Australian Gaming PC thread

[Slobodan]

Thank you for your very detailed response, it is much appreciated. The thing is... and as I said above - my priorities are:

"1) Lab - so needs much compute and memory (128gb preferred) Need two physical NIC's so motherboard plus expansion card unless there is a dual NIC mb available(which would be ideal)
2) Gaming."

I need a box to run NSX-T so a bunch of VM's requiring primarily a bunch of CPU and memory... not just for a gaming rig.

I am looking for a separate NIC so I can bind the distributed virtual switch to a separate physical interface to then connect to a Fortigate appliance to act as the uplink from my tier 0 that acts as my home gateway. The extra interfaces are an extra bonus and gives me more flexibility for testing labs.

If you're going to run up a shitload of VM's you need CPU and memory which is why I went fairly big on both. This is a dual purpose rig but primarily a lab machine... with a half decent video card.

- Updated the case the integrate your suggestion.
- The 1300W PSU at like half the price is better than the one that I picked? Even with the rather powerful video card and CPU?

So taking into account that I am after a metric fuckload of CPU and memory for VM's for a SDN lab, the rest of it is OK? The HDD's, motherboard, liquid CPU cooler etc?

Bear in mind, I don't really give a crap about the price (it's a company box and tax deductible anyway) and we get entirely fucked in the ass on the price of everything in Australia. It's generally OK?

I haven't really kept track of non-enterprise hardware in the last decade or more.

I think a Threadripper machine might be more suited for your needs?

https://dreampc.com.au/product/amd-threadripper-pro-workstation/#configuration

 

[Madmick]

Thank you for your very detailed response, it is much appreciated. The thing is... and as I said above - my priorities are:

"1) Lab - so needs much compute and memory (128gb preferred) Need two physical NIC's so motherboard plus expansion card unless there is a dual NIC mb available(which would be ideal)
2) Gaming."

I need a box to run NSX-T so a bunch of VM's requiring primarily a bunch of CPU and memory... not just for a gaming rig.

I am looking for a separate NIC so I can bind the distributed virtual switch to a separate physical interface to then connect to a Fortigate appliance to act as the uplink from my tier 0 that acts as my home gateway. The extra interfaces are an extra bonus and gives me more flexibility for testing labs.

If you're going to run up a shitload of VM's you need CPU and memory which is why I went fairly big on both. This is a dual purpose rig but primarily a lab machine... with a half decent video card.

- Updated the case the integrate your suggestion.
- The 1300W PSU at like half the price is better than the one that I picked? Even with the rather powerful video card and CPU?

So taking into account that I am after a metric fuckload of CPU and memory for VM's for a SDN lab, the rest of it is OK? The HDD's, motherboard, liquid CPU cooler etc?

Bear in mind, I don't really give a crap about the price (it's a company box and tax deductible anyway) and we get entirely fucked in the ass on the price of everything in Australia. It's generally OK?

I haven't really kept track of non-enterprise hardware in the last decade or more.

I'm sorry, I didn't revisit you original post where you specified this.

So take the 7950X.

Take the two pairs of 64GB Vengeance RAM instead of the Dominator. The Vengeance is faster RAM. It's superior.

About the PSU, again, that Corsair unit is stupidly priced. I wouldn't care if it was a 1600W Titanium unit with digital sync management, and flawless review testing across the board. No PSU is worth $400 USD. The "i" units from Corsair are the ones that run their iCue software, which gives you some control over the PSU fan profiles, but there's really no need for this. Impractical luxury. Since you will be getting the 7950X with the 4090, you do intend VMware workloads, and you appear to demand a lot of ancillary components, I'll suggest you target 1200W as a minimum. This is more than enough:
https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator
The Cooler Master unit is top notch, but if you have reservations about the 3.3V variance, or high amperage on the rails, the Corsair HX1200 Platinum is a worthy alternative for over $200 AUD less:
https://www.auspcmarket.com.au/powe...s/corsair-hx1200-platinum-1200w-power-supply/

