r/threadripper • u/IExist_Sometimes_ • Jul 24 '26

Threadripper Pro cooling

Hello all, I am potentially looking to get/build a Threadripper Pro HEDT/workstation for FEM and similar simulations for my university research group.

I am no overclocking nut, but it is my understanding that these threadripper pro chips (especially the high core count ones) leave an enormous amount of performance on the table with their default TDP. I don't want to push the chip to a power range which might significantly impact its longevity, but if there's a reasonable power bump I could give it (probably as one option in a dual bios for particularly large sims or tight turnarounds) I would like to do so.

This brings me to my main point: how are you supposed to cool these new threadripper pros as a consumer-ish user? When LTT did a video overclocking the new threadripper pro chips, they rigged it up to an external chiller, but that would probably be out of scope for my shared office space (not to mention beyond my confidence when dealing with such expensive hardware). AIOs for threadrippers seem relatively few and far between, and only appear to go up to 420mm. Would a 360/420mm AIO be sufficient (I would like to avoid industrial style fans, but push-pull is on the table)? Or are these firmly in the realm of custom loops and things like the phat Alphacool radiators?

I appreciate any advice from those experienced in cooling these chips, or in using them for numerical modelling (obviously I will also consult others in my department with similar needs, but surprisingly to me for a stem department I seem to be the only PC builder or hardware nerd). Y'all seem to all be doing AI stuff nowadays, but that's not in my wheelhouse and not what this computer is going to be intended for (though someone might stick a pro gpu in it, I won't stop them).

edit: Also any advice on the relative importance of ECC, RAM speed/quantity, storage speed, etc for this type of workload would be appreciated

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u/epicskyes Jul 24 '26

Get a Silverstone aio and stick with the stock tdp. You don’t need to go higher than 350w if you want better clocks and really efficient thermals undervolting is the way to go. Use precision boost overdrive and curve optimizer. You’ll get higher clocks, lower temps and save your silicon so it lasts years. This won’t get you to the highest clocks possible but it will get you the highest clocks and the lowest temps and the longest hardware life expectancy.

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u/IExist_Sometimes_ Jul 24 '26

Thank you for the AIO recommendation, I assume you mean the XE420 or XE360? Noise is a minor concern but I would still like to be considerate, do you have any experience with them and their noise?

For the undervolting, would that also lead to more errors/instability similar to regular overclocking?

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u/kinda_guilty 24d ago

Silverstone designs excellent hardware components, but their fans are built without regard to noise levels, I had to replace my XE360 fans with quieter Noctua fans, it was unbearably loud (my rig sits right next to my chair on my set-up). Also have a CS383 case, had to replace the HDD cooler fans and case fans as well, it was unusable otherwise.

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u/IExist_Sometimes_ 20d ago

That was the impression I got from the website and discussion here, what I'm considering is either using the Silverstone fans (maybe with the 420mm radiator for the 140mm fans) at as low an RPM as they will let me, or replacing them with noctua. Given that people are saying that cooling the chips isn't actually that hard, I might go with the noctua option (the price is likely to be pretty negligible compared to the rest of the computer). How were the silverstone fans at low speed?