• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Time for a new build (Go big or go home)

Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Ummmm per my system specs I have a MSI MPG27QC... A 1440p 144hz monitor.

I've already got the dual Vegas, I enjoy them and they work well for me. Very cheap black Friday deal recently ;-)

So why would I spend money on a new monitor, that I don't need, or dual cards when I already have a pair of decent cards....
For some reason when I googled your monitor, its said 1080p 144Hz... My fault there.

@EarthDog how is it unbalanced, the best high-end AMD GPUs, decent ram, decent SSDs, decent cooling, decent CPU? What is unbalanced?
The GPU to monitor situation was unbalanced. Now you just have two cards that perform as well as the 2080 Ti using double the power and double the 'trouble'. ;)

I am not a fan of dual GPU gaming unless it is necessary. Its too much power use and heat mitigation, never 2x scaling, sometimes no scaling at all... and just overall isn't a good value. Sadly for you, with a 2560x1440 144 Hz monitor, its a need if you want to stick with AMD as the v64 GPUs, one, can't drive that res/refresh rate/fps fast enough. THAT is why I suggested moving to a single 2080Ti and scrap those underwhelming power sucking AMD GPUs. I mean, you are burning money on what will likely be a useless CPU, so why not burn it on something that will net tangible results? ;)

but bang for buck seems to be with the TR
This statement is funny, you know.......right? You looking for the bang for the buck and dropping mad wads of cash on overkill parts?
 
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
877 (0.35/day)
Location
Home
System Name Blackbox
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Motherboard Asus TUF B550-Plus WiFi
Cooling Scythe Fuma 2
Memory 2x8GB DDR4 G.Skill FlareX 3200Mhz CL16
Video Card(s) MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming Z
Storage Kingston KC3000 1TB + WD SN550 1TB + Samsung 860 QVO 1TB
Display(s) LG 27GP850-B
Case Lian Li O11 Air Mini
Audio Device(s) Logitech Z200
Power Supply Seasonic Focus+ Gold 750W
Mouse Logitech G305
Keyboard MasterKeys Pro S White (MX Brown)
Software Windows 10
Benchmark Scores It plays games.
With that kinda budget why not go even crazier and build 2 systems in a single box. Or just 2 boxes. That way you can get more efficient gaming and work machines.
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
Hey, I am not set on TR, I have a 4790K and I love it, I'm not set on TR and I am open to the options of another Intel Rig, also, like in my original post I am considering Zen 2.

Tbh you're right, scaling in the AMD cards is much better at 4k rather than 2k so maybe I should up to a 4k monitor...
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Everything, mixture of gaming, crunching for WCG
About the only benefit you'll see is with WCG. TR is not a gaming CPU, though it will game OK. If it were me and was looking for AMD, go X1950X or w/e their non Threadripper flagship is.

If I were you, I would look into Intel more seriously. On the 'low end' a 9900K. But since you want to "go big", you can get a i9-9940X (14c/28t) a couple hundo cheaper then that TR and still have to get rid of it before you would really be able to use all those cores.

That and SLI/CFx needs clockspeed and IPC which are lagging in AMD CPUs. That AMD CPU tops out at what 4 GHz if you are lucky, while I would expect that Intel CPU to be able to boost all cores to AT LEAST 4.5 GHz with your proposed cooling.


God only knows when Zen2 is coming out... when do you plan on building this? If its more than a month or so.... let's talk when it gets A LOT closer.

EDIT: If it was me, I'd sell those AMD GPUs, or put one in the kid's machine and sell the other and go get a single 2080Ti. I love my 2080Ti driving my 2560x1440 144Hz panel. Everything is on ultra and either pegs 144 or is damn close in the titles I play (PUBG, Fortnite, BF 1, BF V, F1 2018) so its an awesome gaming experience. Never do I worry about SLI support or improper scaling, just set the settings in game, and enjoy.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,917 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
About the only benefit you'll see is with WCG. TR is not a gaming CPU, though it will game OK. If it were me and was looking for AMD, go X1950X or w/e their non Threadripper flagship is.

