Purchasing the absolute best CPU for gaming that the consumer market has to offer, means purchasing either the Ryzen 9 5950X, or the Ryzen 9 5900X. Not only have benchmarks from multiple sources (Gamer’s Nexus, Techspot, Tom’s Hardware) proven the superiority of these CPUs in gaming performance, single-core performance, and multi-core performance, but they also display how these CPUs have accomplished the task while using far less energy – and at lower temperatures – than their competition. 

If you care little for price to performance ratios, or just need the extra multicore performance, then the Zen 3 Ryzen 9 options are an easy choice to make. But choosing the hardware to pair them with won’t be as simple a task; due to the plethora of available options that can all work well with these processors. For example, what appears to be the gold-standard for RAM kits, at least for testing their performance, is a frequency-latency combination of 3,200 MHz and a CAS of 14 cycles. However, now that the price for DDR4 RAM has dropped considerably, a RAM kit with a speed of 3,600 CL14, which sells for only $189.99 (Via Amazon) (2×8 – total 16 GB) – or an even more extreme, 3,800 MHz CL14 kit which can be found for as low $220 to $290 (2×8 – total 16 GB) – can enhance their performance even further. Then, would you go for an X570 flagship motherboard, or a B550? A Noctua NH-D15 air CPU cooler, or a Corsair H115i Elite Capellix AIO liquid cooler? A Sabrent Rocket 4+ NVMe SSD, or a Samsung 980 Pro?

This is what makes the current generation of hardware one of the best to invest in for an upgrade, or a brand-new PC, there are so many valid options to choose from. This is also the case for choosing a graphics card, as Nvidia’s superiority in the GPU market is in question after AMD “released” their new Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards. And though AMD has added extra incentive for to purchasing one of these GPUs, to be paired with a Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 Series processor (like Smart Access Memory), Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs still can’t be counted out. People have grown fond of Nvidia as a brand because their GPUs have proven to be reliable throughout several iterations; whereas AMD has faced multiple issues in the past, related to their graphics cards, including poor drivers and overheating units.

AMD vs Nvidia: Features & Technology

Nvidia GeForce

The GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs feature a new Ampere architecture: with 2^nd generation ray tracing cores, 3^rd generation tensor cores, as well as new Streaming Multiprocessors (SM); all accounting for double the throughput. Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) software is one of their top selling points, as it upscales lower resolution images in real time via the using of deep learning AI – allowing the GPU to achieve faster framerates at higher resolutions. Harnessing the power of AI-acceleration is not solely utilized for their DLSS feature, as Nvidia Studio and Nvidia Broadcast allow for livestreaming, voice chats, and video conference calls that are devoid of background noise, and allow you to switch the background of your video feed with the touch of a button. GeForce Experience is also a very convenient application that allows you to quickly update your drivers – as well as livestream and capture screenshots that you can enhance and customize via the use of Nvidia’s Ansel.

But what is arguably the most important feature that is included with Nvidia’s GeForce 30 Series GPUs – especially for competitive or professional gamers – is Nvidia Reflex. Aimed to drastically reduce render queues, mainly by utilizing direct communication between CPU and GPU, Nvidia has created a feature that brings overall system latency to a minimum. In fact, Nvidia has put significant effort into optimizing Reflex, working with third-party monitor manufacturers to produce displays that carry a hardware component named the Reflex Latency Analyzer.  This input-lag analyzer allows the monitor to display end-to-end system latency in real-time. Through these 360 Hz displays, Nvidia Reflex can reduce input lag by a staggering 66% when compared to a 144 Hz monitor using a GeForce RTX 20 Series graphics card. For professional e-Sports and competitive-gaming enthusiasts, one of these five available 1080p 360 Hz monitors, paired with a GeForce RTX 30 Series GPU, provides the most utility out of all available setup options. Even if the GPU benchmarks a few frames less than its competition, having less input-lag and the ability to monitor system latency in real time, provides far better value, in terms of practicality, than any other hardware combination one can purchase. 

AMD Radeon

AMD does still hold their own against Nvidia’s technological advancements, as certain key architectural elements allow their RDNA 2 GPUs to compete with the GeForce Ampere graphics cards, even on a high level. Firstly, the Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs make use of a 128 MB Level 3 Cache – called the Infinity Cache – which is based on those found in the Zen 2 and Zen 3 CPUs. This Infinity Cache allows for almost twice the memory bus bandwidth; despite a lower energy expenditure. Additionally, AMD’s new generation of Compute Units (CU) have redesigned data paths, pervasive fine-grain clock gating, and a new pipeline rebalancing.

Perhaps the most impressive, and most useful, of AMD’s new technologies, is the aforementioned Smart Access Memory. Built to provide synergy between both AMD CPU and GPU products (and as an additional incentive to those with a Zen 3 CPU to buy a RDNA 2 GPU) Smart Access Memory creates an expanded data channel by utilizing PCI Express lanes to power the CPU to access more VRAM; effectively removing any inherent GPU memory bottleneck. The increase in performance allowed by Smart Access Memory is quite considerable, as it can provide the edge for the RDNA 2 GPUs to slightly surpass Nvidia GeForce graphics cards which would otherwise hold a slight advantage against them in framerate output.

AMD also has a new set of features that, admittedly may not be as impressive as those offered by Nvidia, but are definitely nice to have. AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition is the equivalent of Nvidia’s GeForce Experience, providing driver updates, single-click overclocking called “Rage Mode”, and performance reports in a convenient and easy-to-use interface. Next, we have AMD Radeon Chill, which automatically caps the framerate of any specific game depending on the monitor’s refresh rate; thus saving energy by limiting the GPU to process only the amount of framerate necessary to maximize the monitor’s capabilities. Another neat feature is AMD’s Integer Scaling, which is used for better capturing the visuals of retro games on modern displays. It basically scales one pixel to multiple pixels, so that the faded look of pixelated graphics on a high-resolution monitor will look clearer and more in-tune with the game’s inherent low-bit graphics.

To increase FPS, and lessen the strain to the GPU, AMD’s Radeon Boost works by lowering the resolution of frames during quick motion (frames that are difficult to notice), in turning giving the GPU the ability to generate faster framerate when the in-game character is in motion. Note, however, than AMD Radeon Boost currently only works for a handful of gaming titles. When paired with Radeon Boost, AMD’s second-generation Anti-Lag can lessen end-to-end input lag, similar to Nvidia Reflex. Still, the 31% reduction figure that is stated on AMD’s website is a result from tests run at a 4K resolution – and, funny enough, using an Intel i7-9700K CPU – so the results will not be nearly as impressive at 1080p. 

AMD vs Nvidia: Top GPU Comparisons

Now that we have a better idea of what each company is offering in terms of new technology and features, let’s compare each of their two best GPUs, and see how they fare against each other in specifications and in benchmarked framerates.

AMD RX 6800 XT vs Nvidia RTX 3080

T

AMD RX 6900 XT vs Nvidia RTX 3090

Verdict

Comparing all four of the above GPUs, we can see that each has its advantages and disadvantages. Indeed, any of these graphic-card models can be used optimally for different types of 5900X and 5950X builds.

Best GPU for 5900X/5950X Competitive Gaming Builds

If you take competitive gaming seriously, nothing beats a GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics card paired with a 1080p 360 Hz monitor. Because the benchmarked framerate averages of the GeForce RTX 3090 and the GeForce RTX 3080 are so similar, we recommend pairing the latter with a Ryzen 9 5900X – which displayed an identical average framerate to the Ryzen 9 5950X ta this resolution. 

Best GPU for 5900X/5950X 1080p Gaming Builds

For 1080p gaming that isn’t as serious as the aforementioned example, the Radeon RX 6800 XT provides the highest framerate of all GPUs in the market – even surpassing the GeForce RTX 3090, despite costing less than half its price. For 1080p gaming, the best combination is the Ryzen 9 5900X with the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

Best GPU for 5900X/5950X 1440p Gaming Builds

Going a step above, and into the 1440p range, it appears that the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the most powerful GPU available; even surpassing the GeForce RTX 3090, while costing 50% less (if AMD’s benchmarks are to be trusted). Of course, the Radeon RX 6800 XT still holds better value for its price at 1440p, but if you are aiming for the highest possible performance, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the way to go. In terms of processors, both Ryzen 9 CPUs have nearly identical single-core performance (benchmarked by Tom’s Hardware), so the Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter choice.

Best GPU for 5900X/5950X 4K Gaming Builds

For the highest gaming resolution, the GeForce RTX 3090 reigns supreme in framerate output – and holds a considerable advantage to its competition. That being said, the Radeon RX 6900 XT does seem promising, though chances are it will not outperform the GeForce RTX 3090 at 4K game processing. Do note, that the Radeon RX 6800 XT, once again, does have the better cost per frame ratio for this resolution as well.

