Rage Set

I don't think it has been a better time to buy GPUs older than the 20 series for Nvidia or 6000 series for AMD on the used market. Strangely, the used prices for 30 series are climbing (or more likely, sellers think their cards are worth more). I am sitting on Gamestop.com for a 4090. They are the last of the stores that have not artificially raised their MSRP prices. They have the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X for $1700, but they usually sell out pretty quickly for online shipping. The bad news for AMD cards like the 7900 XTX, they are still selling for the MSRP of $1100.

Since this is 1700's swan song, I might pick up a 14900KS, but I am unsure which eshop I am going to buy it from. Amazon is becoming much more selective on how fast they process electronic returns and Newegg is Newegg (truth be told, I don't believe I have ever returned a non-sealed product to Newegg). I could try B&H, but they are generally the last place to get anything in stock near launch, at least in my experience. I want the option to return the 14900KS if it is complete trash, but I don't think I will even if it is. Maybe I'll pick up a 14900K instead.

It is strange that GeoHotz is complaining about AMD's MES firmware being closed, when Nvidia's firmware is far more locked down than AMD's. Essentially, GeoHotz is complaining that they [his company] can't use the 7900 XTX to compete with Nvidia OR AMD's AI product derivatives because AMD's firmware isn't open source. With his coding knowledge, I am surprised he hasn't cracked the firmware himself or written his own. I am also surprised that Lisa Su responded to his heckling on Twitter.

For the first time in over 15 years, I do not have an Nvidia GPU*. I sold my last 3090 in a build for $1400. I am unsure of the steps I should take. I can wait to see if Nvidia releases something new or look for a 4090. I installed my A770 in my editing workstation. Video editing in DR took a major hit (as expected). Should I wait or buy a 4090? *I have older Nvidia cards like the EVGA 570 and even a BFG 280, but those don't count. They are "collector's items" at this point.

LOL...it is not a bug, it's a feature!

@Mr. Fox and @Papusan Now that Scott is no longer at AMD, why don't one of you ask if he used to be in NBR. He is still taking shots at Nvidia for whatever reason. https://videocardz.com/newz/former-amd-radeon-boss-says-nvidia-is-the-gpu-cartel

As long as you don't use their included software in Windows, you will be okay. I assume the reason why the board was out of stock was due to a revision. Gigabyte LOVES hardware revisions (I am sure the others do as well), but at least they showcase it's a revision (unlike Asus and MSI).

Like Amazon, BestBuy has a not so secret internal "buyer" grading system. If you buy randomly, you will have no issues returning here or there. Return often - more than you keep and as @electrosoft stated, you will not be able to return anything. This return ban can last up to two years. How do I know this? I know several people that have been essentially fired from buying from BB due to the return ban. LOL. I did get an email from Amazon about three years ago when I was buying and returning warehouse orders on camera lenses. They told me I was returning too much, even though I only returned about five total lenses. It was likely due to the price of the lenses. I stopped buying from them for over three months, they noticed the pattern and gave me one of those very rare Amazon promotional coupons. I haven't had any issues since and I still return a lot.

Yeah. Costs. AMD is designing a custom chip for Sony and is asking for much more per chip. Sony doesn't seem to care (weird). Intel may give them a great APU that can go beyond rasterization and ray tracing. Both AMD and Intel are building APU's that center on AI...... Nvidia is again pricing themselves out of any consideration. The one thing I fear is that AMD and Intel are going to focus more on AI with their next gen of products (Consoles and Graphics Cards), rasterization and ray tracing may suffer. Leaving Nvidia as the only choice again.

I used to run automotive coolant...a very specific type in my loops. I learned a lot about automotive when I worked IT for two major automotive parts retailers for a short time. Pentofrost. Stuff was extremely expensive, but they were developed for high performance engines and they didn't foam up like most coolants. I stopped using it because of cost and at the time when I didn't know any better, I blamed the coolant for the death of my DDC pumps (they are trash pumps). I ran those fluids longer than a year. I mostly run distilled water in my loops, no dyes, with a bit of anti-corrosive. My yearly maintenance is something I just do for all of my custom builds. I have an addiction to building computers, so I get a bit of the high when I break down my PCs for loop cleaning. Usually, I add a new fitting or other piece to the loop as well. I am getting that itch now and I am thinking about metal tubing.

When I was actually manually overclocking the 3960X, I was pulling over 400W for the CPU alone. That was at 4.6 allcore. The CPU and 2080 TI were custom watercooled. The CPU and 2080 TI's had their own loop, each cooled by a MO-RA3 rad and Noctua iPPC 3000 fans. Fun times, lol. Still didn't hold a candle to my former 7980XE, which pulled well over 500W. I think @Mr. Fox got it over that when he chilled it. Most AIO's are sealed and while you can get in some units, they are usually meant to be throwaways. That is normally a positive for custom watercooling components, you can clean and reuse them on multiple builds....unless the socket changes drastically or in the case of a GPU, you get a new one. I have over 10 different CPU blocks that I've collected (for use in my own personal builds) that can still be used, even on 1700 and AM5.

