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Jan 13, 2019
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18
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master
CPU
i9-9900K
Graphics
Vega 64
Mac
  1. Mac Pro
Hi! First time builder here!

I have been scanning through the forums (****** and tonymacx86) to piece together a proper build for music production, adobe tools and general game development. Im willing to have a large(ish) budget for this build as its going to be my main workstation.

What aspects I prioritize in this build are performance, reliability, and silence. I chose these parts with those traits in mind:
  1. Intel Coffee Lake i9-9900K, LGA1151, 3.6 GHz, 16MB
  2. Sapphire RX Vega 64 NITRO+, 8GB
  3. Gigabyte Z390 AORUS MASTER, ATX
  4. Crucial 32GB (2 x 16GB) Ballistix Sport LT, DDR4 3200
  5. Samsung 1TB 970 EVO, M.2 2280, PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe, 3500/3300 MB/s

  6. Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C - Blackout, E-ATX
  7. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
  8. Corsair HX1200i (DSP) 80+ Platinum
  9. TP-Link Archer T9E Wireless Dual Band
  10. ADDITIONAL: Komplete Audio 6 external audio interface
  11. ADDITIONAL: Switch the Fractal fans to Noctua fans
I already have an audio interface and I will be using Logic Pro X as my DAW. I chose the RX Vega 64 NITRO+, as this AMD seems to be compatible with macOS and still packs a punch.

I read from somewhere that a similiar build had some issues with the onboard audio, and the Gigabyte motherboard's Intel WIFI doesnt work properly, so I would need an adapter to fix that (TP-Link Archer T9E). I assume that the onboard audio issues would also be solved by my Komplete Audio 6?

Does this build work? Are there some parts that would better fit my needs? I would also dual boot it into windows for my other needs. All the help and tips are hugely appreciated! Also sorry for the clunky english, not a native speaker.

Thanks!

EDIT:
Would Corsair 32GB (2x16GB) Vengeance LPX Red, DDR4 2666MHz, CL16, 1.2V fit the build also? It seems like the smarter choise as its almost 200e cheaper.

EDIT 2:
Updated the build.

[3.3.2019] EDIT 3:
  • Updated the RAM, motherboard, PSU and SSD.
    • Samsung EVO 970 Plus seems to have problems with OSX, so I reverted back to the non PLUS - version.
    • Changed the RAM to low profile DDR4 3200mhz Crucials. They should be faster and fit under the Dark Rock Pro 4.
    • Changed the MOBO to Z390 Aorus Master. Z390 Designare seems to be a pretty tight fit when it comes to the x16 PCIe slot. This is a problem with a massive CPU cooler such as Dark Rock Pro 4 (Even bigger problem with something like Noctua NH-D15). Aorus Master also seems to perform better than the Designare while costing just about the same. Thunderbolt 3 is nice, but an overall performance boost is nicer.
[31.3.2019] EDIT 4:
Hi guys. Im still waiting for the PC to arrive. I ordered it from this one trustworthy company that built it for me and tested that the RAM, MOBO etc are in working condition. The PC should arrive next week and I will start setting up the hackintosh immediately.
  • Updated the PSU
    • I went from 850W Dark Power 11 80+ Platinum to Corsair HX1200i 80+ Platinum.
      • The corsair is 1200w PSU with two 8 - pin connectors for the mobo. This allows better overclocking with I9-9900K and Z390 Aorus Master in the future.
      • Also the 1200w is insanely overkill and will future proof me indefinitely. The PSU will also run in passive mode until 600w, which means that the PSU will be totally silent.
      • I got an amazing offer for this PSU, so I decided to go with it. I understand that for many people this is definitely an insane overkill and totally not optimal.
      • Also the Corsair has a 10 year warranty and its fully modular compared to the semi modular Dark Power with its 5 year warranty.
 
Last edited:
Maybe more Power Supply.