Best GPU for 5900X/5950X Workstation Utility Builds

Finally, for workstation builds that require high multi-core performance – or for gaming and streaming + content creation PCs – the additional cores and threads of the Ryzen 9 5950X will certainly pay for their extra cost in the long run. When it comes to graphics, the GeForce RTX 3090’s 8 GB of extra GDDR6X – and its 45% faster bandwidth compared to the Radeon RX 6900 XT – make it a more appealing option for dedicated workstation setups, even at its $1,500 price tag.

The post Best Graphics Cards for Ryzen 9 5900X & 5950X Builds appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

Today, this one is for the window shoppers and 1%. There might be a handful of builders in the world that genuinely need this level of performance out of a machine, but there’s not a soul who wouldn’t appreciate it.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we must mention the fact that the RTX 3090 can’t yet claim the title of best high-end GPU until the world can get its hands on AMD’s new RDNA 2 cards. Regardless, the RTX 3090, especially our choice today, is guaranteed to sit amongst the top of any and every benchmark you can throw at it. Starting at $1500, the RTX 3090 manages to be even more jaw-dropping than the last generation’s FPS king, the RTX 2080 Ti. However, even with the RX 6000 purportedly achieving boost clock speeds of up to 2.5GHz, those with enough patience or disposable income won’t have many other options for absolutely top-tier performance from their next GPU.

Here at PremiumBuilds, we pride ourselves on maximizing price-to-performance for every curated build we present. However, as evidenced by Jon’s recent RTX 3090 Gaming Build, that doesn’t mean we shy away from systems with a more premium price tag. Further, all of our parts lists are made to be completely modular. So, if you have more or less money to play with, you can pick from some of the alternatives we offer or decide on your own upgrades/downgrades.

Now without further ado, let’s examine one of the most powerful consumer desktop configurations possible (courtesy of this exciting new age in gaming performance)!

Ultimate $5000 Ryzen 9 5950X + RTX 3090 Command Center – The Parts List

CPU

One of our centerpieces today is the Ryzen 9 5950X, available starting November 5^th of this year.  The 5950X is a shoo-in for this generation’s performance champion based on some recently leaked benchmarks and AMD’s internal testing. The generational improvements coming with Zen 3, including a reworked L3 cache to allow each CPU core direct and simultaneous access, should roughly translate to a 20% instructions per clock (IPC) improvement over Zen 2 while maintaining the same 105W TDP (thermal design power)!

Zen 3’s power efficiency and relatively tame thermal performance are a testament to AMD’s engineering, and the genius of the Zen architecture. Opting for a chiplet design, opposed to monolithic CPU dies, developing improvements to Zen, and manufacturing the physical product is easier and faster for AMD and TSMC. This is the biggest reason AMD can deliver on their promises of significant upgrades with each new generation of the Zen architecture.

With sixteen cores, thirty-two threads, 64MB of L3 cache, and default boost clocks of up to 4.9GHz, the 5950X aims for the CPU summit this generation. If Zen 3 has also managed to hide some significant overclocking headroom, where Zen 2, by and large, did not, then AMD is almost guaranteed to take home the trophy for workstation and FPS performance.

CPU Cooler

Today’s build is brought to you by the colors black and white, and our first component is Noctua’s legendary NH-D15 Chromax.Black dual-tower heat sink.

By no means is the NH-D15 the only option for premium air-cooling performance, but it is still one of the best even after so many years. Noctua sets itself apart by almost always opting for function over form, and immaculate build quality, which is why it came as quite a surprise when they finally yielded to popular demand and created the Chromax variants for their most popular models. For the longest time, Noctua held fast against criticisms of their notorious brown color scheme until finally offering blacked-out versions of heat sinks like the NH-D15, NH-U12s, and NH-L9a. Now, anyone who may have used the “ugly” brown color scheme as an excuse to stay away from Noctua products essentially has no reason to snag one of the best CPU coolers of all time.

Aside from the slick new color treatment, the Chromax NH-D15 brings the same 240mm AIO level cooling performance with six heat pipes, two 140mm fin stacks, and two of their renowned NF-A15 140mm fans. Considering the unchanged 105W with Zen 3 compared to Zen 2, even if Zen 3 ends up capable of serious overclocking, there’s virtually no reason to opt for liquid cooling outside of a completely custom open-loop. Air coolers will forever remain a preferable option for most builders with better noise performance, roughly equivalent cooling performance, and minimal points of failure. If you’re excited about liquid cooling, then by all means, but if all you care about is performance and reliability, there is no better alternative to a premium air cooler.

Motherboard

Today’s motherboard is the embodiment of the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and it keeps with our black and white theme! The MSI MEG X570 Unify returns, as it has been a staple in mid to high-end AMD builds ever since its initial release. The X570 chipset has seen few options as well-rounded and well-designed as the Unify, hence how prolific it’s been as a top-tier pick regardless of who you ask.

The X570 Unify boasts 60A Power Stages, a 15 Phase VRM (12+2+1), support for up to 128GB of DDR4-5000MHz memory, 3x M.2 slots, Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0, Realtek 2.5G LAN + ALC1220 Audio CODEC, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C) + 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 + 2x USB 2.0 ports, an internal USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C header, 4x SATA III 6Gb/s ports, an integrated I/O shield, rear Clear CMOS + BIOS Flashback buttons, onboard Power and Reset buttons, and a POST code readout, all of which are stylishly blacked out.

If Zen 3 can be overclocked, a stellar pick for Zen 2 will be even better! The X570 Unify already has incredible VRM performance; thus, with virtually no change in TDP for Zen 3, $300 even will ensure you extract as much power from the new 5950X as possible!

Memory

AMD’s Zen 2 CPUs performed remarkably well in games, but they were really intended to provide unparalleled productivity performance for consumer desktops. This time around, Zen 3 is coming in guns blazing to not only retain their superior workstation performance but shoot for the top spot in gaming as well. With this in mind, we’ve chosen the G.Skill Ripjaws V 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 memory kit to ensure you’ve more than enough memory for gaming and tasks like photo/video editing and rendering.

However, if you’re not interested in anything other than gaming, feel free to pick up the 32GB version (2x16GB) to leave an upgrade path for yourself, still have ample memory for gaming and multi-tasking, and save some money!

Storage

Everything keeps getting smaller, and thanks to solid-state drives, all of your data can now fit on something near the size of a pack of stick gum! Enter the $300 2TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD, our OS drive of choice. M.2 SSDs are some of the fastest storage devices available outside of even pricier PCIe 4.0 options. They eliminate the cable management that comes with 2.5” and 3.5” drives, are incredibly easy to install and replace, and thanks to the X570 Unify, you have the option to expand with up to two more down the road.

Additionally, we’ve selected a 2TB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5” SSD for our bulk drive. Our build today is an exceptional workstation, but AAA games are getting more and more storage-intensive. More assets need to be retrieved and faster than ever before. Meaning, unless we see some incredible breakthroughs in spinning drive technology, and soon, SSDs will quickly become a requirement for your favorite new games to run at peak performance. That’s precisely why the next generation of game consoles have chosen to include SSDs as their default storage devices. Sony and Microsoft have each developed proprietary technologies to facilitate the transfer of textures and assets from high-speed solid-state drives to the GPU. This means that consoles might be the best way to experience certain games until developers finally start to take advantage of technology that’s been available to PC gamers for years.

Graphics Card

The EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB FTW3 Gaming; our other centerpiece for today’s build. As with most aspects of enthusiast builds, the RTX 3090 is extravagant, it’s overkill, and it’s supremely expensive.

The base price of an RTX 3090 is $1500, but EVGA offers its signature performance, over-engineering, and design flair to bring the FTW3 up to nearly $1750. With a monster-sized heat sink, triple cooling fans, and stylish RGB shroud, this triple-slot beast will be just as ridiculous as and right at home with the rest of our system.

With boost clocks up to 1740MHz, 24GB of VRAM, and a gargantuan 350W TDP, it’s a good thing EVGA has a rich history of high-performance GPU cooling because this guy will surely need every bit of cooling performance EVGA can muster. Alas, our theme isn’t quite perfect due to the RGB fan shroud, but if you genuinely hate the idea of any lights interrupting the pure black aesthetic we’ve chosen, you can turn them off with EVGA’s LED Sync software as part of their Precision X1 overclocking tool.

It remains to be seen just how competitive the next generation of AMD’s cards is. Still, the performance offered by the RTX 3090 allows for astronomical FPS below 4K resolutions and absolutely remarkable performance at and above it, and with every setting cranked as high as possible.

PC Case

For the sake of contrast, we’ve chosen an incredible black and white case from Fractal Design, the Meshify S2.

The Meshify S2 is a hybrid of their incredibly popular Meshify C mid-tower and Define S2 full-tower cases. With the Define series’ internal design and the airflow centric features of the Meshify, the Meshify S2 is essentially a stretched out Meshify C with enough room to accommodate the chunky RTX 3090 and NH-D15.

