Intel has risen to the challenge of AMD’s onslaught on the CPU market. They have long since boasted of producing the ‘best gaming CPUs’ and so the new flagship CPU, the i9-10900K, pulls out all the stops to retain that accolade. This CPU has 10 cores and 20 threads with hyperthreading enabled. It boasts new technologies in the form of Thermal Velocity Boost and Turbo Boost Max 3.0 to enable peak core speeds of 5.3Ghz. Turbo Boost max acts to identify the highest quality cores in your CPU and ensure they are utilised in the most demanding tasks. On top of this ‘Thermal Velocity Boost’ acts to add 100mhz clock speed boost where the CPU temperature is under 70C and power delivery allows it. Intel is still stuck on the now ageing 14nm ‘core’ architecture so it takes this kind of optimisation to eke out their advantage – similar technologies have been deployed by AMD in the form of Precision Boost Overdrive and eXtreme Frequency Range to ensure that the end-user gets the best out of their CPU with minimal effort. 

There is a downside to forcing a 10-core CPU on a 14nm architecture to run this fast and that’s power draw and consequently heat: This is not an efficient CPU. Whilst it’s listed as 125 Watt thermal power design that refers to the continuous power load. When conditions demand it, different power limits are defined by intel and implemented by the motherboard manufacturers, and of course, if you’re an enthusiast overclocker you can throw those limits in the trash and draw as much as you want. The CPU will happily draw 180W in the high demand ‘PL2’ state, whilst if you’re looking for an all-core overclock approaching 5.3Ghz then testing indicates the CPU alone can draw well over 300W in total. Those are huge numbers and indicate the need for an excellent cooling solution as well as a motherboard and Power Supply with capacious power delivery limits. Indeed looking at the high-end motherboard options in the compatible Z490 chipset it’s evident that the manufacturers have heeded the demands of this generation of Intel CPUs. You’ll see them adorned with power stages that wouldn’t be out of place in a power grid distribution facility with ranks of 14 and 16-phase voltage regulation MOSFETs with up to 90 amp capacity. 

So what does this mean for our build? Well, to obtain the maximum benefit from this class-leading CPU, we’ll need to ensure that cooling and power delivery are up to scratch. We’ll also need a class-leading GPU to ensure that we’re generating as many frames as possible with current technology, and supporting parts that demonstrate the current cutting edge of technology and leave the CPU free to perform optimally. 

So let’s take a look at the PremiumBuilds ultimate i9-10900K gaming & productivity build, showcasing the best parts currently on offer and maximising the potential of this class-defining CPU.

10900K Liquid Cooled All-Rounder Build

Component	Selection	Design	Price
CPU	Intel Core i9-10900K		$529
CPU Cooler	EVGA CLC 360		$142
Motherboard	MSI MEG Z490 ACE		$389
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-4000 CL18		$552
Storage	ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD		$259
Graphics Card	EVGA RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming		$1575
PC Case	Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic		$150
Power Supply	Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 PE 850W 80+ Gold		$160
		Total	$3756

Motherboard

As outlined above the motherboard is critical to unlocking the performance of the i9 CPU. This high-end offering from MSI, the MEG Z490 Ace, straddles the line between extreme overclocking and all-round enthusiast performance. The power stages are a best in class 16 phase 90 AMP set up ensuring the CPU never wants for clean voltage, whilst MSI’s heritage boasts of extreme memory overclocking results. It has an understated and classy aesthetic, with heavy heatsinking and a bracing backplate strengthening the board. I/O is good, with dual 2.5G LAN and Intel Gigabit LAN and Wifi 6 integrated to the board as well as a host of high-speed USB connectivity and 3 M.2 slots of which we will populate just one: that makes future upgrades easy. A high current CPU pump header, CPU fan header, and 6 additional PWM chassis fan headers give the full control over the cooling solution.

CPU Cooler

The i9-10900K needs a top tier cooling solution to deal with its prodigious heat output: here we’ve taken advantage of the 360mm radiator capacity of the Lian-Li case to fit the EVGA CLC 360 all in one cooler. Three fans provide a 75 cubic feet/minute throughput to pull heat out of the coolant and keep the CPU performing at its best, and testing shows the EVGA CLC 360 performing equal to or better than counterparts like the Corsair H115i and NZXT X72. The neat branding matches the GPU and RGB helps set the look of this build. The fans can be swapped for RGB fans if desired, depending on if you want to turn the Lian Li Case into an RGB showcase or keep it discreet and functional.

