Looking for suggestions on CPU / motherboard options

[AgentCooper]

Thanks, really appreciate the feedback

I don't think I've ever used Bluetooth on my desktop so it isn't something I've had on my tick list. That may change in the future, but as all of the rooms in my house where I may use the machine have ethernet ports, I don't think the card is something I will need. I know it is only a couple more quid to the spec, but I'm not sure I'd ever need it. As for Windows Pro, I use RDP a lot and the Home edition doesn't support it natively -- I'd rather spend a little more on the OS to get the functionality than risk a 3rd party app.

Excellent! You’re sorted! Get your order in, find someone who needs that spare kidney of yours and then use the proceeds to fund your purchase of the G9.

You simply must post some pics of your rig when it’s all set up, cable managed, and looking beautiful. We’d all love to see it! 👍

 

[Outerarm]

Excellent! You’re sorted! Get your order in, find someone who needs that spare kidney of yours and then use the proceeds to fund your purchase of the G9.

Order is in, 18 to 21 working days which means I should get it just after my birthday. Kidney is up on Etsy (well, I did make it myself!) and will maybe / possibly / probably / definitely be ordering the G9 when I get closer to the PC delivery date.

You simply must post some pics of your rig when it’s all set up, cable managed, and looking beautiful. We’d all love to see it! 👍

I foolishly looked under my desk after you wrote this and realised the mess that is down there, so I'll be sorting out some cable runs and general tidy up over the next couple of weeks. I'll be ready for when the new kit arrives and will post some pics over in the right sub.

 

[Outerarm]

Working day 4 and in processing... but I've been thinking about cooling. Unfortunately the 3 fan Corsair H150i is not currently available (and I check daily to see if it is!), so I went for the 2 fan H115i instead. That is fine, but I'm wondering if there is benefit of a couple more fans to aid with airflow. The case will easily accommodate a few more.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Martinr36]

Working day 4 and in processing... but I've been thinking about cooling. Unfortunately the 3 fan Corsair H150i is not currently available (and I check daily to see if it is!), so I went for the 2 fan H115i instead. That is fine, but I'm wondering if there is benefit of a couple more fans to aid with airflow. The case will easily accommodate a few more.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

You'll be fine with the 115, I've got a 110 on my 5900x and no problems

 

[RichLan564]

I presume you need RDP for accessing rather than being accessed ?

If that thats case just use the MS Remote Desktop Connection Manager, it's much easier to manage, they did deprecate this version for a newer one but brought it back via sysinternals as so many sys admins kicked up a fuss!

Remote Desktop Connection Manager - Sysinternals

Manage multiple remote desktop connections.

docs.microsoft.com

 

[SpyderTracks]

I presume you need RDP for accessing rather than being accessed ?

If that thats case just use the MS Remote Desktop Connection Manager, it's much easier to manage, they did deprecate this version for a newer one but brought it back via sysinternals as so many sys admins kicked up a fuss!

Remote Desktop Connection Manager - Sysinternals

Manage multiple remote desktop connections.

docs.microsoft.com

I would personally recommend mRemoteNG, it's open source and has a free license, is FAAARR more stable than RDCMan and has options to connect TeamViewer sessions natively, and various other connectivity methods. It's really nice, I've been using it for about 3 years now and it's just leaps and bounds better than RDCMan.

Home

The next generation of mRemote, open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager.

mremoteng.org

Only really relevant if you're doing multiple connections though. If you're only doing the one, you can just save a standard remote desktop session profile as a shortcut so it loads straight in.

 

[RichLan564]

I would personally recommend mRemoteNG, it's open source and has a free license, is FAAARR more stable than RDCMan and has options to connect TeamViewer sessions natively, and various other connectivity methods. It's really nice, I've been using it for about 3 years now and it's just leaps and bounds better than RDCMan.

Home

The next generation of mRemote, open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager.

mremoteng.org

Only really relevant if you're doing multiple connections though. If you're only doing the one, you can just save a standard remote desktop session profile as a shortcut so it loads straight in.

Will take a look. Have to say I have never had any issues with RDC manager and I use it pretty much every day.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Will take a look. Have to say I have never had any issues with RDC manager and I use it pretty much every day.

With TeamViewer now being the built in RDP connection in InTune, this is where mRemoteNG comes into it's own as you can natively connect to any endpoint from there rather than having to go through and search for the device in InTune and then connect, for that alone, it's worth it's weight in gold.

I'm sure MS will release a new version of RDCMan to incorporate the same facility if they're going to stick with TeamViewer, but then again, it seems more logical they'll create their own remote connectivity and phase out TeamViewer.

 

[Outerarm]

Thanks all for the replies!

Good to know about the cooling -- I'll keep checking in case I can upgrade to the 150i, but won't be concerned if it doesn't come in.

Yes, I used RDP to connect to other computers so I'll have a check on the options mentioned and see what works. If it does, I'll move back down to Home edition.

 

[Outerarm]

Moved to pre-production today, so all is good.

