Suggestions for upgrading my 2015 Aventum?

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   Hi Folks,

I have a 2015 Digital Storm Aventum with a liquid cooled CPU and two liquid cooled 2080Ti cards. It's a lovely machine, but it sprung a leak, so I'm going to drop it off at Digital Storm for repairs. (I live nearby.) I figured it's time to upgrade a few things while it's in the shop.

Here is what I'm thinking about upgrading:

    • CPU

    • GPUs

    • Motherboard

    • Memory

Here is what I'll keep:

     • Case

     • Cooling system (with repairs)

     • Power supply

Budget:

I have a high budget. This machine originally cost about $7000.

Expectations:

I'm looking for a very fast machine that is quiet. (Thus the liquid cooling.)  I would like to get 100+ FPS on modern games while running a 38" ultrawide monitor. However, I'm willing to cut corners on items that are over-the-top expensive. For example, I would probably get a RTX 3080 rather than a 3090, unless it would be a noticeable improvement.

Usage:

Gaming only on a 38" ultra wide monitor. I won't use this for anything except gaming.

With that in mind, I have a few questions:

• Should I get an RTX 3080, or is the 3090 worth the upgrade?

• Are dual GPUs still useful for gaming? Previously I always had an SLI system, but it seems like fewer and fewer games are supporting it. For example, I just finished Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and I was disappointed that i had to disable SLI to avoid glitches in the game.

• Do you have recommendations for a CPU and motherboard? I'm not very familiar with the current models.

• Finally, I wonder if it would make sense to get a whole new machine. I originally got this machine for 3-way SLI, but later downgraded to 2-way SLI. If I further downgrade to a single card, then maybe it's time to start from scratch.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I look forward to hearing your opinions.

James

Edited by JamesAstro - 04 Feb 2021 at 12:30am

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JamesAstro Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 28 Nov 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 624	Quote Reply Topic: Suggestions for upgrading my 2015 Aventum? Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 12:25am
	Hi Folks, I have a 2015 Digital Storm Aventum with a liquid cooled CPU and two liquid cooled 2080Ti cards. It's a lovely machine, but it sprung a leak, so I'm going to drop it off at Digital Storm for repairs. (I live nearby.) I figured it's time to upgrade a few things while it's in the shop. Here is what I'm thinking about upgrading: • CPU • GPUs • Motherboard • Memory Here is what I'll keep: • Case • Cooling system (with repairs) • Power supply Budget: I have a high budget. This machine originally cost about $7000. Expectations: I'm looking for a very fast machine that is quiet. (Thus the liquid cooling.) I would like to get 100+ FPS on modern games while running a 38" ultrawide monitor. However, I'm willing to cut corners on items that are over-the-top expensive. For example, I would probably get a RTX 3080 rather than a 3090, unless it would be a noticeable improvement. Usage: Gaming only on a 38" ultra wide monitor. I won't use this for anything except gaming. With that in mind, I have a few questions: • Should I get an RTX 3080, or is the 3090 worth the upgrade? • Are dual GPUs still useful for gaming? Previously I always had an SLI system, but it seems like fewer and fewer games are supporting it. For example, I just finished Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and I was disappointed that i had to disable SLI to avoid glitches in the game. • Do you have recommendations for a CPU and motherboard? I'm not very familiar with the current models. • Finally, I wonder if it would make sense to get a whole new machine. I originally got this machine for 3-way SLI, but later downgraded to 2-way SLI. If I further downgrade to a single card, then maybe it's time to start from scratch. Thanks so much for your suggestions. I look forward to hearing your opinions. James Edited by JamesAstro - 04 Feb 2021 at 12:30am
	Velox, Intel Core i9 11900K, ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero 32GB RAM, 1TB Samsung 980 Pro NVME RTX 4090, 38" Ultrawide LG-38GL950G Noctua NH-D15S cooler and NF-A14 fans, Corsair AX1600i PSU

