Dual RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell Workstation vs Max-Q — planning to add a 3rd very soon, need to decide in 24 hours
Hoping to get some input from people actually running this class of hardware. I have until Monday to make a call and I'd rather not make the wrong one on cards that cost $9k each.
The decision
I already own one RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition. A second one is paid for and shipping Monday. The seller told me today he can still swap that order to a Max-Q if I want. I'm planning to add a third very soon either way, possibly a fourth.
Do I stay on the Workstation Edition in an open-air frame, or switch everything to Max-Q?
I can't stomach losing 6–10% performance on these cards. I know I can power-limit the Workstation to 450W and still beat a 300W Max-Q. But I keep reading that people underestimate what the Workstation cards demand for airflow in a multi-GPU setup. Server Edition is off the table — noise is a different category entirely.
PCIe routing / frame layout
I ordered two riser cables with one-slot brackets. I was originally hoping to lay everything flat on a single horizontal plane but I don't think that's realistic with slot spacing on the WRX90E-SAGE SE. Two-shelf vertical layouts look like the standard approach.
Questions:
- How are people routing PCIe 5.0 risers for 3–4 cards without signal integrity issues?
- Any slots dropping to 4.0 at length, and does it matter for inference workloads?
- Specific off-the-shelf frames people are happy with? I can fabricate but don't have time to, and would rather buy.
Build so far
- ASUS WRX90E-SAGE SE
- Threadripper PRO 9965WX
- 4×64GB DDR5 ECC (Kingston KSM64R52BD4-64HA) — considering adding another 256GB now while this exact SKU is available
- SilverStone HELA 2500W PSU — will likely need a second or a 3000W depending on card count
- Water-cooled CPU, stack of Noctua fans
Environment
Temporary basement space for now — I'm not redoing the basement in the next three years but will eventually. Main concerns in the meantime: dust, heat, long-term power draw. I'm an electrician so the wiring side is handled.
Use case
Automating my electrical contracting business (QuickBooks, Notion, field ops) and some hobby/potential AI side ventures. Three-year horizon on Blackwell — when Rubin drops and it's feasible, I plan to upgrade, which should also cut heat load meaningfully. That's part of why Workstation Edition resale value matters to me now.
Paths I'm weighing
- All Workstation Editions, 3–4 cards in an open frame
- Switch Monday's card to Max-Q, sell my current Workstation, run all Max-Q
- Keep current Workstation, buy next two as Max-Q
- Cap at 3 Workstation cards, jump to Rubin at launch
If you've run this config or something close, I'd love to hear what held up and what you'd do differently.
Thanks in advance.
