S4MAX: Brickless S4M w/ 3090 FE and R9 5950x - 800W, 5l, water cooled

Bean Nuts

Trash Compacter
Mar 17, 2021
54
53
I have a suggestion: You should probably use liquid metal instead of thermal paste to cool the cpu. This will help tame the beast of the CPU.
 
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petricor

Airflow Optimizer
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May 12, 2018
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Brief update:
Managed to get my VR glasses to work - turns out that Reverb G2 and X570 have communication issues, but using the provided HP USB-C-to-A adapter (also tried a non-descript no name one instead: no luck…) on one of the board’s 3.1(!) ports finally did the trick.
So far: Rock-stable and no more frame drops; south bridge in mid-sixties. Haven’t hit it with Alyx or FS 2020 yet (not fun with a 1080), but it looks like the chipset cooling did the trick!
 

Snerual

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jul 3, 2020
168
196
Are you gonna try to score a 3080Ti now? Looking at reviews there is absolutely no reason to get the 3090 if the space savings will allow for full-height RAM and who knows what else...
 

Bean Nuts

Trash Compacter
Mar 17, 2021
54
53
I say it is not worth it. Just go for 3090. Couldn't they add 16gb on the 3080ti instead of 12? So yeah, better to go for 3090. As for MSRP, 200$ more if you have the money is not a lot. If I would choose, I would just stick with the 3080. As it is 5 0 0 DOLLARS CHEAPER.
 

harveyy_sh

Chassis Packer
Nov 14, 2020
14
7
I say it is not worth it. Just go for 3090. Couldn't they add 16gb on the 3080ti instead of 12? So yeah, better to go for 3090. As for MSRP, 200$ more if you have the money is not a lot. If I would choose, I would just stick with the 3080. As it is 5 0 0 DOLLARS CHEAPER.
As Linus explained in his video. The 3080ti is basically a substitute for the 3090 and the benefit is with the amount of memory in the 3090 you can make 2 3080ti, so in theory “double” the stock (wishful thinking). But yeah, I agree with you, the 3080 makes much more sense for everyone else using 1440p mainly, some light 4K.
 
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Vaderator

Average Stuffer
Bronze Supporter
Aug 7, 2017
67
155
Not sure what happened - there was supposed to be a launch today...
But hey, on the upside, I have discovered a new natural constant: The GPU you want is always 2,500 bucks.
Well, Stockx has them for 2150 2000 + whatever transaction costs they bake in.

 
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Bean Nuts

Trash Compacter
Mar 17, 2021
54
53
petricor: *Sometime from now* Finally, I have finished the project! It rocks an RTX 3090 and a Ryzen 9 5950x all cooled with a single 140mm radiator.

Nvidia RTX 3090Ti: Laughs in Cuda cores.
 
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Questors

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Oct 28, 2018
122
82
I have a suggestion: You should probably use liquid metal instead of thermal paste to cool the cpu. This will help tame the beast of the CPU.
Anecdotal to be fair on my part. I haven't done a scientific study.

It's my experience liquid metal is only a difference maker in certain situations. One is de-lidding with direct die contact. The other is sketchy, but involving custom water cooling. Mostly I believe it's dependent on a variety of factors at the locale.

I used to use various liquid metal solutions. No more for me. The results don't justify the potential problems and pain. First, liquid metal dries out and has to be removed and replaced. Yes, some lower quality pastes also dry. A good paste like Arctic MX-4, Gelid GC Extreme or Thermal Grizzly stays pliable significantly longer. This means they are conducting heat better for a longer period of time without having to tear down a system prematurely.

The liquid metal drying out has basically fused the CPU heat spreader to a water block and another time to an air cooled tower heat sink. Both times I had a heckuva time getting them apart. Both times the heat sink surface was damaged. It took hours of slow careful sanding to get them serviceable again. It also took hours of sanding to clean the CPU heat spreaders. All identifying marks ended up being removed. No more warranty and it lowered resale.

I have been doing this a lot years and followed instructions and known methods with use. Other liquid metal applications went okay. There just wasn't enough difference for me to justify the use in the end.
 

petricor

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
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May 12, 2018
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