New PC Build - 4090

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Following my comments on another thread (and borrowing most parts of someone else's intended build) https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/new-pc-build-4090.18974727/
I thought I would make my own regarding proposed PC build, use will be data engineering/SQL/development/running containers/VMs as well as games. Want it to last a good number of years without the need to upgrade or alter (hence consideration for 128GB RAM).

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £3,717.89 (includes delivery: £0.00)​


Few queries would this case accommodate the CPU cooler and the graphics card without issue - I can see reviews for both commenting on size.
Do I need anything else -assume required cables/screws, thermal compound etc. will come with it?
Is it worth upping the Ram to 128GB from 64 GB.
I'll be running windows 11 pro.
 
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For gaming I can't imagine you'd need 128gb RAM. Many people still use 16 and 32 is now the general do to.

Gigabyte cards have had some quality issues recently thus some people are avoiding them too.
 
For gaming I can't imagine you'd need 128gb RAM. Many people still use 16 and 32 is now the general do to.

Gigabyte cards have had some quality issues recently thus some people are avoiding them too.
Thanks - would I be better off going for the MSI one then
Assume again it would be ok in this case (and also with the CPU cooler)?
 
Thanks - would I be better off going for the MSI one then
Assume again it would be ok in this case (and also with the CPU cooler)?

The MSI is very popular but there warranty doesn't have the best reputation. I'd look at the Zotac warranty which is 5 yr, or get a FE card. Or maybe Asus.

Yeah that cooler will fit and you've got plenty of GPU room too.
 
I thought how I could change your build to something nobody would like, so I chose an Asus motherboard * and the 7900X3D.

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £3,428.89 (includes delivery: £0.00)​

Reasons:
CPU: Moar cores are betterer (specifically: the things you talk about doing, sound like they would like having them). I could have chosen the 7950X3D, which is less compromised than the 7900X3D, or the 7900 non-X, which is popular for efficiency, but I chose to retain the cache, for those circumstances where it will be a benefit and not bump up the price too much.
Motherboard: You get PCI-E 5.0 for graphics and 1 SSD, but I actually only chose this for 4 M.2 slots, so your QVO's could walk the plank.
SSDs: I don't know what your workload is like (in terms of bottlenecking with I/O), but the SN850X is a lot cheaper for a high-end PCI-E 4.0 drive right now and the QVO (review) is a QLC-based relic at this point that has no business being that kind of price (just a 3 year warranty, relatively poor performance and endurance).
GPU: only changed for the warranty.
PSU: this seems like the kind of build that could grow to a power hungry monster one day and I thought a 12/16 pin for the card would be handy rather than having to buy one, or have more spaghetti in your case.
Cooler: I'd buy this instead (under £50).

Do I need anything else -assume required cables/screws, thermal compound etc. will come with it?

Should be fine, stuff to secure and power the drives will come with the case and motherboard. Cooler will come with a tube of paste (or pre-applied).

Is it worth upping the Ram to 128GB from 64 GB.

This was an early video, but you might still find value in watching it:


* This won't be a problem for your CPU, I think.
 
I thought how I could change your build to something nobody would like, so I chose an Asus motherboard * and the 7900X3D.

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £3,428.89 (includes delivery: £0.00)​

Reasons:
CPU: Moar cores are betterer (specifically: the things you talk about doing, sound like they would like having them). I could have chosen the 7950X3D, which is less compromised than the 7900X3D, or the 7900 non-X, which is popular for efficiency, but I chose to retain the cache, for those circumstances where it will be a benefit and not bump up the price too much.
Motherboard: You get PCI-E 5.0 for graphics and 1 SSD, but I actually only chose this for 4 M.2 slots, so your QVO's could walk the plank.
SSDs: I don't know what your workload is like (in terms of bottlenecking with I/O), but the SN850X is a lot cheaper for a high-end PCI-E 4.0 drive right now and the QVO (review) is a QLC-based relic at this point that has no business being that kind of price (just a 3 year warranty, relatively poor performance and endurance).
GPU: only changed for the warranty.
PSU: this seems like the kind of build that could grow to a power hungry monster one day and I thought a 12/16 pin for the card would be handy rather than having to buy one, or have more spaghetti in your case.
Cooler: I'd buy this instead (under £50).



Should be fine, stuff to secure and power the drives will come with the case and motherboard. Cooler will come with a tube of paste (or pre-applied).



This was an early video, but you might still find value in watching it:


* This won't be a problem for your CPU, I think.
Thanks @Tetras for taking the time. Looks like a better overall option for workload. Higher boost and more cores will definitely suit SQL Server better.
I'm just wondering if just biting the bullet (as overall cost increase not massive at this stage) and going for the 7950X3D might well be the best option? - thoughts?
I'll take on board the changes from the samsung SSDs to the PCIe ones.
Do you know if I went with the 7950x whether it would suffer with slower bandwidth with 4x32Gb of Ram or not (if so might go 64GB and add more down the line when support is better).
The CPU cooler you linked to is performance on par with the Noctura (I'm keen to get most/all from OcUK).

Thanks for your help all
 
I'm just wondering if just biting the bullet (as overall cost increase not massive at this stage) and going for the 7950X3D might well be the best option? - thoughts?

If time is money and you can afford it, then I would, yes. You'd have 16 fast cores for your VMs, SQL Server, data stuff and the 3D cache for games, so it should last you a long while. On the other hand, if you think the lower CPU will be enough for several years, then you could upgrade when you need it and AM5 is supposed to be supported through 2025, into 2026.

Do you know if I went with the 7950x whether it would suffer with slower bandwidth with 4x32Gb of Ram or not (if so might go 64GB and add more down the line when support is better).

So far as I'm aware, the issues talked about in the video apply to all AM5 CPUs, but the X3D CPUs are less affected in their overall performance by having slower RAM than non-X3D CPUs. The recent BIOS updates have changed a lot about memory config and increased the top speeds, so it might be worth waiting to see if they have improved support for 128GB (or 192GB) configs. You might want to look into 2x 48GB, too, though I'm not sure if that works better, or how hard it is to find.
 
If time is money and you can afford it, then I would, yes. You'd have 16 fast cores for your VMs, SQL Server, data stuff and the 3D cache for games, so it should last you a long while. On the other hand, if you think the lower CPU will be enough for several years, then you could upgrade when you need it and AM5 is supposed to be supported through 2025, into 2026.

So far as I'm aware, the issues talked about in the video apply to all AM5 CPUs, but the X3D CPUs are less affected in their overall performance by having slower RAM than non-X3D CPUs. The recent BIOS updates have changed a lot about memory config and increased the top speeds, so it might be worth waiting to see if they have improved support for 128GB (or 192GB) configs. You might want to look into 2x 48GB, too, though I'm not sure if that works better, or how hard it is to find.
A (2*48GB) RAM kit is the safest option, it’s not 128 but it should run at 6000+ and prices have come down a lot. (2*48GB) 6400 c32 kits can now be had for ~£260. if you cannot get it to run at 6400, just run it at 6000/6200. I went with a 7950X for similar usage, it runs dev work (VM's, SQL server...) and games great. I have been waiting for the new 96GB kits prices to come down and maybe EXPO kits.
 
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