My ideal lower end server CPU, what is yours?

[Arwen]

After looking for years, I have not found a decent low end server style CPU line, with these features:

• Recent core release
• ECC memory
• 4 channel memory
• >=40 PCIe lanes, (with at least 8, preferably 16, being able to transform into SATA ports if desired)
• Lower power modes
• Hyper-threading enabled
• 2 to 16 cores
• >=2 x USB 3.2, 10Gbps ports
• >=2 x USB 3 5Gbps ports, (or more 10Gbps ports)
• >=4 x USB 2 480Mbps ports
• Built in standard serial port, (for console if desired)

At present, AMD has not released such a line. It's either somewhat embedded Epyc 3000 series which is using much older core design. Or the much more capable 7000 or 9000 series, (with their added power consumption AND COST.)

In some ways it makes sense for AMD to push people on to desktop type CPUs which already have most of those features, Even some desktop CPUs have official ECC memory support.

But, these features are missing, which I consider quite desirable for a server CPU;

• 4 channel memory
• >=40 PCIe lanes, (with at least 8, preferably 16, being able to transform into SATA ports if desired)

The latest Ryzen, the 7000 series is dual channel memory, and only has 24 PCIe lanes. I was unable to find if the Ryzen 7000 series has built in SATA ports, or if they all come from the chipset.


Intel also has variations, but I don't recall any truly suitable for the list of features I describe above.


Anyone else want to give their opinion on a low end server CPU line wish list?

 

[Davvo]

Not really for a enterprise-grade server, but for a soho:

• ECC RAM
• 2C/4T or 4C
• 5.0 GHz boost clock
• low power consumption under small loads
• at the very least 24 PCIe lanes (one x16 and one x8)
• single internal USB 2.0 for the boot drive
• 1Gbps and IPMI
• at least 64GB of MAX RAM

 

[Ericloewe]

After looking for years, I have not found a decent low end server style CPU line, with these features:

• Recent core release
• ECC memory
• 4 channel memory
• >=40 PCIe lanes, (with at least 8, preferably 16, being able to transform into SATA ports if desired)
• Lower power modes
• Hyper-threading enabled
• 2 to 16 cores
• >=2 x USB 3.2, 10Gbps ports
• >=2 x USB 3 5Gbps ports, (or more 10Gbps ports)
• >=4 x USB 2 480Mbps ports
• Built in standard serial port, (for console if desired)

So a modern Xeon E5. I totally get that. Technically more or less available in the Xeon W series, but not really.

 

[Arwen]

So a modern Xeon E5. I totally get that. Technically more or less available in the Xeon W series, but not really.

If I understand pricing, a Xeon E5 series or Xeon W series, combined with suitable compact system board, (Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX), would have standard retail cost more than $1,000. Possibly even more than $1,500. Not including memory, case or power supply.

Yeah, not really.

I suspect both Intel & AMD don't want to eat into their "real" server line, with a lighter weight server line. AMD has not refreshed the Epyc 3000 line since it came out in February 2018.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

I love Supermicro's Atom based Mini-ITX boards, but those do not match you requirements wrt the number of PCIe lanes.

 

[Arwen]

The number of PCIe lanes is a stickler. For example;

16x lanes for PCIe slot
4x lanes for 1st M.2 NVMe slot
4x lanes for 2nd M.2 NVMe slot
2x lanes for 3rd M.2 slot, (which can support a WiFi card or NVMe for boot)
8x lanes or 8x SATA ports, (some Epyc boards allow changing functions)

That alone is 34 lanes. Add in 2 more lanes used for server style dual network controller, another lane potentially for IPMI / BMC, and that is 37 lanes. Rounded up, that is 40 lanes.

Today with NVMe taking front stage, being able to change a 4x or 8x connector on the system board from SATA to PCIe makes total sense.

Ryzen has a maximum of 24 from the CPU. Some more from the chipset. But, no where near 40. Intel can be at times opaque in what low end server CPUs support.

 

[Davvo]

I suspect both Intel & AMD don't want to eat into their "real" server line, with a lighter weight server line. AMD has not refreshed the Epyc 3000 line since it came out in February 2018.

Intel sure does. They axed ECC from the i3 line for this reason I believe... but they do embedded models with ECC support. This is purely intentional.

Intel® Core™ i3-13100 Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz) Product Specifications

Intel® Core™ i3-13100 Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz) quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

Intel® Core™ i3-13100E Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.40 GHz) Product Specifications

Intel® Core™ i3-13100E Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.40 GHz) quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

AMD I don't know.

