Hey Lemmy, I need some recommendations for a CPU-intensive slightly mobile rig. I run a lot of engineering simulations and I need a computer that I can move between my home and work on a semi-frequent basis. I'm looking for something more powerful than a laptop and I'll have monitors/peripherals at both locations. Maybe a mini-ITX in an HTPC style case? The sims don't really make use of GPU, so integrated graphics is just fine. They multi-thread a bit, but there are still single-core bottlenecks in the process, so highest single-core performance is probably pretty important. It's also got to handle 128GB of DDR5 and a M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.
A lot of the faster CPUs seem to need some serious cooling (100W+ TDP!) and I'd rather not have a jet engine roaring constantly since this thing will be sitting right on the desk next to me eating 100% CPU most of the time. Are there small form factor cases that can support water cooling? When Intel says a CPU has a processor base power of 125W, but a Max Turbo Power of 253W, does that imply that the 253W can't be sustained even with enough cooling?
This seems like a good option, assuming your work will let you access remotely. It's honestly surprising to me that they'd let you bring your own hardware back and forth and allow it on the network.
Haha well it's my company, so I can do whatever I want?