My Rig

The Machine Behind Ryan's Rigs

At Ryan's Rigs, I don't just recommend high-performance systems - I run one! This post pulls back the curtain on the personal workstation I use daily to research builds; 3D Model, run physics simulations, and render on. Every component was chosen with purpose, and the cooling solution keeping it all in check is something I’m especially proud of.

Why These Parts?

Gigabyte X570S AERO G – The Backbone

The X570S AERO G motherboard is built for power users who demand stability and expandability. The X570 chipset was AMD's flagship platform for the Ryzen 5000 series, offering full PCIe 4.0 support across the board, meaning every drive, every GPU, and every expansion card is running on the fastest available lanes at the time of build. The AERO G in particular features a clean VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) design that keeps the CPU fed with clean, stable power even under sustained all-core loads, which matters enormously in a workstation that spends hours rendering or simulating.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X - The Workhorse

Sixteen cores. Thirty-two threads. That's what the 5950X brings to the table, and in professional creative and technical work, core count is currency.

Why it matters:

• CPU rendering engines like Arnold and Redshift's CPU mode scale almost linearly with core count - more cores means faster renders, period.

• Simulation software like Houdini FX uses all available threads for dynamics, fluid, and particle calculations.

• Background tasks don't steal performance from your primary workload because there are always spare threads available.

• Compiling, encoding, and batch processing are dramatically faster than on consumer-grade 6- or 8-core chips.

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The 5950X also supports AMD's Precision Boost 2 and Precision Boost Overdrive, meaning the CPU intelligently pushes individual cores as high as 4.9 GHz when thermal and power headroom allow - so single-threaded tasks remain snappy even while a background render burns through all 16 cores.

NVIDIA RTX 3090 - The Visual Powerhouse

The RTX 3090 remains one of the most capable professional-grade consumer GPUs ever released, and the reason comes down to one spec above almost all others: 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM.

Why VRAM matters more than you think:

• GPU rendering (Redshift, Octane, Cycles, V-Ray GPU) loads your entire scene - textures, geometry, lights - into VRAM. Run out and the render either crashes or falls back to slower system RAM.

• High-resolution texture work in Substance Painter or Designer keeps multiple 4K and 8K maps loaded simultaneously.

• Machine learning tools, AI denoising, and DLSS all run on the GPU and compete for the same memory pool.

  
  

The 3090's CUDA core count and memory bandwidth also make it a genuine compute card, not just a gaming GPU – running on the Ampere architecture.

G.Skill 128 GB DDR4 (4x32 GB) - No Compromise Memory

Running four sticks in dual-channel at 128 GB total is a deliberate choice for heavy creative workloads:

• 3D scenes and caches: Building high poly complex 3D scenes demands a lot of system memory. Additionally caching to RAM an FX simulation demands the same.

• ZBrush subdivision levels: High-subdivision sculpts with multiple subtools can push into the dozens of gigabytes. Running out of RAM mid-session is a workflow killer.

• Multitasking: Running a render in the background while keeping a full 3D scene, a browser, reference images, and a communication app open simultaneously stops being stressful at 128 GB. But I have built scenes maximizing even 128GB.

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Multi-Drive Storage - Speed Where It Counts

Three NVMe drives and two SATA SSDs give this system both performance and capacity flexibility:

• NVMe drives handle OS, active project files, and application scratch - where access speed directly impacts how fast software loads, how quickly assets stream, and how responsive real-time tools feel. Gaming also benefits from these streaming speeds.

• SATA SSD’s provide cost-effective bulk storage for archives, completed project backups, and large asset libraries that don't need the raw speed of NVMe or the long term storage of a large HDD.

  
  

This tiered approach is a smart practice for any serious workstation: put fast, expensive storage where it earns its keep, and use higher-capacity slower storage for everything else.

EVGA 1000G - Power Done Right

A kilowatt of clean, fully modular power from a Gold-rated supply means this system runs with headroom to spare. The RTX 3090 alone can spike to over 350W under full GPU load, and the 5950X adds another 142W of TDP when boosting. Quality power supplies provide stable voltage delivery - which isn't just about protecting components, it's about consistent performance. Voltage sag under load can cause subtle instability and throttling that's hard to diagnose.

Cooler Master MasterCase SL600M (Open Panel) - Airflow by Design

The SL600M uses a bottom-to-top chimney airflow design - cool air enters from the bottom, hot air rises naturally out the top. This is one of the most thermally efficient layouts available in a mid-tower chassis. Running open-panel in a controlled environment further reduces any restriction on airflow, allowing the radiators and fans to breathe freely.

The Cooling System: EKWB Custom Water Loop

This is where the build gets serious. While high-end air cooling is viable for a CPU or GPU individually, running both a 5950X and an RTX 3090 at sustained workloads generates heat that air cooling struggles to manage quietly or efficiently. The solution is a fully custom water cooling loop from EK Water Blocks - one of the most respected names in liquid cooling.