 

[Madmick]

I think a Threadripper machine might be more suited for your needs?

https://dreampc.com.au/product/amd-threadripper-pro-workstation/#configuration

He'd be stuck on Zen 3 if building today, but yeah, he could go as high as 64c/128t on the CPU, and it would also enable the usage of all that RAM in quad channel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Ryzen_processors#Vermeer_and_Chagall_(5000_series_CPUs)

 

[Contempt]

I think a Threadripper machine might be more suited for your needs?

https://dreampc.com.au/product/amd-threadripper-pro-workstation/#configuration

I think that's probably overkill for what I need. Super expensive too.

 

[Contempt]

I'm sorry, I didn't revisit you original post where you specified this.

So take the 7950X.

Take the two pairs of 64GB Vengeance RAM instead of the Dominator. The Vengeance is faster RAM. It's superior.

About the PSU, again, that Corsair unit is stupidly priced. I wouldn't care if it was a 1600W Titanium unit with digital sync management, and flawless review testing across the board. No PSU is worth $400 USD. The "i" units from Corsair are the ones that run their iCue software, which gives you some control over the PSU fan profiles, but there's really no need for this. Impractical luxury. Since you will be getting the 7950X with the 4090, you do intend VMware workloads, and you appear to demand a lot of ancillary components, I'll suggest you target 1200W as a minimum. This is more than enough:
https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator
The Cooler Master unit is top notch, but if you have reservations about the 3.3V variance, or high amperage on the rails, the Corsair HX1200 Platinum is a worthy alternative for over $200 AUD less:
https://www.auspcmarket.com.au/powe...s/corsair-hx1200-platinum-1200w-power-supply/

Cool, cool. Now looks like this:

Asus

Asus GeForce RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC 24GB Video Card
SKU:
TUF-RTX4090-O24G-GAMING
In Stock
$3,489.00

AMD

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core Processor

SKU:
100-100000514WOF
In Stock
$1,095.00

Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2021 Home and Student - Medialess Retail
(343)
SKU:
79G-05386
In Stock
$159.00


$938.00

Samsung

Samsung 980 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
(435)
SKU:
MZ-V8P2T0BW
In Stock
2 x$359.00

$718.00

Gigabyte

Gigabyte X670E AORUS MASTER AM5 E-ATX Motherboard
SKU:
GA-X670E-AORUS-MASTER
In Stock
$869.00

StarTech

StarTech Quad Port PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet NIC Network Adapter Card
(7)
SKU:
ST1000SPEX42
In Stock
$189.00

Corsair

Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE 360mm RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler - Black

SKU:
CW-9060060-WW
In Stock
$279.00

Corsair

Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Brown
(668)
SKU:
CH-9127412-NA
In Stock
$309.00

Asus

Asus DRW-24D5MT 24x DVD Writer
(178)
SKU:
DRW-24D5MT
In Stock
$33.00

Corsair

Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case — Black
(71)
SKU:
CC-9011210-WW
In Stock
$239.00

Corsair
Corsair HX1200 Platinum 1200W Power Supply
SKU:
CP-9020140-AU
In Stock
$409.00

Corsair

Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5 5200MHz C40 Memory - Black
SKU:
CMT64GX5M2B5200C40
In Stock
2 x $559.00

$1,118.00

• Subtotal:
  $8,906.00

LOL didn't realise there was so much Corsair till I looked through the new list.

Is there anything else you'd add/change before I buy?

