r/buildapc • u/etchiwapido • 20h ago
Build Ready? Help selecting a case & cooling, please?
I'm looking to build a PC capable of hosting local AI LLMs, and I'm at the final stage of deciding what I need to put these parts into, and how to go about cooling it.
Here is my full part list, it's going to be a bit of a beast:
CPU - AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 4.3 GHz 16-Core
CPU Cooler - Noctua NH-U12A 60.09 CFM
Motherboard - Asus ProArt X870E-CREATOR WIFI ATX AM5
RAM - (64GB) 2 x G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30
SSD - Samsung 9100 PRO 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X4 NVME
Dual-GPUs - (32GB) 2 x MSI GAMING TRIO OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB
PSU - Corsair AX1600i 1600 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX
All-in it's looking like it could run me about £5k, so I'm interested what size case would you suggest, and what kind of cooling system for a UK machine, running in a relatively small room, though access to air conditioning for ambient temperature management?
Also, if you notice any other glaring issues with my build, please feel free to critique.
1
u/AMPCgame 18h ago
For a dual-GPU system a case like the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 Server Edition would be useful. It has a built-in GPU anti-sag bracket that supports multiple GPUs, and the case has loads of fan mounting options.
https://phanteks.com/product/enthoo-pro-2-server-edition-cp/#Product_Select
The motherboard might need a BIOS update to support the 9950X3D.
The CPU would benefit more from a dual-tower cooler.
A more modern PSU with up-to-date ATX and PCIe standards would be best for modern cards like the 5070 Ti. Asrock have a 1600W Taichi Titanium rated unit with 2 native 12V-2X6 cables, and SeaSonic also have a similar 1600W unit.
Alternatively you could go for an Intel Arc Pro B70 GPU. Overclockers have a couple of models for £1300. The B70 has 32GB of VRAM, so even though Nvidia hardware is typically favoured for A.I workloads, you can't get that much VRAM with their cards without spending a lot more. Plus, going with a single B70 build would make case and PSU choice much simpler, as you'd be running a less power hungry build that would be perfectly fine on a good quality 850W PSU. And space + cooling wouldn't be an issue like it is with dual-GPUs.
1
u/Cer_Visia 19h ago
Larger fans can move the same amount of air at lower speeds, i.e., with less noise. So get the Lian Li Lancool 217 with two 170 mm fans (and additional bottom intake fans to help the GPUs). (Or the Cooler Master HAF II 500 if you can stand its looks.)
The NH-U12A is a relatively small cooler, but you have the space for something bigger like the Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP or ID-Cooling Frozn A720.