Building my first machine, and it is a big server

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Hello

I am new to building a PC, so I tried to research a lot and find as much information as I could get. It seems my need of this machine made this game much harder, as everything seems more complicated with servers. And to make it harder, everything is much more expensive, so there’s no place for mistakes.

That is why I am here asking you to please review my situation and, if possible, answer my questions.
I read a lot here, and much of my knowledge is from here, so thank you.

Okay, now what I want to make:
It will be my everyday home workstation, used for database and AI. I will need a powerful CPU, fast disks, and a lot of RAM. It will be near my desk. Noise level is important, but not if it limits the system’s abilities.

Here is the machine at this point:
Motherboard: Gigabyte MZ73-LM0
CPU: AMD 9355 (2X)
Cooler: Arctic Freezer 4U-SP5 or Silverstone XE04-SP5 (2X)
RAM: DDR5 RDIMM 64GB (24X)
PSU: Seasonic PRIME TX‑1600 ATX 3.1
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
USB: ASUS USB4 PCIe Gen4
M.2: ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 Card (2X)
NVMe: Samsung SSD 9100 PRO 2TB (5X)
HDD: Seagate HDD 3.5 8TB
Case: Thermaltake Core P3 or SilverStone RM51

And here are my questions or doubts. I know some may sound clear or silly, but I will be grateful if you can comment about any of them

  • Q1: I want to first verify and test the system with 1 CPU, 2 RAM, and 1 NVMe. Is it possible to run this system with 1 CPU? All my research leads to yes, but I want to be absolutely sure that this motherboard and CPU allow this.
  • Q2: Gigabyte MZ73-LM0 is the most “normal” motherboard I could find that supports 24 DIMMs. Is there any better option? I ask because I saw a lot of posts about not posting and issues with BIOS, etc.
  • Q3: I could only find these two coolers verified for this CPU and from a legit brand. Which cooler is the better option? Arctic Freezer 4U-SP5 or Silverstone XE04-SP5? I read good (powerful and good price) and bad things (unreliability) about Arctic, but it seems more powerful (81 CFM compared to 77 CFM) and almost similar max noise levels (45 dBA vs 43 dBA). Is there any option that I should take note of?
  • Q4: I read about changing cooler fans with Noctua or Sanyo Denki 140mm 9RA. But I doubt that this is possible for Arctic. Can I customize the cooler for lower noise? Should I?
  • Q5: I saw and read about the importance of pressure on the cooler and CPU. But it seems the Arctic one comes with a simple screwdriver. Should I get a torque screwdriver for this use?
  • Q6: I read that in this case of having 24 DIMMs on 12 channels, the speed will be limited. Documentation of the motherboard says that for this CPU it can support up to 6400 MT/s, but AI tools say that it will clock down to 5600 MT/s. Is it correct? And why? Should I get 5600 or 6400?
  • Q7: The motherboard QVL says I should get the RAM from Samsung, Kingston, Micron, or SKhynix. I do not know which is better, and it seems only Micron and Samsung are the creators of the chips, and Kingston only makes the sticks, right? Is there any difference between these ones?
  • Q8: It seems this motherboard needs a battery, but I saw a video that said it does not have one and did not mention what type of battery will be needed.
  • Q9: From calculation of the power usage and keeping headroom for the future, I chose the PSU, but if you think it can be limiting or overkill, please do tell. Is it a good choice? It seems big too and limits the case options.
  • Q10: Does this PSU have enough cables for these devices? It seems enough, but reading about ATX 3.1 and different kinds of cables, I am not sure.
  • Q11: This motherboard has limited USB support, so I added the USB card. I need it to be fast, but if there is a better option, please share.
  • Q12: This machine will need to be used for a lot of file reading (mostly sequential), so I am thinking about RAID 0ing the NVMe. From what I gather, it seems I need to give each CPU something to work with, so I need to add one M.2 card (each with 2 NVMes) to each CPU PCIe to get the maximum speed. Is my assumption right? Another NVMe will be added directly to the board for the OS.
  • Q13: I like the Thermaltake Core P3 case, and I read here (The Zen of Air Cooling) that it is possible, but the case documentation does not show EATX support. As @JayVenturi seems a professional, maybe he changed the case. If it is not possible, I like the SilverStone RM51, and it seems I can remove the 3.5 slot to make space for the PSU and still have space for the one HDD I will need.
  • Q14: I am a Windows 11 user, but I read that these machines are only used with Windows Server. Can I use Windows 11 Workstation? Should I use it, or am I better off with Windows Server? If yes, what version is your suggestion?