Cretae Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7331	Quote Reply Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 3:47am
	You will easily get 100+ fps on an ultrawide monitor with a single RTX 3080, and there is a new 3080 Ti coming soon. Intel is coming out with Gen 11 Rocket Lake CPUs supposedly in March which will finally support PCIe Generation 4. Dual GPUs are a thing of the past for gaming, as you have discovered. That 3080 Ti will outperform your 2080 Ti SLI in every conceivable metric. Your major issue is timing. Everything new is just over the horizon, and everything that can perform the way you would prefer at your budget is either obsolete (Intel Gen 10 PCIe 3), or woefully unavailable in the marketplace. (The top AMD 5000 Series CPUs on the PCIe Gen 4 platforms). Whatever you choose, you will likely wait a very long time from now until...? The 3080s were backordered up to 2 months within about 3 weeks of release. You might suspect a 3080 Ti due end of Feb (?) would sell out right off the bat. My best advice is get your leak fixed, and go back to gaming until this market settles. The new Intel procs will take the pressure off the AMD supply issues, and the slight delay in the release of the 3080 Ti may simply be so Nvidia wouldn't sell 'em all out in a week. Take your time, read the reviews of the new tech, check out the benchmarks, and let the market come to you. This waiting for backordered parts in builds ordered over two months ago is driving everyone nuts, and you would be at the very back of that line.

hoserator Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7966	Quote Reply Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 3:54am
	Nice system. That is great that you can drive it over to DS. Too bad the leak sprung now. New Intel cpus are coming out in the near future. I would definitely keep the case and cooling system. ( I have an AV II and intend to keep it. ) What psu do you have? New top end hardware is more power hungry than yesterday's. I am also a sli user but it seems it is dying for gaming. The 3080 is not designed for sli at all. The 3090 does have the connection for the NVlink. Others will chime in with more knowledgeable replies as to current hardware on the AMD side of things. Enjoy and do keep us posted as to what you end up doing. It takes me so long to type and correct errors that Cretae beat me with a more detailed explanation. Edited by hoserator - 04 Feb 2021 at 3:57am

JamesAstro Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 28 Nov 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 624	Quote Reply Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 11:38am
	Those are some great suggestions. I appreciate you summing up the current state of the market. It sounds like it's pretty frustrating to upgrade right now. I'm going to take your suggestions, and just fix my leak for now. Then maybe I can upgrade during the summer (crossing my fingers.) Hopefully I can spot where this leak is coming from, and just tighten or replace a small part. Thanks again! James
	Velox, Intel Core i9 11900K, ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero 32GB RAM, 1TB Samsung 980 Pro NVME RTX 4090, 38" Ultrawide LG-38GL950G Noctua NH-D15S cooler and NF-A14 fans, Corsair AX1600i PSU

Cretae Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7331	Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 3:11am
	You will do well with that choice. You have plenty to game with until these issues settle out, and the wait will pay off pricewise and in longevity.

JamesAstro Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 28 Nov 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 624	Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 11:55am
	Yay! I took a closer look at my system last night, and I found the source of the leak. There was a loose fitting on one of the graphics cards. Just a few turns with a hex wrench fixed the leak. I'm a little concerned about the gasket that was under the screw that I turned. However, it'll have to do for now. I'm hoping it holds until I have a chance to upgrade the machine later this year. Thanks again for your help everyone.
	Velox, Intel Core i9 11900K, ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero 32GB RAM, 1TB Samsung 980 Pro NVME RTX 4090, 38" Ultrawide LG-38GL950G Noctua NH-D15S cooler and NF-A14 fans, Corsair AX1600i PSU

hoserator Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7966	Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 2:31pm
	You have nothing to worry about. Its an o-ring and if it stopped leaking, it's fixed. Which 2080Tis do you have? I have a system close to yours with 2 Evga FTW3 Hydrocoppers 2080Tis with a 5960X cpu all lc. (started with 4x980s). When the time comes I will strip this case, clean it and build on it. Happy gaming!

Cretae Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7331	Quote Reply Posted: 06 Feb 2021 at 2:58am

Suggestions for upgrading my 2015 Aventum?

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