I've been banging my head against the wall trying to pair Dominator kits with boards. I'm focused on ASUS and AORUS boards. (Would rather finally move away from ASUS, however...)
I started with an Intel i9-14900K build but realized that this lacks value and flexibility and also that Z790 won't play well with PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives without knocking the x16 slot down to x8. YES. I'm aware of the math and that some would argue that it doesn't matter for a 4090. They'd be right. But future proofing is a focus of mine and that won't fly if I upgrade to a PCIe 5.0 GPU down the road. (As it is, the i9-14900K(x) is the last CPU before Intel puts out a new socket so that's a big drawback on future proofing.)
Sooo... While I did want to give Intel another go, I decided it'd probably be best to stick with AMD for this round. However... I noticed that there are no X670 boards listed in the compatibility tool at all. So that's not helpful in the least bit. To further compound the frustration factor... QVLs are either not helpful or, as we all know, just not comprehensive. (i.e. Just because the part number isn't listed doesn't mean it won't work.)
I got burned once with an ASUS board when I replaced a defective one with a different model. The Vengeance kit I had at the time just absolutely would not work with that board. So I ended up having to shell out another few hundred for a new kit. I want to avoid any unnecessary time wasting in my new build here. I just want the best balance of low timing and memory speed for the CPU.
That said... I have compiled the parts I'm currently looking at HERE (Google Sheets) and I'd like advice on pairing the best memory kit with the 7950X3D. I'm certainly open to other motherboard options to support this CPU and any memory kit pairings that might be suggested. (As long as it's not MSI. They are on my 'do-not-buy' list due to terrible customer service experiences I've had with them in the past.) I do very much want to try an AORUS board and am still looking at those. Especially since it appears that ASUS has had some continuing memory compatibility issues.
I would also accept any recommendations on power supplies if you're so inclined. My AX1200 (yes... the original...) is still going strong after 11 years of service but it's going to remain with my old parts. I future proof so I went straight to the top. I am also attracted to the GaN components in the AX1600i. I won't buy anything less than 80 Plus Platinum.
PLEASE understand that I very much don't need any other advice other than exactly what I've just asked for. I'm far from new to building systems. I'm just tired of spinning my wheels at the moment so I am, with hesitation, reaching out to take advantage of folks who might have already been through this phase and could save me time.
Please keep responses in scope. (i.e. Don't worry about what I'm spending. That's for ME to worry about. I'm a data center engineer so I'll be fine.)
Thanks in advance, folks!