Completed a quick test on a Win 10 Home system this morning and RDCMan look to cover more than I need, so have moved to the Home edition on the order and added the AX200 card, just in case!

Just need to finalise monitor choice now... having difficultly deciding between a Samsung G9 or three G7s.

 

[AgentCooper]

Just need to finalise monitor choice now... having difficultly deciding between a Samsung G9 or three G7s.

 

[Martinr36]

G9

 

[DarTon]

Problem with the G9 or any 49in superultrawide is that is only equivalent to 2x27in monitors, so it doesn't actually provide that much desktop real estate (especially in height terms). Put 2 in a row, however, and it's too wide (94in+ circumference). Stack 2 on top of each other and it's very high (27in high + bezels). When stacked you have to put the bottom monitor low to the desk and angle the top monitor in or the neck strain can be a problem.

I'd take a look at and make sure you're happy with the drop in real estate from 3x27in. Or perhaps look at 2x32in to give you more vertical height. 2x32in will give you 7% less than 3x27. Even 2x34 Ultrawides could work. I think a G9 can be excellent for gaming but my experience was it was pretty sub-optimal for work.

 

[Outerarm]

Problem with the G9 or any 49in superultrawide is that is only equivalent to 2x27in monitors, so it doesn't actually provide that much desktop real estate (especially in height terms). Put 2 in a row, however, and it's too wide (94in+ circumference). Stack 2 on top of each other and it's very high (27in high + bezels). When stacked you have to put the bottom monitor low to the desk and angle the top monitor in or the neck strain can be a problem.

I'd take a look at and make sure you're happy with the drop in real estate from 3x27in. Or perhaps look at 2x32in to give you more vertical height. 2x32in will give you 7% less than 3x27. Even 2x34 Ultrawides could work. I think a G9 can be excellent for gaming but my experience was it was pretty sub-optimal for work.

Thanks, and yeah, I completely agree which forms part of my dilemma.

At the moment I’m running 3 monitors at 1080p, 2x22” and 1x24”, with the larger monitor in the middle. I run these as separate screens rather than configure them as a single logical display via the Nvidia “surround” option. During the working day I RDP on to my work laptop and display that full screen in the centre, then use the left hand screen for web sessions, file management, etc., while the right hand screen covers home email and voice / video chat tools. For gaming I’m just using the central monitor with discord, launchers, etc. on the other screens.

If I go the G9 superultrawide option I’d flip the 24” 1080p monitor vertically and have it on one side. The G9 can be configured to act as two independent 1440p displays -- you just connect 2 DP cables from the GFX card into the display and there is a simple toggle to switch -- so for working I’d set it up to have the three logical displays and use them in the way I do today and for gaming I’d use the G9 as the game display and hang discord, etc. off of the 24”. If I was to go the 3x27”/1440p route I’d set up things practically the same as I have today. I could still configure these as a single logical display for gaming if I wanted (though it is a faff!).

On the plus side, the G9 looks great, will give an epic gaming experience when coupled with the 3080ti, provides the screen real estate I need for work, ticks all my monitor specs (G-Sync, 1mn, HDR, curve, etc.), and did I mention it looks great? Cost wise, it would be cheaper than the three 144op displays with the same level of spec. On the down side it will really push the GFX card at its native resolution (though I could always swap to the logical 2 displays and run games on one) and there are *a lot* of reports about quality issues with the G9.

As for the 3x 27”/1440p screens, gaming would be nowhere near as immersive unless I logically set them as a single screen, but then it would be a real push for the GFX card to hit good framerates. The work experience would be the same as today, albeit with an increased screen real estate. Games would run super quick on the single display, and future releases should not stress the 3080ti at 1440p (well, at least for a while). On the down side, it would be more expensive that the G9 and would definitely lack the ‘wow’ factor. The three 27” screens would also push my available physical desk space, but I could fit them on. Finally, I’m not sure how long my home working situation may last, so focusing on a practical work solution, rather than as my personal / hobby ideal could be the wrong way to go.

The upshot of all the above is I’m still not sure! The G9 has the edge both operationally and aesthetically, but there is a lot of bad user experience reported. The 3x27” solution is likely to be more robust and practical but… lacks something?

I’ve a week or so to decide while the build goes through pre-production, so a bit of head scratching will be going on…

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks, and yeah, I completely agree which forms part of my dilemma.

At the moment I’m running 3 monitors at 1080p, 2x22” and 1x24”, with the larger monitor in the middle. I run these as separate screens rather than configure them as a single logical display via the Nvidia “surround” option. During the working day I RDP on to my work laptop and display that full screen in the centre, then use the left hand screen for web sessions, file management, etc., while the right hand screen covers home email and voice / video chat tools. For gaming I’m just using the central monitor with discord, launchers, etc. on the other screens.

