Ryzen Threadripper 1950x High-End Workstation Solver Build
Below is my proposal for a barebones 1950x Threadripper (TR) build. At the time of writing I believe this to be one of the highest performance builds possible for the TR platform. The exact cost of the build will vary depending on price fluctuations and your region, but at the time of writing this build comes in at approximately 4,000 USD using US based prices.
CPU:
AMD RYZEN™ THREADRIPPER 1950X
The core component around which this build is built. The 1950x processor is currently the fastest CPU available on the TR platform.
CPU Cooler:
Liquid cooling specifically designed to accommodate the large Threadripper socket. This will enable you to obtain a stable overclock whilst keeping noise levels and temperature in a decent range.
Motherboard:
Gigabyte X399 DESIGNARE EX Motherboard AMD Black
Premium motherboard for the enthusiast TR platform. Ideal for overclocking CPU and RAM.
Memory:
G.SKILL TridentZ Series 128GB – DDR4 SDRAM
Possibly the fastest RAM available for this board. Very low latency with a CAS latency of 14, ideal for solver work.
Storage:
The fastest consumer SSD currently available on the market. Also available in 480 GB
.
Video Card:
Supports up to two external monitors running at a resolution of 4k each. Does everything you would need to do with a machine built for poker solvers and/or grinding.
Case:
Thermaltake View 31 TG (Tempered Glass) Case
Perhaps the most subjective part of the build. This case was selected for compatibility, but also because of it’s good air-flow.
Power Supply:
EVGA 750W SuperNOVA G280+ Gold PSU
High quality PSU from a trusted brand to ensure continuous up-time. 750W is more than sufficient to supply enough power to this build and potential future upgrades, such as a more power hungry GPU or additional hard drives.
Optional:
Seagate FireCuda 2TB Internal SSHD 3,5″
Fast internal SSHD For additional storage.
If you would like to see a build suggestion for different hardware, please post your suggestion in the comments below.
You mentioned some of these parts are good for overclocking. With something like solver work that runs almost 24/7, is overclocking advisable? Wouldn’t that be quite bad for the cpu?
Thank you for your comment Mitchell. Your concern is valid, overclocking your CPU can lead to faster degradation of the CPU and should be done at your own risk, especially since it voids the warranty of your CPU. That being said, as long as your overclock is within a safe margin, and you are using sufficient cooling, an overclock is likely to be a safe option to improve the performance of your CPU whilst not significantly decreasing the lifespan of your CPU. For a more detailed explanation of the trade-off between overclocking and not overclocking, I would recommend taking a look at this article from anandtech.com where they discuss CPU degredation.