RAM

For a high-end gaming system capable of streaming, gaming, and productivity work, 32Gb RAM ensures this all-rounder 10900K build can tackle it all. We’ve opted for 4 matched sticks of G.Skill Trident Z RAM with RGB to really highlight the build. This kit uses SK Hynix produced RAM and is listed on the QVL compatibility chart of the MSI Z490 MEG Ace motherboard meaning it’s guaranteed to run at the rated speeds, and enabling the overclock is no more trouble than selecting the XMP profile in BIOS and the motherboard handles the rest.

Storage

For storage we’ve opted for one f the eager competitors to Samsung’s throne: The Adata SX8200 Pro 2TB is a high-performance NVME drive using PCIe x4 lanes for read speeds in excess of 3,000Mb/s. The Silicon Motion SM2262EN 8-channel controller handles all tests with ease and despite the attractive pricing this drive performs alongside the very best available. The use of TLC nand means there’s no concern over longevity: This drive has a 1,280 Terabyte write endurance and a 5-year warranty. 2Tb gives ample space for the Operating system, day to day programmes, and a host of AAA titles to show the systems full potential.

Graphics Card

When you’ve opted for the highest performing gaming CPU available, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. the only other component holding you back is your choice of GPU: This is still the component that makes the most impact on gaming performance. For that reason, we’ve brought out the big guns: the EVGA RTX 2080ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming.

With SLI officially dead in the water circa 2020, a single top tier GPU is the path to gaming bliss. This GPU uses the Turing TU102 GPU die with an unrivalled 4352 CUDA cores acting in parallel to provide the most rendering performance ever packed into a consumer graphics card, whilst opting for the FTW3 gets you a binned GPU that will hit a higher overclock. Whilst EVGA state that the boost clock is 1755Mhz on this card, that’s conservative: We’ll place money on you not being able to find an FTW3 card that won’t hold 2Ghz stable with an OC Scanner derived overclock curve. EVGA uses a gigantic 3 -slot, 3-fan cooler to keep this GPU cool (and like the CPU it can pull over 300W when overclocked) whilst ICX technology carefully manages fan speeds to ensure it never sounds unruly.

This aftermarket RTX 2080 Ti card is backed by an industry-leading 3-year warranty, extendable to 5, meaning you can enjoy this GPUs’ power for years to come. It’s also part of EVGA’s ‘step up’ programme, so if they release a superior GPU within 90 days you can part-exchange this card against whatever is waiting in the wings. That peace of mind means you can get to gaming right away and still own cutting edge technology as soon as it’s released.

PC Case

The Lian Li O11 Dynamic is fast becoming the favourite high-end PC case of the discerning builder. Few cases can boast a layout as well thought out as this: The PSU sits behind the motherboard in a separate compartment whilst the Motherboard and components sit in a glass houses showcase. A 360mm Radiator mount point acts as a partition between the halves, ensuring that exhaust air is carried directly away from the GPU and CPU. Cable management is a dream with an entire compartment to work within, whilst fan and radiator options are multitudinous: You can use AIO radiators as we have here, build full custom loops with discreet radiators for CPU and GPU, in short, let your mind run free with innovative cooling options to support whatever components and overclocking regime you choose.

If you happen to exceed the capacity of one PSU, there’s space for a second meaning you can feed GPU’s and CPU from separate power sources if you desire. The front panel boasts a USB 3.1 Type C connection and the case benefits from dust filters throughout, to keep that impressive interior clean. The case is built from steel with brushed aluminium accents to complete the premium look. Given its unrivalled specification, it’s clear to see why this case is so popular with those building high-end systems.

Power Supply

The PSU market has suffered more turmoil than almost any other over the last 6 months, making choosing a PSU harder than ever. Many of the industry stalwarts are out of stock or selling at hyper-inflated prices, but that doesn’t mean you can’t build your PC: There’s plenty of excellent options so long as you’re prepared to step away from the usual suspects. For this 10900K, build we’ve selected the Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850W. This is a Gold efficiency rated fully modular power supply with specifications that match those from the likes of Corsair, EVGA and Seasonic, but it has the advantage that’ it’s actually available for purchase. It operates in zero fan mode for silence at idle but exhibits clean and consistent power delivery even under extreme load. The 850W rated output provides ample headroom for our 300W a piece CPU and GPU combination. The unit is backed with a 10-year warranty to give peace of mind.

Monitor Recommendations

The system we’ve created is capable of driving modern games to very high framerates whilst generating gorgeous visuals. To do it justice you need a worthy monitor. We’re proposing two options depending on your preference: 1440p 16:9 or else 1440p 21:9 ultrawide.

