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[Xyzzy]

We have been posting the manuals for the parts we have ordered. We are doing this so that if anyone is duplicating this build the documentation will be available even if the manufacturer stops offering it.

Here is the manual for the case.

PS - The case comes with two 140mm fans. Do you think we should add any additional fans?

[VBCurtis]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

PS - The case comes with two 140mm fans. Do you think we should add any additional fans?

If you have an old fan sitting around, say from a previous desktop build, you might consider aiming it at the SSD to cool it a bit. I've zip-tied fans to do such things before...

A small CPU-cooler fan, like the size some folks use to cool the chipset (60mm? like old P4 stock cooler fans), should do the trick without messing up overall case airflow patterns too much. You're not running a GPU anyway, so there isn't much else to worry about cooling.

[mackerel]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

We notice that during high I/O the M.2 NVMe SSD in our gaming PC runs kinda hot.

Would it make sense to use an "external" SSD that has more surface area to dissipate heat? It would also be placed directly in the airflow of the case.

If it is the linked drive, it has a rated operating temperature reported via SMART of 70C, so if you're within that, don't worry.

It is normal for the SSD controller to get hot during sustained load similar to CPUs, and similarly they're supposed to throttle if it gets too hot to try and preserve itself. It'll still work at reduced performance until temps go down. You might consider adding a heatsink to the controller chip only.

What isn't normal is if it is overheating when not under load. I cooked a SSD one time. The mobo in question had the M.2 slot right under the GPU. It corrupted some time during a folding challenge but I did see the max logged temp exceeded 70C. While the controller might be ok, the flash really doesn't like being cooked. The drive in that system is now a 2.5" SATA nowhere near the GPU. The cooked SSD is working fine in another system now.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by VBCurtis

If you have an old fan sitting around, say from a previous desktop build, you might consider aiming it at the SSD to cool it a bit. I've zip-tied fans to do such things before...

I don't have the time to find it again, but when doing the initial research on my SSD a review reported that the drive would "throttle" during heavy use. Apparently Sabrent tech support suggested and encouraged adding a heat-sink to the drive for such use-cases, but to *NOT* remove the label.

I still haven't had the time to install my kit...

[Xyzzy]

We expect to have the machine built in a few days. We are just waiting for a few parts to be delivered.

What would be the best workflow to maximize output? How do you manage many-core ECM work? Do you run anything at low priority in the background to catch unused cycles?

Would this be useful?

[Xyzzy]

Since Chris has had fantastic success with Seagate drives, and because we have never had an opportunity to play with a U.2 drive, we ordered the Seagate Nytro SSD.

After ordering it, we realized that it does not include the data cable, so we had to spend another $30 for that.

https://www.cablematters.com/pc-908-...07m2-feet.aspx
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0716K357W/

[Xyzzy]

We will probably order the second fan for the CPU cooler. All other parts have been ordered.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8wdqb8

Note that the two error messages at that link are incorrect.

CPU: AMD Threadripper 1920X 3.5 GHz 12-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock X399M Taichi Micro ATX sTR4 Motherboard ($313.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Nytro Enterprise 800 GB 2.5" NVME Solid State Drive ($134.94 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 710 1 GB Video Card ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV TG MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME Ultra Platinum 550 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A15 PWM 140 mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
U.2 Cable: Cable Matters Internal 12G HD Mini SAS SFF-8643 to U.2 SFF-8639 Cable with SATA power - 0.7m/2 Feet ($27.99 @ Amazon)

[VBCurtis]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

What would be the best workflow to maximize output? How do you manage many-core ECM work? Do you run anything at low priority in the background to catch unused cycles?

I use ecm.py to handle splitting ecm over many cores. I forget where to fetch it; I can email it to you, if nobody links it soon.

use is simple: open ecm.py in a text editor, scroll down a page or so and find the "ECM_THREADS = 5" line. Set the number of threads you wish to use there.

Then invoke like it's regular ECM. e.g.:
python ecm.py -c 1000 2e7 <inputnumberfile #runs 1000 curves with B1 = 20M, B2 controlled by GMP-ECM default
status is reported to the terminal, unlike regular ecm; much easier to monitor!

ECM is hyper-thread friendly, so you can run ECM curves during msieve runs, or maybe just when jobs are about to end to make sure the CPU has tasks to work on. Note that while ECM doesn't seem very memory-hungry for t55 levels, ~20 threads of a 500MB task can add up!

[EdH]

Originally Posted by VBCurtis

I use ecm.py to handle splitting ecm over many cores. I forget where to fetch it; I can email it to you, if nobody links it soon.
. . .

A Python Driver for GMP-ECM post 109 (current at this time)

[Xyzzy]

Today the SSD, case and memory arrived, so all the parts are here.

Well, we might buy another UPS since our power has more than a few glitches. Frequently, maybe once or twice a week, the power will go out for a second or two.

Anyways, here is a picture of the SSD and the super-low-profile memory.

[Xyzzy]

The CPU packaging is ridiculous. The box is the size of a toaster for a part that is smaller than a deck of cards. And the box has a bunch of interlocking metal and plastic bits and a viewing window and who knows what else. We like solid packaging to prevent damage in shipping but this level of packaging feels very wasteful.

The CPU is huge. Maybe four times larger than a P4.

It comes with a torque wrench (!) for when you install it into the motherboard.