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desktop: full from-scratch AM5 build (3090 + 9800X3D), gift old tower intact #189

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opened 2026-06-01 03:55:30 +00:00 by coilysiren · 3 comments
coilysiren commented 2026-06-01 03:55:30 +00:00
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Goal

Full from-scratch desktop build for Kai, with two missions: run Qwen / local LLM (24GB VRAM) and fix the Factorio CPU bottleneck (late-game UPS). The current 2018-vintage platform (i7-8700 / Z390 / DDR4 / RTX 2080) has aged out as a whole, so this supersedes the drop-in-3090 plan in #85.

The old tower stays 100% intact and gets gifted to Kai's partner as a complete, working 1080p/1440p gaming PC. Nothing is cannibalized.

Supersedes

  • Supersedes #85 (replace RTX 2080 with used RTX 3090). Plan changed from "drop a used 3090 into the existing tower" to "full new build, gift the old tower intact." The used-eBay sourcing in #85 is abandoned (Kai is return-averse and distrusts eBay for GPUs). New card is sealed-new.

Parts already owned (carry into new build)

  • PSU - Corsair RM850x (ATX 3.1, 850W Gold, native 12V-2x6). Still boxed. 850W comfortably feeds 3090 + 9800X3D.
  • NVMe - WD_Black SN7100 2TB (Gen4, 7,250 MB/s). Still boxed. Was capped to ~3,500 on Z390 (Gen3 slot); runs full speed on AM5.

Parts to buy (Kai is doing diligence on each)

  • CPU - Ryzen 7 9800X3D (~$450). Factorio-first pick. ~2.3x the 8700's late-game UPS. 9950X3D rejected (extra cores do nothing for Factorio, +$250).
  • GPU - RTX 3090 Founders Edition, sealed-new (~$1,676, Newegg, sold-and-shipped-by-Newegg). 24GB for Qwen. Lowest-power (350W) and shortest (313mm) 3090. New, not refurb (lifetime + return-aversion).
  • Motherboard - B650E (~$200). Candidates: ASUS TUF B650E-Plus WiFi, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi, Gigabyte B650E Aorus Elite. X670E not needed.
  • RAM - 32GB (2x16) DDR5-6000 CL30, EXPO (~$95). The validated X3D sweet spot. Do not run faster.
  • CPU cooler (~$40-110). Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE (air, sufficient) or a 280mm AIO (showpiece). TBD.
  • Case - "Cosmos-grade" showpiece (~$250-400). Candidates: Cooler Master Cosmos C700M (same as old), HYTE Y70 Touch, Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL, Corsair 7000D Airflow. TBD - aesthetic call.

Estimated new spend: ~$2,650-2,800.

Open decisions

  • Case pick (aesthetic - Kai's call).
  • Cooler: $40 air vs $110 AIO.
  • Final live-price pass + fit check (3090 313mm clearance, board form factor, cooler clearance) once case is chosen.

Acceptance

  • All new parts acquired (CPU, GPU, mobo, RAM, cooler, case).
  • New build assembled: RM850x + SN7100 + new parts.
  • BIOS set up, EXPO enabled, Resizable BAR on.
  • First boot: GPU recognized, NVIDIA driver installed, nvidia-smi shows 24GB.
  • SN7100 confirmed running at full Gen4 speed (~7,000 MB/s).
  • Qwen / 13B-class model runs fully on GPU.
  • Factorio late-game UPS measured and compared against old 8700 baseline.
  • Old tower confirmed 100% intact and handed to partner as a working PC.
  • desktop-tower.md updated (or a new machine doc created for the from-scratch build).

