Hoping to get some personal experience stories from other users here.

Currently in the throes of putting together my next PC. My budget has a very high ceiling, so I wanna get near the best rig as possible, but also want to make it count.

At first, signs lead to the 13900k being the best of the best. But after further research I am learning that out of the box it runs VERY hot, thus leading to custom undervolting, aftermarket thermal plate, the best thermal paste, etc etc.

Now I am fine with undervolting and getting a thermal plate and all that. And I'll be running a 360 AIO, lots of fans, etc.

I just wanna know if it's worth it. Does the CPU not perform correctly and will have a short lifespan? Why does it run so 'inefficiently' out of the box? It's seems tons of users simply undervolt it and it drops 10-20c depending on the rig.

If it matters, I'll also be running 2x32gb of RAM ideally at 6800, and a Suprim Liquid 4090 for GPU.

Z790 mobo of some sort as well, still deciding on which exact mobo to pick.

Ideally I want to be able to play most AAA games at 4k, and some VR, etc. Hoping to not have a CPU passing 70-75c if possible. Also will be a working computer for some music production.

Is there a next best option to the 13900k? Also, what is the difference between the K, KF, and KS variants of the 13900?

Heh, my mind is racing. There feels like so much to think about going into this. I just don't want to end up building a PC and in a few months learn that I could of done 'this' or 'that' more optimally, or that I picked the wrong CPU or something. Trying to ease into it slow and steady so I get it right.

edit: I ended up sleeping so apologies for not responding. Thank you to all for the insight and discussions. It's helped me see my decision. Hope this thread can help any others passing through! Cheers!