[sarah_m]

Hi, I am building a workstation to run OpenFOAM on Ubuntu (academic research) and would appreciate recommendations/suggestions on my proposed build. My budget is ~$4000 USD.

My proposed setup is as follows:

x1 -- AMD EPYC 7302 Processor

x8 -- 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM

x1 -- AMD Radeon Graphics Board

x1 -- Supermicro MBD-H11DSI-B Motherboard

x4 -- Fan

x1 -- CPU Cooler

x1 -- Tower

x1 -- 750W Power Supply

misc. -- internal SSDs, wireless setup.

I ultimately plan to add a second CPU (and CPU Cooler, RAM) to the system, but am starting with just the one for now.

Is this an appropriate/compatible build? I am also looking for help on how to integrate a wireless setup that will run on Linux.

Thanks!

[flotus1]

There sure are a lot of WIFI adapters that work out of the box with Linux these days. The most important thing to look for is an Intel chip.
My go-to solution is Gigabyte GC-WB1733D-I. It's not up to the most recent standards, so if you want that, you will need to do some research.

The workstations with these components will mostly work. I can't access all the links.
But definitely avoid Nemix RAM. There have been reported issues in the past, likely because they use whatever ICs they feel like on any given day. No motherboard manufacturer ever validates with their memory. Stick to Samsung/Micron/Hynix.

CPU: Since you are assembling from parts anyway, you could pick a used CPU. I don't know how much you pay for the 7302, it's one of the links I can't see.
But the Epyc 7532 used on ebay are a pretty good deal, somewhere between 600-700€.

Edit: one thing i forgot. Definitely contact the seller of the H11DSi in advance, and make sure they ship rev 2.x. Earlier revisions only work with Naples, unless you want to fiddle around with modifying bios versions.
Or maybe consider a different motherboard entirely. Gigabyte MZ72-HB0 is expensive, but the best choice for a workstation. Better VRM cooling, better fan controls. Or the Supermicro H12DSi series.
Both have the added benefit of supporting Milan and Milan-X CPUs. That would be somewhat of an upgrade path, when prices for these CPUs drop significantly.

[sarah_m]

Thanks for your quick and informative response! I have modified my proposed setup with your suggestions:

x1 Supermicro MBD-H12DSI-NT6 Socket SP3 Extended ATX Motherboard
x1 AMD EPYC 7532 CPU
x8 Supermicro (Hynix) 16GB 288-Pin DDR4 3200 (PC4-25600) RAM
x1 GIGABYTE GC-WB11ACD-I wifi adapter

(Same graphics card, fans, CPU cooler, tower, power supply as previously posted).

Does this seem like an improved/compatible setup? Sourcing the CPU off eBay helped a lot with costs, too, thank you!!

[flotus1]

No objections here. The 7532 is a significant upgrade compared to the 7302. Twice the cores, twice the L3 cache.

[sarah_m]

Thanks for your help!