4U Case with Threadripper 3970X - Air Cooling Possible?

[RC8561]

I'm researching doing a rackmount build with a 3970X a Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme and two PNY 2080TI Blower Edition GPUs. I'm a little worried about a CPU cooler + I have a couple general cooling questions. 

 

I should say up front, that the machine will be going in temp controlled machine room and noise is not an issue - this build is for creative work in Resolve, Premiere Pro etc not gaming. 

 

I'd likely go with this Rosewill case because I've used it before and like it. It has 2 120mm intake fans, and 3 additional 120mm fans in the middle of the case However, I'm not a big fan of the Rosewill case fans (I've had a few die on me). So I'd replace them with 120mm Noctua's.  

 

So my first set of questions are:  If noise is not an issue would you stick with retail Noctua 120mm or step up to the 3000RMP industrial ones? Or do a combo like the 3000rpm fans for the two front intake fans and the slower retail fans for the middle fan array?  Or are the 3000rpm ones in general just overkill?  Same question for the rear 80mm exhaust fans?  

 

Next, In my previous build with this case I used a Xeon E5 2697 v3 (14 core at 2.6ghz). I have a Noctua 92mm NH-U9s with fans on both sides. It works well and more to the point fits the 4U case without issue.  However I'm worried that the sTRX4 version of that same cooler might not be enough for the Threadripper 3970X?  It seems like I might have clearance in the case to step up to the 120mm version (which is 158mm) but I'm not totally sure. 4u is 177.8mm but that's the outside dimensions. Obviously the motherboard sits a bit higher off the bottom of the case, and the processor itself adds an additional few MM.  So I'm not sure if a 120mm cooler would actually fit?

 

I've considered an AIO like the NZXT Kracken X62 or X72 but I'd need to modify the top of the case to make this happen (can do as I have access to a machine shop) but it'd make opening the case a PIA plus I'm worried about water in a rack with other components below.  

 

Finally, I know a quick response might be use a different case or why do you have to rackmount, unfortunately that's really not an option.  It has to be a rackmount case.  

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Metallus97]

Dammmmn bro I want this machine to

 

So I am a big fan of the industrial 3000RPM. They MOVE air and are not that much more expensive than the normal industrial ones. Therefore id go with them. But front power, middle normal, back power (important since they are smaller) should be enough.

 

CPU cooler: I am not sure if it fits. Maybe order, test and then use or refund? Since noise is no issue you also could go with a server solution from DELTA or DYNATRON. They make some coolers that fit TR4 (because that not sooo different form the EPIC stuf). They are like 90mm but run hellafast.

 

 

[Guest]

The U9S w/ some beastly 92mm fans would be an interesting experiment. Do you have to do this all at once or can you test first? I have the U9S TR4 on a 1950X and it gets quite toasty under full load, but I only used Redux fans on them in the hot box of a 280X case. I have a 3900X is a similar 4U Rosewill case with the U12A and it handles well. It's a shame that they didn't make a U12A TR4. That w/ the 3k industrial fans might stand a chance. At the end of the day though, this is uncharted territory and you might end up having to do some testing of configs.

[RC8561]

2 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

The U9S w/ some beastly 92mm fans would be an interesting experiment. Do you have to do this all at once or can you test first? I have the U9S TR4 on a 1950X and it gets quite toasty under full load, but I only used Redux fans on them in the hot box of a 280X case. I have a 3900X is a similar 4U Rosewill case with the U12A and it handles well. It's a shame that they didn't make a U12A TR4. That w/ the 3k industrial fans might stand a chance. At the end of the day though, this is uncharted territory and you might end up having to do some testing of configs.

Great info thanks!  No don't have to do this all at once. I can def. take some time to experiment. 

I've been looking at the NH-U12S TR4-SP3.  Which looks to be the same height dimensions as the U12A but with only a single 120mm fan. Do you think I could just pop another 120mm fan on the U12S?  Did the U12A fit in your 4U Rosewill?

 

I totally understand this uncharted territory!  

[RC8561]

22 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

Dammmmn bro I want this machine to

 

So I am a big fan of the industrial 3000RPM. They MOVE air and are not that much more expensive than the normal industrial ones. Therefore id go with them. But front power, middle normal, back power (important since they are smaller) should be enough.

 

CPU cooler: I am not sure if it fits. Maybe order, test and then use or refund? Since noise is no issue you also could go with a server solution from DELTA or DYNATRON. They make some coolers that fit TR4 (because that not sooo different form the EPIC stuf). They are like 90mm but run hellafast.

 

 

Thank you!  

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, RC8561 said:

Great info thanks!  No don't have to do this all at once. I can def. take some time to experiment. 

I've been looking at the NH-U12S TR4-SP3.  Which looks to be the same height dimensions as the U12A but with only a single 120mm fan. Do you think I could just pop another 120mm fan on the U12S?  Did the U12A fit in your 4U Rosewill?

 

I totally understand this uncharted territory!  