In my case, the workstation CPU/GPU does get worked hard during multiple renders for periods that can exceed an hour or so. I am using a 3960X which hits 85C+ using my air cooler (Ice Giant ProSiphon Elite), but the GPU never goes over 60C due to the hybrid AIO design. I can see number 1 being a huge hurdle for most PC users, even the enthusiasts. I only had one leak in all of the custom watercooled builds I've made, for both myself and clients. That leak was due to my own mistake and it didn't kill anything. As for voided GPU warranties, it's illegal in the US to void a warranty if they can't prove you damaged it. I remove the Warranty Voided if Removed sticker on purpose, and I never had a warranty denied due to its removal. I use custom watercooling on four of my seven computers. And the only reason why is due to the yearly maintenance. Otherwise, they all would be watercooled.

I think he would be happy with a normal AIO for a couple of months while he gets his new home in order. The question is how long would he last without high-end components and custom watercooling. For my workstation, I don't use any custom watercooling anymore, and I'm thinking about selling my EVGA 3090 FTW3 Ultra Hybrid that I was using in that workstation. I replaced it with my A770 for the time being until I make my decision. So it is possible for him to hold back but for how long.

I am sorry bro. Whenever the infamous Code 00 appeared for me, it meant the mobo died. Count it as another learning experience when you decide in the future to pick up an Asus board. I am at the point that I would pick up a Gigabyte mobo over Asus if I were forced to choose, and that's saying something.

I am patiently waiting for the 4090's to hit around 1600 again before I jump in, unless the rumors for something more powerful intensify in the 40 series. In the meantime, I may pick up another A770 to use in conjunction with my 3090.

Good. All things considered, and as much I've learned about you over the years, I didn't think a 4080 Super would suffice. I am in the same boat as you with buying a house and if you get a 4090, that means I will get one too. You're making the decision for the both of us, hahaha. No pressure.

@Papusan Here's a video that basically says how great and wealthy Norway is. Very interesting watch. Goes to show how advance Norway was and still is. This video is basically, pushing me to come there. Hopefully I can share in the overclocking cheatcode you have there in the cold weather. I can also visit my old friend Jacob.

When I was going through my 2080 TI phase, I had an Aorus 2080 TI Xtreme Waterforce hybrid. While it didn't hold a candle to either of my KPX 2080 TI cards, it did outperform my Asus Strix 2080 TI (custom watercooled) with stock vBIOS. Their motherboards on the other hand, I don't think I will ever buy them again. Gigabyte's software is atrocious. Till this day, their fan tuning software either runs my fans at full speed or "Silent" which means 10% slower than full speed. The BIOS doesn't help and yes the fans are connected to system fan headers.

Thank you bro. It is a great SFF case. How I would envision a custom loop is to use the GPU bay for the reservoir or custom made distro-plate with a D5 pump. It has the expansion mode that would open up possibilities. I am going to keep researching and see if I want to go down this rabbit hole.

A small plug for anyone looking at SFF. https://reviews.extremehw.net/cases/cooler-master-ncore-100-max-review/ Custom watercooling would be a difficult but interesting project for this case. If I were to use an external rad, it may defeat the purpose of this case. However, I am looking into my options.

I am going to swap out the G.Skill I used for my review and add in the RAM I got from you. I'll tell you how far I can get.

I am disappointed in all GPUs from Nvidia and AMD this generation. Each keep piling on the mediocre and expect things to change. This is coming from a guy that purchases nothing but the high end. Call me jaded after the 3090/TI/6900XT/6950XT foolishness. Perhaps I am, but I am happy I stayed on the sidelines this generation - even if a 4090 would solve some of my current video editing woes.

Happy Birthday bro

As a long time member of the big a** case alliance, I must admit I now understand (somewhat) the draw of SFF builds. It is almost like overclocking, trying to squeeze the most performance out of something that you shouldn't be able to. I still rather have a large case in which to install custom cooling without hassle but again, I get the appeal.

I do not think it is going to be a FFA like the 4090 was at launch, unless you are specifically looking for a Founder's edition. Based off all of the articles I've read, a good amount of scalpers ordered 4070 Supers, then ended up cancelling their orders. There was plenty to go around. While there is a chance of the 4080 Supers selling out, I think you are going have time to pick the model you want. Most of the consumers that wanted a high end card got a 4090. There will always be the AIB OC cards that are going to be priced 100 to 250 above MSRP that will largely be ignored...cough Asus Strix cough.