Workstation build check + quote request for Threadripper 9960X build

Posted by CATALUNA84@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 7 comments

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a high-end workstation build and am currently collecting quotes from local stores/system integrators. I’d appreciate feedback on part compatibility, any red flags, and whether there are better alternatives for some components before I finalize the quote.

Current parts list:

Processor: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
Motherboard: ASUS Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI (sTR5, TRX50 chipset)
Cooler: Thermaltake Toughliquid 360 TRX40 360mm ARGB CPU liquid cooler with rotational LCD display (CL-W336-PL12GM-A)

Alternative: SilverStone XE360-TR5

Power Supply: Corsair WS3000 3000W ATX 3.1 Fully Modular Workstation Power Supply (CP-9020312-NA)
RAM: 128GB ECC Registered RAM (single stick for now, may expand later)
Case: Antec FLUX PRO Full Tower

Use case:

- AI/ML workloads

- Heavy multi-core compute

- Long-duration workstation usage

- Future expandability for GPUs (currently RTX 3090 & RTX 2070), memory, and storage

What I’d like help with:

- Are all these parts compatible, especially cooler/RAM/platform-wise?

- Is 3000W PSU overkill unless I’m planning multiple flagship GPUs?

- Any better motherboard or cooler suggestions for this CPU/platform?

- Any concerns with using a single 128GB ECC RDIMM initially?

- Is the Antec FLUX PRO a good fit for this board, cooling setup, and future GPU expansion?

I’m also sending this list to local stores for quotation, so if anyone has experience with pricing, sourcing, or common issues with TRX50 workstation parts, that would be very helpful.

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Electronic_Muffin218@reddit

Warning - scam/asshole alert. Probably the latter, but who knows?

Electronic_Muffin218

Electronic_Muffin218u/Electronic_Muffin218

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12:47 PM

Is the Threadripper rig still for sale, and would you accept offers lower than your last price? I am local-ish (Morgan Hill) and am willing to pick up at your place, provided you can show me proof of good working order when I get there (not just power up, but some sort of benchmarking/burn-in run to exercise the thing)

roadwaywarrior1:15 PM

No thanks. Not bringing random to my house

Not even negotiable. I’d never ask to go to someone’s house

Electronic_Muffin2181:17 PM

Well where do you suggest? I need to see it work - this is not an inexpensive purchase.

roadwaywarrior1:17 PM

Then don’t purchase it

Electronic_Muffin2181:18 PM

How were you proposing to deliver it? If via shipping, why did you put the zip code you’re at?

roadwaywarrior1:23 PM

A meetup at a public location

Is this your first time doing a Reddit trade? I’m on mobile so I can’t really look you up at the moment

Electronic_Muffin2181:27 PM

For homelab, yes. I have purchased other minor things here and there (portafilter screens for an espresso machine, etc).

roadwaywarrior1:38 PM

It sounds like you might be more comfortable using eBay or finding something that isn’t as expensive, but coming into the beginning on a conversation making strong conditional statements/demands, whatever you want to call them, is not the way to start a conversation in a space you’re not familiar with - public meetup is literally the standard here. If someone invites you over that’s one thing, but to expect to be able to go to someone’s house is not even realistic. If I have stuff like this build, imagine for a moment what else you might see in my house, if you turn out to be a random that’s not of the right mindset or just up to no good, I paint a target on my back

And my family’s safety comes before selling the rig as a whole, do sake of convenience, vs parting it to the people who have expressed interest in parts

Not happening. I wish you luck with getting what you need but it’s not from my house

Electronic_Muffin2181:43 PM

You are overreacting - the only "demand" I made was to see it working. If that was your beef, then just say so - it's the only way to prevent a total scam from my perspective. At this dollar value, not worth the risk - obviously! The request to come to your place was a suggestion, but not a demand - and you could have just said, "we can meet in a public place and I can demo there" but instead you immediately started with the hostility about not inviting "randos" etc. So, politely fuck off, and save your outrage for somebody who wants to deal with it.

roadwaywarrior1:43 PM

lol exactly why you weren’t coming to my house

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vrlatech@reddit

Hey! We build Threadripper workstations regularly — Los Angeles-based, been doing this since 2016 for government labs, universities, and enterprise AI teams. Happy to give you honest feedback.