Related

  • supersedes #85 (used RTX 3090 drop-in)
  • refs #73 (evaluate self-hosted models) - this is the hardware lever
  • refs #74 (NVMe SSD) - the SN7100 is the drive, now running at full speed on AM5
## Goal Full from-scratch desktop build for Kai, with two missions: **run Qwen / local LLM** (24GB VRAM) and **fix the Factorio CPU bottleneck** (late-game UPS). The current 2018-vintage platform (i7-8700 / Z390 / DDR4 / RTX 2080) has aged out as a whole, so this supersedes the drop-in-3090 plan in #85. The old tower stays **100% intact** and gets gifted to Kai's partner as a complete, working 1080p/1440p gaming PC. Nothing is cannibalized. ## Supersedes - Supersedes #85 (replace RTX 2080 with used RTX 3090). Plan changed from "drop a used 3090 into the existing tower" to "full new build, gift the old tower intact." The used-eBay sourcing in #85 is abandoned (Kai is return-averse and distrusts eBay for GPUs). New card is sealed-new. ## Parts already owned (carry into new build) - **PSU - Corsair RM850x** (ATX 3.1, 850W Gold, native 12V-2x6). Still boxed. 850W comfortably feeds 3090 + 9800X3D. - **NVMe - WD_Black SN7100 2TB** (Gen4, 7,250 MB/s). Still boxed. Was capped to ~3,500 on Z390 (Gen3 slot); runs full speed on AM5. ## Parts to buy (Kai is doing diligence on each) - **CPU - Ryzen 7 9800X3D** (~$450). Factorio-first pick. ~2.3x the 8700's late-game UPS. 9950X3D rejected (extra cores do nothing for Factorio, +$250). - **GPU - RTX 3090 Founders Edition, sealed-new** (~$1,676, Newegg, sold-and-shipped-by-Newegg). 24GB for Qwen. Lowest-power (350W) and shortest (313mm) 3090. New, not refurb (lifetime + return-aversion). - **Motherboard - B650E** (~$200). Candidates: ASUS TUF B650E-Plus WiFi, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi, Gigabyte B650E Aorus Elite. X670E not needed. - **RAM - 32GB (2x16) DDR5-6000 CL30, EXPO** (~$95). The validated X3D sweet spot. Do not run faster. - **CPU cooler** (~$40-110). Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE (air, sufficient) or a 280mm AIO (showpiece). TBD. - **Case - "Cosmos-grade" showpiece** (~$250-400). Candidates: Cooler Master Cosmos C700M (same as old), HYTE Y70 Touch, Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL, Corsair 7000D Airflow. TBD - aesthetic call. **Estimated new spend: ~$2,650-2,800.** ## Open decisions - [ ] Case pick (aesthetic - Kai's call). - [ ] Cooler: $40 air vs $110 AIO. - [ ] Final live-price pass + fit check (3090 313mm clearance, board form factor, cooler clearance) once case is chosen. ## Acceptance - [ ] All new parts acquired (CPU, GPU, mobo, RAM, cooler, case). - [ ] New build assembled: RM850x + SN7100 + new parts. - [ ] BIOS set up, EXPO enabled, Resizable BAR on. - [ ] First boot: GPU recognized, NVIDIA driver installed, `nvidia-smi` shows 24GB. - [ ] SN7100 confirmed running at full Gen4 speed (~7,000 MB/s). - [ ] Qwen / 13B-class model runs fully on GPU. - [ ] Factorio late-game UPS measured and compared against old 8700 baseline. - [ ] Old tower confirmed 100% intact and handed to partner as a working PC. - [ ] `desktop-tower.md` updated (or a new machine doc created for the from-scratch build). ## Related - supersedes #85 (used RTX 3090 drop-in) - refs #73 (evaluate self-hosted models) - this is the hardware lever - refs #74 (NVMe SSD) - the SN7100 is the drive, now running at full speed on AM5
coilysiren commented 2026-06-01 07:01:21 +00:00
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Spec update - GPU changed to 3090 Ti, sourcing reality, market context

Walked the full build component-by-component. Most of the spec firmed up; two things shifted hard due to the mid-2026 market.

GPU: RTX 3090 -> RTX 3090 Ti (sourcing forced it)

The plain 3090 turned out to be structurally unavailable from trusted retailers:

  • Newegg: 0 in stock (new sold-by-Newegg 24GB+ = only ~$4k cards, i.e. 5090s).
  • Micro Center: both refurb FE listings out of stock.
  • Root cause: 3090 discontinued 2022 + AI demand vacuuming all 24GB cards.

