Planning New AMD Threadripper Build

[JrClocker]

I have 2 VMs running now...consuming 2 cores...CPU usage stays at about 6% constant usage.

The number of cores on this Threadripper is obscene...this makes everything buttery smooth!


Here are a couple of pictures with everything lit up...it's so pretty (LEDs at 50% brightness!

Not showing are the Cosair RGB LED keyboard, mouse, and mouse mat (RGB LEDs around the edges).

Of course, all colors (including motherboard) change to Red when I log in...like a good Sith...


Side View:

View attachment 211861


Front View:

View attachment 211862

 

[DaveB]

I have 2 VMs running now...consuming 2 cores...CPU usage stays at about 6% constant usage.

Now you just have to come up with something to get the other 30 cores/60 threads humming.

 

[JrClocker]

I did my first BluRay movie encode this weekend using Handbrake...it took 20 minutes for a 2.5 hour movie.

That's like stupid fast.

Handbrake didn't even use all of the cores...about 12 to 16.

My last system (Intel 5820K), a BluRay encode took whatever the movie length was.

 

[EarthDog]

Wondering why it didn't use all the c/t to do the job... is that normal?

 

[JrClocker]

Wondering why it didn't use all the c/t to do the job... is that normal?

I did some Google-fu after noticing it wasn't using all the threads...

HandBrake can scale well up to 6 CPU cores with diminishing returns thereafter. So a 4 Core CPU can be nearly twice as fast as a Dual Core equivalent. HandBrake also supports encoding in Hardware with Intel QuickSync.

So, there is a limit for Handbrake

 

[EarthDog]

6 cores? Oof...

A good read... https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/latest/technical/performance.html

 

[JrClocker]

Saw that article...it looks old.

For reference the "RF' setting was 22.

 

[EarthDog]

Perhaps it is.. but sheesh, what a kick in the pants that software doesn't scale with cores. This further solidifies my thoughts on the core wars being a waste for most users.

 

[JrClocker]

I had a scare last night...

I shut down the PC to change out some fans and fan cables...plugged everything back in...turned it on...

POST ERROR!!!

Computer would not post. WFT????

After about 30 minutes of troubleshooting, I tracked it down to a bad PCIe riser cable (this cable is a week old). I plugged the GPU into the motherboard and everything booted fine.

Phew!

 

[EarthDog]

I hate those riser cables... so fragile! I've had two go bad on me in 5 years.

I literally moved the GPU/touched the cable three times (and was more careful) after the first one...

Glad it was easy!

 

[JrClocker]

Got the overclock up another 50 MHz to 4.2 GHz on all cores (with a small voltage increase to 1.220 V).

This chip has more in it (but it is scary pushing a CPU that cost $1,950 - hehe). The air cooler (while ugly) still has headroom left in it...temps are under 80 °C at 27 °C ambient...I will wait until I water cool this system before pushing to 4.3 GHz.

 

[MaddMutt]

Got the overclock up another 50 MHz to 4.2 GHz on all cores (with a small voltage increase to 1.220 V).

This chip has more in it (but it is scary pushing a CPU that cost $1,950 - hehe). The air cooler (while ugly) still has headroom left in it...temps are under 80 °C at 27 °C ambient...I will wait until I water cool this system before pushing to 4.3 GHz.

Any more info on this great RGB bling-bling build? Please run geek bench-3/4 so we have a score for single/multi core improvements over your i7-5820k..
Don’t knock the i7-5820k on it’s ram speed, the right MB can unlock 11-11-11-20/185 1T @3333

 

[tomdean]

I am on-the-way with a similar build. See my signature. Still waiting for the case. Fedex 'lost' the shipment. Left Arcadia and has not been seen since.

I am running the MB sitting on a bench. The Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 has one fan installed. To give room to the RAM, I have the fan mounted so it is about 1 inch above the heatsink. Seems to be OK. Air is flowing through all of the heatsink. When I get the case, I will install the second fan.

Should I move the fan down so it is centered on the heatsink?

I still have the default setup, except for ubuntu having vanilla gnome and booting to console.

I ran the system for 60 hours, fully loaded. CPU freq 3.8GHz.
Sat May 15 12:11:42 PDT 2021
Idle Full Load
------ --------
Tctl: 27.0 C 74.125 C
Tdie: 27.0 C 74.125 C
Tccd1: 26.5 C 72.250 C
Tccd3: 24.8 C 68.750 C
Tccd5: 28.0 C 74.500 C
Tccd7: 25.2 C 69.250 C
acpitz was -273.1 C loaded and +16.8 C unloaded. I read the driver and do not understand this.

 

[JrClocker]

I centered mine on the heatsink...doesn't interfere with the RAM.

 

[tomdean]

Great pictures. I think my fan housing may actually touch the RAM heatsink if I center it on the CPU cooler radiator. I will try to post a picture, if I can get one that does not look like a kid with a broken, melting crayon.

 

[tomdean]

How did you connect the fans to the motherboard?
I connected mine:
Input to CPU_FAN
Output to CPU_OPT

The output fan seems to run 100~105 RPM slower. I wonder why.

 

[JrClocker]

I connected them both to the same header.