Consider X99 or Z490 as an upgrade or keep an eye on it?
Consider X99 or Z490 as an upgrade or keep an eye on it?
Hello everyone, thank you for your support and suggestions beforehand. I’m planning to refresh my setup and am considering either used X99 components or new Z490 parts. I prefer Intel, just because it feels right. My existing machine is an X79, running Asus ROG Rampage IV Black Edition, a Xeon E5-1680 V2 at 4.4Ghz and 1.27V, with 64GB of DDR3 Corsair Vengeance Pro at 2400Mhz, plus a Crucial MX300 750GB (boot drive) and a Crucial MX500 1TB (DCS: World & Steam Games). I also have a Western Digital RE WD4000FDYZ 4TB for general use, two EVGA 1080 Ti Black Edition Super Clocks (SLI setup included), an ASUS XG-C100C network card, and an Enermax AIO with an Oculus Rift S. I use it for Photoshop, AutoCAD, gaming, VR, and DCS: World—both in VR mode.
I’m thinking about upgrading before the new RTX 3000 series graphics cards launch alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator. There’s a rumor that these cards might not work with older processors beyond the 5th generation, so I want to confirm compatibility first. Here are my proposed configurations:
Honestly X99 is no longer viable and z490 comes at a high cost. What's your budget really? And how much work do you have? The Am4 (PGA 1331) seems like a reasonably affordable, scalable option. A 3900x would use less power. Adding two more cores and four more threads would keep things cooler. It wouldn't get as hot. You could also consider waiting if you're happy with the current performance, since Zen 3 is expected soon alongside Ampere and big Navi.
Edit: Added July 4, 2020 by TofuHaroto
These options seem questionable at first glance, but they could work just fine. If forced to mention something, you might prefer a Z490 Unify, Maximus XII Hero or Z490 Master. It’s likely you chose the monoblock formula for your custom loop, though the VRMs on these boards don’t need heavy cooling—even with an overclocked 10900K RAM, it’s not necessary. For the SSD, consider a Crucial P1 or Intel 660p to save money. The ASUS case probably costs too much, but that’s up to you. I wouldn’t recommend X99 either, as it’s an older platform and its CPUs don’t match today’s high-performance games well compared to modern non-HEDT chips from both Intel and AMD. Speaking of AMD, the X570 is also worth looking into.
Money wasted without solid reasons, unless you take actions not listed in the initial comment. Good X299 CPUs (except Kaby Lake X) feature a mesh bus design which makes them less suitable for gaming compared to Z490 models with ring bus. In fact, X99 performs worse than X299.
2. Going beyond 32GB RAM for Flight Sim 2020 isn't necessary. A 16GB setup is sufficient; it may consume more but won’t double the cost significantly. Above 4x16GB becomes very expensive due to newer 32GB DIMMs, and running Z490 with that much memory at 3600MHz can cause instability and long stress tests.
3. The waterblock on the Maximus 12 Formula looks like a marketing trick. If VRM demands extra cooling, other Z490 boards (especially from Asus) pose serious fire risks.
4. Adata often combines different parts under the same brand name, so skip the SX8200 Pro. At 2TB you’ll find HP EX950, Corsair MP510 1.92TB, WD SN750 2TB, and Samsung 970 Evo (variants) all offering similar capacity.
I believe AMD might be a stronger choice. I’m considering RYZEN 9 3900X or 3950X with PCIe 4.0, which should deliver similar performance to the i9-10900K. The difference in frame rates could be around 10 FPS, though Intel remains better tuned for gaming unless I’m doing non-gaming tasks like AutoCAD or CATIA from home. I prefer not to switch back to my current 10Gb card. My budget is roughly $2000 for a new unit without cooling, or under $1000 for used ones. It all hinges on the parts’ lifespan. My X79 has been reliable for years—upgraded the CPU, added 32GB RAM and two 1080 Ti graphics, but it wasn’t until the i9-9900K launched that upgrades became necessary. I don’t think LGA 1200 sockets will last much longer; Intel is moving to smaller architectures, and the X299 platform seems outdated and costly for today’s gaming needs, which mostly rely on single-threaded performance.
Thanks for the details on the M.2 SSD and Adata. I hadn’t realized that information about the Adata I had recently seen positive reviews. Regarding your second point, I’ve reached over 32GB of RAM during demanding DCS: World Multiplayer missions in VR. My current setup is 64GB with DDR4 modules, giving me flexibility to upgrade to 128GB whenever needed. I’m okay with the VRMs not requiring a water block, and the Maxumus XII Formula offers the best value for a 10Gb LAN. As an Asus enthusiast, I’ve always appreciated their motherboards; they’ve consistently delivered great performance. I’ve used every Asus ROG Rampage IV board—Rampage IV Extreme, Gene, Formula, and my own Black Edition—and never faced any issues. I’ve also improved my overclocking skills on the Asus platform, though I’m new to the newer models so I can’t share my thoughts yet.