Thank you.

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Hello

IMHO

nice build you are planning, I happen to use the MZ73-LMO

Q1 Yes you can run with just 1 cpu (in socket 0) but may not see the ram sockets to missing CPU

Q2 No, there are no better alternatives, not posting issues are solved by a few simple instructions and updating the bmc

Q3, Q4, Q5 Please read the Zen of Air Cooling for some cooler suggestions and heart issues on the motherboard

Q6 the latest bios release solved the mem timing issues

Q7 "generally speaking the samsung and SKHynix have been the better choice

Q8 BYOB

Q9, your choice is fine or consider Hela R2050w or Corsair AXi1600w

Q10 the Hela r2050 has all the correct cables and amount

Q13 the P3 (and the P1) will accommodate an EATX, and SSBi, on/ for the P3 you’ll need to drill/tap 2 more holes for the standoffs but will need to make a 4 stand off column for the bottom right hole of the motherboard , and on the P1 you’ll have to drill / tap 4 more holes.

Q14 consider using Windows Data Center Server 2022 or 25 as a WORKSTATION, best of breed, speed, and stability, no adds or forced updates

IMHO

Hope that helps

J

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Hello.

Q5 pressure is important on the cpu itself. For the socket locking screws you have to apply 1.5nm of torque to all 3 of them.

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@JayVenturi
Thank you very much. You are a great source, especially for such a machine. I appreciate your help.
I read your post, and it seems you made your own cooling. I am not familiar at all with custom making such things, and I’m afraid of making something go way wrong. Do you think my choice of cooler is right, or do you suggest going with the custom made anyway?

I say your copy speed is very high. Can you tell me more about your disk structure (I know the models you made), like RAID, and what the sequential and random read and write speeds are?
I read that for disks you will need to give each CPU half the disks so you get the better read speed. Is that right? Or should I just add one expansion card and add all the NVMe to that one only?

Can you tell me the battery model so I can order it with all the other stuff?

I can find all the stuff except the RAM; it is much harder to find reliable sources to order them from, especially Samsung. Can you tell me your source?

@Sedanxio Thank you. So to make sure, I must use a torque screwdriver and not go manual with feeling, right?

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Exactly, you can find these relatively low priced but it’s really necessary for those chips to work correctly.

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HI
for the ram I suggest ebay or callin Nemix, they sell other ram than just Nemix.
the battery is a standard 2032

For drives:
I suggest 4 drives of the two MCPIO connectors (2 cables) . You can use any express drives and or u.2 / u.3
If you want the speed, you could use storage pools (cake to set up in the server manager window od windows server data center 2022 or 2025). In the BIOS please select the 4x/4x for each channel and set the speed to auto or specifically to the drives (all same type) as Gen 5, Gen 4, or Gen 3

Storage pools is where you would make you volume and type (raid 0, raid 5, etc)

The coolers I have were bought on ebay, but I did modify and improve them significantly, also I got custom chip coolers specific to that board. Also internet search

The one issue the board has:
the LAN chipset is blisteringly hot at +70C even when doping nothing. I suggest a fan and or fan and custom heatsink. You can follow my Zen post to see how I made it with a copper heatsink from amazon that I cut, drilled, and shaved to the right size. The factory flimsy aluminum communal oyster sized heatsink will do nothing and there may be issues on connection if it bakes in a no airflow situation - like when a GPU is positioned over it.

J

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Thank you again.

Please excuse me being a newibie.

