The content below is taken from the original (New HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 Powered by AMD Opteron X3000 APUs), to continue reading please visit the site. Remember to respect the Author & Copyright.
The HPE ProLiant MicroServer has been a mainstay of SMB computing and lab environments for years now. STH first broke the HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 specs back in 2013, or two site designs and a STH logo ago. HPE often looks to alternative architectures to address special requirements of the SMB/ home office segments with the MicroServer family. The new HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 is no exception featuring AMD Opteron X3000 APUs.
New HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 with AMD Opteron X3000 APUs
The AMD Opteron X3000 APUs powering the HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 make a lot of sense in this segment. They combine both x86 cores (no need for ARM compatibility) with AMD Radeon graphics. This is really the next-generation of what we had in the AMD Opteron X2000 series in our HPE Moonshot. The new form factor is a 4x hard drive unit with the same sleek design.
Here are the key specs:
New HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 Key Specs
- SoC: AMD Opteron X3000 series 2 core or 4 core and up to 3.4GHz boost clocks, 1MB or 2MB L2 cache
- SoC TDP: 12-35W
- RAM: Up to 32GB in 2x 16GB DDR4 UDIMM ECC
- Networking: Dual-port Broadcom 5720
- Drive Bays: 4x LFF 3.5″ SATA + Slim Optical or SATA SSD bay
- Low Profile Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 x8, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 (in x4 physical) both with open-ended connectors for up to PCIe x16 installed.
- Warranty: 1 Year
- OS: Barebones or with ClearOS
In terms of specs, the exact GPU details were light but they appear to have a 3rd gen GCN AMD GPU core onboard.
We were a bit surprised to see a server offering in mid-2017 released with only 1GbE network controllers. The trend has been towards faster networking for some time now.
In terms of PCIe expansion, the new MicroServer has limited PCIe lanes available but HPE has certainly seen demand for using larger devices. Both PCIe slots are open-ended allowing for up to PCIe x16 low profile cards to be installed, albeit with reduced bandwidth.
Final Words
This is a big win at a Tier 1 OEM for AMD. The new capabilities of the HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 are certainly appealing. Let us not kid ourselves, the HPE MicroServer is a slick looking machine. It is clear that the integrated GPU is a feature HPE saw a need for over the Intel Atom C3000 series‘ 10GbE networking, PCIe lanes and higher RAM capacities. The two Display Ports on the rear of the unit ensure that the upgraded GPU will be used. Overall, this unit will fall into the “we want one to play with” category.