 

[Ericloewe]

I wouldn't be so sure about ECC on the i3s. Every other generation they seem to get rid of ECC on the i3s and then people look at them and they do support ECC after all, then Intel quietly updates Ark accordingly...

It's all really silly, really.

 

[Elliot Dierksen]

My current CPU is Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2637 v4 @ 3.50GHz. I was using E5-2637/E5-2637 v2 in my previous hardware, and those have all worked quite well for me. They are cheaper because they are only 4 core. I use mine for storage only. The virtualization is on different hosts with Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz.

 

[Etorix]

At present, AMD has not released such a line. It's either somewhat embedded Epyc 3000 series which is using much older core design. Or the much more capable 7000 or 9000 series, (with their added power consumption AND COST.)

It's almost as if AMD was acting on (the higher end of) your wishes.
First, low end parts for the Milan 7003 range:

AMD Adds New Low Power AMD EPYC 7003 SKUs

AMD has new low-power EPYC 7003 "Milan" SKUs in an ultra-competitive move against Intel at the lower-end of the server CPU market

www.servethehome.com

Then the new Siena 8004 line, which looks like a replacement for EPYC 3001:

AMD EPYC 8004 Siena Launched for Lower Power EPYC Edge

The new AMD EPYC 8004 "Siena" is the company's low-power Zen 4c processor line ranging from 8-64 cores and 70-225W

www.servethehome.com

In some ways it makes sense for AMD to push people on to desktop type CPUs which already have most of those features, Even some desktop CPUs have official ECC memory support.

I fear that the main issue is that CPUs are growing even bigger, to the point where server CPUs are way oversized and over powered for for our home NAS/home lab.—not to mention too expensive. Cheaper parts are then either older parts (as we do when we recycle good old Xeons E5 as home servers…) or desktop-class parts, which may not be server-ish enough.
EPYC 8004 is directed at telecoms, like the Xeon D-1700 range (a X12SDV-4C-SP6F may, almost, fit the lower end of your wish list: 4C/8T, 3 RAM channels… but only 2 exposed by Supermicro boards, 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes from the CPU + 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes switchable to 8 SATA and a splattering of M.2 slots (M-key x4/B-key x2/E-key x1) from the PCH part of the SoC; 25 GbE on-board, 46 W TDP, ca. 950 EUR at retail). These may be "usable" at home as a more powerful alternative to Atom C3000, and more recent than the Xeon D-1500 line, but the issue remains that neither AMD nor Intel caters for home servers.

By the way, my own ideal low end server CPU is still the Atom C3000 line. Still perfect for a SATA-based NAS (and not superseded by the newer Atom P5000 in this role)—but admittedly not suitable for NVMe-based capacity storage, if this become mainstream.

 

[Arwen]

Nice that AMD is adding depth to it's product line. Thank you for linking in those articles.

But at those wattages and core counts, I can't really call them low end server CPUs for home or small office. The 8024 has 16 cores and closer to reasonable wattage of 90. But, the 7203P at 120 watts, yet more reasonable core count of 8, still misses what I suggest as ideal.

 

[MrGuvernment]

My Intel Xeon Silver 4114 is nice, but does use up to 85wand is 5 years old.........and no real option to tweak that down in the HP Z6 G4 it comes in :(

Maybe one day! It is the price that gets us every time...

 

[DigitalMinimalist]

• CPU 6-12c / 12-16t
• 2 channel ECC memory >= 128GB max (4x DIMM slots)
• >=32 PCIe lanes (1x16x, 1x 4x, 2x 4x for m.2) - bifurcation possible
• Low idle power
• >= 4 SATA
• Intel NIC preferred
• iGPU with transcoding capability
• Reasonable price

The only option option that fits today imho is a AM4 Pro APU (4650G, 4760G, 5650G, 5750G) - B550, A520 Mainboard, e.g. ASUS ROG Strix B550-A…

Intel W680 is too expensive, and the Intel i3 8xxx/9xxx with C246 Mainboard isn’t cheap either and max 4C/8T

Skipping ECC requirement adds a lot of options

 

[awasb]

It's not x86, but ...

 

[Davvo]

It's not x86, but ...

What is running with? ARM?

 

[awasb]

RISC-V. With shipping to Europe it would be around € 150,-. That's nothing for that nice "lightweight". Debian is almost there. Ubuntu is.

 

[Davvo]

RISC-V

Google, I summon you!

Show : Wait, let me ask ChatGPT.