With three excellent 140mm PWM fans included (two front intake, one rear exhaust), you can rest assured that your parts are getting enough airflow without having to spend any extra money. The Meshify S2 also sports a tempered glass side panel to provide an unobstructed view of our blacked-out internals and the signature angular Meshify front panel to keep things looking attractive on the outside.

Power Supply

In the interest of efficiency, and considering those of you prone to never turning off your PCs, we’ve chosen to power our build with an EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 T2 80+ Titanium PSU. While you could get away with an 850W PSU for a machine like this (which should draw around 615W under load), we want to make sure we’re as close to the “sweet spot” for PSU efficiency (50-60%) while retaining as much headroom as possible for overclocking and external device connections.

AMD might have kept their high-end CPUs at a reasonable 105W TDP, but the RTX 3090’s 350W is no joke, and overclockers who win the silicon lottery might be able to squeeze another 100W out of it thanks to EVGA. Finally, knock on wood, should anything go wrong, EVGA has you covered with their tremendous 10-year warranty and customer support.

Display

Before capping off our crazy command center, another quote seems fitting, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” The RTX 3090 and Ryzen 9 5950X CPU-GPU combo are more than able to demolish plenty of gaming benchmarks at 4K resolutions, but not all of them. Titles with insane graphical fidelity like Jedi: Fallen Order, Red Dead Redemption 2, Flight Simulator 2020, and Horizon: Zero Dawn still cannot break the 100FPS barrier at Ultra 4K settings even with the RTX 3090. So to guarantee 144Hz+ gaming in nearly every game out there, we suggest you pick up a ViewSonic ELITE XG270QG 27” 1440p 1ms 144Hz (165Hz OC) IPS Nano display.

Despite the insane numbers that are possible nowadays, the most popular resolution is still 1080p. 1080p’s continued dominance is due, primarily, to the performance overhead, hence why we’ve chosen a fantastic middle-ground with 1440p. With 1440p, you still get to enjoy more pixels and screen real estate over 1080p, but without hampering yourself in the most GPU intensive games. Because the RTX 3090 is capable of pushing 4K resolutions so hard, 1440p ensures you’ll hit the refresh rate cap of 144Hz/165Hz, and stay there.

A final note, we recommend not using the OC feature to push the refresh rate of the ViewSonic ELITE to 165Hz. Not only is there a point of diminishing returns in perceived smoothness for the majority of gamers between 120-144Hz, but overdrive/overclocking functions for most displays increase the refresh rate at the cost of additional motion blur, visual artifacts, and “ghosting.”

Closing Thoughts

To sum up this generation’s hardware? Just, wow. If this is the sort of machine we can build today, then we cannot wait for whatever tomorrow holds. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

The post Ultimate $5000 Ryzen 9 5950X + RTX 3090 Command Center for 2021 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

The RTX 3090 has stormed onto the scene as the halo product for Nvidias Ampere GPU launch. Whilst it’s squarely aimed at content creators and computational workloads with its 24GB VRAM, that hasn’t stopped gamers wanting it or Nvidia boasting of its gaming prowess. 

There’s no point spending over $1500 on a GPU unless you invest in a screen that’s worthy of it. In this article, we’ll recommend the best displays to pair with this monster GPU – the RTX 3090 – if you want to see it perform at its best.

Best Monitors for RTX 3090 Builds – Our Recommendations

Award	Design	Model	Panel	Size
Best Monitor for 4K on the Big Screen		Acer PG43UQ	VA	43"
Best 27" 4K 144Hz Monitor for RTX 3090		Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ	IPS	27"
Best 4K G-SYNC Monitor for RTX 3090		Acer Predator X27	VA	27"
Best 1440p Ultrawide Monitor for RTX 3090		Alienware AW3420DW	IPS	34"
Best Super Ultrawide 32:9 Monitor for RTX 3090		Samsung C49RG9	VA	49"
Best 1440p 240Hz Monitor for RTX 3090		Samsung Odyssey G7	VA	32"
Ultimate 4K Experience Monitor for RTX 3090		Asus PG65UQ	VA	65"

Best Monitor for 4K on the Big Screen

Acer have pushed the limits on this 43” Screen with the PG43UQ. Whilst it’s the size of a modest living room TV, this monitor boasts full gaming credentials. There’s 144Hz refresh rate, and it’s G-Sync compatible for smooth adaptive sync – because even the RTX 3090 isn’t going to hit 144FPS all the time. The panel is extremely high quality with 90% DCI-P3 color gamut and HDR100 certification. It’s also fast, lag free, and has a quick response time to eliminate smearing. Connecting via the HDMI 2.0 port or one of the two DisplayPort 1.4 sockets ensures that you’ve got the bandwidth required to run a 4K display at the high refresh rates this monitor is capable of. There’s also a USB hub and a smart ‘ROG’ logo projector to sync to your RGB if that’s your thing. 4K shines on a larger screen, and this monitor will allow you to savor the detail without squinting at a smaller screen. 

 Best 27″ 4K Monitor for RTX 3090

The ROG Strix models represent ASUS’s top of the line gaming equipment and they’ve pulled out all the stops for this monitor, the XG27UQ. It has a 4k IPS display for vibrant color and fast response times, necessitated by the 144Hz refresh rate. It uses Adaptive sync but is compatible with NVIDIA GPU’s so you’ll have smooth framerates and no tearing to distract you from the gorgeous 4K visuals the RTX 3090 is capable of. The monitor is exceptionally well-reviewed with a flawless panel and excellent performance and image quality so you can be sure it’ll do justice to the most powerful GPU money can buy. Combine the great base specification with a host of productivity and performance-oriented features like configurations tied to hotkey activation, picture-in-picture and multi-display modes, and  USB hub make this the perfect choice if you don’t want a massive screen, just an excellent one.

Best 4K Monitor with G-Sync for RTX 3090

If you’re looking for a G-Sync Monitor for the ultimate lag-free, tear-free experience then the Acer Predator X27 has you covered. It’s G-Sync ultimate certified, signifying that it has passed stringent testing and offers the very best performance and quality. There’s an AU Optronics Quantum Dot 4K Panel ensuring top tier image quality. Almost uniquely it uses 384 zone backlighting and ‘Full Array Local Diming’ to achieve HDR with a peak brightness well over 100nits and a dynamic range that exceeds any monitor without the ability to dim its backlight. Color accuracy is excellent. The G-sync implementation on this monitor allows completely tear-free display all the way from 24Hz up to 144Hz, not that you’ll experience frame rates that low with an RTX 3090. Overall this monitor packs a huge amount of features and technology and represents the best in class for 4K gaming monitors.

Best QHD Ultrawide Monitor for RTX 3090

Ultrawide monitors are gaining popularity with gamers wanting an immersive wrap-around gaming experience. The 21:9 aspect ratio gives extra width and fills your peripheral vision really drawing you into the game. However, up until now, it’s been a troubling resolution for the same reason 4K is: the sheer number of pixels means that you need a top tier graphics card to give acceptable settings and refresh rates. Thankfully the RTX 3090 most definitely has you covered. Our pick for a 21:9 monitor with excellent image quality and specification is the Dell Alienware AW3420DW. This 34” wide screen has an IPS panel for great colors and 2ms response rates, whilst a 120HZ refresh rate is allied with G-Sync to give smooth tear-free performance even in the most demanding titles where you may not exceed 120FPS. It’s a curved screen, ideal for ultrawide since the edges stay the same distance from your eyes as the center of the screen. Image quality is excellent with full coverage of the SDR color gamut. Only the lower contrast compromises the image and that’s a feature of all IPS panels which struggle to display a true black. Great response times and low input lag combined with true G-Sync implementation make this a fantastic monitor for gaming, and you’ll find the ultrawide screen a versatile and productive workspace as well. This update to the popular AW3418DW earns our recommendation as the best ultrawide to pair with the RTX 3090.

Best Super Ultrawide 32:9 Monitor for RTX 3090

Sometimes… 21:9 just isn’t enough. Until now, even higher resolution screens have brought the same problems as 4K: No GPU has been able to drive such resolutions cleanly in demanding games. With the RTX 3090, we can finally experience fluid wrap around gaming on a super-ultrawide, and the Samsung C49RG9 is the monitor to deliver that experience. This 49” panel has a 32:9 aspect ratio, the same as 2 standard QHD monitors side by side. The relatively tight 1000R curvature radius puts you at the focus of the action and wraps around you. It’s fully tricked out for gaming with 120Hz refresh rate and Radeon Freesync 2 support – which is compatible with the G-Sync implementation of the RTX 3090. The screen itself is excellent. HDR1000 certification means it has brightness of 1,000 nits for eye popping HDR. It also has excellent colour accuracy thanks to Samsungs QLED panel. The RTX 3090 is all about pushing boundaries and this monitor offers an experience only available to a lucky few. It will transform your experience of sims like MS Flight 2020 or racing sims, and make the artistry of AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 truly come to life. You can enjoy a multi-monitor widescreen experience without the interruption of monitor bezels and lose yourself in the game.