Decision: RTX 3090 Ti, ~$1,784, new, Sold-by-Amazon (or Newegg refurb FE fallback). Keeps CUDA (smoothest Qwen path on Windows) and 24GB, available now. Rejected alternatives: RX 7900 XTX (~$800, new, in stock, 24GB - rejected for AMD/ROCm friction, Kai wants CUDA simplicity), keep-hunting-a-3090 (rejected - Kai wants it now).

PSU pairing is actually ideal: the 3090 Ti FE's 450W + transient spikes are exactly what the already-owned RM850x (ATX 3.1, native 12V-2x6) is built for. Fits the O11 EVO XL easily.

RAM: price is real, not an error

64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 is ~$1,160, not the ~$200 I first assumed. Confirmed: 2026 AI-driven DRAM shortage has pushed DDR5 up ~4x (32GB kit ~$90 -> ~$529), no normalization expected until 2027+. Corsair Vengeance CMK64GX5M2B6000Z30 is the chosen kit. (Open: Kai may reconsider 64GB vs 32GB now that the gap is ~$630, not ~$100 - but the X3D 2-DIMM constraint makes "upgrade later" a buy-twice trap, so leaning keep 64GB.)

Final spec (built around already-owned RM850x + SN7100)

  • CPU: Ryzen 9 9950X3D (~$699) + free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 AIO. (Upgraded from 9800X3D: Kai has heavy multi-core dev workloads, so 16 cores + V-cache both justified.)
  • Mobo: Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 (~$230). Includes M.2 thermal guards (no separate heatsink needed for SN7100).
  • RAM: Corsair Vengeance 64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO (~$1,160).
  • GPU: RTX 3090 Ti (~$1,784, new, trusted seller).
  • Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL (~$235).
  • Fans: 6x Phanteks T30 bottom + side intake ($198) + PWM hub ($10). (Open: confirm T30-140 vs T30-120 - EVO XL supports 140mm, more airflow; and buy from a reputable seller, not a random marketplace store - counterfeit risk.)
  • Owned, carried in: Corsair RM850x PSU, WD_Black SN7100 2TB NVMe.

Rough new spend: ~$4,300 (RAM and the 3090 Ti are the two big line items, both market-inflated).

Setup gotchas captured

  • Install AMD chipset drivers so the 9950X3D's dual-CCD core-parking lands Factorio on the V-cache CCD.
  • Populate RAM in slots A2/B2 (2-DIMM).
  • Enable EXPO + Resizable BAR in BIOS.

Still open (Kai's calls)