If I were you, I would look into Intel more seriously. On the 'low end' a 9900K. But since you want to "go big", you can get a i9-9940X (14c/28t) a couple hundo cheaper then that TR and still have to get rid of it before you would really be able to use all those cores.

That and SLI/CFx needs clockspeed and IPC which are lagging in AMD CPUs. That AMD CPU tops out at what 4 GHz if you are lucky, while I would expect that Intel CPU to be able to boost all cores to AT LEAST 4.5 GHz with your proposed cooling.


God only knows when Zen2 is coming out... when do you plan on building this? If its more than a month or so.... let's talk when it gets A LOT closer.

Amen. The amount of silly choices in this OP, and the timing of it all, was too staggering for me to get into. Fools and money shall be parted, that is all I will say. Dual channel RAM on a quad channel platform "want to go big"... dude you havent the slightest clue what youre doing.
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
5,717 (0.97/day)
System Name Virtual Reality / Bioinformatics
Processor Undead CPU
Motherboard Undead TUF X99
Cooling Noctua NH-D15
Memory GSkill 128GB DDR4-3000
Video Card(s) EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra
Storage Samsung 960 Pro 1TB + 860 EVO 2TB + WD Black 5TB
Display(s) 32'' 4K Dell
Case Fractal Design R5
Audio Device(s) BOSE 2.0
Power Supply Seasonic 850watt
Mouse Logitech Master MX
Keyboard Corsair K70 Cherry MX Blue
VR HMD HTC Vive + Oculus Quest 2
Software Windows 10 P
Zenth Extreme is one of the worst 1st gen TR board that WILL have difficulty supporting 32core 2990WX. Your best bet is MSI MEG Creation X399. I built a similar system for my friend and it is the best X399.

Also 2990WX is not good for gaming. I would recommend 2950X instead. Or just go Intel and do X299 with 9980XE. That way you will not sacrifice single core performance lost.

If you are buying Vega I would not even call this "All-Out"

"All-Out" would be 2 x 2080Ti FTW3 SLI under custom loop
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
I did originally consider a I9 9960x build with a ROG Rampage VI Extreme. It does also allow much faster ram. Maybe drop down to the 9940x.

May be worth bringing that to the drawing board again.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
2,651 (0.56/day)
Location
Greece
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 5600@80W
Motherboard MSI B550 Tomahawk
Cooling ZALMAN CNPS9X OPTIMA
Memory 2*8GB PATRIOT PVS416G400C9K@3733MT_C16
Video Card(s) Sapphire Radeon RX 6750 XT Pulse 12GB
Storage Sandisk SSD 128GB, Kingston A2000 NVMe 1TB, Samsung F1 1TB, WD Black 10TB
Display(s) AOC 27G2U/BK IPS 144Hz
Case SHARKOON M25-W 7.1 BLACK
Audio Device(s) Realtek 7.1 onboard
Power Supply Seasonic Core GC 500W
Mouse Sharkoon SHARK Force Black
Keyboard Trust GXT280
Software Win 7 Ultimate 64bit/Win 10 pro 64bit/Manjaro Linux
With X399 having compatibility at least with upcoming Zen2, there isn't any logic in going for HDET with Intel. Rome will sweep the floor with whatever Intel has or will have by then. My 5 cents.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,917 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
I did originally consider a I9 9960x build with a ROG Rampage VI Extreme. It does also allow much faster ram.

May be worth bringing that to the drawing board again.

In all fairness I would just dial it down a notch. Its clear you dont have time critical workloads at all that would benefit from a many core HEDT setup. Especially now that core counts on MSDT have doubled.

But for gaming which is the only realtime workload you have, MSDT offers the strongest CPUs with the best clocking potential. And you have 144hz, so that is clearly something you will benefit from. Its nice when you can actually notice where the money went, right?
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
5,717 (0.97/day)
System Name Virtual Reality / Bioinformatics
Processor Undead CPU
Motherboard Undead TUF X99
Cooling Noctua NH-D15
Memory GSkill 128GB DDR4-3000
Video Card(s) EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra
Storage Samsung 960 Pro 1TB + 860 EVO 2TB + WD Black 5TB
Display(s) 32'' 4K Dell
Case Fractal Design R5
Audio Device(s) BOSE 2.0
Power Supply Seasonic 850watt
Mouse Logitech Master MX
Keyboard Corsair K70 Cherry MX Blue
VR HMD HTC Vive + Oculus Quest 2
Software Windows 10 P
Oh I forgot to mention. Threadripper does not do high speed RAMs as Earthdog was saying. 3200MHz would be pretty much top of the line here.

