Threadripper BUILDERS thread

[Viper GTS]

I too ditched my Enermax 360. Got tired of the wildly erratic temperatures and fan RPM changes plus the 50 degrees sitting at the desktop. Went 140mm Noctua and haven't looked back. Wasn't even going to RMA it but I saw there was a version II so I opened a ticket this morning. We'll see how that goes.

Viper GTS

 

[Markfw]

I too ditched my Enermax 360. Got tired of the wildly erratic temperatures and fan RPM changes plus the 50 degrees sitting at the desktop. Went 140mm Noctua and haven't looked back. Wasn't even going to RMA it but I saw there was a version II so I opened a ticket this morning. We'll see how that goes.

Viper GTS

My first replacement is shipping. If its the second version, I have 2 more to RMA. It took a week to RMA

 

[ub4ty]

I too ditched my Enermax 360. Got tired of the wildly erratic temperatures and fan RPM changes plus the 50 degrees sitting at the desktop. Went 140mm Noctua and haven't looked back. Wasn't even going to RMA it but I saw there was a version II so I opened a ticket this morning. We'll see how that goes.

Viper GTS

My first replacement is shipping. If its the second version, I have 2 more to RMA. It took a week to RMA

Happy to hear this !
Problem solved and is why you always make sure you go with companies that honor their warranties and ding that warranty line if you ever have an issue.

 

[jmmec]

In an earlier post someone referenced new liquid cooling options coming soon from Cooler Master designed specifically for TR4.

Looks like the Cooler Master website is updated with pictures, and it looks like complete coverage for TR4 (no adapter needed anymore). Below is for their ML240, but there are other options:

http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/cpu-liquid-cooler/masterliquid-ml240-rgb-tr4/

And this announcement came out too, which mentions the Wraith cooler, but also the liquid cooling options:

https://wccftech.com/cooler-master-...-with-amd-for-threadripper-cooling-solutions/

I'll probably replace my Enermax with the above and hope for the best....

 

[Markfw]

In an earlier post someone referenced new liquid cooling options coming soon from Cooler Master designed specifically for TR4.

Looks like the Cooler Master website is updated with pictures, and it looks like complete coverage for TR4 (no adapter needed anymore). Below is for their ML240, but there are other options:

http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/cpu-liquid-cooler/masterliquid-ml240-rgb-tr4/

And this announcement came out too, which mentions the Wraith cooler, but also the liquid cooling options:

https://wccftech.com/cooler-master-...-with-amd-for-threadripper-cooling-solutions/

I'll probably replace my Enermax with the above and hope for the best....

But you can't buy anything yet except the Noctura ait cooler, the 360 Enermax crap (quality) cooler and custom water loops.

 

[Paratus]

Given the other thread is a 2990WX thread, and I don't want to step on Mark's toes in there, is there any collective wisdom as to the best ATX motherboard for a 2950X? (e-atx won't fit in a define r5, sadly, and precious few alternatives with 5-1/4 bays and at least 280mm rad support in the front.) I'd like one that I can run a little roughshod with the clocks, but I haven't come across a good motherboard roundup comparison review. The taichi seems to be popular, but it isn't precisely clear why to me. [To be clear, I'm looking for functional, not aesthetic, differences / comparisons.]

I’ve been happy enough with my MSI Gaming Pro Carbon. Although it’s BIOS is bit irritating due to some poor UI choices, (not a problem once you realize for some fields you have to start typing before it’s obvious you’ve selected them)

 

[Paratus]

But you can't buy anything yet except the Noctura ait cooler, the 360 Enermax crap (quality) cooler and custom water loops.

Did you go with the Noctua to replace the Enermax? If so have you installed one yet and what do you think?

 

[Markfw]

Given the other thread is a 2990WX thread, and I don't want to step on Mark's toes in there, is there any collective wisdom as to the best ATX motherboard for a 2950X? (e-atx won't fit in a define r5, sadly, and precious few alternatives with 5-1/4 bays and at least 280mm rad support in the front.) I'd like one that I can run a little roughshod with the clocks, but I haven't come across a good motherboard roundup comparison review. The taichi seems to be popular, but it isn't precisely clear why to me. [To be clear, I'm looking for functional, not aesthetic, differences / comparisons.]

Well, I don't have the exact list, but the whole purpose behind the Taichi, is pure function, NO aesthetic, etc crap.

 

[Markfw]

Did you go with the Noctua to replace the Enermax? If so have you installed one yet and what do you think?

Coming tomorrow. I have 3 on the way. I have 3 1950x's that are not OC'ed, and I think it should work for them.

 

[Paratus]

Coming tomorrow. I have 3 on the way. I have 3 1950x's that are not OC'ed, and I think it should work for them.

