AMD ThreadRipper Pro

Water Cooled Workstation

AMD vs Intel

AMD has disrupted the dominance of Intel, piece by piece. First with their Ryzen desktop processor that literally made Intel’s i7 irrelevant immediately. Typhoons Systems started after the launch of Ryzen Zen 1 series because we saw that Ryzen Zen architecture out performs Intel’s processor and not as over-priced. We knew we were right when our competition who were super buddy with Intel started to cozy up with AMD after Zen 2’s launch. AMD has also gone after Intel’s share in laptop and datacenter, in these two segment things are a little slow as the big boys like Dell, HP and Lenovo are very slow to adapt for reasons only they know. Recently with the announcement of ThreadRipper Pro, AMD has officially entered the workstation market. ThreadRipper Pro is only available to custom builder like Typhoon Systems.

D H L WorkStation

Traditionally, when you speak of workstation, brands like D,H,L comes to mind. Dell, HP and Lenovo. Their extensive range of Intel based workstation will pop up. For a long long time, they were the only options. With ThreadRipper Pro, AMD is set to disrupt Intel’s lucrative workstation market.

A quick look at HP’s offering, their Z6 and Z8 configuration, Z6 is a single processor and Z8 is a dual processor. You could opt for the top end Intel Xeon Platinum 8280, 28 Cores 2.7GHz, 38.5MB cache, 205, W TDP. So how much is this processor? On Intel’s ARK site, this processor is listed as US$10,009 (based on 1000 pieces order, as per their explanation), based on the exchange rate of 1.4, it will be about SG$14,012. How much is a ThreadRipper Pro 3975WX, 32 Cores, 3.5GHz, 128MB Cache 280W TDP? The price of the ThreadRipper Pro 3975WX ranges between SG$4-5000. Businesses have been paying premium dollars for potato performance. This must change NOW!

AMD ThreadRipper Pro

AMD’s ThreadRipper Pro is currently the price leader and the king in performance. This is why ThreadRipper Pro is the heart of Typhoon Systems’ new S-Ripper Pro. As the leader in custom AMD build in Singapore, S-Ripper Pro, is the most customizable workstation you can find in Singapore.

S-Ripper Pro is not the only ThreadRipper Pro workstation in Singapore. The other creditable option is the Lenovo P620. There are other builder out there, but looking at their configuration, we decided not to waste time on them.

As at 10th May 2021, the based price for the Lenovo P620 is $3291.20 after a discount of $448.80, is a 12 Core 24 Threads ThreadRipper Pro, 16GB single DIMM ECC memory, 256GB Gen3x4 NVMe SSD, 1TB 7200RPM HDD and NO GPU. *when you customise and select the GPU, remember to select the mini DP to DP cable if the GPU has only mini DP ports.

Like Uncle Roger, we have to put out leg down when we see the base config. Here is a list of why:

  • An upgrade to the 32 cores 3975WX will burn a SG$5010 hole in your pocket. Going for a 12 Core system, many would rather opt for the Ryzen 9 5900X.
  • ThreadRipper Pro is capable of 8 channel memory and the base configure is not even a dual channel config.
  • PCIe Gen3 NVMe when Gen4 is available and much faster!
    P620 no Gen4
  • When you select the Quadro P620, you will need to select the cables. We convinced ourselves that this is to reduce e-waste.
    P620 no Amphere
  • At base price the warranty is a 1 year onsite. OMG!
    P620 1 year Onsite
  • Great discount? Think again. Our opinion is that it has been grossly marked up thus the generous discount.

S-Ripper Pro

At Typhoon Systems, our geeks takes pride in our build. S-Ripper Pro is a workstation build, to be in the league of the workstations provided by D, H, L, we must use workstation grade parts like ECC memory. an occasional 1 bit error can be rather disastrous! A big advantage for S-Ripper Pro is there are no proprietary parts.

What else should you take note of when you build your ThreadRipper Pro from a custom builder? Other builders can Dream, Masa masa and even Shock you with their prices as they use parts meant for gaming in your workstation build. One thing you should not allow any of them to cut corner, is the CPU cooler. ThreadRipper Pro uses SP3 socket which is larger then AM4 which most are familiar with. ThreadRipper Pro is a larger processor with up to 8 chiplets, has a larger surface area that must be completely covered by the CPU cooler block. A CPU cooler that is SP3 compatible does not mean it is able to cover the entire surface area of ThreadRipper Pro.

