Overview / Usage

Intro

As a Computer Science student, I want to build the ultimate PC for learning, developing, and entertainment. I have a variety of use cases ranging from writing reports and watching shows online to data processing and gaming. For my build, I want to have the performance when I need it, parallelism when multitasking, and speed for everything else. With the i9-12900k as the central component, the build I create will be able to satisfy these requirements for the practical student PC. Below, I will talk about my common tasks, how a build powered by the i9-12900k will accomplish those tasks, and how my final desk setup will maximize both work and play.

Productive use cases

• Data processing
• Code compilation
• Web scraping
• Word, PowerPoint, Excel
• Fusion360
• Photoshop
• Blender
• Unity
• Docker
• Hyper-V

The productive use cases comprise of course related tasks and hobby related tasks. As a Computer Science student with a focus in machine learning, I am often assigned data processing and coding tasks. As an example, I have taken a movie ratings dataset containing millions of records to explore, clean, and analyze. Additionally, as a hobby, I practice game development using Unity, Blender, and Photoshop. Lastly, I like to test run Linux distros and server operating systems as virtual machines. On my current PC, tasks are severely hardware limited. When one of these programs run, there are speed and performance penalties for the rest of the system, which limits multitasking capabilities.

Entertainment use cases

• Triple A games
  • God of War
  • Far Cry 6
  • Elden Ring when released
  • And much more…
• Steam/record gameplay
• Hosting game servers
• Web browsing
• Netflix, Youtube, Hulu

When I want to relax, I play games. I would like to play graphics intensive, triple A games. However, I am currently limited to playing older titles or indie games with lower system requirements. I also enjoy having a show or Youtube playing on a separate monitor while I play games or browse the web. Additionally, I would like to host game servers to play with my friends and stream my gameplay on Twitch and Youtube. These are tasks I am currently unable to do without severe performance penalties.

Miscellaneous background tasks

• Data backups
• Spotify
• Stock investment apps
• Antimalware software
• VPN

To reduce the risk of data loss, I want to use data backup services to constantly backup my data to a secondary storage device. I also have Spotify open and playing most of the time. I also have my investment app open for alerts during weekdays. Lastly, I sometimes use a commercial VPN to connect to my school servers and use a consumer VPN for privacy.

Performance, parallelism, and the i9-12900k

The use cases above require two things: performance and parallelism. Whether I want to process large datasets or play triple A title games, I need a powerful processor. If I want to host many virtual machines or stream my gameplay, I need a processor with a high core count. This is where the i9-12900k comes in. With new architectural advancements made by Intel, the i9-12900k provides 8 performance cores (P-cores) and 8 efficiency cores (E-cores), with boost clocks up to 5.2 GHz and 3.9 GHz respectively. It provides 16 cores and 24 threads, which makes it perfect for highly parallelized use cases. With the Intel Thread Director, multitasking is now smarter and more efficient. Streaming gameplay and hosting game servers while playing seems to be a couple of the best use cases that can fully utilize Intel’s intelligent design. I have the comfort of knowing that smaller, non-performant programs will not disrupt my gameplay, as these threads will be directed to E-cores. Gaming, data processing, game development, and other performance critical tasks are handled by the performance-oriented, hyperthreaded, high frequency P-cores. Additionally, with the Z690 motherboard, the i9-12900k can work with DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 devices. This results in speedier memory and compatibility with even faster peripherals like PCIe 5.0 SSDs and next gen graphics cards. Benchmarks prove the exceptional performance provided by the i9-12900k. I can become more adventurous with the assurance that the i9-12900k can handle anything I throw at it. Every aspect of my work and play will become quicker and smoother.

Performance needs handled by the i9-12900k:

• Data processing
• Game development
• Code compilation
• CPU rendering
• Gaming
• Photoshop

Parallelism needs handled by the i9-12900k:

• Streaming and gaming
• Hosting game server and gaming
• Watching shows and gaming
• Virtual machines and containers
• Multithreaded workloads like web scraping
• Background tasks

Methodology / Approach

I have included a flow chart that you can visually follow. See Fig 7 in the visual_references.pdf file. There, I show the steps I will follow for the process descriptions below.

Build

The build itself will be mostly comprised of the parts given by this competition. See Fig 6 for a motherboard assembly reference.

• CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
  • See Performance, parallelism, and the i9-12900k under Overview / Usage
• RAM: 2 x 16 GB
• Motherboard: MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI
  • Rich feature set, connectivity options, DDR5 compatibility, PCIe 5.0 compatibility, and VRM design.
• CPU Cooler: MSI MEG CORELIQUID S360
  • Capable of cooling a powerful CPU like the i9-12900k.
• GPU: MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3070 Video Card
  • Strong performance, which paired with the i9-12900k should be able to handle any games or rendering tasks.
• SSD: SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD
  • PCIe 4.0 compatibility, high speeds, and reliability.
• PSU: Seasonic FOCUS PX-850 Power Supply
  • Fully modular design and 80 PLUS Platinum certification. Great for cable management and power efficiency.
• Case: Silent Base 802 White
  • Great fan filter design, soundproof design, multitude of additional connectors, and superb cable management. Very practical for students who need to focus on course work.
• Mouse: Logitech G305 Gaming Mouse
  • Wireless
• Keyboard: CORSAIR K68 RGB Gaming Keyboard
  • 10-key design, something that I use a lot when programming

With the ever-increasing size of games and software, I will install a second SSD just for games. To reduce the risk of data loss, I will install two high-capacity HDDs in RAID 1 to keep a backup of my data. Lastly, I will 3D print some parts when necessary as I work on the build. For now, I plan to print some parts to prevent graphics card sagging and to get better cable management. See Fig 5 for an Intel inspired graphics card support tool.

