Quiet Xeon LGA 3647 Workstation build, seeking advice

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zackiv31

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May 16, 2016
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So I've had a Dual Xeon 2011 2690v2 system as my storage/workstation in an Intel P4000 chassis for about 4 years now, and it's time I separate my storage from my development/work machine. Because this workstation will be kept in my office, the goal is to keep it as quiet as possible.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Supermicro X11SPM-TF Micro ATX (running bios < 3) (purchased)
Intel Xeon ES 2.4Ghz 8C Processor
Noctua 3647 CPU cooler
NVIDIA GeForce 1080 (already owned)
Fractal Design Mini C case
970 EVO NVMe m.2 (already owned)

The goal of this build, is to make it as quiet and as small as possible, utilizing an LGA 3647 motherboard. I chose the X11SPM-TF because it has built in 10gb, which I can wire to my existing storage box. Couple questions:

1. Are there any better/quieter cases than the Fractal Design Mini C? I've used them in the past, so I'm partial to them, but I do *not* need any other storage besides the m.2 drive, so any additional space lost to drive bays is a waste.

2. What's the best Noctua cooler I can fit in this case/motherboard? They have a 140mm/120mm/90mm variant, but I can't tell if I need a specific one to avoid hitting the DIMM slots.

3. I've been researching ES CPUs, and I think I can settle for less cores since it's just my workstation. Found two 8 core ones on eBay that have identical specs, but are labeled as ES versions of different CPUs:

Intel Xeon Silver 4110 ES QLH2 2.4GHz 8C LGA3647(Socket P) Skylake-SP 135W | eBay

Intel Xeon Gold 6134 ES QLH2 2.4GHz 11MB 8Core 14nm 135W 16Threads LGA3647 CPU | eBay

Are these the same CPU? They're either a higher closed Xeon Silver 4110 or a much lower clocked 6134 w/ the wrong L3 cache. If you have any other ES recommendations I'm all ears. I've debated between these cheap ones to see if I can get by, up to ones like this: Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 ES-QS QQ89 2.2GHz 24C LGA3647 165W Cascade Lake | eBay
 

IamSpartacus

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Mar 14, 2016
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Is there a particular reason you've chosen LGA3647 for this workstation build? They aren't exactly the greatest value right now.
 

zackiv31

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May 16, 2016
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Is there a particular reason you've chosen LGA3647 for this workstation build? They aren't exactly the greatest value right now.
Good question. The motherboard (until I move next month) will be used to test memory (up to high capacity 128gb/256gb LRDIMMs), so yeah, that's the reason why I'm shelling out ~$400 for the motherboard. It will be dual purpose for the next couple months.
 

traderjay

Active Member
Mar 24, 2017
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The noctua coolers will not interfere with the RAM slots, at least for mine - NH-U12S DX-3647 They are very quiet and keeps my 28 core XEON platinum below 65C even under 100% load (mining).

I don't have much experience on ES CPUs but if you choose to go with them, can you ask the seller to guarantee that it will support all memory channels populated?
 

zackiv31

Member
May 16, 2016
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The noctua coolers will not interfere with the RAM slots, at least for mine - NH-U12S DX-3647 They are very quiet and keeps my 28 core XEON platinum below 65C even under 100% load (mining).

I don't have much experience on ES CPUs but if you choose to go with them, can you ask the seller to guarantee that it will support all memory channels populated?
Great to hear on the coolers, I suppose I'll get the largest one I can fit in the case. Any reason you didn't opt for the next size up the 140mm NH-U14S DX-3647? I'm still exploring whether I can get a smaller case than the Fractal (its still a little larger than I would like).

As for the ES Processor not supporting all channels, this is only my second ES cpu so I'm not too familiar with them either. I assumed they would work on all channels, if anything they could possibly run at a lower memory speed, which I would live with. The seller guarantees compatibility with the SuperMicro board I picked out, so if I have any issues I will just reach out to them.
 

traderjay

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Mar 24, 2017
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Great to hear on the coolers, I suppose I'll get the largest one I can fit in the case. Any reason you didn't opt for the next size up the 140mm NH-U14S DX-3647? I'm still exploring whether I can get a smaller case than the Fractal (its still a little larger than I would like).

As for the ES Processor not supporting all channels, this is only my second ES cpu so I'm not too familiar with them either. I assumed they would work on all channels, if anything they could possibly run at a lower memory speed, which I would live with. The seller guarantees compatibility with the SuperMicro board I picked out, so if I have any issues I will just reach out to them.
I find the 140mm too big and bulky for my liking and may exert too much stress on my Dual Platinum board. The fans on the 120 mm model is very very nice and I highly recommend it.

Make sure you confirm with the CPU seller that that ES model is tested on the Supermicro board that matches whatever bios revision you have on your upcoming board.
 
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