Build Advice Pete J's massive system overhaul discussion

WE ARE NOW LIVE! BUILD LOG TO FOLLOW!

Fellow Bit-Techers! Lend me your wisdom!

After many years of not upgrading (August 2016 is the birthday of the rig I'm currently typing on), the "upgrade itch" is starting to grow. I've also been observing general trends from afar, and it looks like GPUs nowadays, whilst extremely pricy, have a longer lifespan. With the RTX 5090 on the horizon, now seems like a good time to consider an overhaul so I can play the latest and greatest games (I'm looking at you, Space Marine 2).

A final note before we head into the technical details: this is all theoretical at the moment. When the time comes, I'll see how I feel about my finances and if I'm expecting any sudden changes (for example, a job change etc.).

THE COMPUTER



Here are the objectives of the system:

• 8K gaming (4K upscaling) with all bells and whistles activated; yes, that means all the rays and their tracing.
• Film and series watching.
• Full download location for Onedrive.
• Is expected to function for a decent chunk of the next decade, like my current rig has.
• RGB lighting bullcrap can go do one. I want to only be seeing what's on screen, not a bloody fireworks display next to it.
• Will still need to connect to the two Dell 3007s I have to the side (DVI-D Cheesecake)
• I wonder if I can get ALL the storage on the motherboard itself?

I'm not sure whether I want to go down the traditional "box" PC, or go for a modular Oculink system, so I'm open to suggestions on this. Oculink does interest me as I also have a multi screen study setup, which is using an eGPU to reasonable effect. I also want to go for simplicity - as an old fart, I just want the damn thing to reliably work rather than chasing a few extra FPS.

• CASE: JONSBO D41 MESH Black
  • Fits an ATX motherboard and an RTX 4090 (I'm assuming the 5090 will be the same dimensions), and will fit perfectly in the space underneath the television.
• MOTHERBOARD: ASUS AMD Ryzen ROG STRIX X670E-F
  • With this, I'm taking the philosophy of "more expensive = better". Because I want the system to last for years with minimal maintenance, a few extra quid spent up front will probably help. There were even more expensive options, but I was put off by how silly they looked (typically covered with LEET GMRSP33K).
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
  • As stated by @The_Crapman , offers a nice little speed bump over the 7800 for only a little bit more cash, and the 7800 is certainly no slouch. After reading and re-reading several reviews, for a gaming focussed system, accept no substitute.
• GPU: MSI GeForce RTX™ 5090 32G SUPRIM OC'
  • This is why we're here, folks. All the transistors, all the gigglebytes, all the power consumption. I want it all, and I want it now /QUEEN. This particular variant is by far and away the quietest one that was available at launch.
• RAM: Kingston FURY Beast Black 64GB 6400MT/s DDR5 CL32
  • Seems to be the price point at which beyond, the cost to benefit ratio massively drops off, and is also relatively low profile so less concern about things fitting, and also allows all that tasty air to flow round the system a bit better. Originally I was trying to install two sets for 128GB, but learnt the hard way that getting two sets of RAM to play nicely together is nigh on impossible. Also, when buying AMD, you need EXPO settings! Besides, we all know that doubling your RAM means double the framerates, amirite?
• CPU COOLER: Noctua NH-D15 G2 (LBC version)
  • After years of effing around with PCs, I have learned that reliability is way more important than chasing a few extra FPS, so water cooling is off the table. Thankfully, having found the D41 case, I can fit this utter behemoth in. And besides, Noctua have never let me down.
• PHYSICAL MEDIA DRIVE: None
  • Sod off all you younglings, Daddy wants a cup holder. You and your fancy electric cars and mobile phones and AM/FM radios etc. However, in light of other factors, this has had to be sacrificed on the altar of progress.
• PSU: Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W
  • See other comments about "expensive" and "reliable". Great reviews, and ATX3.1 compliant, not to mention a nifty self cleaning feature whereby the fan briefly spins in reverse upon starting up. Also fits nice and snuggly in the case, with good cable clearance left for the 120mm fan that'll be next to it.
• STORAGE DRIVE: Crucial T700 4TB
  • 2TB has been more than enough for me for a long time, so let's just double up. No point getting the T705 as the slot it's going into a PCIe4 slot. Onedrive will live on this.
• GAME/STEAM DRIVE: Crucial T700 4TB
  • See above.
• OS DRIVE: Crucial T705 1TB
  • It has a lot of high numbers, so I suppose that's good. Certainly come a long way from my RAID0 1TB 7200RPM Samsung drives from 2008.
• SCRATCH DRIVE: Crucial T700 1TB
  • Just a drive to store all the stuff I download or work on from day to day. My philosophy is that if the system buggers up, I can just switch this out and carry on. 1TB is utterly excessive and I'd be happy with 256GB, but below 1TB, the cost savings are minimal.
• OS: Windows 11 Pro 64Bit
  • If I had it my way, the whole world would move back to Windows 7. God, that was a lovely OS: it was the last time I felt as though I was actually in control of my own computer. Also, I absolutely NEED the "Pro" version as I'm an elite hacker, and not just someone playing computer games and watching Netflix. P.S. please feel free to recommend cheaper alternatives, as Scan are currently selling it for ~£190, and I don't want to give Bill Gates all that money so he can carry on talking about population control. EDIT: ModSquid has come up with a handy website.
• FAN (120mm): Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap (6 off)
  • Much quiet. Very air flow. Black version of Noctua's pièce de résistance: costs a couple quid more a fan, but worth it for the aesthetics. Will be buying magnetic filters and aiming for positive pressure.