  • 64GB vs 32GB RAM (~$630 swing).
  • Fans: T30-140 vs T30-120, and a reputable seller.
  • Confirm 3090 Ti listing is Sold-by-Amazon / Newegg (not third-party marketplace).
## Spec update - GPU changed to 3090 Ti, sourcing reality, market context Walked the full build component-by-component. Most of the spec firmed up; two things shifted hard due to the mid-2026 market. ### GPU: RTX 3090 -> RTX 3090 Ti (sourcing forced it) The plain 3090 turned out to be **structurally unavailable** from trusted retailers: - Newegg: 0 in stock (new sold-by-Newegg 24GB+ = only ~$4k cards, i.e. 5090s). - Micro Center: both refurb FE listings out of stock. - Root cause: 3090 discontinued 2022 + AI demand vacuuming all 24GB cards. Decision: **RTX 3090 Ti, ~$1,784, new, Sold-by-Amazon (or Newegg refurb FE fallback).** Keeps CUDA (smoothest Qwen path on Windows) and 24GB, available now. Rejected alternatives: RX 7900 XTX (~$800, new, in stock, 24GB - rejected for AMD/ROCm friction, Kai wants CUDA simplicity), keep-hunting-a-3090 (rejected - Kai wants it now). PSU pairing is actually ideal: the 3090 Ti FE's 450W + transient spikes are exactly what the already-owned RM850x (ATX 3.1, native 12V-2x6) is built for. Fits the O11 EVO XL easily. ### RAM: price is real, not an error 64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 is **~$1,160**, not the ~$200 I first assumed. Confirmed: 2026 AI-driven DRAM shortage has pushed DDR5 up ~4x (32GB kit ~$90 -> ~$529), no normalization expected until 2027+. Corsair Vengeance CMK64GX5M2B6000Z30 is the chosen kit. (Open: Kai may reconsider 64GB vs 32GB now that the gap is ~$630, not ~$100 - but the X3D 2-DIMM constraint makes "upgrade later" a buy-twice trap, so leaning keep 64GB.) ### Final spec (built around already-owned RM850x + SN7100) - CPU: **Ryzen 9 9950X3D** (~$699) + free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 AIO. (Upgraded from 9800X3D: Kai has heavy multi-core dev workloads, so 16 cores + V-cache both justified.) - Mobo: **Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7** (~$230). Includes M.2 thermal guards (no separate heatsink needed for SN7100). - RAM: **Corsair Vengeance 64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO** (~$1,160). - GPU: **RTX 3090 Ti** (~$1,784, new, trusted seller). - Case: **Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL** (~$235). - Fans: **6x Phanteks T30** bottom + side intake (~$198) + PWM hub (~$10). (Open: confirm T30-140 vs T30-120 - EVO XL supports 140mm, more airflow; and buy from a reputable seller, not a random marketplace store - counterfeit risk.) - Owned, carried in: Corsair RM850x PSU, WD_Black SN7100 2TB NVMe. **Rough new spend: ~$4,300** (RAM and the 3090 Ti are the two big line items, both market-inflated). ### Setup gotchas captured - Install AMD chipset drivers so the 9950X3D's dual-CCD core-parking lands Factorio on the V-cache CCD. - Populate RAM in slots A2/B2 (2-DIMM). - Enable EXPO + Resizable BAR in BIOS. ### Still open (Kai's calls) - [ ] 64GB vs 32GB RAM (~$630 swing). - [ ] Fans: T30-140 vs T30-120, and a reputable seller. - [ ] Confirm 3090 Ti listing is Sold-by-Amazon / Newegg (not third-party marketplace).
coilysiren commented 2026-06-01 07:35:45 +00:00
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ORDERED - build placed, one loose end on the GPU payment

Both orders placed.

Newegg order - placed, clean ($3,053.33 all-in)

Item subtotal $2,778.92 + shipping $11.62 - $20 promo + tax $282.79 = $3,053.33. Verified line-by-line, no protection-plan padding. Contents:

  • Phanteks T30-140: 1 triple-pack ($114.99) + 3 singles ($119.97) = 6 fans (mix-and-match, triple-pack stock was limited; ~$5 over buying 2 packs)
  • Windows 11 Pro (USB, Retail) - $199.99
  • Corsair Vengeance 64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 - $1,159.99
  • Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 - $249.99
  • Ryzen 9 9950X3D - $699.00 + free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 AIO ($0.00)
  • Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL - $234.99
  • Cheapest shipping selected (Jun 4-8).

Amazon order - placed, but charge NOT posting (LOOSE END)

  • MSI RTX 3090 Ti SUPRIM X 24GB (Renewed) - $1,549.99, Amazon Renewed, sold by "Renewed Technology Group," 90-day Amazon guarantee. Was "only 1 left."
  • Issue: no charge posted from Amazon. This is a recurring pattern - the same thing happened on a previous Amazon 3090 attempt. NOT a credit-limit issue.
  • Suspected cause: Chase silently fraud-holding a high-value purchase from a third-party marketplace/Renewed seller (classic fraud-flag trigger), or Amazon's own risk hold. Possibly Amazon simply charges at ship-time.
  • Mitigation: check Chase app for a fraud hold to approve / call Chase to whitelist the Amazon charge; watch Amazon order status; if it cancels, re-source another Renewed 3090 Ti quickly (stock was thin).