Compatibility notes:

CPU + Motherboard: TR9960X + TRX50-SAGE WIFI is a solid pairing. One thing to flag — the SAGE is a large board at 305mm × 280mm. The Antec FLUX PRO's E-ATX clearance may be tight; we'd verify exact internal dimensions before committing to that case. We haven't built in the FLUX PRO ourselves so we can't say definitively, but it's worth a close look before you order.
Cooler: Go with your alternative — the SilverStone XE360-TR5. It's purpose-built for sTR5 and we've had nothing but good results with SilverStone on workstation builds. Skip the Thermaltake on this platform.
RAM: TRX50 is quad-channel — single stick will work but you're leaving real memory bandwidth on the table. Run at minimum 2 sticks in the correct slots. Also double-check your specific RDIMM against the SAGE's QVL; RDIMM compatibility on TRX50 can be picky.
PSU: 3000W is overkill for your current GPU config (3090 + 2070 puts you around 700–900W under full load). Makes sense only if 3–4 flagship GPUs are in the near-term plan. A 1600W covers you comfortably through several GPU upgrades.
Case: We always use the Fractal Define 7 XL when building on the TRX50-SAGE — it handles the board size cleanly and gives you the airflow headroom for sustained workstation loads and multi-GPU expansion.

If you want a formal quote, reach out to us at info@vrlatech.com or call 213-810-3013 — happy to help. You can also check out our Threadripper builder https://vrlatech.com/product/vrla-tech-amd-ryzen-threadripper-workstation/ and workstation lineup at https://vrlatech.com/vrla-tech-workstations/ in case you want to go a different platform direction.

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CATALUNA84@reddit (OP)

Sadly, I am based in India, but the recommendations are great

CABINET — The Antec case supports motherboards up to E-ATX width 285 mm, and SSI-CEB is about 305 × 266.7/267 mm, which is within that width limit.

3000W PSU — I will be running 3 GPUS, so it should be fine

RAM — That's a great option; I can get a 128GB quad-channel kit now and can upgrade in the future to 1TB after selling the old one.

COOLERS — These are the exact options. I have available right now on the online retail in India which are all sTR5/SP6 sockets. SilverStone XE360-TR5 ain't available in India

Noctua NH-U14S TR5-SP6 140mm Cpu Air Cooler

Noctua NH-D9 TR5-SP6 4U 92mm Brown CPU Air Cooler
Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 TR5-SP6 CPU Liquid Cooler (MLO-R36M-A24PK-RA) [5 Years Warranty]
Thermaltake AW420 AIO CPU Liquid Cooler
Thermaltake AW360 AIO Liquid Cooler Black (CL-W450-PL12BL-A) [5 Years Warranty]

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someusernamesup@reddit

stop. with that board you want to skip AIO coolers and go straight to a custom loop.

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reddit-twango@reddit

i'm running a similar setup(9960X, WS SAGE A, 128GB, RTX6K Pro WS), however i sourced my motherboard, cpu, and ram from this combo. its a neat deal from Microcenter.

https://www.microcenter.com/product/5007243/amd-ryzen-threadripper-7970x,-asus-trx50-sage-pro-wifi-str5,-kingston-fury-renegade-pro-128gb-quad-channel-ddr5-5600-kit,-computer-build-bundle

you could always sell the RAM for the single stick in the future. the SAGE A also comes with an ATX splitter so you can run 2 PSUs. i'd personally recommend starting small, then scaling out when you feel the need to.

hope this helps! happy to answer any questions

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CATALUNA84@reddit (OP)

Sadly, I am based in India