Upgrade log for my move to an EPYC build. My original intention was to move to a medium-to-high core count system that brought back IPMI to my main server. I previously lost IPMI in moving to a consumer board + i7-11700K build. You’ll see column (G) is a SuperMicro board that would bring back IPMI without requiring the switch to ECC DDR4 ram or a new CPU. Ultimately, I opted for an entirely new build.
I ended up going with individual parts vs eBay combos. It turned out that would be cheaper. I also factored in eBay cashback and the value of selling my i7-11700K build. Finally, I factored in the power difference (estimated to be 25w per year at $1/w/year) over 2 years) out of curiosity.
| Item | EPYC H12 | Actual Price w/ Tax | Retailer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU 7282 EPYC | $90.00 | $98.33 | eBay | $90 Best Offer |
| CPU Cooler ARCTIC Freezer 4U-M | $45.00 | $70.00 | Amazon | Came with thermal paste. (5% cash back) |
| Motherboard H12SSL-I | $520.00 | $541.00 | Amazon | New. (5% cash back) |
| RAM (128GB 3200Mhz) | $160.00 | $227.24 | eBay | |
| GPU Intel ARC A380 | $120.00 | $111.00 | NewEgg | TikTok (NewEgg) |
| Inital Cost (estimate) | $935.00 | $1,047.57 | ||
| eBay Cash Back | -$50.00 | -$50.00 | Spend $150 get $50 | |
| 11th gen build | -$470.00 | -$470.00 | Full build sale | |
| Price | $415.00 | $527.57 |
* Initially, I went for a CPU cooler that was $40-50, but I wasn’t confident in the eBay order. I tried via Amazon, and they sent the wrong cooler. I ended up ordering the Arctic, and I am happy I did. I also estimated my RAM pricing to around 2666MHz speed RAM, but a friend suggested getting the max my combo supported, which was 3200MHz, so I went for it. And I discovered that you could get up to $20 off buying things from NewEgg via their TikTok shop and could grab the A380 for $20 less.
Some other various parts: