Advice/suggestions for a DK-05F build

[stang99x]

I've built a couple rigs in the past with custom loops. Just simple builds, wasn't looking for perfect aesthetics just performance. I currently run 2 rtx3090's in my main rig and one rtx3090 in a second. I'm letting them mine around the clock. I have an RTX3090 FTW3 with active front and rear blocks coupled with a Dell factory RTX3090 with active front and rear blocks. The second rig has an RTX3090FTW3 factory watercooled card with a VRAM cooling block. The second rig was me finally admitting I couldn't fit all three cards in one case. It was literally built with leftovers and a couple new parts. All that aside, I was contemplating building my own desk and my wife literally walked over and said, just buy the stupid expensive one because you're going to end up buying it anyway. Well, that was permission enough for me. (God knows I was lucky finding this woman, last year she convinced me to buy an unwieldy 49" monitor) So I have the Lian Li DK-05F desk. It has a country mile of space in it. I'm looking for suggestions on certain things I am not educated in. For example, what type of hard tube. It seems there is a love hate relationship with PETG based on it's interactions with certain other products. Based on what I've read, I am leaning Acrylic. I'm not doing glass. Currently the highest average reading in the system is 74C on the VRAM. The coolant itself runs 30-34C. It also seems that there is a love hate relationship with UV fluids, though I'm not sure why. I'm basing all this just based on what i've read over the last couple weeks over a multitude of forums. I guess I'm just looking for rapid fire suggestions/comments/advice. I'm not looking to spend a small fortune. As badass as some of those 10-20 thousand dollar youtube video builds are, i'm not trying to impress followers, really just want to push further into the realm of custom builds and I can just rebuild this desk every few years as necessity requires.

I haven't decided if I should build a new system from scratch or keep my current one, which isn't very old. I built it about a year and half or so ago and like I said, not trying to spend a fortune. (crypto is in the crapper currently) The basic specs are:
GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA ATX
Intel I9-9900K
CORSAIR 64GB 4X16 RGB D4 3200 C16
EVGA 850W SUPRNVA G1+ 80+G FM
Samsung 980 PRO 1TB SSD PCIe 4.0
RTX3090 FTW3 ULTRA
RTX3090 Dell Alienware factory unit

The second rig is pretty old and irrelevant, but I'm thinking it's an I7-6700k. It's a literal frankenstein of old leftover parts.

 

[Blaylock]

Your rig is still very current so there's really little to gain from a new build. I would only start a fresh build if I really had my heart set on a new feature (i.e. DDR5, PCIe 5.0, etc).

I've yet to use hard tubing so I don't have any experience to offer advice. I've stayed away from it as I am frequently rebuilding and swapping out components as a reviewer/tinkerer. I can certainly understand the draw to hard tubes. You get much cleaner lines but aside from that there really isn't any benefit that I'm aware of. As far as the UV coolant the reason most here stay away from it is the dye used has been known to gunk up blocks and pumps over time. It's possible the newer stuff is less likely to do so, but for my part, I just stick with distilled water and a biocide additive.

My first mining rig was literally named Dr. Franken-mine (build log) circa 2014. It was built just like yours, from spare parts with just a few new ones to make it run. There is nothing wrong with this as mining really doesn't require much.

 

[EarthDog]

I dont see a point to change anything for mining, but if you want to get the most out of that system gaming, even at 4K, you need all the cpu horsepower you can get for best results. A 9900k surely holds those gpus back.

That said, by how much... who knows... would you notice? Depends... lol.

 

[stang99x]

Your rig is still very current so there's really little to gain from a new build. I would only start a fresh build if I really had my heart set on a new feature (i.e. DDR5, PCIe 5.0, etc).

I've yet to use hard tubing so I don't have any experience to offer advice. I've stayed away from it as I am frequently rebuilding and swapping out components as a reviewer/tinkerer. I can certainly understand the draw to hard tubes. You get much cleaner lines but aside from that there really isn't any benefit that I'm aware of. As far as the UV coolant the reason most here stay away from it is the dye used has been known to gunk up blocks and pumps over time. It's possible the newer stuff is less likely to do so, but for my part, I just stick with distilled water and a biocide additive.

My first mining rig was literally named Dr. Franken-mine (build log) circa 2014. It was built just like yours, from spare parts with just a few new ones to make it run. There is nothing wrong with this as mining really doesn't require much.

Thanks for the comments. I've built the last 5 or 6 computers I've had. (One was destroyed by the power company changing my meter) I just decided on the last one to move from AIO cooling to custom loop. THe hard tubing decision is mainly for the clean look in the desk case. I think I've decided to go with an Opaque coolant just lighting effects.

Interestingly enough EVGA just emailed me today and the spot I got in line back in like September just came up so I am going to add another 3090ftw3 I think. I know the mining machines don't require hardly any real computing power. I used to play Warcraft from back when it was first released until about 2017 or 2018. I quit for a couple years and then signed back up for mainly amusement purposes last year. I don't get on much and I know I have way more GPU power than I'd ever come close to needing. It's just a thing I've always done, massively overbuild and keep it for 4-5 years. That way even those years later when I rebuild it's still relevant and able to run anything. Computers really aren't my thing, so it is more the challenge than anything. I've pondered it for days, weeks even now and I am leaning towards the way you see it....no reason to really spend a fortune on a rebuild already.......and then I swing back to well this stuff is coming up on two years old. I dunno at this point. That new Intel line with the vastly improved processes seems like it's really able to blow it out of the water. I may use the 9900 on one side and super build the other. I posted this hoping for a few more comments to make me lean one way or another.

I dont see a point to change anything for mining, but if you want to get the most out of that system gaming, even at 4K, you need all the cpu horsepower you can get for best results. A 9900k surely holds those gpus back.

That said, by how much... who knows... would you notice? Depends... lol.

The mining is just what I leave it doing around the clock when I'm not using the computer. Thing may as well put money in my pocket vs sitting there doing nothing. Adding another 3090 to the mix I would like so see how hard I could push it on a few benchmarks.....just for amusement.

 

[EarthDog]

I'm not sure it scales well past two... the days of sli and crossfire are, at least in my head, dead. But yeah, in some way that 9900k is holding back those glus for gaming. The lower the res, the lower the glass ceiling.

 

[stang99x]

I'm not sure it scales well past two... the days of sli and crossfire are, at least in my head, dead. But yeah, in some way that 9900k is holding back those glus for gaming. The lower the res, the lower the glass ceiling.

I thought the same thing. For years I had a pair of 1080ti's in SLI. But EVGA has this out specifically for the 3090's

https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=100-2W-0130-LR

 

[EarthDog]

Yeah, parts are out for it, sure. Support has waned over the years is all.

 

[stang99x]

I read something some time back about cards no longer needing an SLI like device to operate in tandem to boost performance. I can't recall at this point where I saw it as my brain is overloaded with hard tube cooling info from the last week or so. I'm down to line size at this point, which I'm thinking the 16mm given the amount of heat all these cards with put out

 

[stang99x]

Finally I was giving into this case simply being unable to meet the needs I had. And then I decided to get crazy. I bought a portable air conditioner and positioned it right in front of the intakes since 90% of the time I'm not on the computer. When I want to use it I just move the ac over and use it, then put it back afterwards. I know it seems like a pain, but it has dropped water temps from 114 to 103 on one side, and 114 to 96 on the other. Those are pretty dam big drops compared to the 1-2 I was getting with fans that sound like jet turbine engines running all the time. It's not the best solution, but it works. All that remains to be seen is the change in cost of the electric bill.

 

[Conumdrum]

Were you able to make the PC faster? If not ditch the AC.