SemiVoice

➀ AMD's EPYC 4005 'Grado' Zen 5 processors dominate the entry server market with up to 16 cores at 65W TDP, doubling Intel Xeon's core count;

➁ Features include DDR5-5600 support, AVX-512 capabilities, and a 4585PX SKU with 3D V-Cache for cache-intensive workloads;

➂ AMD's pricing undercuts Intel, offering higher core counts at lower costs, pressuring Intel's Xeon E-2400/Xeon 6300P lineup.

➀ The ASRock Industrial 4X4 BOX-AI350 is a compact system powered by AMD's Ryzen AI 7 350, designed for workstation or light server use;

➁ It features a 4-inch square footprint with front/rear ports including USB4, HDMI 2.1, and dual Ethernet (1GbE/2.5GbE), but lacks port labeling;

➂ The review highlights its consistent chassis design, internal expandability, and potential for low-power AI/edge computing applications.

➀ NVIDIA introduced the MGX 44RU Manifold for liquid cooling in its GB200/GB300 NVL72 AI racks, enhancing OCP ORv3 racks with standardized power and cooling;

➁ Eight vendors (Pinda, LiteOn, Delta, Foxconn, etc.) showcased customizable manifolds at GTC 2025, highlighting industry collaboration;

➂ The design supports blind-mating connections for compute trays, NVLink switches, liquid tubing, and busbars, streamlining high-density AI deployments.

① The Samsung T7 2TB external SSD offers a compact, lower-cost alternative to the rugged T7 Shield model with a 10Gbps USB Type-C interface;

② Measuring 57x85x8mm and available in multiple colors, it includes both USB Type-A and Type-C cables, though labeling visibility is limited;

③ While not the fastest in its class, it targets users prioritizing affordability and Samsung-branded reliability for portable storage needs.

➀ The Supermicro H13SAE-MF is an mATX motherboard designed for AMD EPYC 4000 series processors, supporting up to 192GB DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen5 slots;

➁ It features front-to-back airflow optimization, dual M.2 Gen5 slots, and robust I/O including 10Gbps/20Gbps USB ports and triple gigabit NICs;

➂ Positioned for both server and workstation use, it balances high-performance connectivity with enterprise-grade reliability.

➀ The review examines the Gigabyte R113-C10, a cost-effective 1U server chassis designed for AMD EPYC 4000 series CPUs, targeting dedicated hosting and entry-level server applications;

➁ It features two hot-swap 2.5" SATA drive bays, a 400W PSU, basic rear I/O with dual 1GbE ports, and a PCIe Gen5 expansion slot, but lacks NVMe support or advanced networking;

➂ Compared to Lenovo's ST45 V3, it offers shorter depth (393mm) and lower pricing, making it a budget-friendly option despite limited scalability.

➀ Ampere launches AmpereOne M Arm server CPUs with 12-channel DDR5 memory, enhancing memory bandwidth for enterprise servers;

➁ The new CPUs feature up to 192 cores and DDR5-5600 support, but lag behind AMD EPYC Turin and Intel Xeon 6900P in memory speed;

➂ Released amid Softbank's acquisition of Ampere, the platform lacks immediate customer/partner announcements, raising questions about market adoption.

➀ NVIDIA announced the RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell family at GTC 2025, featuring three variants (Server Edition, Workstation Edition, and Max-Q Workstation Edition) tailored for AI and graphics workloads;

➁ The GPUs offer 96GB GDDR7 ECC memory, with power configurations ranging from 400W to 600W, and are positioned as cost-effective alternatives to H100/H200/B200 data center GPUs;

➂ The Server Edition supports 8x GPU configurations with up to 768GB memory, targeting high-density AI and rendering tasks in 4U/5U systems.

➀ The Kioxia CD8P-R 30.72TB is a high-capacity PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD designed for applications requiring both speed and storage density, surpassing traditional HDD capacities;

➁ It features a standard 2.5" form factor, delivers up to 1 DWPD endurance, and balances performance with capacity, though slightly slower than smaller 15.36TB models;

➂ The drive targets data center use cases where large-scale storage and PCIe Gen5 bandwidth are critical, aligning with observed low DWPD utilization trends in enterprise environments.

➀ The ASUS RS720-E12-RS8G is a 2U server supporting dual Intel Xeon 6 CPUs and up to three GPUs, including NVIDIA H100 NVL models;

➁ It features eight front NVMe drive bays, ten expansion slots (eight PCIe and two OCP NIC 3.0), and flexible storage/accelerator configurations;

➂ The design emphasizes thermal efficiency with tool-less components, modular risers, and ASUS-standard cooling solutions.

➀ Lenovo's ThinkSystem ST45 V3 marks the first AMD EPYC 4000-based entry-level server, replacing Intel Xeon in this segment with significantly higher performance;

➁ The system features nine USB ports, HDMI/DisplayPort outputs for local management, and lacks a BMC but targets digital signage and small business use cases;

➂ Compared to the Intel-based ST50 V3, it offers expanded I/O but trades remote management capabilities for cost efficiency and display flexibility.

