New Build After 8 Years.

[Aquinus]

Howdy folks. After about 8 lovely years with Sandy Bridge E and after killing off all of my debts, I'm ready to start thinking about building a new machine in the next 2 or 3 months. To make a long story short, I originally had a 3820 when I first built my current machine, then several years later replaced it with a used 3930k which bought me a few years of breathing room. Now I'm hitting bottlenecks in both single and multi-threaded applications, some are games, some are not. Most of the cases where I need more threads is when I'm working with PostgreSQL, crunching large datasets, doing loads tests for things like scalability of the software I'm writing, or an occasionally simulation. So needless to say, I'm in need of a platform upgrade. I'm relatively satisfied with the performance I get out of my Vega 64 (when I'm not CPU or thermally constrained,) so I don't want to replace it yet. The old machine will likely find its way into a quiet part of the house and will likely run headless as a VM Host and as a NAS, so finding a replacement for larger scale storage isn't as big of a deal with this build. As a result, I probably won't run RAID with this machine. I will, however, continue to use Linux so there is no need for a Windows license.

I've already put together a preliminary list of hardware I think would be good for what I'm looking at doing.

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Aquinus/saved/#view=MTZJf7

As you might notice, I left out cooling solutions. I'm considering getting a full coverage block for the Vega 64 and putting both the CPU and GPU under water on a single loop. I'm using a Corsair H100i for the 3930k and it works really well, but the Vega 64 really needs better cooling to run at its maximum potential and I don't like the sound of a squirrel cage fan running like a bat out of hell. I'm not exactly sure what I'd get for the liquid loop, but I'd probably get a single 360-rad and mount it on the top of the case. I still need to shop around for things like the rad, reservoir, piping, fittings, blocks, etc.

My self-imposed budget is currently $2,000 USD, however I have flexibility to bend this limit if I need to.

So given what I've said, the parts I've picked out, and the intent to liquid cool this machine, what are your suggestions? Do the parts look good? Would you suggest any changes? Anything I might want to consider since this is my first time doing a custom loop? What do you think?

Edit: I might bring the Samsung 960 Pro over from my current machine.

 

[Vayra86]

I cannot go deep on the details of a Ryzen high performance setup, but in terms of core count and overall performance you are in the right place here. Not too much, and certainly not too little.

Looks like another 6~8-year rig

 

[Aquinus]

Looks like another 6~8-year rig

That's the goal. I can't do these things all the time anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be.

 

[eidairaman1]

TR40 i guess you would need another Grand to get something

 

[Vayra86]

That's the goal. I can't do these things all the time anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be.

That, and there is that moment of realization that no matter how often you upgrade, it won't make the top end faster. Might as well hit high right away and stick with it.

 

[Aquinus]

TR40 i guess you would need another Grand to get something

I can't justify going with Threadripper. Even if I had the budget for it, it would probably largely go underutilized. More than 32 threads is probably going to have limited benefit for what I use my machine for. I did consider it, but it's just not a good use of my money.

 

[eidairaman1]

I can't justify going with Threadripper, even if I had the budget for it, it would probably largely go underutilized. More than 32 threads is probably going to have limited benefit for what I use my machine for. I did consider it, but it's just not a good use of my money.

I wasnt talking about 3990

 

[Aquinus]

I wasnt talking about 3990

The 3960X is almost $1,500 USD. Between the motherboard and CPU alone I'd be almost at $2,000 USD. It's also still probably more threads than what I need.

 

[Vayra86]

That was the whole point of my first post. TR is going to increase the cost in many ways, especially if you're going for WC. Different block etc.

The support and general featureset of MSDT is decent enough. If you don't use all those threads, I think 12/24 is an absolutely fantastic place to be.

I think the most appealing performance metric for TR in this case might be quad channel.. That is what takes those Intel-E rigs further than MSDT as well. Its not just the core count.

