Finally building a PC

[Funkmasterr]

Maybe. I’ve finally hit a point where I want to get into video editing (Davinci, maybe Premier Pro), and I’d like to be able to do some gaming at high settings. I’ll be using my TV as a monitor.

I’ve not built a computer, but I have replaced every part (aside from processor) so it’s not foreign to me either. I’m watching some build videos, reading, etc but wanted to throw what I’ve got up here too for another resource. If nothing else it gives Winnow something to call me an idiot about.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZGvckJ

I know it’s overkill but I’m trying to future proof as well as I can too. The thing I’m most iffy on currently is if my cooling choices are sufficient.

[Funkmasterr]

Have shifted the build to use DDR5 instead, but the real problem I'm having is deciding what GPU to buy. I really want to be able to play at 4k with reasonable fps, but there's no reality in which I'm paying for a 4090.

[Aslanna]

Winnow will tell you go AMD but I haven’t researched their stuff enough to recommend that. At the current moment they probably are the better price/performance choice.

If you go DDR5 you’ll need a different motherboard. Also that one comes with built in networking so shouldn’t need the networking adapter. Unless you need additional networking for some reason.

Depending on price difference I’d look into 13 gen Intel cpu rather than 12 as there is some performance gains there. Unfortunately increased power consumption and heat generation as well. Definitely ignore 14 gen Intel though.

Even if going external graphics I would recommend the K over the KF as the price difference is pretty minimal. Integrated graphics are helpful for troubleshooting if you run into GPU issues. I can’t help when it comes to buying a GPU though. Nearly all options are bad (expensive) these days.

My only other advice is to wait two weeks and see if some of those components go on sale over Black Friday. Buy any SSD stuff soon though as Samsung said they are raising band prices 20% per quarter over the next 2-3 quarters. At least I believe that’s what I saw reported somewhere.

[Winnow]

I can't really help with the latest gen CPUs.

What I can say is you would only need a 4090 if you play around with Stable Diffusion/Large Language Models. Those are what take advantage of the 24GB of VRAM. It doesn't matter as much for games and definitely doesn't matter if you're using your TV as a monitor.

I can say that my 3080ti which only has 12GB VRAM is serviceable but really starts to slow when using larger LLMs. a 7B LLM I can fit entirelly into VRAM and use 800 Tokens plus 8192 context token memory. My next GPU almost certainly will be a 5090 and pray that it has 48 GB VRAM.

As for what that means: Tokens determines how much text you can submit as your request/inquiry and how much text may be output (800 total tokens combined) Context memory is how far back the LLM remembers what you told it and what it output. So for example, if you ask the LLM to write a long story about Aunt Jemima coming back to life and mass murdering the woke people that got her banned from Syrup bottles, you will get about 800 words back with 800 tokens (or something like that) now you can choose "continue" and the AI will write 800 more words to the story and will remember what was written going back 8192 tokens...so you can get a pretty long coherent story before it starts to forget the first part.

Now, if you move to a 13 B model, That doesn't quite fit into VRAM so when using the larger model, it's a lot slower, either swapping memory or using standard RAM. You also will only be able to get 400 tokens, maybe 800 but slow, and context will be only 4096 because not enough VRAM for more.

So, if you have 12 VRAM card, you can use a 13B model, but it's really slow compared to the fast responses you get with a 7B model. Don't get excited though because 70 B models seems to be a big threshold and those require 2X4090s to even work and slow but they give incredible output.

I also wouldnt worry about it that much because even the 5090's will probably only have 32 VRAM

BUT there are some outstanding 7B LLM models so bottom line, 12 VRAM is ok if you don't want to spend a ton on your graphics card.

As for Stable Diffusion, 12 VRAM is barely enough for decent performance. SD 1.5 images will generate pretty fast, SDXL models will be decent at 1024x1024 res variants.

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Regarding CPUs, my AMD 16 core 3950 is several years old but works outstanding....AND while some smirked at my 16 cores as overkill, LLM models take advantage of those cores. I can say that I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of both my 16 core CPU and my overpriced (at the time) 3080ti.