Our geeks, took effort to source and look for CPU cooler (air) and CPU water block that is designed for the larger surface area of ThreadRipper Pro. The new WRX80 mainboards, threw another curve ball thus we had to be extra careful when we pick the CPU Cooler. Proper cooling is important for stable operation of the workstation. For those that noticed the TDP of the ThreadRipper Pro, it is at 280W. With great power, comes heat. If your workload stresses the CPU, we have the S-Ripper Pro AQUA, 32 Cores, 64 Threads at 100%, CPU temp is @ less than 70 degrees Celsius.

With accumulated experience since ThreadRipper generation 01 and EPYC builds we are able to launch S-Ripper Pro (AQUA), that has out classed competition.


Red October

About Andrew

Andy is an award winning multi-skilled veteran with an extensive background in visual and broadcast design. Trained traditionally in the graphic arts and animation. He has acquired core technical skills in illustration, concept art, visualising, scamping, storyboarding and pitching, which have proven in helping deliver powerful Creative Solutions to clients, from the conceptual stage to final delivery, on budget and on time. ​​
With over 10 years of experience, he has worked on some of the biggest brands from broadcast to the music industry. During his tenure, he has successfully won pitches for some of the most coveted Award Shows. From the Kerrang Awards, Mojo Awards to the Empire Movie Awards, delivering outstanding and complete motion design packages from conception to execution. Andy was given the responsibility to oversee, lead and liaise with clients, and would often go above and beyond to ensure the final product meet client’s vision and brand.​
http://www.andrewyap.london/

AWARDS//

2016 PROMAXBDA GLOBAL EXCELLENCE PROMOTION, MARKETING AND DESIGN AWARDS DISCOVERY CREATIVE LONDON // ENTRY: WHEELER DEALERS (QUEST) // CATEGORY: ART DIRECTION & DESIGN – PROGRAM BUMPER

2016 PROMAXBDA GLOBAL EXCELLENCE PROMOTION, MARKETING AND DESIGN AWARDS DISCOVERY CREATIVE LONDON // ENTRY: VE DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY (DISCOVERY) // CATEGORY: ART DIRECTION & DESIGN: HOLIDAY / SEASONAL / SPECIAL EVENTS SPOT

His tools

Andy does a lot of 3D content creation for a living, using Cinema 4D and Octane. Hence he needed a machine that will keep up with him, with no barriers and no compromise. 

Challenges faced

Andy primarily uses his Mac for his work. However, he spends more them waiting for his render to complete then actually doing his work. He needed a machine that does the heavy lifting task of rendering. He began his search for a company that can advice and build this machine for him.

 

 

Solutions by Typhoon Systems

It was in October 2017, that Andy found us. By understanding his work and his tools. We picked a Ryzen 7 1800x, the fastest desktop Zen CPU from the AMD stable. With 8 cores and 16 threads and a base clock of 3.6 Ghz (4.0 Ghz turbo), it was one of the few CPUs that was up to the mammoth task at hand.

To this we added the twin MSI GTX 1080 GPUs, with a very lovely-looking HB SLI bridge to match. All of that sat on a MSI X370 Gaming Plus motherboard, along with 32GB of the finest G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 RAM.

As this machine is meant to be a workstation where downtime absolutely has to be kept to a minimum. We eschewed all forms of liquid cooling like AIOs with pumps and tubings that may take precious man-hours to repair and/or maintain in the future.

Instead we went with the tried-and-tested Cryorig H5 CPU cooler with its absolutely humongous 140mm fan and heatsink to match. It was also for this reason that we went with the Sharkoon TG5 casing (with Red Leds). A single 120mm fan to the rear and three more 120mm fans in the front. One can tell that we kind of threw the word “overkill” out of our English dictionary in the process.


Roku custom unit 003

The Phoenix rise from the ashes!

The owner of this PC, who plays a lot of E-Sports titles like League Of Legends and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and streams his gameplay regularly initially came to us to buy a brand-new Zotac GTX 1070 AMP Edition and WD SSD to upgrade his existing 3770K rig. The main reason being that he thought that his previous GPU was not working. He brought them home only to realise that he still did not get any video out from his brand-new GTX 1070 as well and called us for help.

We swung into action, did a diagnosis and discovered that the culprit was actually a damaged PCI-E slot and lanes, which in our experience is a fairly common occurrence for Haswell and older motherboards, before manufacturers realised the need for reinforced PCI-E slots to account for the new, bigger and heavier GPUs. Based on this assessment, the owner decided to take this opportunity to totally refresh his entire machine. 

