I'm planning to build a dedicated PC for AI processing and will be running a headless system on Linux—no web browsing or gaming involved. I'm a bit out of touch with the latest PC building techniques and need some guidance. The key component for me is the GPU; I want to run dual 5090s. My requirements are pretty straightforward: 32 GB of RAM is enough, and while the CPU and motherboard aren't my primary concern, they need to be compatible to maximize GPU performance. I plan on using a 500 GB SSD for storage and a robust 1650W PSU.
However, I'm stuck figuring out the CPU, motherboard, and case. I'm aiming for excellent airflow—thinking about the Corsair 7000D. Is the i7-12700F a good choice? What's the best motherboard for running dual 5090s? I've heard that some server boards might be necessary for optimal PCIe speeds, and that's where I feel lost. Overall, I'd like to stay within the $6k to $8k range, but I'm open to spending more if it gets me a better setup. If you were building a PC primarily for GPU processing, what would you recommend?
2 Answers
Honestly, if it were my budget, I'd consider scaling back on the GPUs—maybe go with an RTX 3090—to get a better CPU and more RAM instead. My system has 64GB of RAM and is running an older i9 with a 3090 and a 3080, handling AI tasks decently well. It manages heavy workloads like OCR in just a few minutes, but it does draw a lot of power. Just keeping you mindful of costs as the prices for the latest GPUs and RAM have skyrocketed lately.
It really depends on what your AI workload demands. For PCIe speeds, you might not need to go the server route unless your tasks are particularly bandwidth-heavy. If you want consumer-grade options, consider the ASUS ProArt X870E; it can handle x8/x8 for your 5090s with any AM5 CPU, like the 9950X if you need stronger multithreaded performance. Also, if you can find the Founders Edition of the 5090s, they should offer better cooling for a dual-GPU setup, which is a plus.
Thanks! The ProArt seems like a solid option, and I appreciate the info about the cooling with the FE cards.
I appreciate the insight! My projects will be more graphics-heavy, like AI video generation, so I think I might stick with the 5090s. Thanks again!