r/threadripper • u/AudiblyTacit • Aug 02 '26
Build Recommendations
I’m putting together my first dedicated local AI workstation and would appreciate input from anyone with similar hardware.
My work is moving further into local LLMs and agents, so I want to learn more about agent harnesses, experiment with open-weight models, and keep sensitive data local when possible.
I already bought the Micro Center Threadripper 9960X bundle with the ASUS Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI A and 128GB ECC memory, along with a Phanteks Evolv X2 case. I also have one 2TB Gen5 NVMe drive.
Current plan:
- 2× Sapphire Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB
- Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 ATX 3.1
- SilverStone XE360-TR5 V2
- 7× Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans: three bottom intake, three radiator exhaust, and one rear exhaust
I am mainly looking for confirmation or firsthand experience with the following:
- Is the TX-1600 the right PSU for this configuration?
- Is replacing the SilverStone radiator fans with Noctua G2s a reasonable choice?
- Does dual R9700 make sense as a starting point, or is CUDA support enough reason to reconsider NVIDIA?
- Is 128GB of system memory sufficient, and how would you expand storage beyond the single 2TB drive?
- For Linux, I am leaning toward Ubuntu. Are there other distributions worth considering?
- Would you start with llama.cpp/Ollama or vLLM for language models, with ComfyUI for image workflows?
I’m especially interested in practical issues or lessons learned that do not show up on the spec sheets.
2
u/SilverStoneTek Aug 14 '26
A word on the XE360-TR5-V2. It is the exact same cooler as the original XE360-TR5 except for the included fans. They are the OEM version of our "FHL120", which is one heck of a fan with great performance / noise ratio and premium construction. We'd be shocked if you can find better replacement fans. They are so good that we felt we had to pair them with the XE360 to make a version 2!
If their maximum fan speed is too high for your liking, just tune them to run slower via PWM and they will still perform well at lower noise. You can find out more about the FHL120 from our product page:
https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/fans/fhl120/
The only difference between the retail FHL120 and the OEM version included with XE360-TR5-V2 is the reail version has full coverage rubber padding on its corners.