Liquid or not

[Scott]

Thank you Scott, appreciate the help.

I will probably go for the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero instead of the ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F because of the extra ports and minus the integrated GFX which has caused me headaches in the past.

Is there any particular reason you would stick with the STRIX motherboard?

The USB ports is a fair shout if you definitely think you will make good use of them. It's not as if the Strix is short of them haha.

The integrated GFX is disabled from scratch as the chips don't have iGPU processing.

The Crosshair is generally chosen for high end overclocking abilities and stable VRMs, etc, etc but it's an expensive premium for these features. Given the expense of this build I don't think there is any real need to quibble over £100 so you are probably right to go for it even just for peace of mind to know that you have the best available

 

[PawWoj]

The USB ports is a fair shout if you definitely think you will make good use of them. It's not as if the Strix is short of them haha.

The integrated GFX is disabled from scratch as the chips don't have iGPU processing.

The Crosshair is generally chosen for high end overclocking abilities and stable VRMs, etc, etc but it's an expensive premium for these features. Given the expense of this build I don't think there is any real need to quibble over £100 so you are probably right to go for it even just for peace of mind to know that you have the best available

Thanks Scott, final question i promise! Is there any specific reason for your case choice? Looking into it I had the Coolermaster Mastercase SL600M due to its decent GPU cooling potential, and what seems like decent noise reduction due to the closed front panel.

 

[Scott]

Thanks Scott, final question i promise! Is there any specific reason for your case choice? Looking into it I had the Coolermaster Mastercase SL600M due to its decent GPU cooling potential, and what seems like decent noise reduction due to the closed front panel.

Airflow and looks. The SL600M sacrifices airflow and temps for acoustics

If you're not fussed on the looks or RGB element and you want as quiet as possible without compromising cooling then the Define 7 is the one you want. The Meshify will be a little bit noisier at full chat but it won't sound like a jet engine or anything.

 

[Scott]

Quiet and under-stated...

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 15 to 18 working days
Price: £3,703.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/u!rmjtSaE9/

 

[Charlas]

Just to add, I'm very suspicious and wary of all "tests" like this. Linus did a similar test.

IMO they are leaving the cases open and not allowing proper stressing soak to occur. There is just no way an air cooler would get close to the H115i on my 9900k. Even buying the biggest chunk of metal to hang off the motherboard wouldn't keep it in check. The air coming out of those coolers is hot.... then swirling around the case. It's not good for the GPU, the CPU will heat soak and the motherboard will take the strain of the hunking big chunk of tin.

Linus was of the very same opinion and said exactly the same things...... but his "day rigs" all have AIOs in them. Every system he builds has an AIO in it.

Given my actual hands on experience with the differences in the cooling options, there's something VERY fishy going on.

I'll be honest, I'm in the same camp, I can see the logic behind running air only, it is simpler and a lot less to go wrong and maintain, but my Server wouldn't run stock 'air' cooling without melting the case, that's got basically a custom AIO on in, just with two plates and a 240 (needs to be bigger though) rad. The Quadro is running standard nvidia air cooling though, but the case is air boxed, between the CPU/Ram and PCIe sections.

 

[Scott]

I'll be honest, I'm in the same camp, I can see the logic behind running air only, it is simpler and a lot less to go wrong and maintain, but my Server wouldn't run stock 'air' cooling without melting the case, that's got basically a custom AIO on in, just with two plates and a 240 (needs to be bigger though) rad.

The simplicity can definitely be argued (as there's a pump to consider) but a decent AIO cooler is zero maintenance. I had a Corsair H55 in my previous rig. Built it in 2009/2010. I didn't touch it once other than to re-paste after a few years using a good quality TIM (that I would do anyway). I removed it in 2009 and fitted it to my Dad's PC along with a few upgrades I was doing for him. It's still going strong on an i3 CPU with zero issues and it's nearly silent as it's on low RPM constantly.

Granted, just about any decent air cooler would keep that chip in check.... and I'm never going to dispute that..... but it just highlights the longevity and no hassle that can be had with a reasonable AIO cooler (and by modern standards that thing is just rubbish).