 

[Madmick]

Cool, cool. Now looks like this:

Asus

Asus GeForce RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC 24GB Video Card
SKU:
TUF-RTX4090-O24G-GAMING
In Stock
$3,489.00

AMD

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core Processor

SKU:
100-100000514WOF
In Stock
$1,095.00

Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2021 Home and Student - Medialess Retail
(343)
SKU:
79G-05386
In Stock
$159.00


$938.00

Samsung

Samsung 980 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
(435)
SKU:
MZ-V8P2T0BW
In Stock
2 x$359.00

$718.00

Gigabyte

Gigabyte X670E AORUS MASTER AM5 E-ATX Motherboard
SKU:
GA-X670E-AORUS-MASTER
In Stock
$869.00

StarTech

StarTech Quad Port PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet NIC Network Adapter Card
(7)
SKU:
ST1000SPEX42
In Stock
$189.00

Corsair

Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE 360mm RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler - Black

SKU:
CW-9060060-WW
In Stock
$279.00

Corsair

Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Brown
(668)
SKU:
CH-9127412-NA
In Stock
$309.00

Asus

Asus DRW-24D5MT 24x DVD Writer
(178)
SKU:
DRW-24D5MT
In Stock
$33.00

Corsair

Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case — Black
(71)
SKU:
CC-9011210-WW
In Stock
$239.00

Corsair

Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR5 5600MHz C36 Memory
SKU:
CMK32GX5M2B5600C36
In Stock
4 x $299.00

$1,196.00

Corsair

Corsair HX1200 Platinum 1200W Power Supply
SKU:
CP-9020140-AU
In Stock
$409.00

Subtotal:
$8,984.00

LOL didn't realise there was so much Corsair till I looked through the new list.

Is there anything else you'd add/change before I buy?

For the Corsair Vengeance RAM, unfortunately, you have to take the 64GB kits (2x32GB). That's because there simply aren't enough RAM slots for the 32GB kits with the tighter timings. Four kits --> 4 x 2 x 16GB = 8 sticks RAM. The motherboard only has 4 RAM slots.

 

[Contempt]

For the Corsair Vengeance RAM, unfortunately, you have to take the 64GB kits (2x32GB). That's because there simply aren't enough RAM slots for the 32GB kits with the tighter timings. Four kits --> 4 x 2 x 16GB = 8 sticks RAM. The motherboard only has 4 RAM slots.

Ahh shit, I missed that. Unfortunately, I went that way because they didn't have the 64gigs in stock, which is why I initially went for the dominator option.

Are the Dominator sticks that bad? I would prefer to get the workstation now rather than wait, who knows how long for components to come in.

 

[Madmick]

Ahh shit, I missed that. Unfortunately, I went that way because they didn't have the 64gigs in stock, which is why I initially went for the dominator option.

Are the Dominator sticks that bad? I would prefer to get the workstation now rather than wait, who knows how long for components to come in.

No, the Dominator sticks aren't bad, they've just been the most overpriced RAM on the market forever. I've never understood it, except that I've seen tech websites long recommend them as the "best memory you can buy", baselessly, without explaining why, and people believe it. There is nothing special about that line. No special binning or die fabrication to justify it, generally.

At that store the Dominator DDR5 sticks aren't really priced all that poorly. Usually they're priced a hundred dollars or more above what they should be. But they're more expensive than the Vengeance sticks despite being slower. For frequency (MHz), higher is better. For timings/latency, lower is better.

• Dominator 64GB (2x32GB): DDR5-5200MHz 40-40-40-77 @1.25V (Latency= 15.385ns)
• Vengeance 64GB (2x32GB): DDR5-5600MHz 40-40-40-77 @1.25V (Latency= 14.286ns)
• Vengeance 32GB (2x16GB): DDR5-5600MHz 36-36-36-76 @1.25V (Latency = 12.857ns)

The G. Skill Trident Z5 RAM is hands down the best 64GB kits they have, but it's not worth the increase in cost.

 

[Contempt]

No, the Dominator sticks aren't bad, they've just been the most overpriced RAM on the market forever. I've never understood it, except that I've seen tech websites long recommend them as the "best memory you can buy", baselessly, without explaining why, and people believe it. There is nothing special about that line. No special binning or die fabrication to justify it, generally.

