Build for Machine learning and AI

[jeeperforlife]

My son (20 years old) who is more tech savy then me is thinking of learning AI models and machine learning. I would like to help foster this and support him. I have lots of spare hardware and am about to upgrade my main server so I have that motherboard, CPU and RAM. I also have several 1TB M.2s available, and about 30TB of HDDs collecting dust. Also, my internet is 1Gb symmetrical fiber.

Here is the specs I’m thinking of building: All this hardware is already owned
24 core Threadripper 2970WX
X299 Asrock Taichi motherboard (2) X16, (2) X8, and (3) M.2 slots.
64GB 3200 MHZ DDR4
1TB M.2 for OS
(4) 1TB M.2 in carrier card in RAID 0 for data sets

Last night I bought a MSI gaming 3090 should be here next week.

I don’t know exactly what his plan is yet but I want to build a general purpose setup that he can remote into from his place and do whatever he wants. Does this seem like a reasonable build, anything I should change? what would be the best operating system to install? Any advice?

Thanks

 

[Wasmachineman_NL]

X299 will not work with a 2970WX /s

AI/ML stuff is very memory intensive so you might quickly run out of RAM and VRAM. Also, that 3090 absolutely needs good cooling because of backside VRAM.

 

[jeeperforlife]

X299 will not work with a 2970WX /s

AI/ML stuff is very memory intensive so you might quickly run out of RAM and VRAM. Also, that 3090 absolutely needs good cooling because of backside VRAM.

The X299 was a typo. I meant X399. I have been running this CPU and motherboard for a couple years in my server.

I went 3090 because that was the most cost effective way to get more then 16GB of VRAM.

How much RAM would you recommend? I could upgrade to 128GB pretty easy. I still have 4 open slots.

 

[Wasmachineman_NL]

The X299 was a typo. I meant X399. I have been running this CPU and motherboard for a couple years in my server.

I went 3090 because that was the most cost effective way to get more then 16GB of VRAM.

How much RAM would you recommend? I could upgrade to 128GB pretty easy. I still have 4 open slots.

If you have the modules on hand I don't see anything wrong with going 128GB RAM, other than Threadripper 2000 having a dogshit IMC that can't handle higher speeds.

 

[Styp]

I am somehow familiar with the field and in my opinion and my experience:

- Save on the CPU, and platform - unless you need it
- Buy at least 128GB Ram

I would settle for a W680, 13xxx, 128GB Ram platform and start from there. It saves you a lot of money compared to a TR and can be used as a general workstation. I run a Xeon 6212u, but only because I really need AVX-512, and 24-cores are handy; but the 13900k without OC and ECC ram (4800) runs 'circles' around my build. (unless AVX-512 is needed and the Pci-e lanes...).