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Aurora R4, motherboard upgrade, CPU? #3
So, I'm looking for advice and suggestions for upgrading my Motherboard & Intel Processors for my Alienware Aurora R4. Yeah, I'm in love with This Beast, and plan to hold on to her for a far longer time, longer than my last Dell I had for over 10 years. I'm kind of sold on Dell products, I guess you could say. But THIS MOTHERBOARD, what is it? I can't figure out if it's "A Custom" and/ or what? And, IF I'm going to try to please Dell/ Alienware and keep her in the family, or will I be forced to give her a brain-transplant? So many decisions, and I need to be smart about it. Here's both Dell's original standard(s) specs & my own current specs. https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln296935/alienware-aurora-r4-system-specifications?lang=en
ALL HARDWARE & MAJOR SOFTWARE SPECS - Alienware Aurora-R4 (with ALX Chassis); 3rd Gen - Intel Quad Core i7-3820 CPU 3.60GHz, Intel x79 Express Chipset and Micro-ATX Motherboard 07JNH0, **Dual Drives; *Seagate 4TB SSHD (Servant Drive) & *Samsung V-NAND 860 EVO 1TB (Master Drive), 16GB RAM (out of 32GB max.) - 16GB Dual Quad Channel (4X4GB) Overclocked DDR3 @ 1600MHz, **Gigabyte RTX 2060 SUPER w/ OC 8GB, GDDR6, 2x Fans - Windforce, Turing, Ray Tracing, DLSS, G-Sync, Nvidia GPU Boost, PCIe 3.0 x16, 256 bit, HDMIx1, DPx3, GDDR6/ 256 bit, Integrated RealTek ALC892 Codex, 2 Optical Drives (Blu-Ray & DVD), 19-in-1 Media Card Reader, Network Wireless RealTek Integrated 10/100/1000 GB Card, MS3871 Bluetooth Wireless Combo WLAN802.11b/g/n, Power Supply is 875 Watt - Multi-GPU Approved Power, **SOFTWARE - BIOS A11, **Windows 10 Home 64 bit... Asterisk/ Star (*) denotes items already upgraded from original specs.
I really have my eyes fixed on the Intel i9-9900K. Yes, I've heard that it's overrated! But, I don't mind throwing in another $100 for something that is far superior than anything else out there, will put me far ahead in terms of unbridled power, and help teleport me into the future. I don't intend to upgrade in this area for another 10 years, so there's my explanation and summary on getting it right the first time... It's just that motherboard (?) that I'm really perplexed with, among other variables and features that come along with other motherboards. If I go with some standard models, like the Gigabyte Z390 Ultra Gamer, Gigabyte Z390 Designare, or Asus Rog Maximus XI Hero?! That's what I've been looking at and seem to like, but would that even physically fit, or do I have to go Micro too?! IF ONLY Dell had "an online virtual garage" where I could drive my PC in and virtually upgrade and try out what I want to see if it's all the right fit... Imma gamer! I'm going to be playing Cyberpunk 2077, and been waiting on it for like around 6 years. Tick tock goes the clock! That game has very demanding spec requirements and I want to far exceed that. I don't wanna upgrade the same thing more than once in a decade, so it's gotta count right the first time around. I believe I did it right the first time around when purchasing Aurora R4. Gotta make some good discussion making. Can you give me some suggestions and push me in the right direction, peps? Love our Dell Community. And I know we have some real geeks, freaks, and nerds out there to help steer me right. Looking forward to hearing back from anyone in the know. I'm thinking this Cyber Monday or Black Friday of 2019 is going to be my big purchase day for all of this, motherboard and processors. And I don't have the foggiest how to custom build a motherboard, or how to even go about doing that. Geeks will install, because I have service with them. So, a few good months to get all the info on all of this before purchase. Thanks in advance, Peps!
Anonymous
5 Practitioner
5 Practitioner
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274.2K Posts
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September 20th, 2019 10:00
@amstel78 Bleeding that thing . . . . to "burp" the air out of the system
bleeding and burping an open loop
GTS81
2.2K Posts
1
September 20th, 2019 10:00
Or go modular:
https://www.ekwb.com/solutions/all-in-one/
amstel78
402 Posts
1
September 20th, 2019 10:00
Hooking that sweet looking water block to a closed loop shouldn't be a problem. It's bleeding said loop that might pose some difficulties.
I went through something similar on a much larger scale. My W220 Mercedes S65 AMG had a separate coolant system for the turbo intercoolers. It had no reservoir. Bleeding that thing normally requires a specialized vacuum pump. I was able to do it by manually jumping the IC coolant motor and basically squeezing one of the outlet tubes to "burp" the air out of the system. It took quite some time to get it done correctly.
amstel78
402 Posts
1
September 20th, 2019 13:00
@AnonymousOnly on of your pictures appeared (the one on top of the plastic bin), but yep, that's one way to do it.
More interested in that yellow jack and what's under the tarp in the background though!
Anonymous
5 Practitioner
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274.2K Posts
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September 20th, 2019 14:00
@GTS81 Looks like a few months was all it took for the coolant to make the soft tubing look "cloudy"?