At that store the Dominator DDR5 sticks aren't really priced all that poorly. Usually they're priced a hundred dollars or more above what they should be. But they're more expensive than the Vengeance sticks despite being slower. For frequency (MHz), higher is better. For timings/latency, lower is better.

• Dominator 64GB (2x32GB): DDR5-5200MHz 40-40-40-77 @1.25V (Latency= 15.385ns)
• Vengeance 64GB (2x32GB): DDR5-5600MHz 40-40-40-77 @1.25V (Latency= 14.286ns)
• Vengeance 32GB (2x16GB): DDR5-5600MHz 36-36-36-76 @1.25V (Latency = 12.857ns)

The G. Skill Trident Z5 RAM is hands down the best 64GB kits they have, but it's not worth the increase in cost.

G Skill is also not in stock.

Thanks for your help. It looks like I'll just go with the Dominators and purchase the computer in the morning.

Cheers dude.

 

[Madmick]

G Skill is also not in stock.

Thanks for your help. It looks like I'll just go with the Dominators and purchase the computer in the morning.

Cheers dude.

Ah, my bad. I totally missed that the 64GB Vengeance are out of stock. Yeah, Dominator are the best alternative.

Be aware that after you build your PC and get it up and running you will probably have to go activate your AMP in the BIOS to get those RAM speeds (might be labeled "XMP" in the BIOS even though that technically that term is meant to apply only to Intel). I think DDR5 defaults to 4800MHz.

 

[Contempt]

Ah, my bad. I totally missed that the 64GB Vengeance are out of stock. Yeah, Dominator are the best alternative.

Be aware that after you build your PC and get it up and running you will probably have to go activate your AMP in the BIOS to get those RAM speeds (might be labeled "XMP" in the BIOS even though that technically that term is meant to apply only to Intel). I think DDR5 defaults to 4800MHz.

OK thanks. I'll look it up. Decided to order before going to bed.

Order #88117465
12 products totaling $8,954.00

Order Placed
29th Oct 2022
Last Update
29th Oct 2022

Should be good for lab and gaming for the immediate future.

 

[Madmick]

OK thanks. I'll look it up. Decided to order before going to bed.

Order #88117465
12 products totaling $8,954.00

Order Placed
29th Oct 2022
Last Update
29th Oct 2022

Should be good for lab and gaming for the immediate future.

Are you on 1440p or 4K?

 

[Contempt]

Are you on 1440p or 4K?

My monitor? 4K its a Dell Ultrasharp 32 inch.

I spend most of my time (like now) on the couch looking at a 77 inch OLED TV though. I might have to hook that computer up to this to see what games look like sometime, would look sick.

 

[Contempt]

Looks like there was something we both missed @Madmick they just messaged me that there is no internal bay for the DVD player. Since when is that a thing? LOL

Oh well, I have a USB one anyway.

 

[Madmick]

Looks like there was something we both missed @Madmick they just messaged me that there is no internal bay for the DVD player. Since when is that a thing? LOL

Oh well, I have a USB one anyway.

LOL, fuck, I forgot about that. Didn't follow my own rule and plug the case into PCPP. It slipped my mind because, yeah, external 5.25" bays haven't been common in cases for a while, now.

 

[Madmick]

Okay, rookie oversight, I apologize, @Contempt, I'm usually more careful and fastidious than that, I was mentally preoccupied with your case cooling since you have such monstrous heat-producing components. The good news is this simplifies your choices, drastically. Few cases support 360mm cooling and a DVD-Writer, simultaneously. Based on what is in stock, and available from them, I can simply list all your options.
($159) Antec P101 Silent
($169) Fractal Design Pop XL Silent TG
($239) Cougar Panzer Max
($299) Corsair Carbide 678C
($489) Cooler Master COSMOS C700P

Give me a minute to look them over.