I agree with EarthDog. Get a 9900K instead. 2990WX are for Prosumers. For example data scientists who cannot affrod a HPC in their lab but have enough to a 32core consumer grade CPU. Sell those Vega64 as they are really not good for gaming comparing to the offerings from camp green.

TBH that was one of the most unbalanced/weird build I have seen in a while.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Messages
911 (0.42/day)
Location
Al Balqa', Jordan
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (Covered with Cooler Master MasterGel Pro)
Motherboard ASRock B450 Steel Legend, BIOS Version: 8.01 [Beta]
Cooling Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L V2 RGB, 5x Galax Vortex Wind-02 (3xFront Intake, 2x Top exhaust)
Memory Kingston FURY Beast RGB 3600 MT/s 32 GB (8 GB x4), (KF436C17BBA/8)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Dual OC
Storage Kingston NV2 1 TB
Display(s) MSI PRO M251 (HDMI), Running @104 Hz
Case Cooler Master MasterBox MB520
Audio Device(s) HP H360G USB
Power Supply Cooler Master MWE 550 80+ White
Mouse HP G200 Black
Keyboard Redragon MITRA K551-1 RGB
Software Windows 11 Home
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
I did originally consider a I9 9960x build with a ROG Rampage VI Extreme. It does also allow much faster ram. Maybe drop down to the 9940x.

May be worth bringing that to the drawing board again.
That's a better thought... but I am not sure why you want much faster RAM anyway considering it makes little difference in most activities.


From here, honestly, I'd just list a budget and let a few at it... we can focus the money on the parts that actually matter instead of looking at 345634566 core CPUs and superOMGhighspeedz memory. :)
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
6,749 (1.68/day)
AMD for HEDT, 2950x & 2970WX offer best bang for buck. Now for mainstream 9900k is the best out of the box CPU & I wouldn't recommend Intel for HEDT unless you're looking to OC that rig, partly because it's an inferior platform to where TR is today. There are exceptions though, so YMWV.
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
Budget is whatever I need it to be, sub £7k (GBP) would be nice.

I already have the Seasonic 1300w and Vega64s, Seasonic isn't going anywhere, the Vegas, I'd consider a pair of 2080's, could make for an interesting build.
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
6,749 (1.68/day)
For the GPU you could always wait & watch, whatever your final build's gonna be there's no doubt that this is the worst time to buy a GPU.
Now for CPU it's virtually the exact opposite, except Intel's supply side problems.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
May I ask why you (seem to) insist on multiple GPUs?

(I wondering if this is some 'requirement' you may have which may not make a difference, like 'fast' memory)
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
May I ask why you (seem to) insist on multiple GPUs?

(I wondering if this is some 'requirement' you may have which may not make a difference, like 'fast' memory)

The fast memory wasn't a requirement, I merely stated that intel allows for much faster 4000+MHz memory.

3200-3600 seems fine to me.

Multiple GPUs because I can and can afford it? What's wrong, you even said go for a pair of 2080s?
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,917 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
Budget is whatever I need it to be, sub £7k (GBP) would be nice.

I already have the Seasonic 1300w and Vega64s, Seasonic isn't going anywhere, the Vegas, I'd consider a pair of 2080's, could make for an interesting build.

Get a single 2080ti and call it a day. SLI/Crossfire is end of life, at least for the current crop of cards, and dual Vega is just horribly inefficient.

'Because you can afford it' doesn't make it a good choice, did you not learn from the first page. You were so far off the mark, it was unreal. Now you're still stuck with a weird dual GPU idea - dual inferior GPUs at that. Vega is 2016's sub high-end performance, keep that in mind. For all that money wasted, that is some pretty lackluster performance. And the bill keeps getting higher because you'll burn 600W easy while you can get similar performance with half that number. Which also means less heat to dissipate, which allows you to make do with 5-6 case fans instead of that retarded 26 fans 'Because there are 26 fan ports'...
 