A couple of installation notes:

I found it a tight fit around the socket. I had to use the 6mm offset to leave my GPU in the first x16 slot. Even then getting the fans snapped on was a pain.

I also would have had to mount the fans a bit higher if I had all eight memory slots filled.

 

[Markfw]

A couple of installation notes:

I found it a tight fit around the socket. I had to use the 6mm offset to leave my GPU in the first x16 slot. Even then getting the fans snapped on was a pain.

I also would have had to mount the fans a bit higher if I had all eight memory slots filled.

I will let you know. Except the 2990WX, I only have 4 memory sticks in my 4 1950x systems.

 

[Viper GTS]

Installation really is not bad if you've done any Noctua parts previously. The clips are a bit of a pain but it's all workable. Pull the GPU out to get room for your hands. I am on the max offset towards the top of the board to avoid GPU interference but everything fit as expected with no GPU or memory interference.

Night and day difference in livability vs the failing Liqtech, I no longer hear it revving up and down. Probably should have just gone this route in the first place but I was seduced by the low temperatures of the AIO.

Viper GTS

 

[Burpo]

Already posted.. but
MASTERLIQUID ML240 RGB TR4 Edition is an awesome cooling design. Pump with all the right components.. Corrosion resistant & well designed. That thing is sexy..

 

[dnavas]

Considering the following:
2950X
Fractal Design r5
280mm Enermax
X399 Taichi
2x F4-3600C15D-16GTZ
Samsung 970 Pro 1TB (or maybe just the EVO)
Seasonic 1000TD

I'll probably just reuse my 970 until I decide whether to upgrade the graphics card or not.
I've already got dual 4k monitors, so, no need for anything more on that front at this time.
Don't need an ax1500i considering I'm not running SLI (and won't).
Running the 280mm rad in the front to help cooling as I don't have a blower video card -- should more than makeup for the 10% loss in area. Will let me keep the rear cooling focused on the VRMs. Also retaining the two drive bays on top for various burners.
Not sure I need the 3600 RAM, but the 3200CL14s are only $33 cheaper :shrug:
Considering the EVO to save $100.
A 10GBE card will be added to the system for a direct connect to my NAS.

Will likely dual-boot Linux and Windows (or maybe run one inside the other -- not sure).
Primarily will run video NLE under Windows, probable development on Linux.

Thoughts?

 

[Viper GTS]

For the love of god don't get the Enermax at this point.

Go Noctua until we have non self destructing options available.

Viper GTS

 

[dnavas]

For the love of god don't get the Enermax at this point.
Go Noctua until we have non self destructing options available.

Hah! I've been waiting a year for non self-destructing options. :| I wrote the following a year ago when researching a 1950X build:
"The Noctua air-cooler indicates that it has *low* room for overclocking: http://noctua.at/en/nh-u14s-tr4-sp3
The Enermax Liqtech TR4 has a copper coldplate with an aluminum radiator. That’s not too bright, as the pair can cause serious corrosion. "

What followed was a dump of every custom loop option, and then a realization that I like building electronics, not mucking about with liquids and piping and radiators and the maintenance thereof.
As far as I can tell, every AIO out there has an aluminum radiator and nearly all of them use copper against the CPU. There doesn't seem to be a company interested in delivering a high quality, low maintenance cooling solution. Unless you know of something I'd be waiting for, I feel like the Noctua would just keep me in a perpetual holding pattern.

 

[EXCellR8]

There's no way I'd use AIO with a 16+ core TR setup. If you can't shell out for top quality cooling for a nearly $2000 CPU what are you even doing?

 

[dnavas]

There's no way I'd use AIO with a 16+ core TR setup. If you can't shell out for top quality cooling for a nearly $2000 CPU what are you even doing?

The 2950 isn't $2000, and I don't have a problem paying for quality cooling.
Suggest something.

 

[Viper GTS]

There's no way I'd use AIO with a 16+ core TR setup. If you can't shell out for top quality cooling for a nearly $2000 CPU what are you even doing?

If by 'top quality cooling' you mean custom water - I like my life simple, yet I also like the temperatures/thermal headroom of a 500W+ rated AIO. If someone made a reliable 360/420 AIO for threadripper I'd buy it even if it cost $500. I just don't care for the hassle and risk of custom water, I'm all about the 90% of the benefit for 0% of the hassle kind of math.

Viper GTS

 

[EXCellR8]

The 2950 isn't $2000, and I don't have a problem paying for quality cooling.
Suggest something.

where did I mention 2950? that's not even on the market yet.