 

It touches evvvvvver so slightly when I put the top on, but still slides right into the rack.

Yeah, you could def. slap another one on there. I think that and two 3k industrials is a good place to start.

[Metallus97]

Just now, Den-Fi said:

-snip-

It touches evvvvvver so slightly when I put the top on, but still slides right into the rack.

Yeah, you could def. slap another one on there. I think that and two 3k industrials is a good place to start.

Thats sexy!

[RC8561]

29 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

 

It touches evvvvvver so slightly when I put the top on, but still slides right into the rack.

Yeah, you could def. slap another one on there. I think that and two 3k industrials is a good place to start.

Thanks really nice! 

Gotcha - I can probably live with that as long its not like bending the motherboard   I do think the one issue I might run into is fan headers on the motherboard.  According to the motherboard manual there are 6x 1A 12W fan headers (plus 2x 3A 36W Pump headers).  But I guess I could get a fan hub or fan controller for the 2x 120mm intake fans and the 3x 120mm Middle case fans.    

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, RC8561 said:

Thanks really nice! 

Gotcha - I can probably live with that as long its not like bending the motherboard   I do think the one issue I might run into is fan headers on the motherboard.  According to the motherboard manual there are 6x 1A 12W fan headers (plus 2x 3A 36W Pump headers).  But I guess I could get a fan hub or fan controller for the 2x 120mm intake fans and the 3x 120mm Middle case fans.    

 

Yeah, it was strange that they left off the usual H_AMP header. Likely because of this included fan controller. I haven't used it yet since I'm running a very temporary setup with my 3970X.

[BakerT]

I did this with a Noctua NH U9 and a 4000 RPM 92MM Delta Fan.

Under a Prime95 Max Heat test I could keep it around 86C.

 

And moved it to a cooler room so should be even better now.

[RC8561]

2 minutes ago, BakerT said:

I did this with a Noctua NH U9 and a 4000 RPM 92MM Delta Fan.

Under a Prime95 Max Heat test I could keep it around 86C.

 

And moved it to a cooler room so should be even better now.

Nice!  Is 86C acceptable for the 3970x underload?  The AMD website has me a bit nervous as right on the specs for the chip they say 68C Max temp.  Are you experiencing throttling at 86C?

[Metallus97]

36 minutes ago, RC8561 said:

Nice!  Is 86C acceptable for the 3970x underload?  The AMD website has me a bit nervous as right on the specs for the chip they say 68C Max temp.  Are you experiencing throttling at 86C?

Normaly AMD has TJMAX of 95... 68 Seems verry low. I mean idd be uncomfortable at 86 though. you wanna keep it low 80 for prolonged use at max. But prime being Prime you wont see that in reallive

[WoodenMarker]

22 hours ago, RC8561 said:

Nice!  Is 86C acceptable for the 3970x underload?  The AMD website has me a bit nervous as right on the specs for the chip they say 68C Max temp.  Are you experiencing throttling at 86C?

Yes, Threadripper has a 27c TCTL offset and 95c is the max temperature for 95c as reported by Ryzen Master. 

Considering how the Wraith Ripper performs on the 3970x, a NH-U12S TR4-SP3 w/NF-F12 iPPC-3000's shouldn't be far behind and be enough for cooling as well. 

https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/amd-ryzen-threadripper-3960x-3970x-cpu-review/11/

https://www.techspot.com/review/1946-amd-threadripper-3970x-3960x/

 

The NH-U9 TR4-SP3 is beefier than the NH-U9S but it would probably barely keep temps in check.

[BakerT]

13 hours ago, RC8561 said:

Nice!  Is 86C acceptable for the 3970x underload?  The AMD website has me a bit nervous as right on the specs for the chip they say 68C Max temp.  Are you experiencing throttling at 86C?

Yeah I think its ok. Prime95 Max Heat stress test is worst case senario in my book.

I did buy a 92mm 38mm deep 8000RPM delta fan too. But can't find a good way to mount it and tbh when powered on it was almost too violent.

[fragar]

I'm planning a very similar build (3990x + 3x 2080 Ti), registered here just to comment.

 

1. I would be hesitant to put the Noctua NH U12S in a 4u case. Contact between the heatsink and the roof of the case means that any pressure above the case will push on the motherboard. Will you have full control over the rack? Also, in tests by phoronix.com, the U9 actually slightly outperformed the U12 - the U9 isn't as tall but it's deeper and weights just as much. The U9 with higher-RPM fans seems like the best choice for 4u.

 

2. Another option is to move up to 5u (and then you can just place a desktop case like a FD Meshify C sideways on the rack). I'll be colocating, so that would be a significant bump in price. I would only do this as a last resort.

 

3. I also plan to look into underclocking the CPU. AMD is setting the out-of-the box PPT to optimize much more for peak performance than for efficiency - these chips are effectively overclocked out of the box, as HEDT chips tend to be. If you're running 24/7 then lower clock speeds will almost always give you a better lifetime performance per dollar. (The more you use the CPU, the more your lifetime cost is dominated by power consumption and the more sense it makes to underclock.)