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
1,086 (0.21/day)
Location
Essex, England
Processor Ryzen 5900X OC 5150Mhz
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Cooling Custom EKWB for CPU, VRM's & GPU with 2x 480mm Rads
Memory Gskill TridentZ 3600 Mhz C17
Video Card(s) Powercolor RX 6900XT Liquid Devil Ultimate
Storage Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB x 2 Raid0
Display(s) MSI Optix MAG272CQR 27 1440p x2
Case Corsair 1000D
Audio Device(s) onboard 7.1 HD Audio
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME Ultra 1300w PSU
Mouse Logitech G300s
Keyboard Logitech G19s
Software Windows 10 64Bit
Benchmark Scores R20 : 9329 Timespy: 21455
Get a single 2080ti and call it a day. SLI/Crossfire is end of life, at least for the current crop of cards, and dual Vega is just horribly inefficient.

Really, mines been scaling circa 60-80% depending on the title!
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,917 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
Really, mines been scaling circa 60-80% depending on the title!

Great, that's 40-20% lost performance while a 2080ti gives you 100% all over the place and still gets equal or better FPS. At a 250-260W draw.

If you want to be stubborn, buy the rig in your OP and stop posting. I have a lot of patience but it runs out fast. You either want the advice or you don't.
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2008
Messages
8,069 (1.40/day)
Location
Hillsboro, OR
System Name Main/DC
Processor i7-3770K/i7-2600K
Motherboard MSI Z77A-GD55/GA-P67A-UD4-B3
Cooling Phanteks PH-TC14CS/H80
Memory Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) LP /4GB Kingston DDR3 1600
Video Card(s) Asus GTX 660 Ti/MSI HD7770
Storage Crucial MX100 256GB/120GB Samsung 830 & Seagate 2TB(died)
Display(s) Asus 24' LED/Samsung SyncMaster B1940
Case P100/Antec P280 It's huge!
Audio Device(s) on board
Power Supply SeaSonic SS-660XP2/Seasonic SS-760XP2
Software Win 7 Home Premiun 64 Bit
TR has its place, but needs to be matched to the application. Even your WCG results will be disappointing on a W10 system - it really needs Linux to get the most out of all of those cores and threads. (visit phoronix.com) The WX TR's are meant for workstation loads and kinda fall on their face while trying to game.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
The fast memory wasn't a requirement, I merely stated that intel allows for much faster 4000+MHz memory.

3200-3600 seems fine to me.
I figured you alluded to running faster than even the 3600 MHz RAM you already suggested since Intel "allows for much faster" memory and that is what you picked already. 3200 MHz here is fine as well. Much beyond that the cost goes up but performance isn't with it. ;)

What's wrong, you even said go for a pair of 2080s?
I only suggested it because you seem keen on keeping a multi-gpu setup (and trying not to completely shove my ideas down your throat). Just trying to get to the bottom of the reasoning to share with you if its sound or based off nonsense. This should allow you to make a more informed decision, regardless if you still want a mGPU setup. ;)



So........when will you be ready to order parts?
 
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
853 (0.36/day)
Location
Asia
Processor Intel Core i5 4590
Motherboard Gigabyte Z97x Gaming 3
Cooling Intel Stock Cooler
Memory 8GiB(2x4GiB) DDR3-1600 [800MHz]
Video Card(s) XFX RX 560D 4GiB
Storage Transcend SSD370S 128GB; Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB HDD
Display(s) Samsung S20D300 20" 768p TN
Case Cooler Master MasterBox E501L
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC1150
Power Supply Corsair VS450
Mouse A4Tech N-70FX
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores BaseMark GPU : 250 Point in HD 4600
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
6,749 (1.68/day)
I don't think the RTXes are a great buy at these levels, what if we see a 7nm consumer GPU within the next 3 or 4 quarters? The part about Vega being inefficient can be overlooked if the system's not gonna be used for extended gaming sessions.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.71/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Because there is always something better coming out within the next year....

Then that new thing won't be a great buy because its new...

... where's the cutoff?
 
Top