Discussion Raptor Lake Build Thread

[DooKey]

Those that have a Raptor Lake build should chime in with what they have. Post your build and system benchmarks if you have any.

My build:

13700KF
MSI Z690 Force WiFi
32gb G.Skill 7200 CL34 DDR5
2tb Samsung 970 EVO NVMe
Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 1000w ATX 3.0 PSU
Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
Noctua NH-U14S HSF

Great system that runs cool, quiet and fast. Upgraded a 12700K to this configuration.

Edit: new BIOS out that allows my MB to run DDR5 at 7200


Benches:
CPU at stock, HSF tower setting in BIOS gives me a 28922 CB23 score. (score updated later in thread)

 

[JTsyo]

Question I just thought of. For the Z690 MB that need a BIOS update, how do you do that before installing the CPU?

EDIT: Looks like the ASROCK motherboards have "Flashback" that allows you to do a BIOS update with just a USB drive.

 

[DreadBelch]

It's recommended to install only the PSU and motherboard when using that Flashback feature. Although I had the CPU, GPU and RAM installed as well when I updated my rig for Raptor Lake last week. For my MSI Z690-A DDR4 board, I just plugged the USB stick into the designated USB port for Flashback, flipped on the power switch to the PSU and the computer did the rest. The Flashback red light started blinking and the computer turned on by itself. After five minutes, the computer seemed to reboot (the case fans stopped for a few moments and then restarted) and I was able to safely turn it off. Slightly nerve racking, but nice and easy too.

 

[igor_kavinski]

After five minutes, the computer seemed to reboot (the case fans stopped for a few moments and then restarted) and I was able to safely turn it off. Slightly nerve racking, but nice and easy too.

Would have been nice if they implemented a different LED color to indicate that flashing completed successfully.

 

[Tech Junky]

Would have been nice if they implemented a different LED color to indicate that flashing completed successfully.

Would be nice if there was video output to monitor status.

 

[n0x1ous]

Are you fricking serious?!? I ordered an Asus Z790 Strix E motherboard today. If it has that problem, I will cancel the order!

*Edit*

OK after checking on the manual, it says that if you use the M2.1 slot then it will decrease the speed of the top PCIE slot which makes sense because that is ran from the CPU and connects directly with the GPU.

But there are 4 other slots which run from the chipset where you can get the full PCIe4.0 bandwidth without affecting the performance of the primary lane.

I haven't had a mainstream board in a very long time so I'm used to having a lot more PCIE lanes connected to the CPU on Intel's older HEDT boards.

But I don't see why you can't run the SSD off of the chipset if you really want to preserve the full 16 lanes for the GPU.

Yeah that is a valid workaround. I bumped up to the Hero board to bypass the issue but using the other m.2 slots instead of m.2_1 is also valid for the strix

Z790 Hero - M.2 configuration with a RTX 4090 - Page 2

 

[Carfax83]

Yeah that is a valid workaround. I bumped up to the Hero board to bypass the issue but using the other m.2 slots instead of m.2_1 is also valid for the strix

Z790 Hero - M.2 configuration with a RTX 4090 - Page 2

I checked the manual again and apparently, there are two NVMe slots that can run off of the CPU; M.2_1 and M.2_2. The first one as you know is shared with the graphics card so if you plug it into that one, it will reduce the amount of lanes available to the GPU. But the second one is restricted to PCIe 4.0 x4 and I haven't seen anything indicating that it affects the PCIe lanes available to the GPU. Perhaps if you were using an actual PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics card that could take advantage of all 16 lanes it might affect it, but no such graphics card currently exists and I doubt one will for a while because even the most powerful GPU can't even fully saturate PCIe 4.0 x16.

When my motherboard arrives, I'm going to plug my NVMe drive with Windows 11 pro installed into slot M.2_2 and hopefully, the graphics card should still get PCIe 4.0 x16 speed. I think installing an NVMe drive that the OS is installed on in a slot that runs from the CPU rather than the chipset is more optimal for performance reasons.

 

[n0x1ous]

I checked the manual again and apparently, there are two NVMe slots that can run off of the CPU; M.2_1 and M.2_2. The first one as you know is shared with the graphics card so if you plug it into that one, it will reduce the amount of lanes available to the GPU. But the second one is restricted to PCIe 4.0 x4 and I haven't seen anything indicating that it affects the PCIe lanes available to the GPU. Perhaps if you were using an actual PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics card that could take advantage of all 16 lanes it might affect it, but no such graphics card currently exists and I doubt one will for a while because even the most powerful GPU can't even fully saturate PCIe 4.0 x16.

When my motherboard arrives, I'm going to plug my NVMe drive with Windows 11 pro installed into slot M.2_2 and hopefully, the graphics card should still get PCIe 4.0 x16 speed. I think installing an NVMe drive that the OS is installed on in a slot that runs from the CPU rather than the chipset is more optimal for performance reasons.

let us know!

 

[Carfax83]

let us know!

