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AMD Makes A Compelling Case For Budget-Friendly Ryzen Dedicated Servers

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  • AMD Makes A Compelling Case For Budget-Friendly Ryzen Dedicated Servers

    Phoronix: AMD Makes A Compelling Case For Budget-Friendly Ryzen Dedicated Servers

    While AMD EPYC processors offer phenomenal performance at the high-end for servers with up to 64 cores / 128 threads per socket, eight memory channels, and other features, not all server deployments call for such capabilities. In the lower-end dedicated web server rental space, budget web hosting, and similar personal / small office server space, AMD Ryzen processors can prove more than capable. Already some dedicated server providers are offering AMD Ryzen powered servers and more are expected to come soon -- especially with even more server-minded wares for Ryzen expected next generation. In looking at this space, we have been testing a number of AMD Ryzen processors recently compared to Intel Xeon E class competition for looking at the performance and value in the low-end dedicated server space.

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Does this mean that AMD or Motherboard Manufacturers might release BIOS and Firmware updates that'll enable SEV (and maybe SEM) on supported Ryzen platforms like my Ryzen Pro APU that has the sev and sev_es cpuflags?

    Those seem like features that Ryzen will need enabled (if available) if they're going to operate as servers.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by skeevy420 View Post
      Does this mean that AMD or Motherboard Manufacturers might release BIOS and Firmware updates that'll enable SEV (and maybe SEM) on supported Ryzen platforms like my Ryzen Pro APU that has the sev and sev_es cpuflags?

      Those seem like features that Ryzen will need enabled (if available) if they're going to operate as servers.
      secure memory encryption can at least be enabled on the ASRock Rack server I was testing.
      Michael Larabel
      https://www.michaellarabel.com/

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Michael View Post

        secure memory encryption can at least be enabled on the ASRock Rack server I was testing.
        That's nice to know and confirms what I've read; about how it all comes down to whether or not the firmware will support those features. If AMD is going to push for Ryzen as as Server then I'd like to be glass half full and hope they'll encourage their partners to enable the security features.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by skeevy420 View Post

          That's nice to know and confirms what I've read; about how it all comes down to whether or not the firmware will support those features. If AMD is going to push for Ryzen as as Server then I'd like to be glass half full and hope they'll encourage their partners to enable the security features.
          At least from what I am told, it sounds like the Ryzen "server" motherboards should all broadly support it... (Unfortunately, this ASRock Rack 1U server is my only Ryzen 'server' board at the moment and that server needs to be shipped back out / returned tomorrow so this is my last of the testing now.) At the moment the server motherboards seem to principally be ASRock Rack but I am told much more is on the way.
          Michael Larabel
          https://www.michaellarabel.com/

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Michael View Post

            At least from what I am told, it sounds like the Ryzen "server" motherboards should all broadly support it... (Unfortunately, this ASRock Rack 1U server is my only Ryzen 'server' board at the moment and that server needs to be shipped back out / returned tomorrow so this is my last of the testing now.) At the moment the server motherboards seem to principally be ASRock Rack but I am told much more is on the way.
            I have a Gigabyte consumer board, a B550M-DS3H. Something cheap because I was building on a tight budget. Just checked the prices of those ASRock Racks and they cost more than my CPU. I've been wanting a new motherboard, but those are a bit out of my price. Something in the $120-$150 range would be nice. I hope some of those are on the way.

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            • #7
              Theoretically one could use a DASH enabled motherboard + Ryzen PRO CPU to get the same oob-management "server" experience - and they come cheaper than the ASRockRacks with built-in ASpeed BMC.
              Unfortunately the only motherboards with DASH that seem to be available are the ones with Realtek nics (eg. ASRock A520M-HDVP/DASH). It looks like DASH support under Linux seems to be an afterthought (or actively-hostile-thought) for both ASRock and Realtek. The latter don't publicly document their chips so its hard to know how to talk to the OOB engine there.

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              • #8
                Michael

                >> and the WattsUp Pro external power meter no longer working with the latest Linux kernels due to some USB serial driver regression.

                I don't understand why you didn't just use separate older/compat machine/box/tower to run the linux version that has a kernel that works with the power meter ?
                then run a scp at the end of test to get the power log



                If you want another article could be install a sas hba pcie( or a sata pcie controller) and everyone has the same storage path to see if xeon is really faster at writes ?

                When you look at datasheet for sata drive they always bench with intel sata ports because they are the fastest ports

                Also this is a what if cheap server but... why are you not running a sata hdd instead of ssd ?






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                • #9
                  Originally posted by skeevy420 View Post
                  Does this mean that AMD or Motherboard Manufacturers might release BIOS and Firmware updates that'll enable SEV (and maybe SEM) on supported Ryzen platforms like my Ryzen Pro APU that has the sev and sev_es cpuflags?

                  Those seem like features that Ryzen will need enabled (if available) if they're going to operate as servers.
                  any good source for Pro APUs? once got scamed by aliexpress "200GE Pro" ...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I've got an a320 board that I managed to get for £20 new. I'm planning on putting a cheap APU in for transcoding, does anyone know if having a better GPU (on the APU) makes VA-API run better? I've had conflicting answers on whether or not it uses the "media engine" or the graphics pipeline.

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