If that's the direction you want to go, retired Xeon-based workstations (HP Z, Dell Precision, etc.) also sell for less than new high-end desktop CPUs, have wel

If that's the direction you want to go, retired Xeon-based workstations (HP Z, Dell Precision, etc.) also sell for less than new high-end desktop CPUs, have well-engineered, if proprietary, case designs, and still allow you to bring your own storage and PCIe cards. Power consumption may or may not tip the scales against their favor, though, depending on your location and applications.