  • I checked Nemix; unfortunately, they do not have 6400 sticks. What is your RAM model?
  • I’m afraid I do not understand your point on MCPIO connectors and express drives. If you mean MCIO, both of them need the second CPU, it seems, so it should route all the data first to one CPU and then the other one. Am I right? Can you get more speed if you add the expansion card to one PCIe from CPU0 and one to the PCIe of CPU1?
  • Can you share your sequential and random read and write speed?
  • I looked up storage pools; do you mean Windows Storage Spaces to set up RAID?
  • Yes, I saw your custom LAN heatsink; your attention to coloring, too, was very nice. Do you have the link to the model you bought?
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typo, the MCIO

Yes, some features require a second cpu.

Yes, windows storage spaces, storage pools, in server manager

I’ll see what the link was on amazon for the heatsink copper base.

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Hello @JayVenturi
I wanted to recheck about heat sink and RAM purchace links or models and if possible your benchmarks on disk speed.

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The links I have no longer work, they land on a different heatsink now

you can search for this type and browse till you find the similar that is in the picture (with all endeavors it seems to always be china source)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175728148475?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D289447%2C290048%2C289021%26meid%3D02f4e31267644db6aa5927d5d10c1e4a%26pid%3D101875%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D296421375088%26itm%3D175728148475%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2332490%26algv%3DSimVIDwebV3WithCPCExpansionEmbeddingSearchQuerySemanticBroadMatchSingularityRecallReplaceKnnV4WithVectorDbNsOptHotPlRecallCIICentroidCoviewCPCAuto&_trksid=p2332490.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A17572814847502f4e31267644db6aa5927d5d10c1e4a|enc%3AAQAKAAABcG96wQ16jds4VFcrhy1F3d4mbwZUJI9Fs%252BgdXYAHIzlX2e3YaNh7x%252BEnKA3G%252BCqSl1Xn4McfcWFK1GytmS2qxJ87mtE8Gm3iR1Ja4WBwh0hNHJrJx3Ki5mp04ow4CO7lP%252BooCybZDDU%252BbbSwmg7CbTin%252BBzBzbCYVnbjvyQAHu6--HI4MB7SvJl5IJqlyvomgoLMlgT6qAJzX0SANJhty2dvuKej8m%252Fl%252BrM4xgMlNRUEBVnIdsMed7dSFUjC1WT3Ng%252FGqGtO0GDvN5sXfl21%252BHGbi1TW2mq8OC5i%252Bt%252BfYcbq%252FA6ouUyBkyw6nOuuSG8V5GcTtvOq8ZbUJpsosZEmZ3X0DMMzfuCFSps3uVhTMmOTaNjw2NpKwPJNWOp%252BmUV4lr%252BTwvXojg0ysGATAmMBQO%252BKOw0XHc%252Bjze0cxcVeZ7ekZWWFntjQjBzJXESSMa93jvWArxa6k4uvEVwl27gmo9R9lkDsH1cs1iK6NcM3NkUh|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2332490&itmmeta=01K1DWHCBXH38RKCTKE8KJ2Y17

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Thank you!

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Standard voltage in the US is 115-120V. if you use the Hela PSU you might exceed the rating for the wiring in you home if you have 120V. Most US homes are wired with 15A power outlets/breakers (max 1600W). If you live somewhere where you have 240V electrical, than it will be fine.

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I can find all the items from Amazon or NewEgg except RAM. The best I could find are https://memory.net and https://www.serversupply.com, which have 64GB or bigger sticks.

Has anyone worked with them? Their pricing seems good, but I do not know the reputation.

Any other suggestions for RAM suppliers or even other items?

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True, but I’m wired 240v and a 30 breaker
I recently upgraded to the Hela 2500rz for the PSU

the PSUs ( both the 2050r and the 2500rz) can operate on a 120v, but generate only 1650w on 120v
for the 2050 and 2500w I use a 240v

respectfully

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Out of curiosity, have you or anyone else seen 120V PSUs capable of higher than 1650w? Like 2000W for 20A circuits?