THE TELEVISION

Objectives:

• 4K (originally 8K, but then realized how overkill this was at 65").
• 65" (no more, no less)
• Money no object (within reason)

I want the best here, no messing around. Until the price becomes ludicrous. As a rough guide, I was expecting to spend at least £3,000: I want the thing to last a decade. To this end, I've bought the:

Samsung 65" S95D


Rave reviews and excellent gaming performance, not to mention the inbuilt sound is not bad (for an inbuilt option, anyway), meaning that if my main sound system goes down, it'll do nicely as a backup.

THE SOUND SYSTEM

This is where I'm a bit out of my depth. My current TV has (to my ears) decent built-in speakers to the sides - something that no longer seems to be an option unfortunately. Here's a picture of it:



Anyway, objectives:

• This is where I'm happy to compromise for "good enough". I'm not going to pretend to be an audio snob. Much more of a visual snob.
• I just want two speakers to sit either side of the TV. I don't give a flying...fudge about surround sound. I want good stereo sound.
• I have absolutely no idea about amplifiers. I assume it's worth having one, even for a mid tier sound system.
• I am actually quite a quiet person and firmly believe that everyone should keep their noise to their damn selves, so volume is not important at all (no need for all the Watts). Quality, not quantity, people!
• Do I need a subwoofer? EDIT: Yes. Yes I do.
• Everything has to be BLACK LIKE MY SOUL.

Here's the list:

• SPEAKERS: Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf
  • Recommended by What Hifi as the best budget bookshelf speakers and can be bi-wired, which is something new I've learnt about speaker wiring. And all black.
• SUBWOOFER: Edifier T5 Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch Driver - 70 Watt
  • The only subwoofer I could find that was small enough to fit where I wanted it. Seems to perform well enough..
• AMPLIFIER: Yamaha A-S301 Stereo Amplifier
  • A high quality stereo amp, with no annoying flashing lights. I went for the 301 rather than the 501 as it knocked about £160 off the price in exchange for a reduction in power output, and I really don't need that extra power at all. Also has bi-wiring support. And fits perfectly under the TV.
• CABLES: LONPOO Pure Copper Speaker Cable with Gold Plated Banana Connectors 14AWG 6ft (2 Meter) Pair (2 off)
  • Did a bit more digging on wires, and it turns out almost all connections will have a method of clamping a wire, or accept a banana plug. Im opting for these as they look smart. Need two pairs because of bi-wiring.

