Supermicro A3SSV-16C-SPLN10F Onboard NICs
Something we wanted to go into with this platform was also just how many NICs there are.
We have some ports on the Intel i350 NIC.
We also have Intel E822-C 1GbE NICs.
That is despite one seeing the Marvell PHY on the board.
The Intel E822-C also has a SFP option for the 25GbE ports.
Some folks will love having different NIC IP in the same platform since using the onboard E822-C NIC can be less expensive. Others will want all NICs to be the same controller(s) so the platform is the same across all 1GbE NICs. We thought we would point this out in case someone is in one camp or another.
Final Words
Next up, we are going to take this platform and review it in the SYS-110A-16C-RN10SP, a full system built around the motherboard. We will have power consumption in that review, but it is certainly a far cry from the <40W Atom systems we have seen previously.
Overall, this is a really interesting platform. With a 10nm 16-core CPU and built-in QuickAssist acceleration and 25GbE, this is one where we know many network appliance folks have been very interested in the system. On the other hand, as Intel Foundry moves into the 18A era next year, it feels like we are getting due for an update. One of the biggest challenges to that is that Intel usually upgrades these SoCs with new generations of networking technology, from 1GbE, to 10GbE, to 25GbE/ 100GbE. So it may be some time before we see not just chips, but platforms based on those chips with the new parts.
Still, if you have been using this familiar FlexATX form factor and want a 25GbE E-core platform, then the Supermicro A3SSV-16C-SPLN10F is a cool option. The street price is often $1300-1400 for the motherboard and around $2200-2300 in full systems. At the same time, with a 16-core processor and 25GbE built-in, that is where pricing is these days, given inflation if you want a 25GbE appliance.
We have the full server review coming, but this was a lot to cover and we know our readers like to see these motherboard reviews.
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