Most of the cloudiness you are seeing is from the radiator flush that will show up when the first pic is moderator approved. However, there is some slight cloudiness to the tubing itself after a few months. Good thing I have all new tubing
@amstel78 what's under the tarp in the background
@GTS81 My guess is it's his Harley softail that he claims isn't loud.
more quiet than a Dell OEM case fan
GTS81
2.2K Posts
1
September 20th, 2019 14:00
@amstel78:
My guess is it's his Harley softail that he claims isn't loud.
@Anonymous:
Looks like a few months was all it took for the coolant to make the soft tubing look "cloudy"?
r72019
6 Professor
6 Professor
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5.3K Posts
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September 20th, 2019 19:00
Still waiting for the pic to be approved... but I assume @GTS81 is right because that does look like a yellow motorcycle jack. Interesting placement though, if I don't shove my floor jack up against the wall behind the shelving I stub my toe on it every time I pass by and that chunk of metal with miniature wheels is so heavy it doesn't even budge from the hit.
REPLYING TO: More interested in that yellow jack and what's under the tarp in the background though!
GTS81
2.2K Posts
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September 20th, 2019 20:00
It's probably just another dustbin pic with a Dell OEM part in it that you both are good at posting.
Catpsyche
26 Posts
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September 21st, 2019 02:00
@Anonymous Replying to your commenting about, "possible custom work?!" *Screams! I DO value your commenting on this. You're challenging me to think, and that's exactly what I want, need, and am here for! So, Thank You, already in advance! Good Eye looking out!!! This is all definitely helping me check myself, and potential problems, that I may not be foreseeing. Gotta get this thing right, hopefully, the first time, so that I have less downtime as possible.
I did see that the Rog Maximus XI Gene "seemed bigger," even though it is a mATX like my own mobo, but there are no ways for comparison with what I have. My motherboard has no physical dimensions listed. *Slamming on Brrrreaks!... I'm going to go TRY to get a better scale of my own motherboard, and actually measure my mobo 3 dimensions inside, then the 2 dimensions outside. This will give me more of a leg up on actual scale/ size. Brb... Aaaaand, Back! After trying to make sure I've grounded everything first, I was able to get "As close to, or Approximate Measurements as possible." Here's what I came up with; 12" Vertically, 9" Horizonally, and about 1"-1&1/2" Thickness or Depth Max for interior. For exterior, or i/o plating, I came up with about 5" Vertical, and 1"-1&1/2" Wide or Horizonally.
*I will attach a picture of my interior with current mobo and layout. Maybe you, I, or someone else will spot some wiggle room examining it more, BEFORE I travel further down this road. Customs scares me! Although, again, I'm absolutely certain that I WILL get 1.) Mobo, possibly this Rog Gene, and 2.) i9-9900k processor for my current system. IMAO, I seem to have more than enough room, with the view of my interior, mobo, dimensions, but possibly Not with my exterior i/o plating as you pointed out @Anonymous . Not sure how difficult something like that actually is to handle. New territory for me entirely! However, the dimensions for the Rog Gene are; mATX Form Factor, 9.6 inch x 8.9 inch ( 24.4 cm x 22.6 cm ). So, it would appear that The Rog Gene is a bit smaller, but still lacking the actual measurements of depth on interior, and dimensions on exterior i/o panel, again.
"I did realize and know" previously that all mobo's are not created equal, slight to huge shifts in actual measurements for mATX's. And, "I thought" there were just only 3 sizes; Mini, Micro, and Standard/ Regular Size ATX. YES, *Everyone laughs now! I didn't know until "just now" after doing more searching about this particular topic that there are many different sizes, and it also varies over Intel vs. AMD... They just do Not make any of this easy in the slightest, do they?! Again, so many variables to consider... Let me know any and all thoughts without too much repetition. Thanks again!
amstel78
402 Posts
1
September 21st, 2019 02:00
@Catpsychejust curious, but are you planning on installing the new motherboard into your old R4 case? My assumption is yes due to the mATX form factor you're looking for.
That's fine if you are, but if since you're considering replacing the mobo and processor, there are many new case designs out there for mATX and ATX boards that might be more suitable in the long term.
Also, not sure about the R4 but if it has case lighting, Dell's integrations are usually proprietary in nature. There's a chance you may not be able to control them with the new board.
New cases also allow for better cable management as well as larger radiators and fans. Just give it a thought before you decide.
One other thing; not sure if anyone's mentioned it but if you're going to go to a 9900k, I assume you're also looking at better GPUs down the road. If you re-integrate using the old case and PSU, you may end up hitting a wall as far as power output limitations. I'd imagine at the very least that if you were to keep the R4 case, a PSU upgrade would need to be done as well.
Catpsyche
26 Posts
0
September 21st, 2019 02:00
Oh, and once again, here is the Rog Maximus XI Gene gallary photos... I'm looking at that Header too, and I'm definitely seeing that my AIO Cooler, but particularly the Fan/ Radiator, will have to be moved. Am I seeing that right, as another potential obstacle? And, is that an even bigger problem?