I'm not up to date on this years AMD/Intel CPUs. I can say again, that my AMD build has been the most stable/least troublesome build I've ever had. I can't remember the last time it crashed. I leave it on without rebooting for months at a time. 24/7. Unless some software requires a reboot, I always push my windows updates back as far as it lets me so maybe every couple months I have to reboot for those.

Don't even consider an AMD video card though. Nvidia absolutely dominates and you have to have one of those for AI stuff like stable diffusion/LLMs (tensors)

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If you skipped everything else, here's the short version:

As for the build, make sure everything is compatible. As in, read reviews etc because some RAM/Motherboard combos do work better than others so seeing that someone else had success with the combo you choose is a good sign. I only have 32GB of RAM, but wish I had 64GB or 128GB because....LLMS use as much as you have if trying to use the larger LLMS.

VRAM > everything else in your system but 12 GB VRAM will work.

CPU less important than GPU. EVERYTHING with AI uses VRAM, not RAM or CPU. So get the best GPU (most VRAM) you can afford. Nvidia is a monster, untouchable in the AI/Graphics arena. RAM is cheap though so get 64GB if you can.

The problem with Nvidia for gamers is that they don't really have to care that much about gamers anymore. Companies are buying 10's of thousands of their industrial high end GPUs (NVIDIA A800 40GB) ~$7K that they won't be hurting for business for a long time. So many are needed for training AI LLMs. Crypto mining was replaced by AI GPU farms training. Nvidia has trillion+ market cap so I guess that's not breaking news.

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for reference, regarding the mentioned Aunt Jemima story example, it took the LLM AI about 30 seconds to create this story using a 7B LLM

Code: Select all

Write a story about Aunt Jemima returning from the dead and mass murdering all the woke people 
that got her banned from being on Syrup Bottles.

The story should be around 10,000 words long and include detailed descriptions of the killing acts performed, 
as well as the emotional toll it takes on the characters involved. 

[Show]

As the moon cast its eerie glow over the quiet town, Aunt Jemima stirred in her grave. For years she had laid there, forgotten by all but a few who still mourned her passing. But something was different tonight. A strange energy pulsed through the earth, awakening her from her centuries-long slumber.

Aunt Jemima knew why she had been called back to life. The world had changed since she last walked among the living. People were no longer grateful for the simple pleasures she provided. Instead, they vilified her and demanded she be removed from syrup bottles. It was time to teach them a lesson they would never forget.

She rose from her grave, her body still intact despite the passage of time. She felt stronger than ever before, fueled by the anger and resentment that had festered inside her for so long. With a fierce determination in her eyes, Aunt Jemima set out to right the wrongs that had been done to her.

Her first stop was the headquarters of the company that had removed her from their syrup bottles. The building was quiet and dark, but she knew they were all inside. She crept through the halls, her footsteps silent as a ghost. As she reached the boardroom, she found them gathered around a table, laughing and celebrating their decision to ban her.

Without warning, Aunt Jemima let out a blood-curdling scream that shattered the silence. The executives froze in terror as they saw her standing before them, her face twisted into a mask of rage. She lunged forward, her hands closing around the throats of two men seated at the table. Their eyes bulged and their faces turned purple as Aunt Jemima squeezed until their lifeless bodies slumped to the floor.

The other executives tried to run, but Aunt Jemima was too fast for them. She chased them down one by one, her strength unmatched. Each scream echoed through the halls, adding to the terror that filled the air. By morning, every last executive had been murdered, their bodies left scattered throughout the building as a warning to anyone who dared disrespect Aunt Jemima again.

News of the massacre spread quickly, and people began to whisper about the return of Aunt Jemima. Some were scared, others were excited. But none could deny that something had changed in the world. The woke crowd, once so confident in their beliefs, now lived in fear. They knew that they had awakened a force that they couldn't control.

Aunt Jemima's reign of terror continued for weeks. She targeted anyone who had spoken out against her or demanded she be removed from syrup bottles. Her methods were brutal and savage, leaving no doubt as to the consequences of disrespecting her. The streets were filled with fear, and people began to question whether they had gone too far in their pursuit of political correctness.