All-in total: ~$4,750 with tax (Newegg $3,053 + Amazon ~$1,693)

Owned, carrying into build (not purchased): Corsair RM850x (850W, confirmed) + WD_Black SN7100 2TB NVMe.

Remaining acceptance work (post-arrival)

  • GPU payment/charge resolved and card actually ships.
  • Assemble build.
  • BIOS: enable EXPO, Resizable BAR; install AMD chipset drivers (dual-CCD core-parking for Factorio on the V-cache CCD).
  • First boot: nvidia-smi shows 24GB; SN7100 at full Gen4 speed.
  • Qwen runs on GPU; Factorio late-game UPS measured vs old 8700.
  • Old tower confirmed 100% intact + handed to partner.
  • Add a PWM fan hub if board headers are short for 8 fans.
## ORDERED - build placed, one loose end on the GPU payment Both orders placed. ### Newegg order - placed, clean ($3,053.33 all-in) Item subtotal $2,778.92 + shipping $11.62 - $20 promo + tax $282.79 = **$3,053.33**. Verified line-by-line, no protection-plan padding. Contents: - Phanteks T30-140: 1 triple-pack ($114.99) + 3 singles ($119.97) = 6 fans (mix-and-match, triple-pack stock was limited; ~$5 over buying 2 packs) - Windows 11 Pro (USB, Retail) - $199.99 - Corsair Vengeance 64GB (2x32) DDR5-6000 CL30 - $1,159.99 - Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 - $249.99 - Ryzen 9 9950X3D - $699.00 + free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 AIO ($0.00) - Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL - $234.99 - Cheapest shipping selected (Jun 4-8). ### Amazon order - placed, but charge NOT posting (LOOSE END) - MSI RTX 3090 Ti SUPRIM X 24GB (Renewed) - $1,549.99, Amazon Renewed, sold by "Renewed Technology Group," 90-day Amazon guarantee. Was "only 1 left." - **Issue:** no charge posted from Amazon. **This is a recurring pattern - the same thing happened on a previous Amazon 3090 attempt.** NOT a credit-limit issue. - **Suspected cause:** Chase silently fraud-holding a high-value purchase from a third-party marketplace/Renewed seller (classic fraud-flag trigger), or Amazon's own risk hold. Possibly Amazon simply charges at ship-time. - **Mitigation:** check Chase app for a fraud hold to approve / call Chase to whitelist the Amazon charge; watch Amazon order status; if it cancels, re-source another Renewed 3090 Ti quickly (stock was thin). ### All-in total: ~$4,750 with tax (Newegg $3,053 + Amazon ~$1,693) ### Owned, carrying into build (not purchased): Corsair RM850x (850W, confirmed) + WD_Black SN7100 2TB NVMe. ### Remaining acceptance work (post-arrival) - [ ] GPU payment/charge resolved and card actually ships. - [ ] Assemble build. - [ ] BIOS: enable EXPO, Resizable BAR; install AMD chipset drivers (dual-CCD core-parking for Factorio on the V-cache CCD). - [ ] First boot: nvidia-smi shows 24GB; SN7100 at full Gen4 speed. - [ ] Qwen runs on GPU; Factorio late-game UPS measured vs old 8700. - [ ] Old tower confirmed 100% intact + handed to partner. - [ ] Add a PWM fan hub if board headers are short for 8 fans.
coilysiren commented 2026-06-17 08:22:39 +00:00
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Backlog burndown 2026-06-17: closing low-priority (P3/P4) to bring the open count to a manageable level. Nothing lost — reopen if this resurfaces. Batch tag: burndown-2026-06.

Backlog burndown 2026-06-17: closing low-priority (P3/P4) to bring the open count to a manageable level. Nothing lost — reopen if this resurfaces. Batch tag: `burndown-2026-06`.
coilysiren 2026-06-17 08:22:39 +00:00
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burndown-2026-06
Backlog burndown June 2026

  
coherence-core
Core review set for the warded control plane coherence milestone. These issues form the release spine; adjacent milestone issues are stretch or supporting work.

  
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