Bluto
2023/09/22 The beast has landed.
- motherboard: ASUS Z790-PLUS WIFI (amazon)
Is one 8-pin PSU connector enough? There are 12 pins. According to this, I might as well fill all 8.
- memory: G.Skill Trident Z 5 RGB (DDR5)
- GPU: ZOTAC RTX 4090 (amazon)
It has availability for 4 8-pin PCIe power connectors. I only got 3 with my PSU, MOTHERFUCKERS. Do not use one of the three CPU connectors according to this. I should probably get a new PSU, or at least another PCIe connector to run to the video card.
- CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K (amazon)
- CPU cooler: (amazon)
- PSU: 1000W (ouch) (amazon)
- Drives: WD M.2 4TB (amazon), 1TB (amazon)
Windows 11 Setup
- I used a Ventoy boot disk with multi-platform Windows iso.
- Download Armory Crate from ASUS windows drivers - but it has the network driver so you should drop a copy on a USB stick to get started.
History
- shit motherboard I had to send back: Gigabyte Z690 Aero D (amazon)
AFTER A DAY OF WORK I STILL FAILED with my Gigabyte Z690. My tricks:
- I used an old USB 2.0 stick that "flashes" on write (remember those?) so i could tell it was reading from the stick. Without being able to tell I was just shooting in the dark.
- I grabbed an older firmware F21 instead of F26 (which would not work), based on some far flung internet comment in some lost forum.
- I renamed the BIOS firmware to "gigabit.bin". That was weird but I think required.
- I stripped everything out but the CPU and motherboard/CPU power connectors.
- I flipped on the power switch, pressed the case power button to start it up, held the power button to power it down into "standby".
- I pressed the Q-Flash button on the mobo, saw the thumb flash, then saw the Q-Flash led on the mobo start to flash too, indicating it actually liked the BIOS and would consume it.
- I redid everything again to go from F21 to F26.
- After finally getting it to start POST, it stuck on codes listed as "internal use" HOW DOES THAT HELP ME? The memory light was lit. I was done and sent it back for an ASUS board.