[neilv]

If you only have $1K or less to spend, and you don't already have a sufficient PC that you can upgrade with a big GPU...

A non-Threadripper Ryzen, a big GPU, and a big PSU in a big case will go most of the way for most people, and leave you with an easy incremental upgrade path for bigger GPUs (or maybe add a second GPU).

Slightly dated info for my current ML server, which is nicely quiet in my living room, thanks to Noctua: https://www.neilvandyke.org/machine-learning/

(Side note that's not in that page: I like to use older ThinkPads with transplanted vintage keyboards for my workstations, so I needed to make a separate box for the GPU. But life would be easiler, with a lot less juggling complexity, if I simply had the big GPU in my laptop rather.)

[disgruntledphd2]

I recently bought a P73 thinkpad specced out like this, and it's great.

However, putting a GPU and lots of RAM into a laptop makes it very, very heavy so it's worth thinking about if that's acceptable for you.

[0xfaded]

I just bought a specced out 1950x on a x399 with 64gb ram (plus the box, power, etc) for about $800, which I think is the fair price for 3 year old hardware. It needs a GPU, but for my usecase it's perfect.

I'm also in Europe, so prices are higher.

[disgruntledphd2]

Yeah, me too. I spent a lot of money on this machine, but amortised over about five years (which is how long my last one lasted), it's acceptable (that's what I keep telling myself anyway).

[CoolGuySteve]

If you do plan on buying a GPU you should wait for the Ampere-based 3000 series to come out sometime in the next few months.

It's a process shrink so the performance gain per dollar should be comparable to the 900 -> 1000 series transition.

[juped]

Threadripper has its own socket type so I'd go with a cheaper or older one of those. Though I think third-gen threadripper is another socket entirely

[junar]

The problem is that Threadripper mobos are expensive, and as you said, 3000-series Threadripper don't use the same socket as earlier Threadrippers. Under $1000, it's better to optimize the budget for GPU and RAM, and avoid spending too much on the CPU+mobo. You can always upgrade the latter two together if needed.