Hey everyone! I'm considering an upgrade since my current desktop is about nine years old and not performing well. I work with AI/ML, Verilog/VHDL, and some gaming, and I want to make my setup more efficient. I'm planning to buy PC parts from Microcenter and have listed some components, but I'd really appreciate your feedback on whether it constitutes a solid RTX 5090 build. Here's what I'm looking at:
- **CPU:** AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- **Motherboard:** Gigabyte - X870 AORUS ELITE
- **RAM:** 64GB G.Skill - Trident Z5
- **GPU:** Gigabyte - RTX 5090
- **NVME:** 1x 4TB, 1x 1TB Samsung 990 Pro
- **Power Supply:** Thermaltake - Toughpower 1200 Watt
I've got a budget of around $5500 after tax and will be dual-booting Windows 11 and Linux. A few specific questions I have:
1. Is 64GB of RAM too much or too little for my purposes?
2. Do you see any flaws in my build?
3. I'd like to use a mini-ITX case for portability, but I know I'll need to change some hardware. Is this feasible with the 5090, and will it affect performance?
4. Can you suggest cases without glass panels?
5. Should I consider overclocking, or is it better to leave everything at stock settings?
6. Is there anything I'm forgetting for my build since I'm a first-time builder?
Thanks a lot for your insights! I'll keep you all posted on my build progress in a few weeks!
2 Answers
64GB of RAM should work well for your tasks, especially with the GPU's VRAM taken into account. Just make sure to double-check the PSU model because not all Thermaltake Toughpower units are great. I recommend getting one from Superflower or Seasonic instead. Also, for a mini-ITX build, you'll likely need to upgrade to a compatible motherboard, and some 5090 cards are quite large, so fit them properly!
The Ryzen CPU setup is solid, but just a heads-up on the X870 motherboard's connections. Using both SSDs might hurt performance since it splits the GPU lanes. I suggest going for just one 4TB SSD instead of having a 1TB and 4TB combo. For RAM, 6000CL28 is a good choice, and make sure your PSU is ATX 3.1 with proper 12V support for the GPU.
Thanks for the insight! The SSD split was just a plan for keeping Windows and Linux separate, but I see your point. I'll definitely consider the B850 for better performance without the hassle!
I get that I’ll need a different motherboard for ITX. So as long as it's DDR5 compatible with the CPU, it should suffice? I’d like to save some cash on that!