27” WQHD: ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ 

The ROG Swift PG279QZ is the update to the hugely popular PG279Q. This 27” 1440p 165hz monitor has an IPS panel for the best balance of colour vibrance and response times, whilst G-Sync ensures that you’re getting the very best adaptive sync technology to match frame rates to the panels refresh rate. Reviews highlight excellent panel quality and low input lag. The resolution is well within the GPU’s capability to drive it to high refresh rates, giving you the competitive advantage in online gaming.

34” Ultrawide: LG 34GK950F-B

Meanwhile, if you want a more immersive experience with a curved ultrawide monitor, the LG 34GK950F-B has your needs met. This 21:9 aspect display won’t reach the heady refresh rate highs of a 16:9 monitor, but does offer more workspace for productivity and works fantastically well with AAA titles and sim games with the additional screen space filling your peripheral vision. A 144hz refresh rate pairs with Freesync 2 technology (now compatible with the Nvidia GPU) to smooth out framerates and deliver a stutter-free gaming experience.

So, in this article, we hope that we’ve demonstrated a cost-effective and very high-performance gaming PC build that will allow you to get the most out of Intel’s new flagship gaming CPU, the i9-10900K.

Related Builds

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Picking the right power supply (PSU) for your next RTX 2080 Ti build is extremely important in ensuring a system with stable and sufficient power delivery – especially for power-hungry components such as the RTX 2080 Super and RTX 2080 Ti.

It’s important to pick a power supply with enough wattage for systems built with the RTX 2080 Ti, and to give enough headroom wattage if you are looking to overclock, too. In addition, picking a reliable PSU with stable power delivery and efficiency will mean your system will provide a good foundation for your build an also save you money on your electricity bills!

We recommend using a power supply calculator to check the recommended wattages for your specific build, but in this guide we will show you our top power supply recommendations for RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti builds in 2020.

The RTX 2080 power requirements are rated at 215W TDP for the reference/founders edition model – whereas this TDP can be higher in aftermarket RTX 2080 models such MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio with a power consumption of 260W.

The bigger brother, the RTX 2080 Ti Power Requirements are bigger, too – with a rated TDP of 250W for the founder’s edition RTX 2080 Ti, and north of 300W for enthusiast aftermarket RTX 2080 Ti models, such as the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2080 Ti.

Our Recommendations

Best PSU for RTX 2080 Ti + i9-9900K Builds

For RTX 2080 Ti builds paired with the i9-9900K, you’re going to need a capable power supply with enough headroom to allow for overclocking if you want to the push the system to its limits. The i9-9900K has a TDP of 200W, and up to 240W if overclocked at 100% load, the RTX 2080 Ti has a stock TDP of about 290W, and again if you want to overclock the RTX 2080 Ti you will be looking at about 340W TDP at 100% load. Factor in the TDP of other components such as the motherboard, RAM, fans and storage (assuming high quality, performance components) – then the total TDP for an RTX 2080 Ti and i9-9900K build will come in at around 700W. Therefore, allow for a bit of headroom on top of this, the recommended power supply wattage we recommend for the RTX 2080 Ti and i9-9900K system is a 750W PSU.

The best 750W power supply for the RTX 2080 Ti on the market, with rave reviews from the likes of JonnyGuru, is the Seasonic Prime 750W Titanium. This power supply received 10/10 scoring on all fronts from JonnyGuru, in terms of performance, functionality, value and build quality. Impressive voltage regulation, efficiency and power delivery mean this 750W power supply is the perfect pairing for high-end systems, such as with the RTX 2080 Ti and i9-9900K components.

Best PSU for RTX 2080 + i7-9700K Builds

For RTX 2080 and i7-9700K builds we would recommend a minimum of a 650W power supply if not overclocking the system, or a 750W power supply if you’re planning on overclocking the RTX 2080/i7-9700K system – just to allow for some headroom when doing those extreme overclocks.

The best 750W PSU we recommend then for the RTX 2080 is the Seasonic Prime 750W Gold – a fully modular, gold rated power supply offering an impressive 87% efficiency at 20% load. Seasonic is known for its fantastic quality power supplies, and this ATX gold rated PSU operates virtually like a platinum-rated PSU – with high-performance power delivery, high-quality components and virtually silent operation. In addition, SeaSonic backs up their power supplies with a 12-year warranty – so if something were to happen to your system, SeaSonic would have it covered. We recommend this over the Titanium for the RTX 2080 since it will be more aligned to budget, and sufficient for the power demands of RTX 2080 systems.

Best SFX PSU for RTX 2080 Ti Builds

If you’re looking to build a high end small form factor (SFF) PC with an RTX 2080 Ti, you’re going to need a capable, reliable SFX format PSU to ensure consistent and efficient power delivery.