Yes, the graphics slot remains at 4.0x16 and as long as your primary drive is in M.2_2 and not M.2_1, it shouldn't be an issue. That's according to the UEFI bios at least. Finished building it today, and man, it was an absolute chore. Turned out well though, booted up the first time and was very stable at XMP settings using DDR5 7200. Had some issues with Windows 11 Pro and the drivers however. I didn't install it on my 2TB PCIe4.0 drive yet because I want to get a feel for Windows 11 and hopefully to optimize the CPU first so I installed it on my Samsung 960 Pro.

I also haven't gotten my RTX 4090 yet so I'm still using my old Titan Xp for now. One thing I have to say though is that the Fractal Design Torrent can move some air. This case is an air cooling monster!

 

[Carfax83]

Have a question. How do I limit the power to 210w?

 

[phillyman36]

Im going to do a Intel build and then early next year a Ryzen 7000 build. Trying to decide between a 13900k or a 13700k.I game on a 240hz 1440p monitor. Other than gaming I watch multiple Twitch streams and use Handbrake and burn dvds tho not for money just a hobby. I guess if i use a 13900k i need to use an aio but if I use a 13700k shouldnt a Noctua d15 be ok? For my use case should i pick Ps my hanbrake encode time are no longer than 15 to 20 minutes for what I do.

1) 13900k, 360 aio, and maybe a Corsair 500d airflow
2) 13700k, Noctua d15 and a Fractal Torrent

I would like to get a Rtx 4080 when the dust settles on the whole adapter issue which is why i may not use my O11 dynamic xl as the cable may hit the side panel and i dont want to use a vertical mount. Which do you all think would be the ideal build for me? Any suggestions are welcome. Already have
Seasonic px 1000
Samsung 980 pro 2tb ssd.

 

[Carfax83]

OK I have figured out how to underclock, undervolt and limit the power settings. Current have it set to 220w for the PL1 and the PL2, with the Vcore offset by -0.100v. I have P cores set to 5.2ghz and the E cores at 4.3ghz. Did some Cinebench runs and it was stable, but the performance cores would drop to 5.1ghz occasionally and the E cores to 4.1ghz. Don't really care though to be honest, as this machine will predominantly be for gaming at 4K and some occasional encoding so those clock speeds are fine. Temps were also really good, the highest I saw for the cores was 76c and for the package it was 84c. CPU package power was around 180w at less than 1.2v.

So far, I'm very pleased with this rig. It's an enormous performance improvement compared to what I came from. Went from 6th gen to 13th gen LOL!

 

[Carfax83]

Im going to do a Intel build and then early next year a Ryzen 7000 build. Trying to decide between a 13900k or a 13700k.I game on a 240hz 1440p monitor. Other than gaming I watch multiple Twitch streams and use Handbrake and burn dvds tho not for money just a hobby. I guess if i use a 13900k i need to use an aio but if I use a 13700k shouldnt a Noctua d15 be ok? For my use case should i pick Ps my hanbrake encode time are no longer than 15 to 20 minutes for what I do.

If you want to go full bore with a 13900K (meaning unlimited power and stock clock speeds) you will need a custom loop to really tame it. But to be honest, that's ridiculous and a complete waste of time if you ask me. 13900K at default power settings (253w) is very fast and I would wager a Noctua NH-D15 should be able to handle it, especially with some undervolting so you don't necessarily need an AiO.

My 13900KF is underclocked and undervolted because I will be gaming at 4K where I'm GPU limited anyway, and 5.2ghz is plenty fast for what I do. The difference in speed between my old 6900K and this thing is enormous!

I would like to get a Rtx 4080 when the dust settles on the whole adapter issue which is why i may not use my O11 dynamic xl as the cable may hit the side panel and i dont want to use a vertical mount. Which do you all think would be the ideal build for me? Any suggestions are welcome. Already have

Honestly, either one would be straight up overkill for what you will be using it for.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Went from 6th gen to 13th gen LOL!

Impressive upgrade. That 13900k should last you for a good long while.

 

[Tech Junky]

custom loop to really tame it. But to be honest

There was a lot of this BS when ADL came out and tons of people bought into LC for their new systems when a cheap 6 pipe AC works just fine for $50. Any LC solution is overkill when you manage the airflow properly in the first place. You're not going to see people putting PC components into a sealed box and then cooling externally. Well, I wouldn't put it past a few people to try something like that though,

 

[DrMrLordX]

There was a lot of this BS when ADL came out and tons of people bought into LC for their new systems when a cheap 6 pipe AC works just fine for $50. Any LC solution is overkill when you manage the airflow properly in the first place. You're not going to see people putting PC components into a sealed box and then cooling externally. Well, I wouldn't put it past a few people to try something like that though,

Depends on the liquid cooling. Go custom water with thick 560mm rads and you have incredible capacity for heat dissipation. At that point you're only limited by your block and flow rate. It's overkill for the CPU, but I'm gonna bet that someone with a 4090 and 13900k would love a setup like that once they got over the sticker shock and wonkiness of the setup.

I've personally tried to max out "big air" with insane airflow, and what ultimately holds you back are the heatpipes. Beyond a certain point, there's nothing you can do wrt increased airflow to stop temps from increasing rapidly as you pour on more voltage. You'll see similar limitations with an AiO due to the generally-weak pumps included with those systems.