EDIT LOG

• 13/12/2024:
  • Changed speakers from KEF Q550 to Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 Passive Floorstanding.
  • Changed CPU from AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D to AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
  • Changed speaker wires to LONPOO Pure Copper Speaker Cable with Gold Plated Banana Connectors 14AWG 6ft (2 Meter) Pair.
• 14/12/2024:
  • Changed PSU from ASUS ROG STRIX 1200W Gold Aura Edition to Antec HCG1200 Pro Platinum.
  • Changed CPU cooler from Noctua NH-U9S to Thermalright Assassin King 120 MINI V2.
• 22/12/2024:
  • Changed PSU from Antec HCG1200 Pro Platinum to Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W.
  • Changed RAM from Corsair DOMINATOR Titanium RGB Black 64GB 6600MHz DDR5 to Corsair Vengeance RGB Black 64GB 6600MHz DDR5.
  • Changed OS Drive to a version without heatsink.
  • Changed Storage and Gaming Drives from Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 4TB to Crucial T700 4TB.
  • Changed Scratch Drive from Crucial T500 1TB to Corsair MP700 PRO 1TB.
  • Removed 80mm fans.
• 30/12/2024:
  • EVERYTHING ORDERED!!! (except RTX 5090)
  • Changed RAM from Corsair Vengeance RGB Black 64GB 6600MHz DDR5 to Corsair Vengeance Black 64GB 6600MHz DDR5 (no annoying RGBs for me).
  • Removed optical drive. Sad times.
  • Changed case from Silverstone Black Grandia GD09 to JONSBO D41 MESH Black.
  • Changed Scratch Drive from Corsair MP700 PRO 1TB to Crucial T700 1TB.
  • Changed CPU cooler from Thermalright Assassin King 120 MINI V2 to Noctua NH-D15 G2 LBC.
  • Changed NF-A12x25 5V PWM to NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap.
• 11/01/2025:
  • Changed television from Samsung 65" QN900D to Samsung 65" S95D.
  • Changed amplifier from Yamaha A-S501 to Yamaha A-S301
  • Changed speakers from Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 Floorstanding to Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf.
• 22/03/2025:
  • General updates.
  • Changed RAM from Corsair Vengeance DDR5 2x32GB 6600MHz CL32 to Kingston FURY Beast Black 64GB 6400MT/s DDR5 CL32.
  • Added Edifier T5 Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch Driver - 70 Wat

 

Nice case! The GD10 (with hidden 5.25" bay), or GD11 (with usb bluray drive, rather than internal) are available.
Is the Noctua cooler ok for the 7800X3D? I believe the S model is able to cope with up to 94w and the 7800X3D has a TDP of up to 120w. There are other air coolers available which can handle it, I'm not sure if they'll physically fit though. It might be a case of fitting a 240mm AIO to cope with the TDP demands.
I have a Samsung 65" QLED 4K model from about 4 years ago and I was surprised to find it has VRR/up to 120. The black levels are quite impressive too.

 

Great post. Pretty much a dream build as well.
Built a PC for a work colleague years ago in a Grandia.
Brilliant case.
One question, will it accommodate said 5090?

 

I think I remember considering these other two cases all those years ago (I am actually using the GD09 USB2 version at the moment) and there were good reasons why I went with the GD09 that I can't recall! I don't really need to lock the front, and I think the airflow may be better in the GD09?

Good point about the cooler's capacity though. I'll have to remember what I have currently, as I think it was technically too large but still JUST fit in.

Also a good point that I did not consider. I'll look into that.

 

Bit more on Reddit with ppl with the same question but the 4 series.
https://www.reddit.com/r/htpc/comments/xjrirl/rtx_4090_and_silverstone_grandia_gd09/?captcha=1

 

Good point. The GD09 can take 309mm length x 133mm height gfx cards. NVidia's FE cards tend to be a tad slender than most though.

Also, someone shoehorned a 120mm tower heatsink in their GD09. It's a very tight fit, but it works!

 

Hmm. That adds quite a few extra quid. I know that it was never going to be cheap though. I shall have a think about either going that route or dropping the scratch drive.