Most comments I see on AIOs are from people reading forum posts from what I would consider haters. It's like the Intel/AMD chat that you see on reddit etc. Most of it is complete conjecture with no basis for argument. You need a hunking massive heatsink on nowadays to compete with the small AIOs, never mind the large ones. The weight always puts me off and I think you're at more danger of losing a motherboard or causing pin connectivity problems with the chip while it's hanging off there (which I've had in the past with FAR smaller coolers).

I would never recommend air now. If it was the only option or the customer was insistent then it would have to be a Noctua as they are as good as it gets for air, they are so reliable and so quiet. Other than that.... stock coolers all the way with AMD.

 

[Scott]

Forgot we were onto the Crosshair...

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 15 to 18 working days
Price: £3,806.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/GCG5GtDtE3/

 

[PawWoj]

Forgot we were onto the Crosshair...

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 15 to 18 working days
Price: £3,806.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/GCG5GtDtE3/

Scott, i just realise in all the specs you've posted the AMD is not listed as Overclocked AMD? Would you not recommend the Overclocked version of the setup?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Scott, i just realise in all the specs you've posted the AMD is not listed as Overclocked AMD? Would you not recommend the Overclocked version of the setup?

AMD doesn’t overclock like Intel, it would actually reduce performance as AMD has a very effective auto overclock.

 

[PawWoj]

AMD doesn’t overclock like Intel, it would actually reduce performance as AMD has a very effective auto overclock.

Strange its listed as an option? Also funnily Braided Power Supply Cables are not available unless you select the OC config..

 

[Scott]

Strange its listed as an option? Also funnily Braided Power Supply Cables are not available unless you select the OC config..

People want what they want at the end of the day. It can help with forcing a constant core speed for heavy multi-threaded workloads. It's not beneficial for gaming at all though, it costs you frequency on a single core.

Yeah, the braid limitation is a bit annoying. Could possibly have it added with a call though.

 

[Charlas]

basic overclock of AMD looks super easy from what I've seen (basically unlocking the locks AMD forces the board partners to enable by default), getting the absolute max out of AMD can be work though. Plenty of Videos on youtube, the usual suspects LTT/GamersNexus/DeBaur all good sources.

but with a 39xx CPU, doubt you will need much besides unlocking the board power restrictions.

 

[Scott]

The 3300X is the only meaningful, daily, OC I've seen on AMD so far.

 

[PawWoj]

Thank you all very much for the advice! Didn’t expect to be swayed from a Lian Li custom Intel liquid build showpiece but here we are!

I’m gonna go for the Meshify with some extra RGB fans for added bling, considered the 500D SE but the thermals seem superior on the Fractal so gonna stick.

thanks again!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thank you all very much for the advice! Didn’t expect to be swayed from a Lian Li custom Intel liquid build showpiece but here we are!

I’m gonna go for the Meshify with some extra RGB fans for added bling, considered the 500D SE but the thermals seem superior on the Fractal so gonna stick.

thanks again!

The Meshify is a brilliant case.

 

[PawWoj]

Hey guys, I’m having some second thoughts about going with the R9 3950X mainly because of some gaming benchmarks I’ve been seeing where the Intel i5 10600K and i9 10900K come out on top.

Should I amend my order? Or is this just my deep seated intel bias seeing what it wants to see? @Scott @SpyderTracks would appreciate some final advice!

 

[Scott]

You need to weigh it up to be honest. In a benchmark with gaming Intel is going to come out on top, it's pub talk though. The difference is so minuscule that you literally need a benchmark to tell the difference. Your eyes are NEVER going to notice anything.

Look at the benchmarks for literally everything else though. Every other aspect is absolutely smashed out the park with the 3950X.... as are some games that use multi-cores (the way games are going to start trending).

It's not just the chip though, it's the eco-system. If you back Intel, you're at a dead end. With AMD, it's only just begun. The next generation chip... slots straight into the current motherboard. If trends remain as they have been, and as per rumour, the next generation again is going to slot straight in.

That's a helluva lot of up-side for the sake of an un-noticeable 5fps in a 150fps game tbh.

Side by side, if I was a betting man, I would wager you couldn't tell a 3300X from a 10900k..... never mind a 3950X. With the budget and requirement, I would have the build I proposed, no doubt.

If you want to get it and then swap my OC 9900k build I'm all ears