Hey Lemmy, I need some recommendations for a CPU-intensive slightly mobile rig. I run a lot of engineering simulations and I need a computer that I can move between my home and work on a semi-frequent basis. I’m looking for something more powerful than a laptop and I’ll have monitors/peripherals at both locations. Maybe a mini-ITX in an HTPC style case? The sims don’t really make use of GPU, so integrated graphics is just fine. They multi-thread a bit, but there are still single-core bottlenecks in the process, so highest single-core performance is probably pretty important. It’s also got to handle 128GB of DDR5 and a M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.

A lot of the faster CPUs seem to need some serious cooling (100W+ TDP!) and I’d rather not have a jet engine roaring constantly since this thing will be sitting right on the desk next to me eating 100% CPU most of the time. Are there small form factor cases that can support water cooling? When Intel says a CPU has a processor base power of 125W, but a Max Turbo Power of 253W, does that imply that the 253W can’t be sustained even with enough cooling?

  • Telorand@reddthat.com
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    7 months ago

    ITX also only has two slots for memory, so you’d need 2x64GB—a pricey prospect, if such a thing even exists, in addition to any inherent stability issues (which you’d absolutely need for computational work).

    Edit: clarification

    • daddybutter@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Got curious and looked it up. 2x64GB DDR5 kits exist though it looks like they’re all ECC (probably a good thing in OPs use case). The cheapest kits, which are 4800Mhz CL40 sticks, start around $500 after tax.

      • Chiral@lemm.eeOP
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        7 months ago

        $500 on RAM seems OK, good to know it’s a bit of a narrow market…