PC Specialist Sentinel Review w/ AMD Threadripper Pro

Rating: 8.0.

PC Specialist's Sentinel workstation packs a 32-core AMD Threadripper Pro with 128GB of 8-channel ECC DDR4 memory on a monumental Asus motherboard with an XFX RX 6800 XT graphics card. Those components cost a total of £5,000 at retail prices so we are looking at one of the most extreme computers we have ever reviewed at KitGuru… and you can be sure that our expectations are going to be sky high. 

Full System Spec

• Case Fractal Design Define 7 XL Tower Case
• Processor AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3975WX 32 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.2GHz, 144MB Cache)
• Processor Cooling Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
• Motherboard Asus Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WiFi (Intel dual 10bit G LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, SLI)
• Memory 128GB Kingston DDR4 2666MHz ECC Unbuffered (8x 16GB).
• Graphics Card XFX Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB
• 1st M.2 SSD Drive 500GB Samsung 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/s Read, 5000MB/s Write)
• 1st Storage Drive 2TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5″ SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/s Read, 530MB/s Write)
• Power Supply Corsair 1000W RMx Series Modular 80 Plus Gold
• Sound Card Onboard 6 Channel (5.1) HD Audio
• Network Card 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN Port (Wi-Fi not included)
• USB/Thunderbolt Options Min. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 Ports @ Back Panel + Min. 2 Front Ports
• Operating System Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit

It was quite an eye-opener for us to remove the motherboard assembly from the Fractal Design Define 7 XL case and realise just how simple the build process is for this workstation. The case requires a small amount of preparation as the width of the motherboard means that cables cannot route through the usual holes, so they instead go around the side of the motherboard tray.

PC Specialist chose to use the case in storage mode with the mid-section of the case moved to open up the large number of drive bays. As you will have seen in our video, there is only a single 2.5-inch SATA SSD on the back side of the case, which means you have a huge amount of space. Quite why PC Specialist did not use some of that space for more cooling fans is a mystery.

On the subject of space, just take a look at the Asus motherboard and check out the unused M.2 slot, PCI Express slots, SATA ports and U.2 connectors. In addition the Fractal Design 7 XL case has a huge number of empty drive bays so it is clear this Sentinel system has almost unlimited scope for expansion.

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