Consider that if you also need pro tools that it has issues with Mojave. And I am not sure how the z390/9900k will behave in HS.
Ah alright! Thanks for the reply :) I hope someone has experience with this combo and can shed some light to the issue.
 
Vega 64 needs 750 watt minimum, and if you get the single fan model (reference type) VGATab utility can control fan speeds, temp, frequency, etc. Some of the Multi-fan models have the high fan speed issue after boot. Check out Pastrychefs build guide.
 
I'm on the fence for building almost the exact same machine. Will follow your thread with interest.

Have you considered the Gigabyte Designare Z390 instead of the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI? The onboard wifi doesn't work anyway and the designare has thunderbolt connections, might come in handy. A good build report is on this forum.

Most builders use the Samsung 970 EVO M2 directly attached to the motherboard in the M.2 slot. Very fast.

And many times the Broadcom BCM94360CS2 WIFI/BT adapter is mentioned as a means to get wifi and bluetooth.

For my build I go for 64Gb RAM, and maybe 2x the Sapphire RX Vega 64. But that is because my machine is going to be a video editing workhorse.
 
High-end build with SATA SSD? I'd get a Samsung 970 Evo M.2 NVMe SSD, much faster.
Also if quiet operation is a priority, a be quiet! Straight Power PSU might be the better choice.
Vega 64 needs 750 watt minimum, and if you get the single fan model (reference type) VGATab utility can control fan speeds, temp, frequency, etc. Some of the Multi-fan models have the high fan speed issue after boot. Check out Pastrychefs build guide.
Have you considered the Gigabyte Designare Z390 instead of the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI? The onboard wifi doesn't work anyway and the designare has thunderbolt connections, might come in handy.

Most builders use the Samsung 970 EVO M2 directly attached to the motherboard in the M.2 slot. Very fast.

Hey! Thank you all for the tips and help. Really appreciated! :)

I updated the build with your recommendations in mind and I think im still inside the budget. The system is a beast while costing more or less the same as a basic iMac variant (Finnish prices).

Here is the updated build and I have to say im pretty happy about it. I threw more money at the PSU, upgrading it to 750W Platinum standard. After doing more research, I decided to put more money into a top of the line SSD.

My optimized build:
  1. Intel Coffee Lake i9-9900K, LGA1151, 3.6 GHz, 16MB
  2. Sapphire RX Vega 64 NITRO+, 8GB
  3. Gigabyte Z390 DESIGNARE, ATX
  4. Corsair 32GB (2x16GB) Vengeance LPX Red, DDR4 2666MHz, CL16, 1.2V
  5. Samsung 1TB 970 EVO M.2 2280, PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe, 3400/2500 MB/s

  6. Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C - Blackout, E-ATX
  7. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
  8. be quiet! 750W Dark Power Pro 11, modular ATX, 80 Plus Platinum
  9. TP-Link Archer T9E Wireless Dual Band
  10. ADDITIONAL: Komplete Audio 6 external audio interface

Is the 750W Dark Power Pro 11 enough for the Vega 64 NITRO+ and i9-9900K? Do I need some additional fans for the Define R6 case to help with the heat generation etc?

Thank you so much for all the help :)
 
What I have read (but not 100% sure) is the TP-Link Archer T9E Wireless Dual Band does not provide Bluetooth.

May I ask what the reason is that you choose an aircooler instead of water?
 
What I have read (but not 100% sure) is the TP-Link Archer T9E Wireless Dual Band does not provide Bluetooth.

May I ask what the reason is that you choose an aircooler instead of water?
I was thinking of using this one Finnish company to build it for me. My friends have also used their services and are happy with the results. I order the parts through them and they put everything together, update the BIOS + test that everything works (RAM etc). It costs about ~70€ and has a two year warranty for the whole build on top of the warranties for the individual parts. The bad part is that they dont do water cooling. Do you think that the water cooling would be good choice for the build?
 
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