Linux workstation/server

[cc6]

Budget (including currency): $1500 USD max

Country: United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Plex Server, virtualization, video encoding, audio recording & editing, occasional light gaming, and occasional photo editing

Other details:
My trusty Thinkpad W540 that I've been using for these tasks is getting noticably out of date lately - struggling with streaming 4k video, so I got an ultralight laptop to take daily duties and want to build my first desktop for whatever needs more resources.

My main priority is to keep it as quiet as possible since it will sometimes be used for audio recording/editing.

After that, I'd like for it to be relatively future-proofed so that I can later add a large storage array and potentially a better video card as gaming on Linux gets more support.

Some choices were made for aesthetic reasons, but since the plan is to upgrade most of the parts by the end of this computer's life, I'm not married to those choices.

 

Part list:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-5600x/p/N82E16819113666?item=N82E16819113666

 

Motherboard: ASUS PRIME B550-PLUS AM4

https://www.newegg.com/asus-prime-b550-plus/p/N82E16813119323?item=9SIA2W0DPV3233

 

Memory: Crucial Ballistix 3600 MHz DDR4 2x 16GB

https://www.newegg.com/ballistix-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820164174?item=N82E16820164174

 

Video Card: AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100

I was given this and will not complain.

 

Case: LIAN LI PC-O11 Dynamic

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811112583?item=N82E16811112583

 

Power Supply: Seasonic FOCUS PX-650

https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-plus-650-platinum-ssr-650px-650w/p/N82E16817151192?item=N82E16817151192

 

Storage: Corsair MP600 Core M.2 2280 1TB

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-1tb/p/N82E16820236717?item=N82E16820236717

 

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9S

https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-u9s/p/N82E16835608067?item=N82E16835608067

 

Thermal Paste: Noctua NT-H1

https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nt-h1/p/N82E16835608008?item=N82E16835608008

 

Case Fans: Noctua NF-F12 PWM

I was thinking 3x intake on the bottom, 1x exhaust on the rear, 3x exhaust on top, but I have no idea what I'm doing.

https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nf-f12-pwm-case-fan/p/N82E16835608026?item=N82E16835608026

 

Thanks for reading!

[BobVonBob]

Looks fine to me, but you're probably planning more case fans than you really need. You also don't need the separate thermal paste, Noctua coolers come with a tube of NT-H1 in the box.

[cc6]

Thanks!

Do you have any recommendations on how to handle the fans? The case can also use 2x 140mm fans, if that would be better or quieter.

[Dutch_Master]

Bigger fans move more air for a given speed/audible level, or are quieter moving the same amount of air. Furthermore, you want a slight overpressure in your case (more intake then exhaust fans) to force the warm air out. In principle, you could do without one or the other, as natural convection and airflow of the remaining fans will suffice to cool your PC. Practically, intake fans are mounted low while exhaust fans are mounted in the top half of the case.

[Jeppes]

Noctua coolers and o11d with pricey Noctua fans are not exactly the best value parts out there. O11 air mini looks great and comes with enough fans but not available yet.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($272.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING SE-224-XT Basic 76.16 CFM CPU Cooler  ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($169.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Corsair MP600 Core 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($111.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $897.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-09-18 18:40 EDT-0400

 

 

 

[cc6]

I somehow missed that website when searching for PC building sites - that's super useful!

 

However, I really don't mind overpaying to keep the noise down - that's my main annoyance with desktop PC's.

Is there any difference in electrical noise between a gold and a platinum power supply? Working with audio equipment, that's another area I'd be willing to overspend to prevent headaches.

 

For fans, would 2x 140mm fans for intake on the bottom, and 1x 120 mm fan for exhaust at the top-rear of the case be a good start?

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TYbXj2

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($272.66 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($69.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Corsair MP600 Force Series Gen4 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 8 GB Video Card  (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case  ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 PWM chromax.black.swap 54.97 CFM 120 mm Fan  ($22.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan  ($24.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan  ($24.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $1140.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-09-18 20:53 EDT-0400