 

[dgianstefani]

Swap the Asus Pro for the Meg x570 Ace. It's a better board for the same price range.
The RAM is good value but could have tighter timings, look for 16-16-16-34 or lower for 3600mhz.
Ditch the Prime Ultra titanium and Get the TX850, it's the newer revision of that series.

I would also go for the 3950x, it's a better binned version of the 3900, not just 2 extra cores. Think 2x 3800x rather than 2x3700x.

 

[TheLostSwede]

If it's on 2-3 months, why not wait for Ryzen 4000? Sure, you'd have to wait 5-6 months, but if the rumours are anything to go by, the next gen Ryzen chips should bring with them as much performance as the 3000 series had over the 2000 series. Just a thought.

 

[eidairaman1]

The 3960X is almost $1,500 USD. Between the motherboard and CPU alone I'd be almost at $2,000 USD. It's also still probably more threads than what I need.

Yeah and the 3950 is 750 so that might put you over budget too.

 

[Aquinus]

It's a better board for the same price range.

Could you elaborate on that? I generally like MSI as a company, I have nothing against them. I've had pretty good luck with their GPUs, but I've been less than impressed with their boards in the past. I can see that it has an extra M.2 slot, but beyond that, what's better about it? I actually like how the ASUS board looks. It's a little more professional and a little less flashy, and I like that.

If it's on 2-3 months, why not wait for Ryzen 4000? Sure, you'd have to wait 5-6 months, but if the rumours are anything to go by, the next gen Ryzen chips should bring with them as much performance as the 3000 series had over the 2000 series. Just a thought.

That's a valid thing to point out. It might make me wait until more information comes out.

Yeah and the 3950 is 750 so that might put you over budget too.

I probably don't need to aim for the top. It's definitely a consideration. I'm just on the fence if the 50% higher cost is worth 33% more cores.

 

[dgianstefani]

You shouldn't buy a board based off looks. They're irrelevant. The MEG Ace has a better VRM amongst other things.

 

[TheLostSwede]

That's a valid thing to point out. It might make me wait until more information comes out.

I haven't heard anything about any kind of announcement/launch schedule, but if we assume AMD is going down a similar route to the 3000 series, we'll see a Computex announcement with Q3 availability.
Things could obviously change this time around, but I have a feeling we'll see a similar schedule, especially as Intel is late and will launch around the same time.

 

[Aquinus]

The MEG Ace has a better VRM amongst other things.

The VRM setup looks very similar between the two. They're both 6+2 with two IR3555 60A for each phase. I'm not seeing what's better beyond a second 8-pin plug to be honest. It's not an insult, I just don't see it.

You shouldn't buy a board based off looks.

It's certainly not the only consideration, but aesthetics are a consideration for me. If all things are more or less equal, it can dictate what I choose for a part.

Ditch the Prime Ultra titanium and Get the TX850, it's the newer revision of that series.

Cost saving measure? Technically it's a downgrade.

I haven't heard anything about any kind of announcement/launch schedule, but if we assume AMD is going down a similar route to the 3000 series, we'll see a Computex announcement with Q3 availability.
Things could obviously change this time around, but I have a feeling we'll see a similar schedule, especially as Intel is late and will launch around the same time.

Sure, but I also have to keep everything in perspective. There will always be something better down the road. Another thing to consider is Linux support. 3000-series has pretty good support at this point. If I wait for the 4000-series chips, I also might have to wait for support in the kernel and for bugs to get worked out depending on how different it is from the 3000-series. I might not find myself with a good experience until Q4 2020 or Q1 2021. This is actually another reason to hold on to the Vega 64 as well. Support for it is really pretty good at this point. I almost never have issues with it. Navi, not so much.

 

[eidairaman1]

The VRM setup looks very similar between the two. They're both 6+2 with two IR3555 60A for each phase. I'm not seeing what's better beyond a second 8-pin plug to be honest. It's not an insult, I just don't see it.

It's certainly not the only consideration, but aesthetics are a consideration for me. If all things are more or less equal, it can dictate what I choose for a part.

Cost saving measure? Technically it's a downgrade.