Best 32″ 1440p 240Hz Monitor for RTX 3090

If you’re a competitive player then it might be you want to use the RTX 3090’s prodigious power for frame rates rather than pixels: In that case, we’d recommend one of the latest 1440p 240Hz monitors – the Samsung Odyssey G7. This enthusiast-grade panel is a gaming-focused 27” 1440p monitor, sporting a very high refresh rate and G-Sync compatibility to eliminate screen tearing and keep refresh rates smooth. Very fast response times have earned it praise for exceptionally clear motion and it is also lauded for fantastic color accuracy and wide gamut coverage. Again it uses the tight 1000R curvature that is a signature of the Samsung Odyssey range. This monitor has high-end build quality with a sturdy stand and additional features like a USB hub so your peripherals can be connected close at hand. It’s rounded out with one HDMI 2.0 port and 2 Displayport 1.4 sockets. Overall, the G7 is our recommendation for high FPS gaming at 1440p, the sort of task the RTX 3090 excels at.

Ultimate 4K Experience Monitor for RTX 3090: Asus PG65UQ 65″

If you want the ultimate 4K experience as provided by the ultimate 4K GPU, this monster screen from ASUS, the PG65UQ, may be the RTX 3090 monitor pairing for you. Whilst 4K televisions abound, few have the response time and feature sets for a rewarding gaming experience. This 65” screen has been engineered from the ground up with gaming in mind but it’s big enough to fill the living room as well.  As you’d expect from a flagship monitor they’ve thrown the whole feature list at it. This screen has DisplayHDR 1000 certification, Professional 90% DCI-P3 color gamut certification, and it’s G-Sync compatible with a 144Hz refresh rate. The HDR uses Full array local diming, adjusting the brightness of the 384 backlight LED’s to vary brightness as the image requires which is the only way to reach that 1000 Nit specification. This feature set add up to this being the only big screen monitor to earn ‘UHD Premium’ certification guaranteeing the quality of the image. For connectivity it has 4 HDMI 2.0 ports so you can use it as your living room hub for console and TV receivers and an S/PDIF output for seamless integration with a home audio setup. There’s even a remote. As a specialist gaming monitor that can also perform as a home theatre screen, the PG65UQ will show off the prowess of the RTX 3090 to friends and family in a big screen environment. 

No 8K options?

Whilst Nvidia touted the RTX 3090 as ‘8K capable’ we count this more as a technical demonstration than a viable gaming resolution. 8K is really only feasible in a handful of titles that are DLSS 2.0 optimised, allowing AI to upscale from resolutions as low as 1440p up to the ‘8K’ required by the screen. There are also very few 8K screens on the market and they command exceptionally high prices or else are seriously compromised in other features. Ultimately, we don’t recommend attempting 8K gaming even with the prodigious power of an RTX 3090. The small range of games that can use DLSS 2.0 and lacklustre performance in all the rest will ultimately result in disappointment. It’s far better to use on of the 4K resolution options here and enjoy the fluidity of native resolutions and high refresh rates, combined with the already insane detail of a great 4K monitor. 

The post 7 Best Monitors for RTX 3090 Builds in 2021 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

Nvidia has announced its Ampere GPUs and it’s clear they’re going to be a massive step up in performance. Despite a new more efficient chip design they are also going to be power-hungry. Nvidia state that the RTX 3070 draws 220 Watts and requires a 650W power supply, whilst the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 both state that a 750W power supply is required.

There’s a little more to it than raw power though, and for a top tier build using these new GPU’s you’ll want to ensure you’ve got a high quality, stable and quiet power supply. In this article, we’ll give you our recommendations for the best power supplies available for your Ampere RTX build.

A note on the 12 pin power connector

Nvidia Founders Edition RTX 3080 and 3090 GPU’s have a new 12 pin PCI-E power plug design which mounts at the middle of the card. The reason for this is they have a truncated circuit board inside that allows the cooling fins to extend beyond and air to blow right through them: This compact design doesn’t allow space for the standard PCIe power connectors. Don’t worry though: All the other manufacturers’ versions of the cards have retained the standard PCIe power sockets, whilst the Nvidia cards will ship with a power adaptor to allow you to connect standard PCIe cables to their proprietary connector. You will not require custom cables or a new power supply to run these latest GPUs in your system.

Best PSUs for RTX 3070 / 3080 / 3090 Ampere Builds – Our Recommendations

Award	Design	Model
Best PSU for RTX 3070		Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro 650W
Best High-end PSU for RTX 3070		EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+
Best SFX PSU for RTX 3070		Silverstone SX650-G 650W
Best Budget PSU for RTX 3080		Seasonic Focus Plus 750W Gold
Best High-end PSU for RTX 3080		EVGA SuperNOVA GA 850W Gold
Best SFF PSU for RTX 3080		Corsair SF750 Platinum
Best PSU for RTX 3090		Corsair AX 850 Titanium

Best PSU for RTX 3070

This Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro PSU is a rebranded Seasonic Focus Gold design. It may be semi-modular but that’s no disadvantage since you need the ATX, EPS and PCIe cables as a minimum anyway. You can connect up to four PCIe cables if required, though the RTX 3070 will use just two. It’s gold-rated for efficiency and operates with minimal noise thanks to its smart fan operation – the fan runs at exceptionally low RPM until the power supply is really loaded up, so you won’t hear it in normal operation. It uses DC-DC topology for maximum stability and efficiency. There’s also the full suite of protections in place. The power supply is capable of running power-hungry GPUs: we use one in our Premium Builds test bench and it’s happy powering our 320W draw RTX 2080 Ti so it will have no issues with the 220W RTX 3070. It’s backed with a 7-year warranty. With competitors now well over $100, this is an excellent value power supply that is well up to the task of powering your RTX 3070 build. 

Best High-end PSU for RTX 3070

If you’re looking for a PSU that’s easier to customise with cable sets, moving up in price a little at $115 we have EVGAs SuperNOVA GA power supply for the RTX 3070. This PSU is EVGA’s latest revision and includes all the features you’d expect of a high-end power supply: It’s Gold efficiency rated and fully modular and has 100% Japanese capacitors. It has a zero fan mode at low workloads so it’s silent until the PC is working hard, at which time you’ll hear the case and GPU fans more anyway. The dual ball bearing fan ensures both long life and minimal noise. This PSU ships with a 10-year warranty and EVGA’s stellar reputation for customer service, so you’ve got decade long peace of mind. This PSU forms a rock-solid basis for any RTX 3070-based build.

Best SFX PSU for RTX 3070

SFX builds need careful planning, and if you’re on the lookout for a 650W power supply in SFX form factor your options are limited – this is, even more, the case since trade wars and the global pandemic combined to hit production and supply lines. For the best SFX option at present, we’ve picked the Silverstone SX650-G. This potent little power supply packs 650W output and 4 PCIe connectors into its tiny chassis. There’s a silent running 92mm fluid dynamic bearing fan and all Japanese capacitors. Silverstone boasts of the class-leading single +12V rail meaning it will happily power the most demanding GPU’s, and also that is has a very low ±3% voltage regulation. The modular cables are flat for easy routing and packaging in compact cases. Dual EPS 8 Pin cables support the latest Z490 and X570 chipset motherboards allowing you to fully populate an 8+4 pin CPU power socket. The warranty is a little disappointing at 3 years but that doesn’t impact the quality of the actual product at all. At the time of writing, this is our recommended 650W Power supply if you need an SFX build with an RTX 3070.

Best Budget PSU for RTX 3080

Budget is, of course, relative when you’re talking about a build including an $800 GPU. The Seasonic Focus Plus Gold is the minimum we’d specify for such a build and the extensive feature list warrant its slightly higher price. 

This power supply has everything you need: The recommended 750W power output with Gold efficiency for lower heat output and energy bills. There is zero fan mode for silent operation at under 30% load and it’s a high-quality unit with a fluid dynamic bearing. Seasonic use a neat PCB based socket arrangement which should make this PSU more robust. It’s also only 140mm deep maximising the space in your PSU shroud. It has 2 EPS power connectors to fully support power-hungry CPUs on the X570 and Z490 motherboards. There’s also an industry-leading 10-year warranty on this unit. Combined with Seasonic’s excellent reputation in the manufacture of power supplies this is the best option for the RTX 3080 and a strong supporting system.

Best High-end PSU for RTX 3080

The EVGA SuperNOVA GA 850W is our recommendation for a higher-end option for more demanding systems based around the RTX 3080. If you’re considering powering high-end CPU’s like the Intel i9-10900K alongside this GPU you’ll want a little more overhead and this power supply offers that without breaking the bank. EVGA has adorned this latest version of their gold-rated power supply with all Japanese capacitors (Chinese capacitors gained a bad reputation after failures) and of course fully modular design so you can make your build super-clean. As with other PSUs in the series, there’s a 135mm dual ball-bearing fan for low noise and high durability, with zero fan mode below 40% load so it’s silent. There’s also a 10 year warranty and EVGA’s solid customer service reputation for your peace of mind. 