If I go the G9 superultrawide option I’d flip the 24” 1080p monitor vertically and have it on one side. The G9 can be configured to act as two independent 1440p displays -- you just connect 2 DP cables from the GFX card into the display and there is a simple toggle to switch -- so for working I’d set it up to have the three logical displays and use them in the way I do today and for gaming I’d use the G9 as the game display and hang discord, etc. off of the 24”. If I was to go the 3x27”/1440p route I’d set up things practically the same as I have today. I could still configure these as a single logical display for gaming if I wanted (though it is a faff!).

On the plus side, the G9 looks great, will give an epic gaming experience when coupled with the 3080ti, provides the screen real estate I need for work, ticks all my monitor specs (G-Sync, 1mn, HDR, curve, etc.), and did I mention it looks great? Cost wise, it would be cheaper than the three 144op displays with the same level of spec. On the down side it will really push the GFX card at its native resolution (though I could always swap to the logical 2 displays and run games on one) and there are *a lot* of reports about quality issues with the G9.

As for the 3x 27”/1440p screens, gaming would be nowhere near as immersive unless I logically set them as a single screen, but then it would be a real push for the GFX card to hit good framerates. The work experience would be the same as today, albeit with an increased screen real estate. Games would run super quick on the single display, and future releases should not stress the 3080ti at 1440p (well, at least for a while). On the down side, it would be more expensive that the G9 and would definitely lack the ‘wow’ factor. The three 27” screens would also push my available physical desk space, but I could fit them on. Finally, I’m not sure how long my home working situation may last, so focusing on a practical work solution, rather than as my personal / hobby ideal could be the wrong way to go.

The upshot of all the above is I’m still not sure! The G9 has the edge both operationally and aesthetically, but there is a lot of bad user experience reported. The 3x27” solution is likely to be more robust and practical but… lacks something?

I’ve a week or so to decide while the build goes through pre-production, so a bit of head scratching will be going on…

The main thing is that you understand your requirements and the benefits of each setup. Tough choice, but at least your coming at it from a logical understanding and realistic expectations.

Just as an additional, the G9 was recalled, you'll find most of the poor reviews were before it was redesigned. There was an outstanding issue with being unable to reach 240Hz that was corrected in a firmware update in January this year. So really, you disregard and reviews before this date because they're not relevant to the version that is now available.

 

[DarTon]

@Outerarm. A 49"+ 24"(portrait) would leave stil give you about 32% more desktop area than you currently have with comparable width. Compared to 3x27" it's only 7% less and 12" or so narrower. The question is how usuable the portrait monitor is.

If you are happy with the height of 27" screens, then you can mix any combo of 27", 34" and 49" panels given they have very similar height. Another combination could be 2 x 34". That gives you about 27% more desktop area than you current setup. It will be around 3 inches wider. To cover both gaming and work, you could buy a VA fast refresh panel and normal IPS 60Hz panel. Sort of compromise choice between "boring" 27" and the "wow" of 49". It also means the gaming monitor is driving less pixels than a 49". A 34" and 27" is another possible combo.

Anyway more ideas to confuse you more. Sorry!

 

[Outerarm]

@DarTon, appreciate the input, even if it does give me more to consider!

 

[Outerarm]

So, I think I have made a decision on the monitor front... sort of!

Spent some time this afternoon measuring out my desk space and collecting monitor sizes, specs, etc. I drew an outline of the desk on some graph paper and then cut out the various monitor options to scale to see how they could be placed on the desk. I tried out quite a few options and found out what may and may not work with the space I have. The result of all this is…

I’ll be going for a G9 with a second QHD (1440p) display off to the side. For work I’ll run the G9 in ‘Picture by Picture’ mode so I’ll have the equivalent of 3x QHD displays, a significant 77% increase on my current screen real estate. For gaming I’ll switch to the single panel configuration on the G9 and display Discord, launchers, etc., on the QHD. When the G9 resolution starts pushing games, I’ll switch back to the PbP option, though this will stop the VRR functionality.

The potential issue with this is the build quality issues with the G9. While there has been a recall and the base G9 has been superseded by the G9 Neo, there are still enough reports of issues to cause concern. So, in case I get a duff display, I’m going to hold off getting the accompanying QHD display and stick with one of my old 22” HD monitors. If issues persist with the G9 I’ll be switching to...

Backup option 2, which is a bit of a mix! Primary monitor will be a WQHD+ (3840x1600) display, with a QHD off to one side and the vertical HD the other. This will give even more display space than the G9 / QHD option and will still be an impressive gaming experience.

Thanks for all the input and advice!

 

[Outerarm]

Moved to "In Building" today, at 16 working days. With luck I should get this by the end of the week! Better get on and order that G9 now...

 

[Outerarm]

Hmm... was marked as 'awaiting dispatch' on Tuesday afternoon but still hasn't been sent. Really hoping that it will get dispatched on Thursday so I can get it for the weekend...

Especially as the G9 has arrived... wow, that is a large monitor! Pictures don't do justice to the size of the thing! Have not seen any dead pixels on the quick check I've done and can't see any light bleed from the corners, but my lad did hear some of the reported 'creaking' when it was cooling down after the check (though I didn't and was next to him). Will post more details when the new PC arrives...