy Windows from them? If you did no worries, if you haven't, that's probably for the best as you can probably get a licence cheaper online.

            • ozbargainsam on 12/08/2023 - 16:14
              +1

              @conza: Nope. Gonna get Windows from a reseller. See if those $3 ones work.

              $200 is like 3.5%. Almost a no brainer for build and insurance.

  • GeneralStevis on 06/08/2023 - 23:28
    +1

    Congratulations on wanting to burn loads of cash on pc equipment! I did the same a couple months ago and got the rolls royce of parts and built myself.

    Corsair 1000W HX1000 80 Plus Platinum
    Samsung 4TB 870 QVO 2.5in SATA SSD
    Corsair H150i Elite Capellix 360mm RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
    Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB TG Mid Tower ATX Case - Black
    AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core AM5 4.5 GHz CPU Processor
    ASUS ROG Strix X670E-F Gaming Wifi AM5 ATX Motherboard
    Samsung 2TB 990 Pro M.2 NVMe SSD
    Corsair 64GB (2x32GB) CMH64GX5M2B5600Z40K Vengeance RGB 5600MHz DDR5 RAM
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 AORUS MASTER 24G Graphics Card

    34" Alienware qled (3423dw)
    42" c2 oled (thanks ozbargain)

    overkill and make me smile? yes.

    • ozbargainsam on 07/08/2023 - 09:02
      +1

      That is overkill lol but you can probably be sure you got the best system.

  • GJT on 18/08/2023 - 16:50

    Hey @ozbargainsam

    Keen to know which build and who you went with at the end :)

    Also how was those $3 windows keys XD

    • ozbargainsam on 19/08/2023 - 11:31

      Mostly finished setting it up now (got it yesterday). 1.2TB of games downloaded. Driver issues and cabling sorted. Haven't activated it yet. If $3 is a scam, it's only $3. Scorptec built it.

      Final build: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/pcpartsam/saved/#view=WdQsK…

      • GJT on 19/08/2023 - 16:04

        Sweet build <3 I'm making a similar build and wanted to see which parts you went with. I would appreciate it if you can let me know about coil whine later on when you run this rig. Have fun!

        • ozbargainsam on 19/08/2023 - 17:30

          Thanks 🙂 Someone did warn me about the coil whine on the Asus cards and I didn't listen so now I'm doing a bit of research to see what I can do about it (limit FPS, undervolting etc. - new to me). Anyway, it sounds like it kicks in between 300W and 390W, and it's not bad but not something I think I want. But there are mitigations. Since I'll be playing 2077 when the expansion comes out, it might require a lot of power.

          Will see if it's possible to swap it out at Scorptec for an MSI card or something.

          • GJT on 19/08/2023 - 17:39

            @ozbargainsam: Thanks, even though not from personal experience, I read online that Gigabyte AORUS MASTER 4090 is worth considering in regards to coil whine issues. I'll be doing my build around early September. Will update you once I know myself :)

            • ozbargainsam on 20/08/2023 - 13:56
              +1

              @GJT: Thanks. I keep worrying that I should claim the coil whine issue asap but in reality the warranty is 2 years (iirc). But I'll eagerly await your feedback 🙂

              Yeah, I think I could live with it, but it'll hurt resale down the road for sure. Though when I was playing CP2077 with everything topped out (4K, Override RT, DLSS Auto, ~100 fps) I didn't notice any whine.

              • GJT on 11/09/2023 - 00:45
                +1

                @ozbargainsam: Hey so I tested out the Gigabyte AORUS MASTER 4090 for around 2 weeks now. I don't think you should your Asus GPU. There's a bit of coil whine with this when playing games. Haven't narrowed down if it's the mobo or gpu yet. Since it's not too bothersome I don't plan on returning.

                • ozbargainsam on 12/09/2023 - 07:24
                  +1

                  @GJT: Thanks for getting back. Sorry about your whine. Did you mean I shouldn't return it? Maybe it's a bit of a lottery. Maybe it also breaks in a bit. I know not every game triggers it at high power or high FPS.

                  At least Starfield isn't causing it @400-450W @ 60fps.

                  • jk82 on 12/09/2023 - 09:28
                    +1

                    @ozbargainsam: From what I've ready pretty much every 40xx has some element of coil whine, there's just so many capacitors (not sure of the actual technical term) crammed into these things it's just what happens when you build something this dense.

                    I had noticeable coil whine on my TUF 4080 when I got it but after about 2 months or so it's reduced down to a negligible hum - and only when drawing max power (300w). Most games sit at about 200-250w for me and I can't notice it (in a quiet room without headphones), and yeah, once I put headphones / speakers on I definitely don't notice it.

                    Also I'm pretty sure you can't RMA due to coil whine but I haven't tried - that might just be a US thing based off reddit comments I've read. YMMV

                    Have fun and enjoy the rig :)

                    • ozbargainsam on 12/09/2023 - 09:48
                      +1

                      @jk82: I hope people don't get the impression that I'm not enjoying this machine 🙂

                      I haven't noticed or been bothered by any whine since the first week when I was trying out a bunch of games. The games I play atm (really just Starfield) don't whine. From memory, Doom Eternal was the worst at it, but it's not something I play much.

                      All cards have some coil whine, yes, but I think there's some acknowledgement that it could be better as Asus have made some changes to improve it on their boards.

                  • GJT on 12/09/2023 - 16:27

                    @ozbargainsam: Sorry I didn't reread this after typing and just realised I was not that clear. I meant you shouldn't return your card just for the coil whine issue as like jk82 said pretty much every 4090 has some element of coil whine in them. Bit of silicon lottery :)

                    Mine also only noticeable when drawing out 400W +
                    For example cyberpunk @ 4K and using DLAA.

                    Also I'm especially sensitive to these whines. I can even hear my RGB keyboard make a high pitch ping when RGB brightness is max lol

  • ozbargainsam on 20/08/2023 - 13:58
    +4

    Build pic.

    Not its final place (which is in front of the TV), but it will have to sit under my desk for the time being, even if it's a dust prone area. Fans are never more than a quiet whirr under any load even at this distance. There is the occasional situation with coil whine which I'll monitor but for now isn't a big deal because you can limit FPS etc.

    Thanks again for y'alls help or comments :)

    • MustardKetchup on 13/09/2023 - 08:48

      That looks so nice!! good work!!
      The cable management on the front looks super nice - Mine doesn't look that good! haha
      If i was you I would get one of those roller PC stands from amazon, i think they are about $30.

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