Best SFF PSU for RTX 3080

If you’re looking to shoehorn an RTX 3080 into a build requiring an SFF power supply your options become very limited. Thankfully the Corsair 750W Platinum has an excellent reputation and is capable of powering the highest-end hardware despite its diminutive size. The platinum efficiency rating is indicative of the quality of the design and components. The PSU has a 92mm fan that stops under low load for silent operation. Unfortunately, pricing and availability are crazy at the moment, with the combined rise in popularity of SFF PC’s increasing demand, and trade wars with China and the global pandemic hitting supply. If this is the PSU for you, you may have to wait for a price drop or bite the bullet and accept it as a cost of having the best. 

Best PSU for RTX 3090

If you’re building an all-out powerhouse around the RTX 3090, you’ll want a very robust power supply capable of running power-hungry components with overclocks. The PSU we’re chosen here is capable of all that and will last a decade to boot: the Corsair AX 850. This power supply adopts a ‘best of the best’ philosophy to justify the premium price tag. It has 100% Japanese capacitors, a 135mm fan with zero fan mode for silent operation under low load. It supplies 3 PCIe Cables and a pair of 8 Pin EPS cables, and Corsair offers their own custom cables too if you want a manufacturer guaranteed customisation options. Finally, there’s a ten-year warranty to ensure you don’t have to worry about your PSU until 2030. This is a power supply that you can have faith will run your RTX 3090 build with ease. 

Featured Ampere Builds

The post Best Power Supplies for Ampere RTX 3070, 3080, 3090 Builds appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

The following article will focus on an enthusiast-grade workstation build which is up to date with late 2020 standards. Such a PC will fit very well in a developer/artist/producer/content creator or streamer’s arsenal as its both CPU and GPU strong in any application you may want to throw at it. Fast, plenty and upgradeable amounts of RAM and storage are some of the other highlights here which make this build or other PCs based on these same parts the most powerful build the mainstream workstation market has

Among the most important performers of this build, we have the Ryzen 9 3950X which is AMD’s 16 core 32 threads consumer CPU based on their Matisse microarchitecture. This is simply the most powerful desktop CPU that can fit on a consumer socket, namely AM4, and is also priced accordingly to its level of performance. Bringing the ultimate performance to the mainstream market has been a long pursued endeavor of AMD’s and they managed to break all expectations with this industry-leading chip while also introducing new exclusive feature sets like bandwidth doubling PCIe 4.0. Built on a very efficient and dense 7nm process, the 3950X not only offers never seen before levels of single and multi core performance but also upsets Intel’s position in high-end desktops and disrupts their extreme HEDT in the process.

The other hero in this build is Nvidia’s newly launched RTX 3090 Graphics Card based on the Ampere architecture. Apparently, this will be the Titan of this generation and rightly so at the steep price of $1,499. Availability of this GPU will begin on the 24th of September and stocks are going to be low at first. Though, don’t let that discourage you because the RTX 3090 is a serious piece of engineering as its aimed to the workstation PC market more than the gaming market (though find our RTX 3090 gaming PC build here).

Ryzen 9 3950X+ RTX 3090 Workstation PC Build – The Parts List

CPU

The 16 Core Ryzen 9 3950X Processor

In the past, people had to decide between building a mainstream PC or a high-end workstation PC because historically, its been very clear cut; if constrained by a budget and interested in gaming then a consumer would opt for a mainstream CPU. if a user is otherwise looking to get into high compute work and have the budget for it, they would definitely look into high-end desktop, namely HEDT. AMD has been blurring this line over the course of recent years by bringing more cores and multi-threaded performance to the mainstream market. With the Ryzen 9 3950X, that line has disappeared almost completely. This is what we are building here today, a high-performance desktop PC with a CPU capable of HEDT performance; coincidentally, this processor also belongs to the mainstream market and that’s great news!

Not everyone needs 32 processing threads but some definitely do. People will put their dollars in what gives them the best gaming performance if that’s their focus. On the other hand, users that want to edit, create or use ML/training are going to look at content creation focused hardware. There’s also added incentive in the business world thanks to the ability to gain a return of investment in the time used to compute certain tasks. Take for example a video editor who would very much love to spend 30-40% more on a CPU that is able to halve his render times, thus paying off in long term.

The Ryzen 9 3950X is an exceptional CPU and one of the stars of this highly focused workstation build. Don’t be fooled by our workstation talk though as this processor can also put out some of the best gaming frame rates on the market, especially when paired with the other star in this build, the RTX 3090.

CPU AIO Liquid cooler

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280

This AIO cooler presents one of the best value and performance levels on the market. Outperforming much more expensive and flashy liquid coolers like the NZXT Kraken X62, this product is aimed at people who want a very capable CPU cooler in their system with very acceptable noise levels and good warranty; and oh boy does it deliver! The Liquid Freezer II has integrated cable management within fully sleeved tubes for a clean look in your PC’s case. Its also thicker than other solutions thanks to its 317 x 138 x 38 housing dimensions.

With a simple installation thanks to the wiring being hidden inside the tube sleeve, cable management is a breeze and the only cable you can see is the 4-pin fan connector thus leaving your case uncluttered. For this very affordable solution that provides stellar cooling results and silent operation you get a nice, sleek-looking, liquid cooler without RGB functionality. A not so big drawback is that you can’t monitor the exact RPM of the fans because the pump and VRM fan are linked together.

Here at PremiumBuilds we’re all about performance and you can know for a fact that we’re not going to recommend something that has more form than function; this is why this chart-topping LCS makes our recommended list for this build. In testing, it blew our mind and impressed us in every aspect and even if this Liquid Cooler’s MSRP sits around $80, it does still make a lot of sense to buy even if you can’t find it for that price.

Motherboard

The MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon

As its name probably suggests, the MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon includes a black carbon design with a chipset heatsink, standard to the X570 motherboards; two more heatsinks are fitting the two M.2 slots. There are four RAM slots in the top right-hand corner of the PCB with support for up to 128 GB DDR4-4400 memory. 6 SATA ports, 4 of which are right-angled and 2 straight angled complete the ample storage capabilities. PCIe 4.0 capable slots are also a great selling point for AMD’s X570 boards since they operate at double the throughput of PCIe 3.0, allowing for insanely fast storage or GPU devices to be present.

The RTX 3090 graphics card that we’re using in this build recommends the use of a PCIe 4.0 capable motherboard and this is why this combo is such a great fit for a workstation. This board is WiFi-6 ready and MSI included Intel’s new AX200 802.11ax Wi-Fi adapter with speeds capable of up to 2.4 Gbps; antenna ports are included on the rear panel.

The ample I/O consists of 3 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, 2 x USB 3.1 G1 Type-A and 2 x USB 2.0 ports. Besides those, MSI includes a BIOS Flashback buttons, mainly useful for users who like to have peace of mind when tweaking their system to its limits; this feature allows the BIOS to be reverted to a safe backup if something goes wrong while tweaking.

RAM

32GBs of high performance 3600MHz CL16 DDR4 memory

Especially because its workstation focus, this build clearly needs the capacity and speed of a high RAM kit in order to provide the necessary performance in any high load situation, be it rendering, developing, machine learning or powering several Virtual Machines. The amount of memory needed for such a build will definitely vary from user to user but we’ve found a nice sweet spot with the Trident Z Neo Dual Channel RAM kit. 32GBs of capacity should be enough for the largest percentage of workstation enthusiasts while the 3600MHz CL16 stock values will aid the CPU with the low latency of 8.889ns. This kit can be further tuned to achieve even better latencies but that counts as overclocking; it’s definitely nice to also have great out of the box performance.

Content creation, rendering, gaming while streaming and other various multi-core applications will eat memory like crazy and this RAM kit will definitely make sure there’s always some free capacity in order for the system not to slow down. For very focused builders that know the memory needs of specific applications that they will be using, we recommend getting an even bigger RAM kit if 32GBs is running it too close for comfort. 64GB or even 128GB kits are supported on the X570 motherboard chipset, should you need the extra horsepower.

Storage

The base storage needs for such a high end system

The Sabrent Rocket M.2 1TB is targeted at more demanding users who want higher performance across all use scenarios. It uses the highly popular Phison E12s controller paired with a 96-layer TLC flash made by Micron. A DRAM chip is available which is used as very fast temporary storage for the drive’s internal mapping tables. This allows for a massive performance difference for random writes and it impresses in tests that write a lot of data, even at low queue depths which are typical for today’s consumer workloads, making it a great performer as both an OS drive and main applications drive. Sabrent also includes a copper foil on its M2 that acts as a heat spreader; this helps throttling by quadrupling the time this drive can operate at max speed before lowering its performance by a bit.

