A Ryzen 7 9850X3D and GIGABYTE RTX 5090 rig, built for one of the most decorated playmakers in the NRL.
Jarome Luai has four consecutive premierships to his name. He won the NRL title with Penrith every season from 2021 to 2024, part of only the third side in the game's history to go four straight, and has represented both Samoa and New South Wales.
He came to Nebula PC with a straightforward brief: his existing machine was no longer up to the games he wanted to play, and he wanted a replacement that would stay ahead of the curve. We partnered with GIGABYTE to build it.
Why he needed a new machine
Most people don't realise a system has aged out until one specific title makes it obvious. For Jarome, that title was Arc Raiders, a demanding extraction shooter that pushed his old build past what it could deliver. Frame rates were inconsistent, settings were being compromised, and the experience no longer reflected the game as it was designed to run.
At that point, a component upgrade stops making sense. Rather than replace one part and inherit the limitations of the rest, we specified a new system from the ground up.
The gaming PC build
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D |
| GPU | GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5090 |
| Motherboard | GIGABYTE X870E AORUS X3D |
| Memory | 96GB DDR5 |
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
Released in January 2026, the 9850X3D is currently the strongest gaming processor AMD produces. It pairs eight Zen 5 cores and sixteen threads with a 5.6GHz boost clock and 96MB of L3 cache, positioned beneath the compute die using second-generation 3D V-Cache.
That cache is what separates the X3D range from the rest of the lineup. Games are highly sensitive to memory latency, and a large pool of fast local cache means the processor spends less time waiting on system memory. The result is not simply higher average frame rates but noticeably more consistent ones, particularly in dense, high-activity scenes where performance tends to fall away.
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5090
NVIDIA's current flagship, and the appropriate choice for a system intended to last several years rather than a single hardware cycle. Combined with DLSS 4, it comfortably sustains 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled at high refresh rates.
GIGABYTE X870E AORUS X3D
GIGABYTE's X3D-series boards are engineered specifically around AMD's cache-stacked processors, with X3D Turbo Mode, dedicated memory-signal shielding within the PCB, and a power delivery design with substantial headroom. Pairing the processor with a platform built for it removes a common source of underperformance in otherwise well-specified systems.
96GB DDR5
More capacity than gaming alone requires, and deliberately so. At 96GB, the game, background applications, browser sessions and any capture or streaming software operate without competing for available memory. For anyone recording or broadcasting while they play, that headroom is the difference between a stable session and an unpredictable one.
Specified with the next generation in mind
Jarome was clear that GTA 6 factored into his thinking, and that is a reasonable basis for a decision at this level. The relevant question is never whether a system handles today's titles; it is whether it remains comfortable across the next several years of releases.
The 9850X3D and RTX 5090 combination, built on the AM5 platform, represents about as much long-term margin as is currently available. When the next major release arrives, the specification will not be a concern.
A conversation beyond the hardware
While the build came together, we spoke with Jarome about his career. Asked which moment stood out beyond the premierships, he pointed to State of Origin, and to the significance of representing at that level as a Pacific Islander playmaker — a position few have held in that arena.
His advice for younger players was measured rather than romantic. The path is difficult, and no one completes it alone; a strong support network and a stable foundation around you matter as much as ability.
Build your own
Every Nebula PC gaming PC is assembled in Australia, cable-managed to a consistent standard, stress-tested before dispatch and supported locally.
Whether you're after a flagship configuration of this calibre or a well-balanced 1440p system, we specify each build around how it will actually be used.
Our thanks to Jarome for visiting the workshop, and to GIGABYTE for their support on this build!