Lenovo ThinkServer RD640 Server

Description

Powered by either one or two Intel’s Xeon E5-2600 processors, the Lenovo ThinkServer RD640 server provides up to 32TB of storage in just a 2U chassis. In a dual-processor configuration, the system will support up to 20 DIMM slots. Tool-less rail kits and hot-swappable drives make this system easy to deploy, service, and upgrade. Administrators can schedule power capping policies for efficient energy consumption and to reduce operational costs.

Performance

This dual-socket server is powered by either one or two Intel’s Xeon E5-2600 or E5-2600 v2 processors. E5-2600 v2 processors offer 50% more cache and cores than previous generation processors and increase performance by up to 35%. This boost in performance comes down to three new technology innovations: Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, Advanced Vector Extensions (Intel AVX), and Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller virtualization (APICv). Another improvement from its predecessor, Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors has integrated PCIe 3.0 lanes to provide up to two times higher bandwidth with up to 80 lanes in a dual-socket configuration.

Storage

The Lenovo RD640 can be configured with up to 16 small form factor (SFF) 2.5-inch drives, or eight large form factor (LFF) 3.5-inch drives. Large form factor SATA drive configurations will support the largest storage capacity at up to 32TB. High-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) are also supported by this system for I/O-intensive workloads. Administrators can choose from three different RAID controller options including Lenovo’s RAID 500, RAID 700, or RAID 710 adapters. All three RAID controller options support RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50 and transfer data at 6Gb/s. For increased system reliability, Lenovo’s RAID 700/710 adapters will additionally support RAID levels 6 and 60 and offer an additional cache of 512MB and 1GB respectively.

Memory

Intel’s C602J chipset supports up to 20 DDR3 registered (RDIMM) dual-inline memory modules. With all 20 slots outfitted with 16GB memory modules, the system will support up to 320GB of memory. Low-voltage registered (LV RDIMM) dual-inline memory modules are also supported on this system allowing businesses to save on operational costs. E5-2600 v2 processors support memory speeds of up to 1866MHz, but this speed is dependent on the memory configuration and type of memory installed.

Expansion

Single processor configurations support one low profile and three half-length/full-height PCIe 3.0 slots for expansion. Dual processor configurations will support two additional half-length/full-height slots for a total of six PCIe expansion slots. There are six USB 2.0 slots with two at the front of the chassis, and four more at the back of the system. If desired, administrators can add an optional slimline optical drive bay.

Management

Lenovo’s ThinkServer Management Module technology allows System Administrators to securely configure, monitor, and update the system from a remote location minimizing the need for on-site support. Businesses can also save up to 25% on energy costs with Lenovo’s wizard-based Smart Grid manager. Smart Grid manager enables system admins to control power consumption and schedule power capping policies for efficient energy use.

Summary

The Lenovo ThinkServer RD640 server is a dual-socket, 2U rack-optimized platform powered by Intel’s Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors. Improvements from servers built with previous generation processors include support for faster memory modules, up to a 35% increase in overall system performance, and 50% increase in processor cores. Storage capacity is impressive with support for up to 32TB of internal data per server. Lenovo’s ThinkServer Management technology provides a secure way to monitor and configure servers from a remote location and Smart Grid manager allows system admins to allocate energy more efficiently.