We stripped the CM Storm Scout 2 chassis of all its components, cleaned it out of rust, dust and dirt and replaced the corroded screws and standoffs with new ones. The CM Storm Scout 2 is still a excellent design with lots of room, so we recommended to the owner to salvage it, alongside the Seasonic 750W modular PSU he had. We also took the opportunity to totally redo the cable management and arrangement from scratch

Everything else however got replaced with brand-new parts. The 3770K was retired in favour of a Ryzen 5 1600, with 6 cores, 12 threads and modestly overclocked to 3.7 Ghz. Alongside a MSI B350 Tomahawk and 16 GB of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4, this setup will not only allow him to play his games to the limits, but stream it as well easily to his audience. The GTX 1070 and WD SSD he bought earlier went in to complete this picture of bliss.

When it was all done up, we decided that such a revival deemed that we give her a new name. After much deliberation, we christened her Fenghuang (凤凰), a Chinese mythological bird bearing some similarities to the western phoenix and often representing loyalty, power and integrity. The Japanese term is Hō-ō (鳳凰), which should sound very familiar to Pokemon fans

The old setup consisted of a Intel i7-3770k and a Asus motherboard which was found with damaged PCI-E slot.
The phoenix rise from the ashes! A quick change of the motherboard with a new processor and memory ensured the user can enjoy his chicken dinner.

Build Specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 CPU
MSI B350 Tomahawk
G.Skill Ripjaws V 2400Mhz 16GB kit
Zotac GTX 1070 AMP 8GB GPU
Western Digital Blue SSD 250GB


S-Ripper custom unit 000: Rafale

An interior design and build company approached us with a pressing issue that they had.

With their designers using Autodesk 3ds Max & Sketchup for design & V-ray for rendering work, their current Xeon workstations were struggling to keep up with deadlines for the projects they were taking on, and they found brand-new upgraded models on the market somewhat very lacking when it came to price–performance ratio.

And our solution to their problem was the S-Ripper unit 000: Rafale.

Packed with 16 cores and 32 threads, the Threadripper 1950x CPU at its heart is more than up to handling any design and rendering tasks thrown at it. Among all its other components, of particular note is the Arctic Freezer 33 TR which is one of the few air coolers specifically designed to keep Threadripper CPUs nice and frosty under load.

In honor of the firm's founders who both hail from France, we decided to christen her "Rafale", inspired by the cutting-edge fighter aircraft currently in use by the French Navy and Air Force.

 

Clean looking chassis in the form of a Phanteks P400.
Closed window version at the request of the user.
Plenty of back IO connectivity options.
Clean interior to allow for more airflow.
Simple, no frill.
Red theme fitting in well.
Extra fans were installed at the top of the chassis as per user's request.
The MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 providing the grunt needed for their work, and no, their scope of work does not requires the precise calculations capability of a Quadro, hence their decision to use a GeForce GPU.
Winter is coming with the 3x 120mm Cryorig fans as intake fans.

 


Roku custom unit 002

Our second build was a MATX build with no special requirements. The Galax GPU customer wanted fitted in well with the motherboard with its all white ambient lighting.


Build Specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 CPU
MSI B350M Bazooka
G.Skill Ripjaws V 2400Mhz 16GB kit
Galax GTX 1060 EXOC 6GB GPU
Samsung 850 Evo M.2 250GB SSD
WD Blue 1TB HDD
Seasonic S12II-520 520W PSU
Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 3.1


Roku custom unit 001.

Our first build for a customer was an bespoke build based on our Roku specs. Specific requirements were MATX form factor and chassis with style & elegance. Based on the requirements, we recommended the excellent Phanteks Enthoo Evolv MATX Aluminium Tempered Glass chassis due to its premium aluminium construction and tempered glass panels.

 

Parts for the build.
Completed build.
Enthoo Evolv MATX Aluminium Tempered Glass. The tempered glass panels can be opened like a door, gaining easy access to components.

Build Specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 CPU
Asus Prime B350M
G.Skill Ripjaws V 2400Mhz 16GB Kit
Zotac GTX 1060 Amp! 6GB GPU
Samsung 850 Evo M.2 250GB SSD
WD Blue 1TB HDD
Seasonic M12II-520 520W PSU
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv MATX Aluminium Tempered Glass