What Is a Custom Water Loop?

Unlike an AIO (All-In-One) liquid cooler - which is a self-contained, sealed unit designed for a single component - a custom loop is a purpose-built cooling circuit. Think of it like the cooling system in a car engine: coolant flows through a pump, passes over hot components to absorb heat, carries that heat to a radiator where it's dissipated into the air, and then cycles back to do it again. Every part is chosen and assembled specifically for the system it's cooling.

The Components:

EK Quantum Vector2 GPU Block (RTX 3090)

The EK Quantum Vector2 is a full-coverage water block designed to mount directly onto the RTX 3090's PCB (the circuit board). Unlike an air cooler that only touches the GPU chip, a full-coverage block makes direct contact with the GPU core, VRAM modules, and power delivery components simultaneously. This is critical on the 3090, whose VRAM and VRM components generate significant heat that stock air coolers handle with mediocrity at best.

CPU Water Block

A dedicated water block sits atop the Ryzen 9 5950X, replacing the stock cooler or any aftermarket air solution. Water's thermal conductivity - its ability to carry heat away - is dramatically higher than air, meaning the CPU core temperature drops faster and stays lower under load.

The Loop Flow Path

The coolant travels in a continuous circuit: Pump → CPU block → Double rad → GPU Block → Triple rad → reservoir → back to pump. The order can be tuned based on thermal priority, but the result is that both the most heat-intensive components in the system are cooled by moving liquid rather than moving air alone.

360mm Radiator (GPU) - Push-Pull Configuration

The larger of the two radiators is dedicated to dissipating the heat absorbed from the GPU. At 360mm (equivalent to three 120mm fans), it offers ample surface area for the 3090's thermal output. This radiator runs in push-pull - meaning Noctua NF-F12 fans are mounted on both sides of the radiator core. Fans on one side push air through; fans on the other side pull it through. Push-pull effectively increases the static pressure moving air through the radiator fins, improving thermal dissipation compared to fans on a single side.

240mm Radiator (CPU) - Push Configuration

The CPU's radiator is a 240mm unit (two 120mm fans) running in push configuration - fans mounted on one face pushing air through the core. The 5950X's heat output, while significant under full all-core load, is well within what a 240mm rad with quality fans can handle, especially with water as the thermal transfer medium.

Noctua NF-F12 Fans

Noctua's NF-F12 fans are benchmark performers in static pressure and noise efficiency - purpose-built for radiator and heatsink duty rather than case airflow. Their stepped inlet design and pressure-optimized blade geometry move air through restrictive radiator fins more effectively than general-purpose case fans.

Black Soft Tubing

The loop uses soft tubing in black, which offers flexibility during routing - important in a system where the loop needs to navigate between components, fittings, and the chassis without kinking. Black tubing also prevents UV exposure from degrading the coolant and gives the build a clean, understated aesthetic.

EK CryoFuel Coolant (Orange)

EK's CryoFuel is a premixed, purpose-formulated liquid coolant - not distilled water, not automotive antifreeze. It includes corrosion inhibitors, biocides to prevent biological growth inside the loop, and anti-foaming agents. The orange colorway offers a striking visual contrast against the black tubing without the degradation risks of some dye-heavy alternatives. CryoFuel is designed specifically for systems with aluminum, copper, and nickel-plated components - the metals most commonly found in custom loops.

Why Go Through All This?

Custom water cooling isn't just about aesthetics. The measurable advantages for a workstation at this level are significant:

Lower temperatures under sustained load. An air-cooled 5950X running a long CPU render may thermal throttle - reducing its clock speed to protect itself - before the job is done. A properly sized water loop maintains temperatures where the CPU can hold its boost clocks for the full duration.

Quieter operation. Radiators with large, slow fans are dramatically quieter than air coolers or AIO units spinning fans at high RPM to compensate for less effective heat transfer. The Noctua fans on this loop run at a lowe RPM and are nearly inaudible under most workloads. Especially when closing the case.

Full coverage on the GPU. The Quantum Vector2 block cools the 3090's VRAM - something the stock blower or aftermarket air GPU coolers do poorly. Cooler VRAM means more thermal headroom for sustained GPU render sessions.

Longevity. Components run cooler over time, reducing thermal stress on solder joints, capacitors, and the silicon itself.

The Bottom Line:

This isn't a gaming PC that happens to do some creative work on the side. Every component in this build was chosen to sustain heavy professional workloads - rendering, simulation, sculpting, texturing, and everything in between - without flinching. The EKWB custom loop is the system that holds it all together thermally, allowing the CPU and GPU to perform at their ceiling when the work demands it.

This is the machine we benchmark against. When we build your rig at Ryan's Rigs, we know exactly what a high-performance system should feel like - because we run one every day.

Interested in a custom build tailored to your workflow? Contact us or check out our build tiers to find the right starting point.