Lenovo ThinkServer RD540 Server

Description

The Lenovo ThinkServer RD540 was released at the same time as the RD640 and offers similar performance but not the same storage capacity as it's 2U family member. However, dual processors and a generous memory capacity make this system ideal for virtualized environments and mission critical applications.

Performance

You can install one or two Intel Xeon E5-2600 v1 or v2 processors with up to 8 cores on the v1 processors and 12 cores on the v2 processors. With dual processors, that's up to 24 cores and 48 virtual threads. Of the 20 DIMM sockets available, CPU 1 is assigned 12, and CPU 2 the remaining eight.

Memory

The Lenovo RD540 supports four channels per preprocessor and up to 20 DIMM slots in a two-processor configuration for a maximum memory capacity of 320GB using 16GB RDIMM or LRDIMM memory modules. However, by default LRDIMM modules operate at 1.5V, which can be changed to 1.35V in the BIOS. With LRDIMMs running at 1.35V, only 16 memory slots are active, eight for CPU 1 and eight for CPU 2.

Storage

There are several different storage configurations including: four 3.5-inch bays or eight 2.5-inch drive bays. Depending on your choice of storage devices, the 4-bay 3.5-inch chassis can support up to 16TB and the 8-bay 2.5-inch chassis can support up to 8TB. All configurations support SAS and SATA HHDs and SSDs. An optional optical drive can be installed in the 4-bay 3.5-inch chassis. The 2.5-inch bay chassis does not support an optical drive. RAID is provided by a either a RAID 500, 700, or 710 adapter, but RAIDS 50 and 60 are only supported on the eight-bay 2.5-inch chassis.

Expansion

Both chassis configurations support two PCIe slots, one x8 for an HD/RAID controller and another x16 slot—both Gen3.0. There are also three integrated 1GbE ports, one of which is shared with the ThinkServer Management Module (TMM). Additional network connection options are available using standup cards that can support network connection speeds of up to 10Gb/s. Optional HBAs will provide 8Gb/s connection speeds.

Management

Lenovo's ThinkServer Management Module or TMM provides out of band management of the RD540 server. Using the TMM, System Administrators can securely configure, monitor, and update the system from a remote location minimizing the need for on-site support. Lenovo's wizard-based Smart Grid manager can also help businesses can also save up to 25% on energy costs. Smart Grid manager enables System Administrators to enable more efficient power usage through power capping policies.

Summary

The Lenovo ThinkServer RD540 provides small to medium sized businesses with a very capable and well-designed 1U dual-socket platform, ideal for mission critical applications and virtualization. Lenovo's servers are very well-designed offering many of the same features as Dell and HPE without the associated price tag.