Gigabyte R181-Z91 Server

Description

There are three revisions to the Gigabyte R181-Z91 server, which originally supported 1st generation AMD EPYC 7001 series processors with rev.100. Rev.A00 allowed compatibility with 2nd generation 7002 series processors. the latest revision, rev.B00 makes this platform compatible with 7003 series processors for enhanced performance over the previous generations. Updates to the BIOS are all that’s required to install the later generation CPUs. This latest upgrade supports processors with up to 64 cores for up to 128 cores with both processors installed. At full capacity it can support up to 8TB of memory and features 10x hybrid storage bays up front for the potential of a tiered storage layer with hot data on faster NVMe or SAS drives complemented by slower yet less expensive SATA storage devices.

Performance- Rev.B00

This revision enables the system to run dual 3rd generation AMD EPYC processors, code named MILAN. It supports a conditional Thermal Design Point (TDP) of up to 280W which includes the entire line up of 3rd gen CPUs. However, the default TDP is listed at 225W and a configurable TDP (cTDP) of 240W. Further limitations are applied with the installation of an M.2 device, which will limit the TDP to only 180W. While the CPU is compatible with PCIe 4.0 all slots on the system board are PCIe 3.0. 8x memory channels per socket provide for a significant compliment of memory.

Rev.A00

Offering improved performance with up to 64 cores, revision A00 enabled the support of 2nd generation 7002 series processors, code name “Rome.” This was a significant improvement over the 1st generation processors.

Rev.100

Initially released with support for 1st generation 7001 series AMD EPYC processors, this system topped out at 32 cores per socket. 32 physical cores and 64 virtual threads was the maximum core count supported by this 1st generation CPU. With software upgrades to the firmware and BIOS this system is compatible with 2nd and 3rd generation alternatives.

Memory

Memory supported on this system is different depending on the generation of the installed processor. Rev.B00 with support for 3rd gen AMD EPYC processors will support up to 8TB of memory with all slots loaded with 256GB 3DS Registered or Load-Reduced memory modules in all 32x slots. Standard Registered and Load-Reduced memory modules are also supported but will only provide about half the capacity compared to the 3DS versions.

Storage

Storage bays on the front of the Gigabyte R181-Z91 Server chassis are color coded to show support for certain drive formats. 8x drive bays with blue release tabs can be outfitted with SAS or SATA storage devices. The two bays on the far right with orange drive tray release tabs support U.2 NVMe storage devices. A single M.2 slot on the system board supports a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and can be used to support the operating system. If the M.2 drive is installed, the TDP of the installed CPUs will be limited to 180W.

Expansion

3x low-profile expansion slots are housed in two separate risers. All slots are low-profile, half-length PCIe 3.0 slots. In addition, there are 2x OCP Gen3 x16 mezzanine card slots. The optional OCP cards can provide 2 to 4 additional networking ports supporting various connection speeds without impacting the limited number of PCIe slots on the two risers. A single PCIe 3.0 x4 slot on the system board supports an optional M.2 storage device for support of the OS.

Management

A dedicated RJ45 port on the back of the system provides access to the ASPEED AST2500 remote management controller for remote management of the system. Gigabyte also provides a few management suites free of charge. The Gigabyte Server Console is preloaded on the system and provides basic management functions for Administrators to get the most out of the system. It is suitable for managing a a single server or small server cluster. Gigabyte’s Server Manager (GSM) provides more robust management for multiple servers or large clusters of servers. It leverages the Gigabyte Server Console in each of the servers to provide inventory and status of power, cooling, hard drives, and offers even recording.

Summary

Addressing common networking workloads, the Gigabyte R181-Z91 server offers a 1U chassis that can be outfitted with dual AMD EPYC 7003 series processors. With support for up to 8TB of memory and hybrid storage up front, it can also be used to support in-memory database applications. This is a highly adaptable server that can be configured to support a number of workloads.