Sure, but I also have to keep everything in perspective. There will always be something better down the road. Another thing to consider is Linux support. 3000-series has pretty good support at this point. If I wait for the 4000-series chips, I also might have to wait for support in the kernel and for bugs to get worked out depending on how different it is from the 3000-series. I might not find myself with a good experience until Q4 2020 or Q1 2021. This is actually another reason to hold on to the Vega 64 as well. Support for it is really pretty good at this point. I almost never have issues with it. Navi, not so much.

Yeah that's true and besides you can always upgrade later anyway

 

[birdie]

I'd wait for Ryzen 4000/Zen 3 CPUs if I were you. They will be released in Q3/Q4 2020 which is soon enough.

The X670 chipset should also be a lot more efficient than the X570 one which requires active cooling which I personally hate.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

You could easily fit a 3950x with the majority of the same parts under $2000

I like your 3900X build a lot but would look into a more modern case unless the one on your list has something specifically you need.

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

The case in this build has support for a really cool distroplate.

I would also look into the Evolv X even if you don't like RGB it can be turned off with a touch of a button.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Sure, but I also have to keep everything in perspective. There will always be something better down the road. Another thing to consider is Linux support. 3000-series has pretty good support at this point. If I wait for the 4000-series chips, I also might have to wait for support in the kernel and for bugs to get worked out depending on how different it is from the 3000-series. I might not find myself with a good experience until Q4 2020 or Q1 2021. This is actually another reason to hold on to the Vega 64 as well. Support for it is really pretty good at this point. I almost never have issues with it. Navi, not so much.

I wouldn't expect any huge changes, but I guess we simply don't know and won't know for a while. Look at this way, the motherboard would be the same, as only in 2021 will we see a move to DDR5.
Or you get a cheaper 3000 series CPU for now and then upgrade to the 4000 series later in the year...
You might want to peruse this as well. It contains very detailed information about all AM4 boards.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wmsTYK9Z3-jUX5LGRoFnsZYZiW1pfiDZnKCjaXyzd1o/edit#gid=2112472504

The X670 chipset should also be a lot more efficient than the X570 one which requires active cooling which I personally hate.

Are we sure this is happening though? As far as I'm aware, AMD isn't making any more chipsets and ASMedia is apparently having issues with PCIe 4.0.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Are we sure this is happening though? As far as I'm aware, AMD isn't making any more chipsets and ASMedia is apparently having issues with PCIe 4.0.

I think there will be at least refreshed slightly better variants of current boards.... Sorta like Asus TRX40 boards getting a mini refresh for the 3990X

 

[TheLostSwede]

I think there will be at least refreshed slightly better variants of current boards.... Sorta like Asus TRX40 boards getting a mini refresh for the 3990X

Oh, I don't doubt that at all, but I'm not sure we'll see a new chipset, at least not from AMD. I expect the last AM4 chipset(s) will be whatever ASMedia is working on, i.e. B550 and maybe a lesser variation of that. I'm by no means certain on this at this point in time, but as we'll see a big shift next year, I'm not sure AMD is going to go out of their way to bring out a new chipset for the sake of it. Maybe what we'll get is an improved version of X570 that doesn't run quite as hot, but I think that would be it. Even more so, simply due to the fact that beyond USB 4 (4.0, 4.something?) there's really nothing new in terms of connectivity that would be coming out this year that would require a new chipset. Going to throw out a few feelers and see if someone I know has heard anything.

 

[Aquinus]

I like your 3900X build a lot but would look into a more modern case unless the one on your list has something specifically you need.

I wouldn't worry about age. The Antec 1200 I'm using now is the only hold-over from the machine before my X79 build making it at least a decade old. A good case is a good case. I chose this one because it has a good amount of room and looks like a good case to do liquid cooling in. It also matches the colors of all the other components so far. If you have another suggestion, I'm willing to entertain the idea. I'm not married to the Phanteks Enthoo Pro.

The case in this build has support for a really cool distroplate.

That's a nice looking case. It's really wide and it's about the same price. That might be a good switch. Thanks for the suggestion.