If all you want is sustained power consumption in the 150-180w range and you're okay with hitting 95c every now and then, yeah, a tricked out NH-D15 or similar can get you there quite comfortably. But if you want to push 250w+ for extended periods of time then it's go big or go home. Not sure exactly why you'd want to push that hard for not-much-better performance, but it's there, if you're intent on chasing it.

 

[Carfax83]

There was a lot of this BS when ADL came out and tons of people bought into LC for their new systems when a cheap 6 pipe AC works just fine for $50. Any LC solution is overkill when you manage the airflow properly in the first place. You're not going to see people putting PC components into a sealed box and then cooling externally. Well, I wouldn't put it past a few people to try something like that though,

It depends on what you will be doing. If you're doing stuff that will peg all the cores constantly for long periods of time (ie rendering) and you want to keep it at unlimited power, then you will definitely need a custom water loop. But I can't imagine anyone being dumb enough to do that, as the performance increase is practically negligible for a massive increase in power and heat.

But you're definitely right that proper airflow is critical for an air or even water cooled rig. You can have the best heatsink or AiO, but if your case has poor airflow it's going to be subpar. Speaking of excellent airflow, I can't recommend the Fractal Design Torrent enough. This thing is an airflow monster and I have zero doubts its acting as a massive force multiplier for my Noctua NH-U12a.

 

[Tech Junky]

@DrMrLordX

Extended loads on the system are always going to create heat soak if you're not exhausting the air and cycling in fresh cooled air frequently. I suppose if you had the funds and balls to hook up something like liquid nitrogen or run the coolant through a dry ice container it would matter less. Exposing the coolant to the exterior of the case is the key and most don't want to look at it or take up space to do things more effectively. I recall seeing a newer laptop design that has some hybrid chamber where you can pump liquid through into a fish tank basically to keep it running at the best performance it can muster.

@igor_kavinski

Most of the FD cases are pretty decent when it comes to unrestricted airflow. They disguise it well in some of them but, when you peel back the facades you see all of the intakes. The other option would be an open air test bench setup. Of course that wouldn't work to well in a high heat environment, then again I suspect nothing does without using some air conditioning to bring down the ambient temps to be effective,


Either way though cooling can be a layered approach just like security.
- delid the CPU / GPU
- put a block on them
- pick a paste or pad
- under volt things
- kneecap the ceiling to bring down consumption

With the new AMD chips they saw a 20C drop in temps by deliddding things and putting a HS direct to die. With Intel pushing a higher power profile it would potentially be about the same. There's a few different ways to skin the proverbial cat when it comes to mitigating heat.

 

[igor_kavinski]

If you don't care about resale or upgrade and just want the best cooling solution ever, there's mineral oil tanks

Mineral Oil Cooled PC

History of Puget Systems mineral oil aquarium PC project from our earliest prototypes up through the do-it-yourself kits we offered for sale.

www.pugetsystems.com

 

[Carfax83]

@DooKey, what are your memory latency scores like? I'm curious since we're running the same memory. I'm getting around 64ns, with XMP timings which is higher than what I thought it would be. This is with a slight overclock from 7200mhz to 7400mhz without changing any timings or voltages.

 

[A///]

Impressive upgrade. That 13900k should last you for a good long while.

isn't 11th gen outclassed by 13th gen in both gaming and productivity by a big margin?

 

[Carfax83]

Purchased the Aida64 Extreme license and this is the entire run with the CPU at 5.2ghz and the DDR5 at 7400mhz. As I said earlier, I'm kind of surprised the latency scores are that high. Figured it would have been in the 50s at the very least.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Your read and copy scores are impressive. Highest I've seen so far.

Maybe revert the CPU back to the default settings and run the test again? It's possible that the undervolt and power limitation is somehow slowing down the IMC.

 

[Carfax83]

WCCFtech got a lower latency score than I did in their 13900K review, with DDR5 6000 CL30 memory getting 59.6ns. I think that tRAS cycle time is what's impacting my latency score. The DDR5 6000 has a tRAS of 76 compared to my 115. I'm going to do some tweaking and see if I can get it any lower.

Intel Core i9-13900K Raptor Lake CPU Pre-Launch Review Shows Strong Multi-Threaded Performance, 10% Gaming Improvement & Higher Power Draw (wccftech.com)

 

[DooKey]

@DooKey, what are your memory latency scores like? I'm curious since we're running the same memory. I'm getting around 64ns, with XMP timings which is higher than what I thought it would be. This is with a slight overclock from 7200mhz to 7400mhz without changing any timings or voltages.

I'm running my 7200 at 6800 CL32 currently. Still trying to get higher speeds to run. Latency is at 64.9ns. I have to find the right settings to get it to run higher on Z690.

Think I'll tweak that tRAS myself to see if I can get latency down.

 

[Markfw]

@Carfax83 , anything about like 2000 or 3000 runs in gear mode 2 instead of 1:1, right ? so you are at that ? . Using DDR4, on my 12700F, I can not go over 3000 I think. Or does DDR5 eliminate that problem ?