Despite the recommended PSU wattage for the RTX 2080 Ti being 650W, for mini-ITX RTX 2080 Ti builds we recommend the Corsair SF600 power supply – arguably the best SFX power supply on the market. Corsairs SFX platinum series offers industry-leading power delivery, efficiency and virtually runs silent at almost any load. This fully modular PSU also comes with a 7-year warranty, as well as individually sleeved cables, something not found in the Corsair SF Gold series of SFX power supplies.

Many builders report using the SF600 Platinum with the RTX 2080 Ti and i9-9900K with no issues at all, with room to overclock if desired. If you are looking to extreme overclock the RTX 2080 Ti and i9-9900K and perhaps want a little bit more headroom with your wattage – then we recommend opting for the big brother, the newly-released Corsair SF750 Platinum.

The post Best Power Supplies for RTX 2080 & RTX 2080 Ti Builds appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

So you’ve just got a new RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti, and you want to finish off your build with a monitor that not only looks the part but performs the part – too. There’s no point of having a $1200 card that can push 144hz at 1440p, for you to only run it on a dusty-old 1080p monitor capable of only 60Hz!

In this guide, we will show you the best monitors for the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti cards, with selections for each different resolution/Hz the RTX 2080 is possible of pushing out. If you have yet to buy an RTX 2080 Ti, we have also produced guides on the top aftermarket RTX 2080 Ti cards and best PSUs to pair with the RTX 2080 Ti – I hope that these may be of use to you, too.

RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti Monitor Resolution Pairings

The best kind of monitors to pair with the RTX 2080 Ti are as follows – and all push between 500-600 million px/sec:

• 1920×1080 @ 240Hz (500m px/sec)
• 2560×1440 @ 165Hz (610m px/sec)
• 3440×1440 @ 120Hz (595m px/sec) (Our recommended resolution)
• 3840×2160 @ 60Hz (500m px/sec)

We will split this guide up based on the mentioned resolutions the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti is capable of and offer our best monitor recommendations for these resolutions.

In today’s day and age, ultrawide monitors are king and present countless advantages over the standard 16:9 ratio, thus if you are looking for a decent monitor to pair with the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti then we recommend ascending to the ultrawide league. They require beefier graphics cards to run, but lucky this article is based on the assumption you are looking to build with one of the most powerful graphics cards ever built – the RTX 2080 Ti.

In addition, with a NVIDIA based card such as the RTX 2080 Ti, it is possible to take advantage of their proprietary G-SYNC technology available on many high-end monitors – aimed at reducing screen tearing by operating a variable refresh rate – and thus producing far smoother looking gameplay. We have taken into consideration G-SYNC when recommending the following monitors. Even if the RTX 2080 Ti is comfortable of pushing 4K 60Hz it is still worthwhile as G-SYNC will then remove the need to use V-Sync and the input lag associated with that. Investing a few extra dollars to get G-SYNC on a monitor is a sound investment for futureproofing your RTX 2080 build – if you choose to upgrade the card in the future or perhaps want to run an SLI RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti build.

Interestingly, new TV’s in 2019 will begin to support HDMI 2.1 – which actually allows for 4K 144Hz – something worth to take into consideration in the future as Televisions become more viable options for gaming with RTX 2080 Ti/high-end PC builds. If you want to read more about this, here is our guide to all HDMI 2.1 supported televisions and FreeSync-enabled TVs currently available.

Our monitor recommendations for the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti

Award	Design	Monitor	Retailer
Best 1080p 240Hz monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q
Best 1440p 165hz G-SYNC monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS PG289QR
Best 1440p 120hz G-SYNC ultrawide monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		Alienware AW3418DW
Best 4k 60hz G-SYNC monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS PG27AQ

Best 1080p 240Hz monitor – ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q

There are only a few 1080p 240Hz monitors on the market in 2020 that are worth considering, and the one that gets our pick for the RTX 2080 Ti is the ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q. The reason we picked this over the likes of the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 competitive eSports monitor is that the XG258Q has G-SYNC which the RTX 2080 / Ti can take advantage of, as well as being slightly cheaper.

This monitor is very neat, with an understated design with features such as RGB to customise to anyone’s personal setup, a large height adjustment range and tilt ability the XG258Q was built to large and lengthy gaming sessions. With HDMI 2.0, this monitor is able to take advantage of V-Sync and future proofing for newer graphics cards in the future that can take advantage of this new HDMI standard.

If you’re a competitive gamer who needs the over-worldly refresh rate of 240Hz at 1080p, then the ASUS XG258Q is the best 240hz 1080p monitor for the RTX 2080 Ti, thanks to the addition of G-SYNC as well as its low price relative to other models.