I’m thinking only because 20A circuits are getting more common in newer homes and apartments for appliances and it’s a much more common socket in the US that doesn’t always need something big and expensive like replacing the whole circuit breaker like a 240V outlet usually does.

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@JayVenturi can you please share your experience with Windows Server? It seems you are using your machine for everyday use, and I am curious about how good you find it to be.

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Oh, I hate this question. I’ll try to answer without upsetting other folks with a more delicate disposition
…and it will always sound like a rant.

When, you configure Windows server (Data Center in my case) as a workstation, it becomes the better modern OS from Microsoft.

pros:
faster than windows 10,11 (you have to do some work)
no forced updates
control if you want mitigations
no ads
no tile adds
no pop ups
no telemetry
able to configure hardware and storage better than win 10/11
faster response
etc

Cons:
its not faster than windows 7 64 or server 2003 64. But with new hardware and with new needs, times require new OSes.

Some considerations:
I know windows, and I had to configure server to be better than the 10/11

it does everything I need, and nothing more. example, the OS is not supposed to be a life stile it is only meant to run your applications. It is NOT supposed to be in your way, it should NEVER make policy for you, and it works for you, not the other way around.

So yes, on Windows Server Data Center as a workstation, I have the highest benchmarks, but also do my research, and even normal productivity stuff. I turn my pc on when I need it and turn it off when I don’t.

the amount of services I have running in the background is very minimal ( you have to know which things are actually needed and not just, manual, auto, disabled etc)

additionally, you can limit other tracking through things like a host file and you can speed things up not by overclocking but by intelligently setting up bios and os.

There is no ms edge, bing, or google on my PC. I use a very well configured Vivaldi browser.
My mail is a well configured Thunderbird
If I need an Ai variant, I run it local, if I need something fancy then I have a well configure chat RTX (mistral, whisper, etc)

So when all these things are considered, then yes, server as a workstation is pretty good, almost a linux feel (in a good way).

However, if you aren’t keen on putting in the time for the configuration, then any win 10 / 11 is ok. It really depends on your personality.

I admit there is bias in the choice. Yes, I could do Linux (I have and do) but short of writing your own OS (QNX)……:

I have a tough time with how much information scraped by Microsoft, Facebook, google and apple. I want my information to be mine unless I choose to divulge something (like exchanging info in this forum) keeping the choice as mine. it requires one to also be vigilant on host file, dns, etc. And (scary for some) there is no active AV on my PC and MS essentials etc is disabled. Never had a need in 35 - 40 years, and the av is also a source of privacy concerns for me. I use a locked down updated AV that I run independently as instance. This requires discipline and not stupidly clicking or executing things and dumb email mistakes.

Even gaming, I don’t steam, etc. All my games run from the game exe file, without a third party rant a game app. Yes, that also requires some effort, especially on latest releases. I do actually buy the game (boxed when possible) and then proceed to find solutions to run the full game locally, without steam, ea, ubi, etc.

So my answer to the OS question has some bias obviously. So I chose windows server data center because it allowed me to do what I wanted, fast, and since I physically bought it, then the product should only work for me, not Microsoft.
If OSes were FREE and games were FREE, then I can see one agreeing to exchange personal info for the use of the product. BUT, since I paid for it…

Folks use google and Facebook all the time, they are large money making machines, — while I also I don’t know of anyone writing a check to Facebook. --So alla Matrix I would say: “don’t bed the coppertop”

Its not just about the OS. Look at drivers, example Nvidia… huge bloatware in the driver as well as telemetry. Please configure your driver properly and there is no reason to run nvcontainer in the background. Its also FASTER that way

Also, and my BIOS is a swiss army knife, please set up your BIOS correctly, this impacts performance just as much as the OS. The bios to the MZ73-LMO is the best I have seen.

milage may vary, and these responses are IMHO.

so configuring a Linux or Microsoft distro/os is about speed, stability and privacy - for me, and I cab do more of this in an MS environment than a Linux one, so I use a well configured MS Server Data Center as workstation

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