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-XI-GENE/gallery/
GTS81
2.2K Posts
1
September 21st, 2019 09:00
@amstel78:
One other thing; not sure if anyone's mentioned it but if you're going to go to a 9900k, I assume you're also looking at better GPUs down the road. If you re-integrate using the old case and PSU, you may end up hitting a wall as far as power output limitations. I'd imagine at the very least that if you were to keep the R4 case, a PSU upgrade would need to be done as well.
I believe @Catpsyche posted on the Alienowners page the full specs of his/ her current R4. There's a 875W PSU rocking it in there. And from what I see in most of the R4 owners' mods, they are able to reuse the PSU. It's probably because the original Aliens are waaayyy better built than our current generation R5/R6/R7/R8.
Catpsyche
26 Posts
0
September 21st, 2019 13:00
@GTS81 Yes, TY! That is correct. I have a 875 w PSU, which is more than sufficient. This I know.
@amstel78 Yeah, just another quick sum up. I'm currently wanting to put the Rog Gen mobo and the i9-9900k into my R4 with ALX Chassis that I'm more than happy with. **bleep**, I'd just plug in the i9-9900k into my old mobo if it were possible! I do already have a new GPU, an Geforce RTX 2060 SUPER, to be exact. I'm just looking to see if all these pieces fit together, physically, technologically, electronically with ALL the other fine points and variables that must sync up together to make it work, etc. Really appreciate everyone's input. ^5...
*Below - I'll just quickly do a cut and paste of my specs here, quick links, so that everything is current, with The Exception being my last post just up a few from here. *Up to my last post - You'll see an insightful conversation with @Anonymous about how the Rog Gen will fit in my rig and a pic of the inside of my rig.
ALL HARDWARE & MAJOR SOFTWARE SPECS - Alienware Aurora-R4 (with ALX Chassis); 3rd Gen - Intel Quad Core i7-3820 CPU 3.60GHz, Intel x79 Express Chipset and Micro-ATX Motherboard 07JNH0, **Dual Drives; *Seagate 4TB SSHD (Servant Drive) & *Samsung V-NAND 860 EVO 1TB (Master Drive), 16GB RAM (out of 32GB max.) - 16GB Dual Quad Channel (4X4GB) Overclocked DDR3 @ 1600MHz, **Gigabyte RTX 2060 SUPER w/ OC 8GB, GDDR6, 2x Fans - Windforce, Turing, Ray Tracing, DLSS, G-Sync, Nvidia GPU Boost, PCIe 3.0 x16, 256 bit, HDMIx1, DPx3, GDDR6/ 256 bit, Integrated RealTek ALC892 Codex, 2 Optical Drives (Blu-Ray & DVD), 19-in-1 Media Card Reader, Network Wireless RealTek Integrated 10/100/1000 GB Card, MS3871 Bluetooth Wireless Combo WLAN802.11b/g/n, Power Supply is 875 Watt - Multi-GPU Approved Power, **SOFTWARE - BIOS A11, **Windows 10 Home 64 bit... Asterisk/ Star (*) denotes items already upgraded from original specs.
https://www.alienowners.com/threads/catpsyches-full-specs-aurora-r4.8028/
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-XI-GENE/overview/
https://youtu.be/OtYAEhmfBC4
https://youtu.be/XPIsShdo0uc
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/zadak-511-32gb-dc-ddr4-ram,37859.html
https://youtu.be/HvfIeTieXOI
Cass-Ole
1 Rookie
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1.8K Posts
1
September 21st, 2019 14:00
I know Luke said his Corsair H80i V2 (a 49mm wide radiator) had its work cut out when placed over just an 8700k, in spite of the extra cooling mods he did, & when reviews for 9900k landed they said to use an 80i / 49mm rad at a minimum (27x240mil preferred), so I doubt your old 27mm rad w/ aluminum base will cope; I'd probably get a used inexpensive 49mil cooler (570LC) just in case (if you're skeptical of used parts then buy 2, hold one as spare) & get a socket 115x retention ring kit for it from Asetek (in the least, your old cooler would need that ring kit in order to work on newer / different mthrbrd cpu socket). I put up some 38mm wide Aurora coolers for sale today, they'll outperform the original 27mm cooler but won't outclass a 49mm cooler -->rad size matters<--
If u shop for a new 48mm/49mm cooler (like 80i) u can check if it has an 115x ring kit with the accessory pack
Catpsyche
26 Posts
0
September 21st, 2019 14:00
@Cass-Ole GREAT that you are pointing that out my old AIO Alienware radiator might not be up to par (in mounting, size, and cooling) with the newer and physically hotter 9th Gen Intel!!! Now THAT'S what I'm here!!! Good eye!!! So, TY again!... And really appreciate all the moral support as well @Anonymous , and all who comment, Kudos, etc. ^5... Christmas time frame is when I'm looking to take the leap, so I have time to weigh all this out. I'm definitely going to be trying to get more info before then and coming back here to get all of your input. I love you peps and this community! ♥