i7 Builds - Specs and Results

[Kris75]

I need a case that can hold 2-3 HDX Cards. Right now I have a Fractal R4, but I can only get one card in by removing the top drive bay. What cases are you HDX guys using these days? I am currently looking at the R5 as I can remove both the top and bottom drive bays. Thanks!

[Skwaidu]

Originally Posted by Kris75

I need a case that can hold 2-3 HDX Cards. Right now I have a Fractal R4, but I can only get one card in by removing the top drive bay. What cases are you HDX guys using these days? I am currently looking at the R5 as I can remove both the top and bottom drive bays. Thanks!

Fractal Define R6 here, 2x HDX fit fine with a GPU without removing anything. The bigger issue would be modern mobos limiting PCIe slots, mine still had enough for 2 but not 3 (MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4)

[Kris75]

Thanks!

[Kris75]

I have been thinking that instead of buying a case that will fit 2 HDX cards, I should build a 13900k system that will host my 2 HDX cards.

Some of the stuff mentioned here for HDX is not available in Canada. I want to recycle as much as I can from my current machine.

Here is what I need

1. Mobo that will hold a GPU and 2 HDX cards using DDR4 RAM and at least two NVMe drives.
2. i9 13900k
3. Case that will fit at least 2 HDX cards (Fractal R6 is not available for me to buy in Canada that I'm able to find)
4. A CPU cooling fan.

Here is what I already have

1. 32GB DDR4 RAM
2. 2 NVMe dives
3. EVGA 1050Ti GPU
4. 750-Watt Corsair PSU
5. 2 HDX Cards


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Skwaidu]

Originally Posted by Kris75

I have been thinking that instead of buying a case that will fit 2 HDX cards, I should build a 13900k system that will host my 2 HDX cards.

Some of the stuff mentioned here for HDX is not available in Canada. I want to recycle as much as I can from my current machine.

Here is what I need

1. Mobo that will hold a GPU and 2 HDX cards using DDR4 RAM and at least two NVMe drives.
2. i9 13900k
3. Case that will fit at least 2 HDX cards (Fractal R6 is not available for me to buy in Canada that I'm able to find)
4. A CPU cooling fan.

Here is what I already have

1. 32GB DDR4 RAM
2. 2 NVMe dives
3. EVGA 1050Ti GPU
4. 750-Watt Corsair PSU
5. 2 HDX Cards


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I'm succesfully running the MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 (non-Wifi) with 2 HDX cards and a 2,5 slot GPU, currently Asus Dual RTX 3070 - note that this will cover the one remaining 1x PCIe slot, but I grabbed a 30cm extender cable from Amazon to be able to use an external Ethernet card.

The board has 4x M.2 drive slots, 3 of them are PCIe Gen 4.0 (one straight off the CPU which I use for the OS drive, the rest via the Chipset) and one Gen 3.0.

I'm sure there might be a Z790 board that can do it as well, but I haven't investigated them. Note - if you get a Z690 board for 13th gen, make sure that it has compatible bios or you can update the bios without a CPU (not sure about my MSI, would need to check). You could also get a hold of a cheap 12th gen CPU just for the flashing if the board doesn't support it otherwise.

As far as case, not sure as I have the Define R6. Can you get Meshify? (That's what I would get now if I was rebuilding, I haven't once used the optical drive I specced into my build and I tend to keep the case door open for extra airflow.) Could Lian Li have a model for you? You should be able to google card clearances.

For cooling I have been happy with my Noctua NH-D15. Without a large water cooling solution, these chips leave a bit of multicore performance on the table, but this doesn't really affect Pro Tools use, just synthetic multicore benchmarks and something like video rendering.

As far as your existing parts, 750W might be borderline low, if you ever update for a beefier GPU. I went with 1000W to have flexibility (although the machine was initially planned for a gaming build with a higher end GPU - 850W would have been enough for this but I reused the PSU).

[EGS]

Originally Posted by Kris75

... I should build a 13900k system ... Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Ideas:

1) CPU: Pick the CPU first. If building today, I'd go 19-13900K.
2) MB: Research Gigabyte, MSI, & Asus for a compatible MB, plus necessary slots for your HDX cards and GPU.
3) RAM: Get the fastest compatible RAM, 32GB or more, quality name brand. Make sure you enable XMP in bios.
4) CPU cooler: I like a dual-120mm low-RPM fan cooler.
5) PSU: Titanium rated. How much power? Try this calculator: https://www.newegg.com/tools/power-supply-calculator/
6) SSD: This or similar: https://www.newegg.com/western-digit...quicklink=true
7) GPU: For Pro Tools, a modest Nvidia is fine. For video editing or gaming ---> go bigger.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by Skwaidu

... For cooling I have been happy with my Noctua NH-D15. Without a large water cooling solution, these chips leave a bit of multicore performance on the table, but this doesn't really affect Pro Tools use, just synthetic multicore benchmarks and something like video rendering...

+1.
I'm air cooling too. When I need to do a lengthy video render (rare for me), I just drop the clock to 4.8. For Pro Tools & everything else, I clock at a constant all-core 5.1GHz, no throttling.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by Skwaidu

... I haven't once used the optical drive I specced into my build ...

+1.
I rarely use mine. Perhaps better to just skip it & use an external optical drive if/when needed.

[Kris75]

I measured the HDX card and it needs 31.5cm of clearance (12 3/8ths"). I am having a hard time finding specific measurements for each case. Maybe I just don't know what to look for, which is highly possible since I haven't done a build in a new case for over a decade as I just recycled my R4 from build to build.

I was looking at this case. I like this case, but I am concerned about ambient noise. I work from home mixing and making sample libraries so I have no machine room, nor do I have a desire to make one

I was also looking at this case as I already have the R4 and absolutely love it. It also concerns me that the PSU cover is not removable. I am not sure if that will cause any issues though.

New builds are exciting, but when building for HDX, there is so much more that goes into it. I wish I could just get an expansion chassis that would be guaranteed to work with a DIY build.

[Skwaidu]

Originally Posted by Kris75

I measured the HDX card and it needs 31.5cm of clearance (12 3/8ths"). I am having a hard time finding specific measurements for each case. Maybe I just don't know what to look for, which is highly possible since I haven't done a build in a new case for over a decade as I just recycled my R4 from build to build.

I was looking at this case. I like this case, but I am concerned about ambient noise. I work from home mixing and making sample libraries so I have no machine room, nor do I have a desire to make one

I was also looking at this case as I already have the R4 and absolutely love it. It also concerns me that the PSU cover is not removable. I am not sure if that will cause any issues though.

New builds are exciting, but when building for HDX, there is so much more that goes into it. I wish I could just get an expansion chassis that would be guaranteed to work with a DIY build.

Fractal states the PCIe max length as "GPU length" on their website of all of those products, just scroll down. Looks like all of them will fit the HDX, but all of them need to be in "open layout" which means some tearing down of their internals, and removing the 3,5" HDD trays, without it the clearance is slightly under 30cm (So you're left with just the 2,5" SSD trays and M.2 slots, if I'm not mistaken).

https://www.fractal-design.com/produ...-tg-dark-tint/

https://www.fractal-design.com/produ...-tg-dark-tint/

https://www.fractal-design.com/produ...e-r6/blackout/

Weird, the R6 has enough clearance even with the HDD trays in place.

Define 7 XL and Meshify 2 XL have enough clearance even with the HDD trays in place (storage layout):
https://www.fractal-design.com/produ...20Dark%20Tint/

https://www.fractal-design.com/produ...20Dark%20Tint/