Gigabyte R162-ZA0 Server

Description

Designed for standard networking applications, the Gigabyte R162-ZA0 server can be used as a shared Internet connection, for file access via VPN, use as a virtual server or for general networked file storage. For built-in network connectivity it offers dual 1GbE ports via the Intel I350-AM2 controller plus a dedicated management port. At only 1U, it offers 4x 3.5-inch drive bays that can be outfitted with 2.5-inch drives as well. With a single AMD EPYC CPU from either the 7001, 7002, or 7003 series, this platform can still deliver up to 64 physical cores, plus up to 4TB of memory. Power is provided by dual redundant 800W 80PLUS Platinum power supplies.
*This system initially supported a 1st or 2nd Generation AMD EPYC processor (Rev.100) but has since been updated to support a 3rd Gen AMD EPYC CPU (Rev.A00).

Performance – Rev.A00

Revision A00 provided a firmware update updating compatibility of this system to the 3Rd generation AMD EPYC series processors offering a 19% gain in performance over the 2nd generation AMD EPYC CPUs. Along with performance gains, this configuration also supports more memory than rev.100 at up to 4TB at full capacity using 256GB memory modules in all slots. A configurable Thermal Design Point (cTDP) of up to 240W is supported, and includes processors with up to 64 physical cores and 128x virtual threads.

Rev.100

Originally compatible with 1st (7001-series) and 2nd generation (7002-series) AMD EPYC CPUs, this system configuration can support CPUs with a configurable Thermal Design Point (cTDP) of up to 240W. This TDP includes CPUs with up to 64x physical cores and 128x virtual threads for 7002-series CPUs or up to 32x physical cores and 64x virtual threads using 7001-series CPUs. Memory speeds supported include 3200MHz and 2933MHz with a maximum memory capacity of 2TB of memory using 128GB Registered (RIMM) or Load-Reduced (LRDIMM) memory modules.

Memory

The maximum memory complement supported on this system depends on the installed generation of the AMD EPYC processor. The single CPU provides 8x memory channels and is in charge of 16x memory module slots, for 2x DIMMs per channel. With Rev.A00 the specifications list a maximum memory capacity of up to 4TB, using 3DS RDIMM or LRDIMM memory modules.

Storage

4x 3.5-inch storage bays line the front of the Gigabyte R162-ZA0 server and are compatible with SAS or SATA drive formats. The backplane provides for SAS at 12Gb/s and SATA at 6Gb/s. A SAS add-on card (AOC) is required for support of SAS storage devices. The 3.5-inch drive trays are tool-lees unless you outfit them with 2.5-inch drives which will require a few screws to secure the drive. A single M.2 storage device can be installed on the motherboard to support the Operating System.

Expansion

2x risers at the back of the system provide either a x16 or x8 PCIe 4.0 slot for support of additional network controllers or HBA SAS RAID controllers for SAS implementations. One of the risers features a shared connection with an OCP 2.0 PCIe 3.0 x8 mezzanine slot for optional network communication ports and connection speeds. There is also an OCP 3.0 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot that supports a next generation OCP card again with a range of connection ports and link speeds supported, depending on your network communication needs.

Management

Gigabyte provides several software tools to management this system, including the Gigabyte Management Console and Gigabyte Server Management (GSM). Both are provided free of charge with the Gigabyte Management Console preloaded on the system, and provides management tools for a single server or small cluster of servers. GSM on the other hand is designed to support a large number of servers or clusters of servers and features several ancillary programs such as the GSM Agent to leverage the Gigabyte Management Console pre-loaded in each server. There is also a GSM Plugin to allow users to use VMware vCenter for real-time monitoring and management of server clusters. Remote access to the server is provided via a dedicated RJ45 port on the back of the system.

Summary

Delivering an impressive single -socket platform for support of standard Networking applications, the Gigabyte R162-ZA0 server provides a low overhead with up to 64x cores and a quick return on investment. It offers moderately dense memory and storage with 4x 3.5-inch drive bays and up to 4TB of memory. Using Gigabyte’s free-of-charge management suites helps to further lower cost of ownership.