- Server Model: G292-Z20-rev-100
- always the POSITIVE first: overall it’s an excellent machine but the user needs to know the details
- it has 1x BMC (LAN) and 2x slots for SPF fiber modules for example the SFP1G-SX-85
- so have SPF fiber modules ready for server + a SPF module capable switch
- it would have been nice to have had another 1000MBit or 10.000MBit copper based LAN port but well install an PCIe NIC then
- it can hold up to 8 GPUs and 2x PCIe cards
- 2x internal NVMe
- 2x SAS attached NVMes (the orange slots)
- was able to meassure 800MByte/s sequential on both with those KINGSTON SKC3000D2048G directly connected on mobo
- and the front panel connected KINGSTON DC 1500m (Mini) SAS connected NVMe
- the confusing naming of those drives is “U.2 PCIe NVMe” or (Mini)SAS attached NVMes, no kidding, search for em on ebay.
- a lot of BANG for the BUCK
- a bit too loud
- a bit too power hungry (uses 250W in idle with no GPUs installed and 350W with all cores on 100%)
- unfortunately those front drive panels while having nice status and activity leds, feel pretty cheaply “plastic” made
having owned a AMD workstation (so far pretty happy with it) for a while GIGABYTE is a Taiwanese brand that is associated with:
- high quality consumer hardware
- the software quality of their firmwares and drivers is “okayish” (with a bit of tinkering it usually can made to work)
so really wanted to give this thing a test drive.
what was kind of unexpected:
- the massive loudness of that thing for maximum cooling but with no proper throtteling of the FANs depending on temp?
- the (imho) pretty high power usage of 250W in idle
- for comaprison: the Intel Board based AQUADO servers 5 years old with loads of SATA drives only used 150W (100W less!)
- the 20 year old Dual Xeon SuperMicro servers used 300W (50W more)
- other gigabyte mobos:
Intel Xeon vs AMD EPYC vs Altra ARM CPU benchmark battle! 😀
PS: some Geekbench v6 comparisons:
- Xeon based HP HP Z4 G4 Workstation vs AMD x86 EPYC based GIGABYTE G292-Z20-00
- price wise the HP HP Z4 G4 Workstation wins
- performance wise they seem to be pretty “equal” but of course the 24x AMD EPYC cores outrun the only 6x Xeon cores in multi core tests
- WHY does everyone bench performance but NEVER the associated wattage? as if that was not important?
- luckily it can be said that the G292-Z20-rev-100 does not use much (350W) more when all CPUs Cores are at 100%
- ARM based ADLINK Ampere Altra Developer Platform (Ampere Altra Max @ 2.80 GHz 1 Processor, 96 Cores) vs GIGABYTE G292-Z20-00 (AMD EPYC 7402P @ 2.80 GHz 1 Processor, 24 Cores)
- ADLINK Ampere Altra ARM RISC Server Workstation Developer Platform tested by geerlingguy
- power wise: “70W to 90W running idle” so let’s say 80W in idle <- this is good!!! 🙂
- “With four sticks of (EEC) RAM” “was seeing about 200W of power draw under load“
- “That’s a 35-watt difference! A stick of DDR ECC RAM uses maybe 5 or 6 watts, so two should just add 10-15W max. Where’s the other 15W coming from?”
- src: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2023/ampere-altra-max-windows-gpus-and-gaming
- x86 ARM gaming? not yet: the poor gaming performance “CRYSIS” jeffgeerling is talking about is (probably) due to the fact the the ARM CPU has to “emulate” some how a 86x CPU with creates A LOT of overhead
- emulating ARM Android on x86 is the same story, LOADS OF OVERHEAD = VERY VERY SLOW X-D
- so for gaming this the GIGABYTE G292 Z20 Server is probably the WAY BETTER machine (have still to test that)
- as expected singlecore AMD x86 are (still) faster than ARM but the ARM has 96x cores using ~half the energy of a 24x Core AMD EPYC x86?
- thanks for testing geerlingguy fastest (yet) CPU wise tested system of geerlingguy:
- price wise the Ampere Altra is unfortunately pretty expensive, as there is no mass production yet?
- power wise: “70W to 90W running idle” so let’s say 80W in idle <- this is good!!! 🙂
- ADLINK Ampere Altra ARM RISC Server Workstation Developer Platform tested by geerlingguy
- Apple Mac Studio 10-core M1 Max @ 3.22 GHz 1 Processor, 10 Cores
- GIGABYTE G292-Z20-00 vs Mac Studio – M1 Max 10-core
- ADLINK Ampere Altra Developer Platform vs Mac Studio – M1 Max 10-core
fun fact:
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