If by 'top quality cooling' you mean custom water - I like my life simple, yet I also like the temperatures/thermal headroom of a 500W+ rated AIO. If someone made a reliable 360/420 AIO for threadripper I'd buy it even if it cost $500. I just don't care for the hassle and risk of custom water, I'm all about the 90% of the benefit for 0% of the hassle kind of math.

Viper GTS

A reliable Laing pump, copper block, compression fittings and a copper radiator are not that risky... I'm all for simplicity but custom water on TR is much better than any AIO that's currently on the market AFAIK.

 

[dnavas]

I just don't care for the hassle and risk of custom water

My grandfather's been blown across the room working on TVs, my father took out a box cutter on a (still, unfortunately) live line, and I've had the personal experience of grounding 120V. If I've learned anything in my nearly 50 years of living it's this: Don't **ck with water. Yes, water. Had an antenna on a ridiculous tall pole on the top of a roof, proper loop down and entry up into piping that entered the roof line. Sealed the crap out of that. Another drip loop in the attic, another at the bottom before entry into the tv room. Water still got into the physical coax, wicked from one end to the other, and ate through its own shield lines. I spent every other year stripping off another disintegrating inch from the coax. That's just one story. I really hate this crap. So, yeah, I really get both sides of the argument here. I seriously want zero maintenance, high quality cooling. Let me know when someone creates such a thing :|

where did I mention 2950? that's not even on the market yet.

I was assuming you were responding to me. Sorry, my bad.

I'm all for simplicity but custom water on TR is much better than any AIO....

"better" is in the eye of the beholder. Low maintenance is the practical definition of high quality (aside from less measurable aspects like aesthetics). The problem with AIOs is that they fail every year and can't be repaired. Meanwhile, custom water needs maintenance every year. Neither of these options are really "better". They represent different tradeoffs. It can really irk some people that items aren't repairable. I get that -- I just got done ordering some ribbon cables to bring a digital vcr back to life. It can really irk some people that items require maintenance. Personally, the less I touch things that involve liquids, the better off I feel. Copper etching fluid is fine -- you dump the board in, you pull it out. airplane modeling glue? fuhgeddaboutit. It's a thing with me, what can I say :shrug:

 

[EXCellR8]

I guess my point is there's plenty of "risk" involved with assembling your own PC anyway... use your discretion but don't waste your time on an inferior product if you're already investing on parts that would greatly benefit from other quality parts, tailored toward your setup.

With computers, there's really no such thing as absolute zero maintenance... but I assume that you already know this.

 

[Viper GTS]

Somewhat analogous to this:

I like fast cars. A lot. I have absolutely zero desire to work on them besides making sure they have oil and maybe putting winter wheels/tires on them. I just want something fast to drive so that the on-ramps on the way to work are fun. I don't really speed, but I like having the power.

I like fast computers too. I do absolutely nothing with them to justify having them. I don't really game (played through Doom a couple years back but that's it for the last decade). I just want to have the fastest stuff that exists because I like having it. I have long since grown out of my need to tinker with them. I'm not quite willing to buy pre-builts yet but I'm headed there. I want to build something and never touch it again until it's getting upgraded. My cables aren't pretty, they never will be. I don't do windows or RGB. I just want absolute reliability, as silent as possible, and zero maintenance. That last part is non negotiable.

I guess my point is there's plenty of "risk" involved with assembling your own PC anyway... use your discretion but don't waste your time on an inferior product if you're already investing on parts that would greatly benefit from other quality parts, tailored toward your setup.

With computers, there's really no such thing as absolute zero maintenance... but I assume that you already know this.

There is if your upgrade cycle is short enough.

Viper GTS

 

[dnavas]

I guess my point is there's plenty of "risk" involved with assembling your own PC anyway... use your discretion but don't waste your time on an inferior product....

Yeah, I'm right there. I don't want to waste my time on an Enermax either. The problem is that the alternative is building it myself. If that was the situation with the electronics, no problem -- after all, that's why we're building rigs instead of buying them. But water cooling? No sirree bob! I can do the research, I can find the perfect block and size a pump and find a radiator that'll work for me. Heck, I did that research. But in the end, I'm not assembling it. So, it's either another year without a TR rig, or bite a bullet I'm not happy about either.

I should say I'm nearly there (building my own) when it comes to cases. :grr:

 

[StefanR5R]

yet I also like the temperatures/thermal headroom of a 500W+ rated AIO

These 500+ W ratings are either meant as a joke, or deception.

A slim 360 mm radiator can be used to cool a 250 W heat source, if you accept high fan speeds but still rather high water temperature. From the latter follow low boost clocks of Threadripper.

Meanwhile, custom water needs maintenance every year.

No, it does not.

zero maintenance. That last part is non negotiable.

Well, you may still need to remove dust from radiator fins occasionally.