Supermicro specs the server for 10 to 35C, but the motherboard for 0 to 60C,
the limitation seems to be the power supply. But it's a 200W power supply.
-----Original Message-----
From: Rory Conaway
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 10:26 PM
To: af@afmug.com
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT - 8 core ATOM server
Ken, did you notice the temperature rating?
Rory
-----Original Message-----
From: Af [mailto:af-boun...@afmug.com] On Behalf Of Ken Hohhof
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 9:23 PM
To: af@afmug.com
Subject: [AFMUG] OT - 8 core ATOM server
I know you may scoff at the idea of a server based on a lowly ATOM chip.
And the idea of paying around $545 for one, plus RAM and HDD.
But I am putting a couple Supermicro 5018A-TN4 servers into service, and so
far I'm pretty impressed with them. I just pop in an 8 GB stick of DRAM and
a 256GB 850 Pro SSD and then load CentOS 7. I think these could even be
used for virtualization, if you don't need hot plug HDD or hardware RAID,
like maybe you have a SAN.
These are in a short depth 1U chassis that easily mounts to a 2 post rack,
no need for a rail kit. The CPU has a passive heatsink, there is a chassis
fan but I suspect everything would be fine if the fan died, the power
consumption seems negligible under normal load. It's as if it generates
zero heat. So with an SSD, there is little to fail, it's probably down to
the power supply. Despite the compact size, nothing inside is crowded. The
chassis seems to be a dedicated design for this server, not one of their
multipurpose chassis. My only complaint is there's almost no room on the
front for any labels, unless you cover up the logo and serial number.
Some highlights:
2.4 GHz 8 core ATOM C2750 SOC (8 physical cores) up to 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
ECC SO-DIMM (yes, ECC memory)
2 x 3.5" or 4 x 2.5" HDD bays
4 x GbE interfaces plus IPMI
1 PCI-E slot
Doesn't make much sense as a desktop, definitely a server.
I wondered about the 8 physical cores without hyperthreading support, I kept
thinking that was equivalent to a 4 core CPU with HT. But I did a little
reading, and realized you don't just count virtual cores to estimate
performance, especially if the tasks are computation intensive not memory
intensive.
There is also a 5018A0TN7B model for network security appliance use, based
on the C2758 SOC which includes encryption support. 7xGbE with software
controlled bypass, and up to 64 GB of UDIMM. That's a lot of memory.