Secondary Storage

For the secondary storage device, we will be using another popular SSD, in the form of the Crucial MX500 1Tb; we like this device a lot for its inexpensive fast storage that never slows down thanks to its DRAM cache. Again, like the case with the memory capacity, certain people will need more storage in their systems for various niches or applications. Depending on that, you should adjust your storage needs based on what you want from your system but these two devices will work very well together for a workstation build and the majority of builders will find their speeds and capacity suiting for them. We can’t know for sure what your storage needs are so we’re just recommending what most users will use for an enthusiast PC.

Graphics Card

The RTX 3090 Graphics Card

This newly launched graphics card is based on the new Ampere architecture and promises to deliver the highest levels of performance in the consumer sector. The large GA102 graphics processor has a die area of 628 mm² and 28,000 million transistors, features 10496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units and 112 ROPs. Its a behemoth of a card with a suitable price tag of $1,499 MSRP. Its 328 improved tensor cores and 82 ray tracing units can be used to heavily accelerate various applications through the CUDA platform. NVIDIA has paired 24 GB of cutting edge GDDR6X memory connected through a 384 bit memory interface which may come in very helpful in many VRAM hungry software suites.

A beefy cooling solution has been attached to this card in order to combat its rather high power draw of 350W, supplied through the 12 pin power connector. This is why this build will include a high wattage and high tier PSU that will be able to handle this beast at any load levels.

Available September 24 2020, the RTX 3090 is truly a powerhouse for a workstation build and will come in both Founder’s Edition and AIB models. Availability won’t be great and some hunting is recommended if you want to get your hands on this GPU, especially at launch.

PC Case

One of the best airflow cases on the market right now: The Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB

Combining the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh case’s front mesh panel, the 3 included PWM front fans and the 2 additional case fans in this build, you’ll have one of the best cases for airflow on the market. Silent operation and building ease are some of the great focuses of this build and it truly delivers to its word. It doesn’t feature any fancy design elements aside from the Lian Li logo at the bottom of the mesh panel but the slick looks and great lines are enough to make it stand out.

The tempered glass panels swivel outwards and are hold closed firmly with magnets making opening your system dead simple; it also screams quality. The Lancool II Mesh also has a very thoughtful internal layout, making it easy to accommodate all sorts of hardware combinations. The main motherboard compartment doesn’t bring any surprises, and there is room to install two 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray along with three 3.5-inch drives in the HDD caddy under the PSU shroud.

Overall, this premium case ticks all boxes needed for such a capable workstation build; it has great airflow, its ready for our recommended hardware combination and its also beautifully designed!

Dimensions: 478 x 229 x 494 mm (D x W x H)
Compatibility : CPU Cooler Max height 176 mm | GPU Max length 384 mm | PSU Max length 210 mm
Included Fans: Included 3 x 120 mm Front RGB PWM.

Power Supply

The Corsair RMx 850W: A proper high tier PSU for this build’s powering needs

Its no easy task to make something as high quality as this PSU is and keep perfecting it with every revision but Corsair managed to do it with the RMx 850W. It competes with the likes of EVGA’s Supernova G3 which is also a very high tier PSU. The final result is fully satisfactory, achieving higher performance in the cooling and safety department while also being smaller by the previous revision. It is very quiet and its full modularity means you’ll be able to just use the cables you strictly need for this build; that is a great plus for cable management.

Among other PROs of this unit are the well sleeved cables, the compact and good build quality and the ultra high 10 year warranty, making it a very reliable Power Supply for multiple builds during its lifetime.

Dimensions: 152 x 87 x 162mm (W x H x D)
Weight: 1.66 kg
Form Factor: ATX12V v2.4, EPS 2.92
Cooling: 135mm Rifle Bearing Fan

Conclusion

This section concludes our enthusiast workstation build which hosts a mighty Ryzen 9 3950X & RTX 3090 combo. Absolutely no corners have been cut in the making of this build though the ~$3300 price can be discouraging for some. If you have the means to use all the power of this build, you’ll be very happy with how this build will literally make your work a breeze; technology is advancing generation by generation and together with it, the ability to leverage more and more of our work to a system thus making our creation process easier and faster; also, multi-core performance and CUDA capability are at the highest levels.

The RTX 3090 build is more than an all-rounder. We are living in great technology times thanks to the ample competition in the market and this system’s components push every boundary forward. It would be easy to go overboard on price with an enthusiast build while reaching much steeper prices but we feel that this list ticks every box with its carefully chosen components. Its truly accessible for the people that can use it and it would be a real challenge to find a better performing PC at this price point; that’s right, anywhere else in the market.

If you have any questions about the components and choices in this build, we love to answer questions in the comments section below. The RTX 3090 may be hard to get, especially at launch but all the other components are already established on the market; sales for them are already present within many markets, including the 3950X which is now down in price in anticipation of the new Ryzen 4000 series.

Featured Ampere Builds

The post $3300 RTX 3090 Ultimate Workstation Build for 2021 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

Nvidia has finally announced their GeForce RTX Ampere 30 Series GPUs, and their new flagship is the RTX Ampere 3090. This GPU absolutely dwarfs any previous, current generation, graphics card released by Nvidia, as it features a massive 10,496 CUDA Core count and an FP32 computing power of 36 teraflops. To put these numbers into perspective, that is a 127% increase in shader units and 120% increase in FP32 compute performance when compared to the Nvidia RTX Titan. Adding to this advantage is the Ampere architecture with Samsung’s 8nm processing method, upgraded GDDR6X VRAM, PCI Express Gen4 compatibility, 2^nd generation Ray Tracing, and 3^rd generation Tensor cores. Indeed, this GPU is set to become the high-resolution, high-framerate king that gamers have been waiting for. With its ability to process 8K resolution gaming at 60FPS, and perhaps even a stable 144 FPS framerate at 4K resolutions, the RTX Ampere 3090 is an expensive, yet powerful flagship GPU worthy of the next generation of games that are set to launch later this year. Since this graphics card is set to launch on September the 24^th, we still have plenty of time to analyze the best aftermarket model in order to make the best possible choice. This is why we have compiled a comprehensive list of all announced AIB RTX Ampere 3090s and listed them in alphabetical order with a description of what each manufacturer has to offer. Do note that some specifications have not yet been announced, as certain features and boost clock speeds have not yet been confirmed.

RTX 3090 Aftermarket (AIB) Card List

ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG STRIX Gaming OC

To begin of our list, we have the hardware manufacturer ASUS, with their ROG STRIX OC model. This GPU will feature two overclocking modes to increase the 1,400 MHz base clock speed of the RTX 3090: a gaming mode, with a 1,695 MHz boost clock, and an OC mode, with a 1,725 MHz boost clock – up from the reference card’s 1,700 MHz. Plenty of RGB lighting will be included, on the side of this GPU, with the light leaking underneath the fans. The lighting display can be customized via ASUS’s ArmourCrate software, which, together with GPU Tweak II, a graphics-card tuning program, X-Split, a streaming application, a 6-month WTFast subscription for network optimization, and QuantumCloud (a strange choice from ASUS as this program does not seem to be the most trustworthy; it uses your GPU’s processing power and provides negligible monetary returns) comprise the software included with the GPU. The cooling solution includes: an axial-tech triple fan design, with 13 and 11 bladed fans, a center fan that spins in reverse, in order to minimize turbulence, an enlarged 2.9 slot heatsink situated onto a surface polished heat spreader, a shortened PCB, and a wide, yet ventilated, backplate. Finally, the ASUS RTX 3090 ROG STRIX Gaming OC will include two HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports.

ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 TUF Gaming & TUF Gaming OC

The other two models that ASUS will be releasing are the – nearly identical – TUF Gaming and TUF Gaming OC. The latter is only different in that it has the ability to overclock to the same speeds as the ROG STRIX Gaming OC variant (1,695 and 1,710 MHz).  The RGB display here includes only a small TUF logo on the side, and the GPU will include all the same software mentioned for the ROG STRIX. The cooling solution for the TUF Gaming variants is a bit different, in that the fans will have double ball bearings and will be PWM controlled (only working at temperatures above 55 degrees Celsius). Also, the heatsink will have a slightly smaller 2.7 slot design, and a separate VRAM heatsink – which is absent in the ROG STRIX. Both these models are set to be slightly cheaper than their ROG STRIX counterpart (the TUF Gaming GPU will be priced similarly to the reference card).

EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 ICX3

The manufacturer with the most GeForce RTX Ampere 3090 models set to release so far is EVGA. They are ready to release five different designs: The Kingpin, which features a single fan together with a 240mm radiator, for both air and liquid cooling, the Hydro Copper, a hydrocooled GPU which uses a waterblock, the Hybrid, similar to the Kingpin though it uses a 120mm radiator, the FTW3, a tri-fan GPU with a plethora of ARGB lighting, and the XC3, a barebones triple fan model. Though EVGA has not yet released information about the majority of their RTX 3090 GPUs, we do know that the FTW3 will have ARGB lighting behind the GPU (logo), as well as on the front and side of the unit. These displays will be controlled via EVGA’s new Precision X1 software, which also includes in-game overclocking, fan control, an OC scanner, and GPU monitoring. The triple fanned models (the FTW3 and XC3) will include asynchronous fans with the best bearings in the RTX 30 market so far (hydro-dynamic bearings), a heatsink with through-hole fins, a unified copper block for the GPU and its VRAM – paired with semi-circular heatpipes, a ventilated PCB, and a backplate which includes micro-thin heatpipes. Price and boost clock speeds are TBC.

Galax / KFA2 RTX 3090 SG

A strong contender for this generation of Nvidia GPUs is Galax’s (KFA2)RTX 3090 SG. Despite the fact that this mode will cost the baseline price of the reference card, it will feature an overclocking speed of 1,710 MHz, slightly above the 1,695 reference. The KFA2 RTX 3090 SG has a sleek design, with RGB lighting going through three sets of translucent fan blades, making it ideal for vertical mounting – though horizontal mounting can also be utilized, as the model has an RGB-lit quote displayed on its side. Both RGB displays can be synchronized via Galax’s Xtreme Tuner, which also includes 1-click overclocking and system monitoring, and is even available as a mobile application so you don’t have to minimize any games or other windows to use the software. The cooling of this GPU is oddly unique. Other than the three 92mm fans, and its side and back ventilation, it also includes an 80mm clip-on fan that can be attached to the backplate in order to pull hot air away from the heatsink. Together with the fans, and their “Wings” fan-blade design made to optimize static pressure, this four-fan combination can create a very efficient cooling solution

GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 3090 Master & Xtreme

One of the largest aftermarket GPU manufacturers could not be absent from the AIB market, and GIGABYTE is ready to release four different RTX Ampere 3090 models; two of which are the RTX 3090 Master and RTX 3090 Xtreme. Current information about these models is very limited, and in terms of aesthetics, the only thing we know is that either the Master, the Xtreme, or both, will have an OLED display on the side of the GPU that will display the temperature of the GPU and perhaps other system metrics. Also, all RGB displays will be controllable via the AORUS engine software. When it comes to cooling, a bit more information has been released for these two models, and their cooling will be common between the two. This includes: three PWM controlled fans (one 100mm, two 115mm, double ball bearings) spinning in alternating directions, and mounted on “Wind Claw” mounts, designed to reinforce and focus the airflow toward the heatsink. The heatsink itself which will have fins with an angular and unequal design to better channel the airflow and enlarge the contact surface. Additionally, a large copper plate and composite heatpipes are used to better dissipate the heat through, and away from, the ventilated backplate. One last thing we do know is that the Xtreme will be the higher priced model, costing about $50 more than the Master variant.

GIGABYTE RTX 3090 Gaming OC & Eagle OC

The next two models that Gigabyte is set to release are the RTX Ampere 3090 Gaming OC and Eagle OC. The two GPUs have different exteriors but identical cooling. The Gaming OC will feature a small RGB display on the side of the GPU with GIGABYTE’s logo, while the Eagle OC will have the word “Eagle” lit up on the front of the GPU. These RGP displays will be customizable via the AORUS engine software as well. The Gaming OC variant will also include Dual BIOS, with a silent mode switch that will require a reboot in order to take effect. In regards to cooling, both graphics cards make use of GIGABYTE’s WINDFORCE 3X cooling system, which means three fans (two 90mm, one 80mm on the side), with the mid fan spinning in the opposite direction, and a “3D Active Fan” mode which is basically a PWM controller. All three fans will use a “3D stripe curve” and a triangular blade edge for what GIGABYTE claims will be smoother airflow dispersion. The bearings on these fans will be sleeve bearings with a graphene nano lubricant, providing them with a longer life span and quieter rotation. An extended heatsink will also be included, with seven copper composite heatpipes and a backplate that will be ventilated for better heat dispersion. The price and OC clock speeds are yet to be determined, though we do know that the Gaming OC will have an extended four-year warranty, and it appears that the Eagle OC will cost the same as the RTX 3090 reference card.

Inno3D RTX 3090 iChill X3 & X4

One of the more extravagant aftermarket options are Inno3Ds iChill X3 and iChill X4 RTX 3090 options. These models have nearly identical exteriors and cooling solutions, though there are some slight differences. In regards to the exterior, both GPUs will feature a customizable RGB display on the side of the GPU which will be Aura Sync, Mystic Light, and RGB Fusion compatible. The iChill X3 will also feature two acrylic RGB “tail fins” to add some extra flare, one of which has the iChill X3 logo on it, while the other is purposefully left blank so you can add a design of your preference. When it comes to the thermals of the GPU, both models make use of three 90mm fans – and no additional information is given about them other than that they are asymmetrical and make use of Inno3D’s “Scythe” design. Both models will also make use of seven heatpipes, a 1,664mm lengthwise heatsink which includes cooling fins with an ultra-smooth DGT surface and a copper base. The backplate has a studded surface and ventilation holes and is solid-die casted. The edge that the iChill X4 has in terms of cooling comes in the form of a fourth, 45mm fan which is mounted on the side of the GPU and used to cool the MOSFETs. Both the iChill X3 and iChill X4 are set to release with prices very close to the $1,399 reference card; the iChill X4 being slightly more expensive. Boost clock speeds are TBC.

Inno3D RTX 3090 Gaming X3

Not to be confused with the iChill X3, the Inno3D Gaming X3 is a more barebones option which removes the defining RGB lighting displays of the iChill models, has a slightly smaller 1,517mm long heatsink, a slightly smaller surface area, and it may, or may not, have a higher boost clock speed above the original 1,700 MHz of the reference card. Other than that, this GPU will include Inno3D’s TunnelIT GPU monitoring and overclocking software, and it may cost slightly less than the already reference-card priced iChill X3.

MSI RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X OC

Another giant in the AIB market is MSI, which is primed to release two distinct RTX Ampere 3090 models, one of which is the reference card priced VENTUS 3X OC. This model will not include any RGB lighting, and its cooling will utilize the previous generation TORX Fan 3.0 design. This fan design uses alternating fan blades, traditional and dispersion, in order to maximize static pressure and better cool the heatsink. To avoid unnecessary spinning, the fans will also utilize MSI’s “Zero Frozr”: another name for a PWM controller. Other than the fans, the VENTUS 3X OC will have precision-machined core pipes, and thermal pads on select board components in order to better control the thermals of the GPU. For all RTX 3090 models, emphasis was placed on keeping the GPU straight, hence the use of an anti-bending strap on its graphene backplate, with an additional, and optional, bracket that can be mounted underneath the GPU for extra support.  Though we do know that the MSI RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X OC will have an increased boost clock speed that can be controlled via MSI’s “Dragon Center” and “Afterburner” software, the exact boost clock speed is yet to be released.

MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X TRIO

MSI’s higher end model, the Gaming X Trio, is quite similar to the VENTUS 3X OC, despite some its upgrades. Firstly, the GPU has an RGB display: a few RGB accents on the front, and an MSI logo and a stripe running along the length of the side. MSI’s Mystic Light software will be included in order for the Gaming X Trio can by synced with other MSI hardware. Additionally, this model has an upgraded TORX Fan 4.0 design, where the blades of the fan are paired in twos (linked on the outer ring) for a more focused airflow through the heatsink. The heatsink is also slightly different, as it makes use of a “wave-curved 2.0” fin design, with angled edges that allow the airflow to pass without any unnecessary acoustics. Other than that, it appears to be identical to the VENTUS 3X OC, though we do not know the boost clock speed of this model. Speculation is that it may cost more than $100 above the original reference card price.

Palit GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming PRO & Gaming PRO OC

Another two 3090 aftermarket models that will become available hail from the hardware manufacturer Palit Microsystems Ltd. These are the Gaming Pro and Gaming PRO OC; two identical models, except for the fact that one will have a higher boost clock speed of 1,725 MHz. Other than that, both models will have a stylish ARGB display running through the middle fan of its three-fan setup which can be tailored to your liking through their ThunderMaster software. The fans included will feature double ball bearings, TurboFan 3.0 (PWM), low-vibration mounts, and an IP5X dust resistance rating. Their heatpipes are designed in a double-U shape, with intention of creating a larger surface area. Two die casting molded aluminum alloy armor plates will also cover the circuit board for optimal heat dispersion. Like all RTX Ampere 30 series aftermarket models, the backplate will be ventilated, and these models will use a honeycomb-design bracket for better airflow. The Palit Gaming PRO is set to launch with a $1,399 price tag, while the OC version will cost $20-$30 more.