 

[Contempt]

Okay, rookie oversight, I apologize, @Contempt, I'm usually more careful and fastidious than that, I was mentally preoccupied with your case cooling since you have such monstrous heat-producing components. The good news is this simplifies your choices, drastically. Few cases support 360mm cooling and a DVD-Writer, simultaneously. Based on what is in stock, and available from them, I can simply list all your options.
($159) Antec P101 Silent
($169) Fractal Design Pop XL Silent TG
($239) Cougar Panzer Max
($299) Corsair Carbide 678C
($489) Cooler Master COSMOS C700P

Give me a minute to look them over.

It's all good dude. As long as the case you recommended isn't too loud.

I can always just plug in a USB drive.

 

[Madmick]

Okay, so I'd steer clear of the Antec and the Fractal because they can only install the 360mm to the front. That's too bad for the Fractal, it's got a really stylish minimalistic design with the ODD bays hidden near the bottom. I actually thought PCPP might be lying to me about compatibility, went to double check the product sheet just to be sure. I just don't like front-mounted 360mm RAD designs.

The Cougar, the Corsair, and the Cooler Master will all support 360mm fans along the top (with plenty of clearance for the motherboard) even if an ODD bay is occupied in the front. For example, the C700P has a whopping 70mm of clearance for the RAD thickness along the top.

So pick the one of those three you like the most. Also, if they are building this for you, make a special note requesting the CPU cooler AIO be installed at the top, not the front.

 

[Madmick]

It's all good dude. As long as the case you recommended isn't too loud.

I can always just plug in a USB drive.

You may have to manage your expectations about noise. As I mentioned before, GN's extensive testing has shown that high-airflow cases, if noise-normalized to a certain decibel level, will actually achieve lower temps than "silent" cases as measured just outside the case. Alternatively, one may set a thermal threshold, not a decibel threshold, and once both cases reach that thermal limit, the high-airflow cases are quieter.

But the 7950X represents a paradigm shift in CPUs. With VMWare loads it might be impossible to keep it below its 95C thermal ceiling even with the 360mm cooler. This means the 360mm cooler will be running at full bore. You're gonna hear that. That means even default BIOS case fan profiles ought to ramp up all the additional case fans to 100% RPM, too. Any of the above three cases you select will have at least 3+ stock fans. Frankly, that's ideal, because the 4090 is pulling more power than we've ever seen before, so it will enjoy the help, but the good news is the 4090 is surprisingly quiet relative to its power consumption. That ASUS should stay below 35dB.

But that's better than getting a "Silent" case to try to muffle this because that will just mean the temps shoot up inside the case, and the thermal limit is hit much faster, throttling the performance of the CPU under stressful loads. That would mean you paid for a whole lot of CPU performance that you wouldn't be getting.

 

[Contempt]

You may have to manage your expectations about noise. As I mentioned before, GN's extensive testing has shown that high-airflow cases, if noise-normalized to a certain decibel level, will actually achieve lower temps than "silent" cases as measured just outside the case. Alternatively, one may set a thermal threshold, not a decibel threshold, and once both cases reach that thermal limit, the high-airflow cases are quieter.

But the 7950X represents a paradigm shift in CPUs. With VMWare loads it might be impossible to keep it below its 95C thermal ceiling even with the 360mm cooler. This means the 360mm cooler will be running at full bore. You're gonna hear that. That means even default BIOS case fan profiles ought to ramp up all the additional case fans to 100% RPM, too. Any of the above three cases you select will have at least 3+ stock fans. Frankly, that's ideal, because the 4090 is pulling more power than we've ever seen before, so it will enjoy the help, but the good news is the 4090 is surprisingly quiet relative to its power consumption. That ASUS should stay below 35dB.

But that's better than getting a "Silent" case to try to muffle this because that will just mean the temps shoot up inside the case, and the thermal limit is hit much faster, throttling the performance of the CPU under stressful loads. That would mean you paid for a whole lot of CPU performance that you wouldn't be getting.

Oh well LOL... as it's already ordered, I guess I'm just going to have to hope for the best at this point.

Do people still use 3dmark or similar benchmarking programs? Will be interesting to see what it scores.