Gigabyte H261-Z60 Density Optimized Server With AMD EPYC Processor

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. continues our active development of AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) EPYC platforms with the release of the 2U four Node H261-Z60, the first AMD EPYC variant of our Density Optimized Server Series.

The H261-Z60 combines four individual hot pluggable sliding node trays into a 2U server box. The node trays slide in and out easily from the rear of the unit.

EPYC performance
Each node supports dual EPYC 7000 series processors, with up to 32 cores, 64 threads and eight channels of memory per CPU. Therefore, each node can feature up to 64 cores and 128 threads of compute power. Memory wise, each socket utilizes EPYC’s eight channels of memory with one DIMM per channel/eight DIMMS per socket, for a total capacity of 16xDIMMS per node (over 2TB of memory supported per each node ).

Maximum compute in this system can enable data center footprints to be reduced by up to 50% compared with a standard 1U dual socket server. And the company has recently demonstrated that our server design is perfectly optimized for EPYC by achieving one of the top scores of the SPEC CPU 2017 Benchmark for EPYC single socket* and dual socket** systems.

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* R151-Z30 achieved highest SPEC CPU 2017 performance benchmark for single-socket AMD Naples platform vs other vendors as of May 2018
** R181-Z91 achieved second highest SPEC CPU 2017 performance benchmark for dual-socket AMD Naples platform vs other vendors as of May 2018

Fast storage support
In the front of the unit are 24×2.5” hot-swappable drive bays, offering a capacity of six HDD or SSD SATA/SAS storage drives per node. In addition, each node features dual M.2 ports (PCIe Gen3 x 4) to support ultra-fast, ultra-dense NVMe flash storage devices. Dual M.2 support is double the capacity of competing products on the market.

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Class expansion flexibility
Dual 1GbE LAN ports are integrated into each node as a standard networking option. In addition, each node features two half-length low profile PCIe Gen3 x16 slots and one OCP Gen3 x16 mezzanine slot for adding additional expansion options such as high speed networking or RAID storage cards. The firm delivers expansion slot options for this form factor.

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Multi-node management
The H261-Z60 features a system-wide Aspeed CMC (Central Management Controller) and LAN module switch, connecting internally to Aspeed BMCs integrated on each node. This results only in one MLAN connection required for management of all four nodes, resulting in less ToR (Top of Rack) cabling and less ports required on your top of rack switch (only one port instead for four required for remote management of all nodes).

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Ring topology feature for multi-server management
Going a step further, the H261-Z60 also features* the ability to create a ‘ring’ connection for management of all servers in a rack. Only two switch connections are needed, while each server is connected to each other in a chain. The ring will not be broken even if one server in the chain is shut down. This can even further reduce cabling and switch port usage for even greater cost savings and management efficiency.

* Optional Ring Topology Kit must be added

Efficient power and cooling
The  H261-Z60 is designed for not only greater compute density but also with better power and cost efficiency in mind. The system architecture features shared cooling and power for the nodes, with a dual fan wall of eight (4×2) swap fans and two 2200W redundant PSUs. In addition, the nodes connect directly to the system backplane with the company’s Direct Board Connection technology, resulting in less cabling and improved airflow for better cooling efficiency.

The firm’s expertise and experience in system design leverages and optimizes EPYC’s benefits to offer to our customers a product on-point to meet their needs for maximized compute resources in a limited footprint with expansion choices, management functionality and power and cooling efficiency.