We tested most of the Intel Emerald Rapids and Sapphire Rapids processors with an Intel Software Development Platform based on a Quanta Rack Mount 2S 2U server. Supermicro also loaned us a very capable Supermicro SYS-621C-TN12R server so we could add the Xeon Platinum 8468 to our test pool. All of our Xeon 8468 test results are generated with this system.We used the Supermicro SYS-621C-TN12R server to validate our new suite of benchmarks prior to receiving the new Intel hardware. We’ve run thousands of tests on Supermicro’s platform encompassing all types of workloads, from the latest AI models to the heaviest parallel supercomputing workloads, and it has proven to be an effective general-purpose workhorse that provides sufficient power and cooling to extract the utmost performance from the Sapphire Rapids processors (and the RAM) we used for testing.
Due to the forward compatibility of the Eagle Stream platform, this system also serves as a good litmus for a production-class system for both Emerald Rapids and Sapphire Rapids. As with all of Supermicro’s existing Sapphire Rapids platforms, this system will support Emerald Rapids after a BIOS update. Naturally, most large-scale data center operators wouldn’t bother updating CPUs on an existing deployment, but Supermicro will also release a new lineup of systems based on similar designs.
This configurable 350W 2U system supports up to 12 NVMe, SAS, or SATA drives and also has provisions for 2.5-inch drive bays on the rear — that’s in addition to the two M.2 ports on the motherboard. Two riser cards support up to two PCIe 5.0 x16 and two PCIe 4.0 x8 slots, with the latter configurable to also support an additional two PCIe 5.0 x16 connections.
The system also supports two full-height, full-length GPUs and an OCP 3.0 NIC. The system is fed by two hot-swappable redundant power supplies and sports 16 DDR5 slots across the underlying X13DDW-A motherboard. Other amenities include a wide range of connectivity options, including two USB 3.0 ports, one dedicated IPMI port, one COM port, and one VGA port on the rear of the chassis.
We used an Intel Software Development Platform to test the bulk of the Intel processors in our test pool. As with most development platforms, this system is not optimized for efficient power use, but the Quanta system with the Eagle Stream platform does provide exceptional cooling capability for the highest-TDP processors, thus ensuring a stable foundation for performance testing. It also comes armed with dual redundant hot-plug Titanium 2600W PSUs.
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