Best 1440p 165hz G-SYNC monitor – ASUS PG278QR

There are actually two monitors we recommend for the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti in this section, depending on whether gaming or picture quality is your main focus. Either way, both 1440p 165Hz monitors for the RTX 2080 come from ASUS, and both feature G-SYNC for that all-important V-Sync and butter-smooth gameplay – and these are the ASUS PG278QR and the ASUS PG279QZ.

We recommend the ASUS PG279QZ over the PG278QR if you prefer having superior colours and viewing angles, and gaming isn’t your absolute number one priority. This is a beautiful IPS panel with stunning picture quality and a thin-bezel design makes this one of the best looking monitors on the market in 2020. Many users reported that the predecessor to the PG279QZ, the PG279Q suffered from backlight bleed and many users ended up returning the monitor because of this. It really because a panel lottery but the new version by Asus, the PG279QZ has reported offering better panel quality and thus gets our recommendation as the best 4K 165Hz IPS monitor for the RTX 2080.

We recommend the PG278QR over the PG279QZ for gaming with the RTX 2080 Ti since it is a TN panel (lower response times) and many ASUS IPS panels have been reported to have BLB, so unless you’re happy to play the monitor lottery and return the monitor until you find one that is perfect, then we recommend going for the PG278QR. The PG278QR TN panel offers better motion clarity too, which is better for gaming as well as simply just being cheaper. This is the top 1440p 165Hz TN monitor for the RTX 2080 Ti, hands down.

With the RTX 2080 Ti it will be able to push the 1440p past 144hz to 165hz, and this really is noticeable to the human eye, and paired with G-SYNC makes for quite the gaming experience.

Best 1440p 120hz G-SYNC ultrawide monitor – Alienware AW3418DW

One of the hottest monitors on the market right now, and possibly the absolute best monitor pairing for your RTX 2080 Ti build is the Alienware AW3418DW. This 34″ ultrawide monitor ticks all the boxes, with a 1440p IPS panel with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz – you will be able to get the most out of the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti and display it on this sleek and gaming-focused display. With the added benefit of G-SYNC, this will enhance viewing pleasure and create super-smooth gameplay with the RTX 2080.

Looking at countless reviews on reddit’s /r/monitors, we have struggled to find a bad review about the AW3418DW, its hard to fault with its premium build quality, the immersive FoV with the 21:9 aspect ratio, as well as beautiful picture quality. Not to mention the benefits ultrawides offer for productivity and getting work done – you can fit so many windows on a ultrawide monitor, it’s just like having a dual screen setup without the bezels in the middle.

With many IPS panels it is possible to get bad backlight bleed, and rightly so it should be a concern if you’re spending north of $1000 on a gaming monitor. With the AW3418DW, we have seen little instances of PC builders reporting any noticeable BLB, vignetting or inconsistency between panels.

If you want to run the monitor at 120Hz to get the full potential out of the RTX 2080 Ti, you will want to use the DisplayPort input as that supports this framerate as well as G-SYMC – the HDMI input only supports up to 50hz.

This is possibly the best reviewed monitor on the market in 2020, and thus gets our recommendation for pairing with the RTX 2080 / 2080 Ti.

Best 4k 60hz G-SYNC monitor – ASUS PG27AQ

Although we prefer gaming at 1440p @ 144/165hz, we still have to admit it’s quite the delight gaming on 4K resolution as long as it’s smooth – and this is possible with the RTX 2080 Ti. If you’re looking at a 4K 60Hz monitor for your build, we would recommend the 27″ size and with that, there are only a few options to pick from. The 27″ 4k 60Hz G-SYNC monitor we prefer over the rest is the ASUS PG27AQ, a sleek IPS panel with very impressive picture quality and doesn’t feature a gaming-gimmicky design that some G-SYNC monitors have (looking at you, Acer Predator series).

With the Asus PG27AQ being a few years old, this can be found for a decent discount off the retail price, and thus makes a suitable budget 4K monitor for the RTX 2080 we recommend (but not over 1440p 144Hz).

Summary

Award	Design	Monitor	Retailer
Best 1080p 240Hz monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q
Best 1440p 165hz G-SYNC monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS PG289QR
Best 1440p 120hz G-SYNC ultrawide monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		Alienware AW3418DW
Best 4k 60hz G-SYNC monitor for RTX 2080 Ti		ASUS PG27AQ

The post Best monitors to pair with the RTX 2080 & RTX 2080 Ti appeared first on PremiumBuilds.