Advice for my ROG Strix Z790-E build

[NEVERVAXXER]

First poster here, so my apologies if I bungle anything...

So here I am... switching back to PC gaming. My last build was at least 20 years ago. This time I'm building one strictly for gaming. So if there are any building pro's in the house, I would appreciate any input tips and advice from the parts I've chosen. Bear in mind I want something that will last at least 5 years before any major upgrading. Main focus is games such as Starfield and similar. I want horsepower and then maybe some more horsepower! No lag, no hiccups!

I've already purchased a few things to get my build going. I have not committed to any major parts yet:

__

CPU: i9-13900KF (possibly the i9-14900KF). Not sure which I should get, probably the 13900KF. Will the extra $$ for the 14900 be worth it?

MOBO: Asus Rog Strix Z790-E.
I was considering the Z790-A but I can't find many reviews on it? What are the major differences on these models anyway? It would be nice to have a side-by-side list of all the Z790 boards and their differences.

This E model seems to be a popular board with a little 'future proofing' in it. I was also considering the Tuf Gaming Z790, but like any PC part - they outdate quickly. I realize nothing is fully 'future proof', but I want to try as much as possible. Thus the reason I would like to get at least 5, maybe  7 years before any major upgrading needs to be done again.

PSU: I picked up a Corsair RM1000e supply on a killer deal. More than enough juice for pretty much anything I can throw at it.

COOLER: A Nocura NH-D15, or a 360 or 420 AIO? I've never used water cooling, so I'm not sure what to use or which brand. Suggestions? Anyone ever use the Thermalright brand? There are so many to choose from. Obviously you want one with a high quality pump. I just don't know enough about them to choose.

CASE: I bought a Phantek Enthoo Pro (it's server size and huge inside so I have tons of room). It can take up to a 420 AIO cooler up top. Yea, I'm old school and like my big cases!

RAM: For starters, the Corsair Vengeance (2x32 - 6400), Part #CMK64GX5M2B6400C32. It's on the QVL list so I should be good to go. I also like Crucial RAM. I never had a single issue using either brands on Asus boards

GPU: Something in the Radeon 7600 class such as the ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7600 XT OC Edition.
I'm also open to suggestions here.  I can't afford the top-end cards so I figured I'd get a few models back. And if it will run Starfield on 1080 or so, I'd be happy. I don't have a 4K TV or similar (yet).

SSD: Western Digital SN850X, I figure I'll start with a 1 TB for the OS and a 2TB for storage and add more later. I also have my older HDD's so they'll do until I can fully switch to SSD's. I always proffered to have my OS on a dedicated drive. In this way, if and WHEN you have to re-install, it's not a big deal. Or keep a clone on hand (or Raid if you're into that method).

OS: Probably Windows 11 Pro. I've been using W10 and played a little with 11. And like any new OS - it's going to take time to warm up to it. I've read about some people having driver problems with these newer motherboards running W10. Who knows if it was actually the motherboard or operator error.

Is this an over-kill money wasting build or? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks,

PS:

While looking at GPU's, many people talk about 'coil whine' ? What is this?

[Nate152]

Hello NEVERVAXXER

Coil whine is a high pitched noise that can come from a psu, motherboard or graphics card. Generally, a quality psu can help avoid coil whine with all components. Your psu is pretty good with an 80 Plus Gold rating.

If I could make some suggestions, everything looks good, but you could save some cash in some areas and put towards a better gpu. The gpu is where you'll see the biggest performance gain in games.

 Memory -  Go with 32GB, this is more than enough for gaming and will help knock down the cost. I'm only using 16GB 2x8GB ddr5 and use my pc strictly for gaming too.

CPU - The 14700KF would be a good choice, it has 8 P-Cores just like the 13900k and 14900k.  The 14700KF is just like the 14700K, but the 14700KF has no onboard graphics and is a little cheaper than the 14700K.

Intel Core i7-14700KF 3.4 GHz 20-Core LGA 1700 BX8071514700KF (bhphotovideo.com)

You could probably get away with an air cooler for your cpu. If you're into overclocking, go with a 360 aio cpu cooler. The memory you listed isn't RGB, I don't know if you want RGB but here is a decent 360 aio cpu cooler that comes with a contact frame. You don't need the contact frame, but what it does is replaces the original Intel CPU Latch Mechanism to help keep the cpu from warping/bending. I personally didn't use a contact frame for my 12700KF, but it can help lower cpu temps a few degrees.

Amazon.com: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 - Water Cooling PC, All-in-One CPU AIO Water Cooler, Intel...

Is the savings enough to get you an RTX 4070?

Amazon.com: ASUS Dual GeForce® RTX 4070 OC Edition 12GB GDDR6X, IP5X, Auto-Extreme Technology, 144-H...

[NEVERVAXXER]

Happy Birthday to me!

The parts are starting to arrive... and I can't wait to start building! I have the main components but still waiting on the cooler and a few others.

I went with the 7600 GPU. Not the top-dawg, but not a smallest either. I figured I'll give it a try and go from there. I can always use the 7600 card in my other PC that the Wife will be taking over and save up for a 4070 or something. This motherboard has room to grow unlike my old one that is pretty much obsolete.

Thanks for the help on this motherboard and other advice. I've been out of the PC loop for far too long and I'm going to be much happier coming back home to the REAL gaming. I should have never left. Console gaming is fun too, quick and easy, but they are far too limited. PC gaming is the true way to play.

"THIS IS THE WAY" .... Mando

[Gamestress]

Have fun in assembling and enjoying your new 'rig' 🙂

[Nate152]

Hey NEVERVAXXER

Did you get your pc built, how is it running?