 

Some links:

 

https://shipilev.net/labs/threadripper-efficiency/

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-threadripper-3970x-32-core-efficient-monster-cpu-eco-mode-tests/

 

The exact optimal PPT will be workload-dependent (and chip-dependent, etc), you'd want to run your own tests. If you go down this road then it also makes sense to look into underclocking the RAM.

 

[HydrogenBombaklot]

On 1/12/2020 at 1:12 PM, Den-Fi said:

 

It touches evvvvvver so slightly when I put the top on, but still slides right into the rack.

Yeah, you could def. slap another one on there. I think that and two 3k industrials is a good place to start.

What CPU are you running in that rig? What are your temps? Any throttling? Looks gorgeous!

[HydrogenBombaklot]

On 1/12/2020 at 2:42 PM, BakerT said:

I did this with a Noctua NH U9 and a 4000 RPM 92MM Delta Fan.

Under a Prime95 Max Heat test I could keep it around 86C.

 

And moved it to a cooler room so should be even better now.

Which CPU?

Just the one Delta fan?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, HydrogenBombaklot said:

What CPU are you running in that rig? What are your temps? Any throttling? Looks gorgeous!

Thanks! 3950X. 84C max under full load w/ PBO enabled.

[HydrogenBombaklot]

11 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

Thanks! 3950X. 84C max under full load w/ PBO enabled.

Very nice. I thought it was a Threadripper.

What chassis is that?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, HydrogenBombaklot said:

Very nice. I thought it was a Threadripper.

What chassis is that?

I actually just finished my TR build.

The case is: Rosewill RSV-R4100-4U

[HydrogenBombaklot]

1 minute ago, Den-Fi said:

I actually just finished my TR build.

The case is: Rosewill RSV-R4100-4U

Link not working, would love to see that TR build.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, HydrogenBombaklot said:

Link not working, would love to see that TR build.

 

[HydrogenBombaklot]

9 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

 

Ah, thank you! Another gorgeous build!

I think what OP and I are trying to figure out is if it's feasible to throw a 280W Threadripper 3000 CPU into 4U with air cooling.

I've seen plenty of folks around the net talking about it, but no one who has posted benchmarks or comments yet.

[Guest]

Just now, HydrogenBombaklot said:

Ah, thank you! Another gorgeous build!

I think what OP and I are trying to figure out is if itès feasible to throw a 280W Threadripper 3000 CPU into 4U with air cooling.

I've seen plenty of folks around the net talking about it, but no one who has posted benchmarks to comments yet.

Yeah, that's why we were saying if he had the time and resources, he'd likely be the first to try it himself.

 

[HydrogenBombaklot]

On 1/12/2020 at 12:37 PM, RC8561 said:

I'm researching doing a rackmount build with a 3970X a Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme and two PNY 2080TI Blower Edition GPUs. I'm a little worried about a CPU cooler + I have a couple general cooling questions. 

 

I should say up front, that the machine will be going in temp controlled machine room and noise is not an issue - this build is for creative work in Resolve, Premiere Pro etc not gaming. 

 

I'd likely go with this Rosewill case because I've used it before and like it. It has 2 120mm intake fans, and 3 additional 120mm fans in the middle of the case However, I'm not a big fan of the Rosewill case fans (I've had a few die on me). So I'd replace them with 120mm Noctua's.  

 

So my first set of questions are:  If noise is not an issue would you stick with retail Noctua 120mm or step up to the 3000RMP industrial ones? Or do a combo like the 3000rpm fans for the two front intake fans and the slower retail fans for the middle fan array?  Or are the 3000rpm ones in general just overkill?  Same question for the rear 80mm exhaust fans?  

 

Next, In my previous build with this case I used a Xeon E5 2697 v3 (14 core at 2.6ghz). I have a Noctua 92mm NH-U9s with fans on both sides. It works well and more to the point fits the 4U case without issue.  However I'm worried that the sTRX4 version of that same cooler might not be enough for the Threadripper 3970X?  It seems like I might have clearance in the case to step up to the 120mm version (which is 158mm) but I'm not totally sure. 4u is 177.8mm but that's the outside dimensions. Obviously the motherboard sits a bit higher off the bottom of the case, and the processor itself adds an additional few MM.  So I'm not sure if a 120mm cooler would actually fit?

 

I've considered an AIO like the NZXT Kracken X62 or X72 but I'd need to modify the top of the case to make this happen (can do as I have access to a machine shop) but it'd make opening the case a PIA plus I'm worried about water in a rack with other components below.  

 

Finally, I know a quick response might be use a different case or why do you have to rackmount, unfortunately that's really not an option.  It has to be a rackmount case.  

 

Any advice is appreciated!

 

Hey, any updates on the build? Would love to know how the 3970x holds up with the industrial fans.