I would also look into the Evolv X even if you don't like RGB it can be turned off with a touch of a button.

I'm not a huge RGB guy. The only RGB thing I have is my keyboard and that's good enough for me.

The X670 chipset should also be a lot more efficient than the X570 one which requires active cooling which I personally hate.

I guess I've used enough motherboards with active chipset cooling to not really think about it too much, but that's a valid observation. If I were given the choice, I'd definitely prefer passive cooling.

I wouldn't expect any huge changes, but I guess we simply don't know and won't know for a while. Look at this way, the motherboard would be the same, as only in 2021 will we see a move to DDR5.
Or you get a cheaper 3000 series CPU for now and then upgrade to the 4000 series later in the year...
You might want to peruse this as well. It contains very detailed information about all AM4 boards.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wmsTYK9Z3-jUX5LGRoFnsZYZiW1pfiDZnKCjaXyzd1o/edit#gid=2112472504

That valid, but once again. I'm using an 8 year old computer. If I can put a 4000-series CPU in later, that will be great, but the reality is that by the time I decide to replace something like the 3900X with something else, another newer model will probably be out. I don't see myself upgrading anything for at least a couple years after I pull the trigger on the new build.

That's a crazy spreadsheet by the way. I like it. Thanks!

I think there will be at least refreshed slightly better variants of current boards.... Sorta like Asus TRX40 boards getting a mini refresh for the 3990X

I like trying to hold on to a motherboard for the life of the machine. I only like switching motherboards when I'm jumping to a new platform so I try to get a good one from the get go. It definitely paid off with the P9X79 Deluxe. It's been a rock solid motherboard.

 

[moproblems99]

Do the parts look good?

I can't speak for the MEG mobo as I have the Taichi which I have had no issues with other than the UEFI being clunky as hell.

Would you suggest any changes?

I know money isn't an issue and neither is storage but I didn't buy Samsung for my build for the first time this go round. I went with the Adata XPG 8200 Pro and I got 2 x 1TB for $250. I think the 2TB single stick one was even $299 so I just have a hard time recommending the Sammy's anymore. These are pretty much neck and neck with everything Samsung so perhaps take a look.

Anything I might want to consider since this is my first time doing a custom loop?

I wouldn't really get hung up on brands. I am using a full XSPC build at the moment. The Photon D5 pump/res and a 240 rad. Specifically, the block is the Raystorm Pro and is pretty much solid copper. It gets pretty good reviews, near the top of the ones I looked at anyway and is fairly affordable. I am also using EK ZMT tubing (the opaque black stuff) because I had tons of problems with plasticizer in my first couple go rounds. It bends well but is considered costly. I use straight water with a drop of Mayhem's Biocide+. I think the plus also has anti-corrosion stuff in it. With this setup, I change out the water every 2 years or so.

I do have some spare OG Raystorm blocks, and a Photon res without the D5 if you want to go the used route.

The X670 chipset should also be a lot more efficient than the X570 one which requires active cooling which I personally hate.

I don't know if you actually have an x570 board but you would never know it is there over everything else in the case. On my Taichi, the fan is hidden behind the shrouds and is inaudible compared to everything around it. Can't see it, can't hear it, can't complain about it as far as I am concerned.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

I guess I've used enough motherboards with active chipset cooling to not really think about it too much, but that's a valid observation. If I were given the choice, I'd definitely prefer passive cooling.

I like trying to hold on to a motherboard for the life of the machine. I only like switching motherboards when I'm jumping to a new platform so I try to get a good one from the get go. It definitely paid off with the P9X79 Deluxe. It's been a rock solid motherboard.

All the $300+ boards are really good and sorta overbuilt even for the 16 Core it really just comes down to feature set/asthetics

I would look at the Msi Meg Unify and compare it to the Asus board to see which one better fits your needs. In the next price category up I would either go Aorus Master/Hero 8

The chipset fan on my Aorus Master only comes on during boot I would imagine other high end x570 boards are the same.