I looked up the cooler I have in my current GD09 and it is a cleverly designed thing: the unfortunately discontinued Thermaltake Frio Silent 12. It has top notch cooling performance and just barely squeezes in - past Pete did well! Annoyingly the specs for height aren't listed, but if I do some cheeky extrapolating from this image:



It comes out at about 143mm tall. I suppose I could measure it myself by opening up my current PC, but you don't understand how lazy I'm feeling at the moment.

Off to t'Internets to look for something very specific...

 

It looks like this includes the dimensions of the Frio Silent 12: https://thepcenthusiast.com/thermaltake-frio-silent-12-14-extreme-14-dual-unleashed/

 

Heh, you're absolutely right about the CPU. I'll update in a bit.

Top Googling sir! Still, I'm not having much luck finding something similar. A shame they're not simply updating it as it really is a great little cooler.

 

Just a note on X670e vs 870e, the latter has mandatory USB4 which may be desirable for your build (I didn't see it mentioned but useful for external high speed devices), but often costs at least 4 x PCI-e lanes depending on the motherboard config. You will have to delve into each motherboards specs to see they are carved up and whether it will impact you in anyway. I know this is the case for the MSI X670E vs 870E carbon although the cheaper Tomahawk board is able to disable USB4 thus might be possible on the Carbon as well.

Given timelines the suggestion on switching to the 9800X3D is sound, especially focusing on overall longevity (its outright faster so will last longer, at least in theory).

 

Be good to see a build log of this.

 

Update 13/12/2024:

Did a bit more research on hifi components, so updated that side of things.

Things left to do:

• See if 5090 will actually fit (quite likely, but don't want to be caught out).
• Think about how to connect sound system:
  • Probably through TV, but will need to find what cable is best.
  • Or straight from the PC?
• Continue looking into suitable CPU coolers:
  • I don't think an AIO watercooler will actually fit, not that I want one anyway.
  • The Noctua NH-U9S does come with a second pair of mounting brackets for a second fan...
  • Swapping out the fans for some higher flow rate ones will help too...
• Think about upgrading the motherboard.
• Think about fitting all the M.2 drives on the motherboard.
• Check that PSU is small enough to leave enough room for the third 120mm fan I want to put in the system.

 

Been nerding out this morning:

PSU Finalised

Whilst looking at SFX options, it dawned on me that the GD09 case is actually optimised for a full ATX size PSU, which means an SFX format would leave a gap. To this end, I looked at all the ATX options Scan had to offer and settled on the Antec HCG1200 Pro Platinum:



Antec are a reliable make, and the PSU has decent reviews. The fact it goes up to 1200 is great; I would've accepted 1000W. Additionally, looking at the cables modularity, the plugs will be far away from the 120mm fan I plan to install, so no need for a slimline 120mm fan (which I'm pretty sure I have in my current GD09).

CPU cooler ongoing

Unfortunately I'm still not finding anything as promising as the Thermaltake Frio (with its awesome 3x8mm heat pipes), but I've found that Silverstone offer the KR02:



This cooler intrigues me: it's rated up to 130W, with capacity for 150W with "good airflow". Although it only has three heat pipes compared to Noctua's U9S, they are direct contact and the cooler is thinner, meaning I'll definitely be able to fit two fans on (which I'd be replacing with Noctua 92mm ones, as Silverstone's fans seem terrible in comparison). Only downside is that the cooler only comes with one pair of fan clips, but that's easily remedied:

2 PCS Dissipate Heat Clip Clamp Computer CPU Cooling Fan Clips Stainless Steel


Anyway, time for breakfast, and then Lego...

 

Okay, I lied, I spent a bit more time nerding out:



I'm pretty confident the U9S will handle the CPU thermal load, as I'm not going to be running it flat out.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I have found it.

A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR:

Thermalright Assassin King 120 MINI V2


Going to pair it with a couple of Noctua fans, obvs.

 

Nice find on the heatsink!

I was trying to find where I'd ordered one in the past and finally found it. Have you seen this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B4JCFHBL?ie=UTF8&psc=1