• Game Storage: 1TB SSD
• High Capacity Redundant Storage: 2 x 3TB HDD
• Miscellaneous: 3D printed parts
• Main Monitor: 144hz gaming monitor w/ desk mount
  • For games, IDE, text editor, etc. Main development window
• Secondary Monitor: 60hz normal monitor w/ desk mount
  • For shows, OBS, API reference/documentation, researching, etc
• Drawing Monitor: 1440p drawing tablet monitor w/ gas spring desk mount
  • For drawing in Photoshop
• Mic

Assembling the PC (See "PC Assembly" section in Fig 7)

The process of assembling the PC will be straightforward. First, I will do a POST with just the CPU, CPU cooler, RAM, and motherboard. Then, I will install the M.2 SSDs and install the assembled motherboard into the computer case. I will add the rest of the peripherals alongside the PSU and tweak the BIOS settings to set up the RAID 1 configuration. This will complete the physical set up process, and I will be able to install the OS.

Software (See "Software" section in Fig 7)

I want a Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu dual boot configuration. First, I’ll partition the OS M.2 SSD into an 8:2 divide. I will install Windows Pro on the former partition, and Ubuntu on the latter partition. I’ll install all the necessary updates and drivers. Then, I’ll change the settings to fit my needs.

On Windows, I’ll install the following:

• Programming related software
  • VSCode
  • Python + Anaconda
  • Visual Studio
  • Java IDE
  • MySQL Workbench
  • And much more…
• Unity
• Blender
• Microsoft Office
• Fidelity ATP
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Fusion360
• Steam
• Various games (on secondary SSD)
• Spotify
• Hyper-V

On Ubuntu, I’ll install the following:

• VSCode
• Eclipse
• Gitkraken
• LibreOffice
• Thunderbird

Lastly, I will run some test and benchmarks to verify performance expectations.

Desk Setup (See Fig 1 - 4 for visual reference)

I will include 3 monitors. The first monitor will be a 144hz gaming monitor for a better experience. The secondary monitor will be a standard 60hz monitor for watching shows and other multitasking needs. The third monitor will be a 1440p drawing tablet monitor to fulfill my drawing habit. The first two monitors will be on a static desk mount while the drawing tablet monitor will be on a long, gas spring desk mount so that it can transition into a comfortable drawing position. These mounts should save desk real estate so that I can also put books, notes, and a tablet in front of the keyboard. There will be a mic for streaming/recording gameplay and Zoom calls.

Technologies Used

3D Modeling Software used

• Fusion360
• Blender

Drawing Software used

• Photoshop

Flowchart Software used

• Lucidchart
• Photoshop

Hardware provided by Intel to be included:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
  • See Performance, parallelism, and the i9-12900k under Overview / Usage
• RAM: 2 x 16 GB
• Motherboard: MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI
  • Rich feature set, connectivity options, DDR5 compatibility, PCIe 5.0 compatibility, and VRM design.
• CPU Cooler: MSI MEG CORELIQUID S360
  • Capable of cooling a powerful CPU like the i9-12900k.
• GPU: MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3070 Video Card
  • Strong performance, which paired with the i9-12900k should be able to handle any games or rendering tasks.
• SSD: SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD
  • PCIe 4.0 compatibility, high speeds, and reliability.
• PSU: Seasonic FOCUS PX-850 Power Supply
  • Fully modular design and 80 PLUS Platinum certification. Great for cable management and power efficiency.
• Case: Silent Base 802 White
  • Great fan filter design, soundproof design, multitude of additional connectors, and superb cable management. Very practical for students who need to focus on course work.
• Mouse: Logitech G305 Gaming Mouse
  • Wireless
• Keyboard: CORSAIR K68 RGB Gaming Keyboard
  • 10-key design, something that I use a lot when programming

Additional Hardware:

• Game Storage: 1TB SSD
• High Capacity Redundant Storage: 2 x 3TB HDD
• Miscellaneous: 3D printed parts
• Main Monitor: 144hz gaming monitor w/ desk mount
  • For games, IDE, text editor, etc. Main development window
• Secondary Monitor: 60hz normal monitor w/ desk mount
  • For shows, OBS, API reference/documentation, researching, etc
• Drawing Monitor: 1440p drawing tablet monitor w/ gas spring desk mount
  • For drawing in Photoshop
• Mic

Windows Software to be installed:

• Programming related software
  • VSCode
  • Python + Anaconda
  • Visual Studio
  • Eclipse
  • MySQL Workbench
  • And much more…
• Unity
• Blender
• Microsoft Office
• Fidelity ATP
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Fusion360
• Steam
• Various games (on secondary SSD)
• Spotify
• Hyper-V

Linux Software to be installed:

• VSCode
• Eclipse
• Gitkraken
• LibreOffice
• Thunderbird

Documents and Presentations