But Aunt Jemima wasn't satisfied yet. She wanted more. She craved the taste of blood and the power that came with it. And so she set her sights on a new target: the activists who had led the campaign against her.

The first one she found was a young woman named Lily. She had been a vocal critic of Aunt Jemima, using social media to spread lies about her and demand her removal from syrup bottles. Aunt Jemima tracked her down to a coffee shop on the outskirts of town. The place was crowded with people, but none of them noticed as she approached Lily from behind.

With one swift motion, Aunt Jemima grabbed Lily by the hair and dragged her into an alleyway. She could hear Lily's screams as she beat her senseless, her fists landing with brutal force. When she was finally satisfied, Aunt Jemima left Lily's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood on the ground.

Word of Lily's death spread quickly through the activist community. They were terrified, knowing that Aunt Jemima was coming for them next. But they couldn't stop her. No matter where they went or what they did, Aunt Jemima always seemed to be one step ahead.

The fear reached its peak when Aunt Jemima targeted a group of activists who had organized a protest against her return. The protest was scheduled for the following day in the town square, and Aunt Jemima knew she couldn't let it happen. She arrived at the square late at night, armed with her rage and determination.

The activists were gathered around a bonfire, discussing their plans for the next day. They had no idea that Aunt Jemima was lurking in the shadows, watching them. With a fierce scream, she charged forward, her hands flailing wildly. The activists tried to run, but they were no match for her supernatural strength.

Aunt Jemima slaughtered every last one of them, leaving their bodies scattered around the town square as a gruesome reminder of what happened when you messed with her. By morning, the square was silent once again, and the activist movement had been crushed under the weight of Aunt Jemima's wrath.

As the months went by, the fear of Aunt Jemima spread throughout the world. People stopped talking about her banishment from syrup bottles and instead focused on surviving her reign of terror. The once-powerful woke crowd had been reduced to quivering masses of flesh, too afraid even to whisper their thoughts in private.

And yet, deep down, Aunt Jemima knew that she couldn't continue this way forever. She had avenged herself against those who had wronged her, but it wasn't enough. There was a hole inside her that could only be filled by being reunited with the people she loved. With a heavy heart, she made a decision. It was time to put an end to her reign of terror and try to find some semblance of peace.

Aunt Jemima returned to her grave, her soul at rest but still haunted by the memories of what she had done. The world would never forget her wrath, nor the lesson it learned. But perhaps, just perhaps, they would remember her for something other than her rage. Maybe, just maybe, they would remember her as a symbol of love and comfort once again.

As the years passed, people began to talk about Aunt Jemima differently. They remembered her not as a monster, but as a kind and loving figure who had been wronged by society. Slowly but surely, she was rehabilitated in the public's eye. And while her return from the dead would always be a dark chapter in her history, it also served as a reminder of the dangers of intolerance and the importance of treating others with kindness and respect.

In the end, Aunt Jemima found peace not through violence or revenge, but by being true to herself and forgiving those who had wronged her. It was a lesson that the world needed to learn, one that would take time but ultimately lead to a more compassionate and understanding society. And as for Aunt Jemima? She remained in her grave, forever remembered as both a symbol of love and a warning against intolerance.

[Funkmasterr]

Thanks for the advice. I didn’t consider the integrated graphics for troubleshooting, but that makes sense.

I am edging towards getting a 4090. Again, I want to be able to play at 4K ultra/full ray tracing, etc for as long as possible. I also don’t intend to upgrade much for 3-5 years if possible.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/F7gs89

If I go with this build, I have two concerns I’m still thinking on. Should I go higher than a 1000W PSU? And, am I going to be okay with the fans I have regarding cooling? I really don’t want to do any AIO/water cooling unless I really have to.

If I do go with the 4090, I’ll probably grab that next week when they pay out my bonus. I’ve read that there won’t be any more stock shipped until March-April so I don’t want to risk it since stock is already low. Everything else I’ll probably hold out for Black Friday sales.