PNY GeForce RTX 3090 XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB

PNY is also looking to release their own custom RTX 3090 Ampere model: The XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB. Though very little information has been released by PNY in regards to the specifications of this RTX 3090 edition, we do see that it will have a triple fan cooling solution and an RGB display on the front of the GPU – unlike their RTX 3080 edition of this same graphics card which also has an RGB display on the side. The boost clock speed will remain the same with the reference RTX 3090 at 1,695 MHz, and the overall length is set to be 294mm, with a 2.7-slot height. Three DP 1.4a and one HDMI 2.1 ports will also be included. From the limited specifications known about the model, it would be safe to assume that it will be priced similarly to the reference card RTX 3090.

ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3090 Trinity

Finally, we have ZOTAC’s 3090 offering, the RTX Ampere 3090 Trinity. The Trinity will feature two ARGB displays: the ZOTAC graphic underneath the GPU, and a “ZOTAC Gaming” logo on the side. These displays will be synced via ZOTAC’s Spectra 2.0, while the overclocking can be initiated via their Gaming FireStorm software (this model will not have an increased boost clock speed). The cooling features the Trinity include: ZOTAC’s IceStorm 2.0, which includes three fans with eleven blades each, a PWM controller, and an Active Fan controller which allows the user to manually control the fans via FireStorm (and two of the three fans can operate independently from the third). The heatsink is separated into three groups of aluminum fin stack arrays with seven copper heatpipes placed in a custom layout, for maximal surface area and heat dissipation. The backplate is metal die-casted and ventilated. The ZOTAC RTX 3090 Trinity is set to cost similarly to the reference card, at $1,399.

Featured Ampere Builds

The post RTX 3090 Aftermarket Card List – 22 AIB Models Compared appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

Nvidia’s Ampere release presentation on 1^st September sent hype levels stratospheric. Not only are they releasing the RTX 3070 at just $499 whilst claiming that it out-performs the $1200 RTX 2080 Ti, but they previewed their new fastest ever GPU.

Cheekily codenamed the ‘BFGPU’ the RTX 3090 is the absolute new king of the hill. Sporting 24GB VRAM and 10496 shader cores, there will be nothing that can touch this graphics card. Indeed ‘graphics card’ doesn’t really do it justice: This is a supercomputer on a PCIe slot, and creative industries and researchers will find it unrivalled in generating 3D effects, machine learning and computational power. That said Nvidia was happy to demonstrate it to a clutch of streamers showing 8K gameplay. This is a GPU which can leverage advanced AI technologies such as ‘DLSS’ to render game footage at incredible detail without harming frame rates. Be under no illusions, if you want the best and have $1499 to spare this GPU will set the gold standard in graphics performance for the foreseeable future.

To take advantage of this GPU you’ll need an absolutely top-flight PC with no weaknesses. You’ll also need a high-performance 4K monitor to put the power of this GPU on display. In this article, we’ll demonstrate PremiumBuild’s Ultimate RTX 3090 Intel-based Gaming PC for 2021

Best Intel RTX 3090 Gaming Build – The Parts List

CPU

The Intel Core i9-10900K CPU reigns supreme at present with gaming performance that bests anything AMD Zen 2 has to offer. It’s a 10-core part with hyperthreading making it an excellent all-rounder. Whether you’re looking to stream, multi-task or produce videos this CPU has your workload covered. It uses Intel’s ‘Thermal Velocity Boost’ algorithms to push clock speeds as high as 5.3GHz where temperature and power supply allows. With the RTX 3090 capable of extremely high frame rates even at 4K you’ll want the best possible CPU to underpin your system’s performance and as of now, the i9-10900K is it.

CPU Cooler

The i9-10900K is a notoriously power-hungry chip and all; that energy needs to be dissipated by your cooler. That’s why we’ve opted for a 360 MM AIO with the Asus ROG STRIX LC 360 RGB. This closed-loop cooler uses a pump, liquid coolant and a large radiator to carry heat away from the CPU. The ASUS ROG branded pump head matches the motherboard whilst the RGB fans can be controlled via Aura sync, Asus’s control software. With a huge surface area and three fans there’s ample cooling capacity and noise can be kept to a minimum. This is a simple to fit and highly capable cooler in keeping with the theme of the overall PC build.

Motherboard

The motherboard forms the core of the system and the i9-10900K warrants a premium option. The Asus ROG Maximus XII Hero is a Z490-chipset board packed full of features. It has one of the most robust voltage delivery systems available meaning you’ll be able to run your CPU at full capacity without worrying about the thermal impact on your components. This takes the form of a 14+2 phase power stage utilising 60Amp FETs for huge power capacity.  There’s a host of overclocking features including on board reset and power switches, debugging code display, and dual EPS connectors to supply power to the CPU. It has three M.2 slots and a host of connectivity options including Dual LAN (1Gb and 5Gb) and Wifi 6 and Bluetooth, as well as the usual adornment of the various specification of USB ports. The audio solution is very high end using the S1220 codec chip and ROG Supreme FX 7.1 sound. Aesthetically the board is on point with M.2 drive covers and a slick discreet anodised finish and a prominent ROG logo. This board gives you all the functionality and connectivity you need to allow the rest of the components shine.

RAM

We’ll admit to a slight weakness for a stack of four sticks of RAM with synchronised RGB: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4 3200Mhz Cl16 ram is Asus AuraSync-compatible and has addressable RGB to really set the build off. It has high speeds enabled via an XMP profile, and importantly it is validated on ASUS’s motherboard compatibility list so you’re ensured to run at rated speeds. Intel doesn’t gain significant performance benefits from faster ram and since prices increase greatly for 32Gb ram at faster timings, this is component where we’re balancing price with performance and looks.

Storage

A premium gaming rig deserves top-end storage but we’re not just specifying the most expensive option here: The Adata SX8200 Pro is a very well regarded SSD with speeds indistinguishable from the more expensive offerings like the Samsung 970 Evo. PCIe 4.0 doesn’t carry benefits to gaming (at least not any that outweigh the benefit of higher core speeds on an intel CPU) and so this drive hits the sweet spot of 2 TB of very high-performance NVME SSD space. All your games can be ‘on the fast drive’ for reduced loading times and stutter-free streaming of textures and data in the game world.

Case

The case defines the outwards look of your PC and for this build, we’ve opted for something showy. InWin has a long history of ‘out there’ PC cases including their yearly works of art, PC cases costing thousands, at E3. We haven’t pushed things quite this far here: the InWin 925 is a relatively conventional mid-ATX tower but uses lush 4mm brushed aluminium and thick tempered glass to define its robust industrial look. It supports multiple cooling options with routing and radiator configurations aplenty, and this cooling flexibility means you’ll have no issues keeping the GPU and CPU cool. You can vertically mount your GPU – although we’d only recommend that if you use a custom water block to keep it cool as it can stifle airflow to the GPU. It’ll hold GPU’s up to 420mm long and has 8 PCIe slot depth, so you have absolutely no worries about even the monstrous RTX 3090 fitting inside. Even the RGB Inwin logo is Asus Aura Sync compatible meaning there’s no additional bloatware just to control and integrate your RGB lighting. Fear not, if this case isn’t up your street you can select any full tower ATX case that you prefer, but do pay close attention to the dimensions for the graphics card and it’s cooling capability. Those are the two features that lead us to recommend this case from InWin. 

Power Supply

For this build we’re pairing one of the most power-hungry CPU’s currently available alongside the most powerful GPU available. The PSU needs to be up to task. The BeQuiet StraightPower 11 is a Platinum-rated PSU with 1000W output capability. It’s fully modular so that you can specify custom cables to really make the build stand out. This PSU has six PCIe power connectors so there will be no issues feeding the RTX 3090’s 350W TDP, and of course, being a BeQuiet it uses a quiet 135mm fan for minimal noise output. Construction uses all Japanese 105C rated capacitors and DC-DC conversion for maximum stability and efficiency. This is a PSU that offers the performance and stability that the highest end components demand and you can be confident it’ll power your whole system with ease. 

Monitor

Finally, we come to the monitor: The RTX 3090 is nothing without a display to show off its unrivalled abilities. This is a GPU capable of 4K output at high FPS and few monitors are equipped to display that. The Acer Predator X27 stands out as the best of them. This 27” 4K panel has a 144Hz refresh rate and G-Sync to match up the monitor refresh to the GPU frames output rate. The IPS panel is bright with vibrant colours and has fast response rates. It’s HDR-enabled and shows one of the best implementations of this technology currently available using 384 backlight zones to brighten and dim the image locally where required. Ultimately when you’re looking for a 4K 144Hz monitor there are very few options capable of displaying the RTX 3090’s capabilities in all their glory: The Acer Predator X27 is the best of them.

Related Ampere Builds

The post $4100 RTX 3090 Gaming PC Build for 2021 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.