Question Video encoding, AI, and DC build

[Ken g6]

PLEASE when you POST threads asking for input on system builds tell us...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Three big things
a. AI. I've already downloaded the CodeLLaMa-13b model; I'll probably get others.
b. Video encoding, including on a Jellyfin (Plex-like) server. Lately I'm into SVT-AV1 with Handbrake. Can Preset 4 realistically use this many threads?
c. PrimeGrid. Somewhat more on the GPU than the CPU.
d. Also development and general computing tasks.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$2000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA. I'm kind of near a Micro Center. Figure an extra $50 for travel expenses, including lunch, if I go.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
AI needs an Nvidia video card. I'm an efficiency fanboy, so right now that means AMD, but I could potentially be convinced to go Intel.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Just existing storage hard drives.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default, basically.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
Does it matter? Oh, yeah, video encoding. 99.9% will not be bigger than 1080p.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
Black Friday-ish. I saw a video linked by @VirtualLarry with rumors that Nvidia refreshes are coming early next year, and I can wait for those if the rumors are solid.

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Nope. Linux all the way.

Here's my current plan:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor ($325.39 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: *TEAMGROUP T-Create Classic 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL48 Memory ($154.99 @ Amazon)

Micro Center 7700x bundle ($450 including travel)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba N300 Pro 14 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive ($269.99 @ Amazon) - Backblaze approved.
Video Card: *Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card ($599.99 @ Amazon) - Likely to be delayed until next year.
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($124.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.90 @ Amazon)
Total: ~$1650
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

See any flaws? When is the best time to buy, Black Friday or Cyber Monday or some other time? And should I go to Micro Center?

 

[manly]

I think you should a little bit more on the PSU.

Micro Center does have a 7900X bundle, but you'll have to accept their choice of motherboard and RAM. You'll save some money that way.

Black Friday has started for a lot of retailers, with the notable exception of Amazon. I don't think anything will cost you more on Nov 24, but some items might be a little less!

I do have a question for you, since you said Nvidia is required for AI. Is that mainly because AMD ROCm is way behind? I'm trying to narrow down what my next GPU will be, and I'd prefer something that works well under both Windows and Linux. In my case AI is optional, but it never hurts to have extra capabilities.

 

[Ken g6]

I think you should a little bit more on the PSU.

I think you should a little bit more. More power? AFAIK Super Flower is top quality and is the brand others like Seasonic rebrand. But it's been several years since I've done a build.

I think Nvidia is required for a lot of AI because some academics prefer to write in CUDA, Nvidia's own language, rather than a more general language like OpenCL.

 

[manly]

Bad editing on my part, left out the word spend.

Super Flower has some very good units, but that one is not one of their best. For a $2k build and a little extra headroom, I'd recommend a fully modular 850W ATX 3.0 PSU. Well partly because that's what I've been looking at myself.

I'm leaning towards the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M. Also well-reviewed: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 and Corsair RM850x (2021 or Shift).
These are also available in 750W for about $13 less.

If you want to spend more for the very best:
Super Flower Leadex VII XG 850W

 

[Ken g6]

I've decided to save myself some money and chiplet hassles (PrimeGrid is hungry for memory bandwidth) and just get a 7700X instead. Is there a better, similarly priced SSD I should get?

 

[manly]

I've decided to save myself some money and chiplet hassles (PrimeGrid is hungry for memory bandwidth) and just get a 7700X instead. Is there a better, similarly priced SSD I should get?

That's the bundle I'm thinking about as well. It doesn't appear likely MC will do anything special for Black Friday. (Last year was a zoo there, I thought they had a lot of compelling sales.) If you're at Micro Center getting the kit, they should have the Maingear Ignition 1000W PSU for $90, but it's not ATX 3.0. It is made by FSP, and comes with a 10 year warranty.

For $105, I think that's a really good SSD. Amazon kicks off BF tomorrow so we'll see if there are any good sales. However, I suspect the "doorbuster" items won't last long so only the standard "good deals" will remain for days. They will be staggering the offerings over the following 7-10 days, presumably.

Which Linux distro will you be running?