Some advice for a 4090 build please!

[VTS_Tom]

Hi all!

It's been about a decade since I last had my head in the game at all for hardware so I feel like my knowledge is really lacking! I'm going to be running a lot of demanding applications all at once and also want a machine that'll game at 4K for a good long while with no issues. My heart is set on the i9/4090 combo but I struggle to understand if some of the rest of what I've put together holds them back much or at all. So a few Qs:

1: Will the speed of the RAM I've chosen be an issue at 4800MHz? My target amount of RAM was 128GB but would I be better off with 96MB with a better speed for a similar price? (There's currently only one option for 128GB when configuring)

2: My chosen case is partly due to the included 3x case fans on the front being already included. Are these of a decent standard for the job to keep temperatures under control? The same question also applies to my chosen processor cooler.

3: My final doubt is really with the power supply choice. I understand platinum rated versions are more efficient but is there any clear reason for me to go beyond my current selection?

I'm already really pushing the limit of what I can afford and I've no intention of upgrading anything again for as many years as possible! As I said I just want to try and ensure there's no big bottlenecks in what I'm putting together. I can't stretch to a liquid cooled build and don't mind a bit of fan noise as long as the system isn't going to actually melt or throttle massively due to overheating constantly.

Any and all advice will be hugely appreciated!

Thanks

Tom

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 24-Core Processor i9-14900K (Up to 6.0GHz) 36MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO (LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
Memory (RAM)
128GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 4800MHz (4 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4090 OC EDITION OG - 2x HDMI, 3x DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (6 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £4,471.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z790-ddr5-pc/v7DSX2pQFB/

 

[sck451]

What's the PC for? You say gaming and "demanding applications": can you be more specific? Why do you need 128GB of RAM? What monitor do you have?

 

[VTS_Tom]

What's the PC for? You say gaming and "demanding applications": can you be more specific? Why do you need 128GB of RAM? What monitor do you have?

Sure, the main use will be for games development with Unreal/Unity including 3D modelling tasks and use of Adobe applications. I get that 128GB might be slight overkill still possibly. It's more the RAM speed concern that I don't really understand. Currently I only have a 1080 monitor but that's being sold for a 4K Ultrawide to pair with my new PC.

 

[sck451]

I'm not that familiar with the requirements of game development. I would expect that you would gain more, as in gaming, from an AMD X3D chip, which is also far more efficient than the ridiculous 14900K. The problem with the RAM speed is that it's hard to get DDR5 to work in a four-stick configuration at good speeds. 96GB at better speeds is probably more useful to you, unless you'll be going over the 96GB.

As for the other questions, yes, that case is a good option for cooling, though a 14900K and a 4090 will make any case struggle. And the 1200W PSU has the benefit of having more capacity in case of current spikes (a problem with modern graphics cards). 1000W is probably enough, but with a system of this price, are you happy with "probably"?

Here's the system I'd be looking at in your shoes:

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E) A slightly lower tier (though honestly still overkill) motherboard
Memory (RAM)
96GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 48GB) Probably the best compromise of capacity and speed
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW) Boot drive
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W) Do you need a second 4TB SSD? Would a good hard drive be a better bet?
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET As above, though 1000W (especially the HX model) would probably be sufficient
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence I presume you definitely do need the niche Windows Pro features?
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £4,228.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/SeQPGwcNdK/

 

[VTS_Tom]

Thanks for all your input sck451! I'll absolutely take on board your point about the four-stick configuration for the DDR5 so a two-stick 96MB seems better. And yeah for this price I don't want any "probably" scenarios so I won't skimp on the PSU at all! I'm still set on the i9 for my usage scenario though.

My concern still lingers about the cooling. Any opinions about how to get the best air flow results from this case from anyone? I'm aware there's space for more fans than I configured but I've seen very mixed views about if there's merit to going beyond a certain number.

 

[sck451]

Thanks for all your input sck451! I'll absolutely take on board your point about the four-stick configuration for the DDR5 so a two-stick 96MB seems better. And yeah for this price I don't want any "probably" scenarios so I won't skimp on the PSU at all! I'm still set on the i9 for my usage scenario though.

My concern still lingers about the cooling. Any opinions about how to get the best air flow results from this case from anyone? I'm aware there's space for more fans than I configured but I've seen very mixed views about if there's merit to going beyond a certain number.

Adding extra fans is unlikely to make a big difference beyond the six or seven in the above spec. Neither option will probably be enough to cool the 14900K.

I'd strongly urge you to consider the AMD option. As well as the performance and efficiency benefits, you also get an upgrade path over the next several years. That won't be on offer with Intel.

 

[VTS_Tom]

I can see that the 14900k runs stupidly hot and that does bother me. I hear you on the AMD option and it's left me torn now I've looked more into it! What's holding me back is actually reading articles and comments about reliability issues with the 7950X3D (memory stability?). Is this a valid concern or am I just worrying too much?

 

[sck451]

I can see that the 14900k runs stupidly hot and that does bother me. I hear you on the AMD option and it's left me torn now I've looked more into it! What's holding me back is actually reading articles and comments about reliability issues with the 7950X3D (memory stability?). Is this a valid concern or am I just worrying too much?

It's way, way better now than it was at launch. Updated BIOS (which will already be applied to your system) have made it much better. Also, running at 5200MHz won't be difficult at all: it's running at higher speeds that caused problems. (In fact, this may still be why you can't get 96GB of 6000MHz RAM...)

 

[SpyderTracks]

It's way, way better now than it was at launch. Updated BIOS (which will already be applied to your system) have made it much better. Also, running at 5200MHz won't be difficult at all: it's running at higher speeds that caused problems. (In fact, this may still be why you can't get 96GB of 6000MHz RAM...)

5200mhz is the native speed of the cpu memory fabric.

Over that it’s running overclocked on the cpu. It’s running overclocked when 64Gb or over of ram when you can have instability but it’s worse on ASU’s boards, other manufacturers are far better

 

[VTS_Tom]

I'm not sold on the 7950X3D as the best choice for me. I get that it's a gaming beast for the very best FPS but when it comes to being reliable and predictable with other uses such as mine I see it as a risk. I do need a stable machine. I'm now considering the 7950X paired with the spec as shown below. I think it's only the X3D variant that has run into issues for so many people if I've been understanding things correctly?

Will the following spec still allow me to game at 4K smoothly for maybe a couple of years minimum? I'd be able to upgrade to something from the latest AMD CPU offerings at a later point again without much hassle if the basis of the rest of my spec is still solid otherwise.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
96GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 48GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4090 OC EDITION OG - 2x HDMI, 3x DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
1 x 120mm Thermaltake TOUGHFAN 12 Case Fan
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £4,048.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/hgGeKSUqbc/

 

[Scott]

Some small changes, thankfully no real impact in pricing.

The 7950X is a beast, it'll do you absolutely fine. Yes the X3D would net you a bit more but outside of the likes of FS2020 you're not really going to see it on the screen so the 7950X is the safe choice while still being a beast.

I thought it would be better to split your drives out a bit more, don't mix business with pleasure

Samsung isn't the go-to for M2 drives anymore. They pretty much lost their crown after the 970.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
96GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 48GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £4,035.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/jn220tykfg/

 

[VTS_Tom]

Thanks for your input Scott! Yeah I confess I went for Samsung for the drive mostly out of a sense of wanting a brand I know but I'm happy to trust in the options you've given and I like the divided up storage too! I feel like I'm very close to knowing my spec now. I'm a little underwhelmed by limited RAM options currently on here though (particularly for an AMD machine) Does the selection change/update frequently for what they let you configure?