RISC-V is an open and royalty-free instruction set architecture (ISA) that is designed to be highly versatile, customizable, and suitable for a wide range of applications. ISA is a critical aspect of computer architecture, as it defines the set of instructions that a computer's central processing unit (CPU) can execute.
Here are some key features and characteristics of RISC-V:

1. Open and Royalty-Free: RISC-V is open-source and does not have any licensing fees associated with its use. This openness encourages innovation and allows for broader adoption across a variety of industries.
2. Customizable: RISC-V is designed to be highly modular and customizable. It provides a base ISA with a minimal set of instructions, and additional extensions can be added to support specific tasks or applications. This flexibility makes it adaptable for a wide range of devices, from embedded systems to supercomputers.
3. Scalable: The RISC-V ISA is available in various standard configurations, including 32-bit (RV32), 64-bit (RV64), and 128-bit (RV128) versions. This scalability enables designers to choose the appropriate bit width for their specific needs.
4. Compliant with Standards: RISC-V is designed to be compatible with existing software and hardware standards, making it easier to integrate with other components and technologies.
5. Research and Academia: RISC-V has gained popularity in academic and research settings due to its open nature and suitability for experimentation. It has become a valuable platform for teaching computer architecture and processor design.
6. Industry Adoption: RISC-V has garnered interest and support from various industry players, including technology companies, semiconductor manufacturers, and startups. Some companies have developed RISC-V-based processors and products for commercial use.
7. Global Community: RISC-V has a diverse and active global community of developers and enthusiasts who contribute to its development and expansion.

RISC-V's open nature and flexibility have led to its adoption in a wide range of applications, including IoT devices, microcontrollers, smartphones, data centers, and supercomputers. It offers an alternative to proprietary ISAs like ARM or x86, allowing companies and individuals to have more control over their processor designs and reduce dependency on a single vendor.

RISC-V processors can run normal programs just like processors based on other instruction set architectures (ISAs) such as x86 and ARM. RISC-V is designed to be compatible with existing software and hardware standards, which means that it can execute a wide range of software, including general-purpose applications, operating systems, and development tools.
Here's how RISC-V compatibility with normal programs works:

1. Operating Systems: RISC-V is capable of running various operating systems, including Linux, Unix-like systems, and real-time operating systems. These operating systems have been adapted or developed to work with RISC-V processors.
2. Compiler Support: RISC-V has a growing ecosystem of compilers, including GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) and LLVM, which can be used to compile high-level programming languages (e.g., C, C++, Rust) into RISC-V machine code.
3. Software Porting: Existing software written for other ISAs (e.g., x86 or ARM) can be ported to RISC-V with some effort. This typically involves recompiling the software for the RISC-V architecture and resolving any architecture-specific issues. Many open-source projects and libraries have been or are being ported to RISC-V to support this effort.
4. Development Tools: A variety of development tools, such as debuggers, profilers, and integrated development environments (IDEs), are available or being developed for RISC-V to facilitate software development and debugging.
5. Compatibility Layers: In some cases, compatibility layers or emulation software can be used to run programs written for other architectures on RISC-V processors. These solutions can bridge the gap between different ISAs, allowing software to run without modification.

Overall, RISC-V's goal is to be compatible with the software ecosystem, making it possible to run "normal" programs on RISC-V processors. As the RISC-V ecosystem continues to mature, the availability of software and tools for this architecture will increase, making it easier for developers to work with RISC-V-based systems.

 

[Davvo]

RISC-V. With shipping to Europe it would be around € 150,-. That's nothing for that nice "lightweight". Debian is almost there. Ubuntu is.

If you plan running TN on it, let me know how it performs!

 

[Etorix]

Well, that would require porting TrueNAS to RISC-V and inline ECC is not the real ECC we crave to offer to the almighty god of ZFS…
But it's a nice cute CPU.

 

[Arwen]

Well, 16 cores WITH vector command set, that's pretty nice. The design is 12 x 2.5 GHz performance cores, 4 x 1.6 GHz efficiency cores

The spec sheet says 128 bit memory bus, so that implies 2 x 64 bit memory channels.

Here is the proposed board based on that chip;

Sophgo SG2380 - A 2.5 GHz 16-core SiFive P670 RISC-V processor with a 20 TOPS AI accelerator - CNX Software

Sophgo SG2380 is an upcoming 2.5 GHz 16-core RISC-V processor based on SiFive Performance P670 cores and also equipped with a 20 TOPS AI accelerator using

www.cnx-software.com

As for storage, the board specification based on that chip has 4 SATA III ports and M.2 M-Key socket for NVMe SSD (PCIe 3.0 x4).

Networking on the board only lists 2x 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, not the chips used. So likely cheaper parts.

Expansion would be a single PCIe x16 slot with PCIe Gen 3 x8 signal. The chip design does support more variations of PCIe, but this board only seems to have a single slot.