➀ Intel showcased its 18A process node (planned for late 2025 HVM) and 14A roadmap (15-20% performance per watt gain) with advanced technologies like RibbonFET and High-NA EUV tools;

➁ Collaborations with EDA giants (Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens) emphasized AI-driven design flows, DTCO optimization, and advanced packaging solutions like EMIB-T and 2nd-gen co-packaged optics;

➂ Focused on U.S.-based ecosystem expansion, including Arizona fabs, partnerships with Amkor for advanced packaging, and leveraging government support for secure semiconductor supply chains.

➀ NVIDIA launched DOCA Argus, a cybersecurity solution for BlueField-3 DPUs, aimed at enhancing threat detection in AI compute nodes;

➁ It leverages the DPU's hardware to perform agentless memory forensics, offering up to 1000x faster performance than traditional methods;

➂ NVIDIA positions this as a key value-add for BlueField-3 DPUs in securing AI infrastructure and data workflows.

➀ The Dell PowerEdge R770 is a highly versatile 2U server offering extensive configuration flexibility for storage, networking, and AI workloads;

➁ Supports up to 40 E3.S SSDs, NVIDIA H100 NVL GPUs, and dual Intel Xeon CPUs, emphasizing scalability for high-performance tasks;

➂ Features Dell's BOSS dual-boot SSD system and modular PCIe risers, enhancing serviceability and adaptability for diverse enterprise needs.

➀ The Supermicro AS-2115HV-TNRT is a 2U rackmount workstation combining an AMD Threadripper Pro CPU, support for up to four dual-slot GPUs, and high-speed 100GbE networking;

➁ It features eight front-mounted U.2 NVMe drive bays, out-of-band management, and optimized airflow for GPU-intensive workloads;

➂ The system supports CPU and memory overclocking while maintaining server-grade reliability, making it ideal for AI, graphics rendering, and high-performance computing applications.

➀ IBM has unveiled the new z17 Telum II processor module;

➁ The processor module is cut open for materials analysis;

➂ IBM's Fishkill facility provided a unique opportunity to see the hardware down to the silicon atom level.

➀ The DeskPi RackMate T0 is a 4U 10-inch rack that is compact and costs around $99;

➁ It uses screws instead of cage nuts to secure equipment and includes a blank panel and a 1U shelf;

➂ The rack is designed for small desktop systems like the Mac Mini, Raspberry Pi 5, and small desktop switches, offering portability and ease of use.

➀ The author Patrick Kennedy shares his experience with HP V1910-24G network switches that have been operational for over a decade.

➁ The switches have been through various iterations and locations, yet they continue to function.

➂ Despite the availability of newer switches, the HP V1910-24G models remain a testament to their durability and reliability.

➀ Samsung T7 Shield 2TB USB Type-C SSD is reviewed;

➁ The SSD is used for field work and backup;

➂ It offers IP65 water and dust resistance and includes USB Type-A to Type-C and Type-C to Type-C cables.

➀ This article provides a quick guide on how to display CXL memory in a system;

➁ It explains the process of identifying CXL memory devices using various commands like lscpu, lspci, and numactl;

➂ The guide also covers how to view the CXL memory topology and latencies using lstopo and ndctl.

➀ This article provides a quick look at a generic 48GB DDR5-5600 ECC UDIMM kit from Mem-Store on eBay. The kit was purchased for its affordability and was tested in 96GB and 192GB configurations.

➁ The modules were found to work well in various server and workstation configurations, despite the generic nature of the components.

➂ The author discusses the pros and cons of using such affordable memory modules, highlighting the potential for cost savings but also the risk of reliability issues.

➀ Synology is criticized for locking its NAS units to its own branded hard drives in the new 2025 Plus models, which is seen as a move to gain extra margin dollars.

➁ This decision is considered detrimental to customers, as it limits the use of third-party drives and could lead to data security concerns.

➂ The author expresses concern about the long-term availability of drives and the potential impact on Synology's customers if the company changes direction or goes out of business.

➀ The Crucial X10 Pro 4TB USB Type-C SSD is a compact and powerful drive designed for various devices including notebooks, desktops, iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.

➁ The drive offers impressive performance with a USB 3 Type-C 2×2 port, reaching up to 20Gbps speeds.

➂ Despite its small size, the SSD is drop-proof up to 2m and IP55 water and dust resistant, making it a versatile storage solution.

At NVIDIA GTC 2025, Gigabyte showcased its GIGAPOD and GB300 NVL72 compute blades. The GIGAPOD integrates NVIDIA HGX platforms with liquid cooling for dense racks. The GB300 NVL72 represents the next generation of high-end racks.

The GIGAPOD is available in both liquid-cooled and air-cooled versions, offering power savings and density advantages. It supports various HGX platforms, including HGX H200, B200, and B300, and features liquid cooling blocks for NVLink switches.

The liquid-cooled model uses CoolIT coldplates for efficient cooling. The design allows for a compact 4U chassis, optimizing space in dense environments.

➀ NVIDIA has made a significant change to its HGX B300 platform, renaming it to HGX B300 NVL16 to reflect the number of compute dies connected via NVLink.

➁ The platform now includes up to 2.3TB of HBM3e memory and features sixteen dual Blackwell GPU package modules.

➂ The new design integrates the NVIDIA ConnectX-8 NICs, which use the built-in PCIe switch to provide previously required functionality, potentially impacting networking choices for users of the HGX B300 and GB200/GB300 platforms.

➀ This article provides a quick look at the V-Color 96GB DDR5-5600 ECC UDIMM kit, which includes two 48GB modules for a total of 96GB. The kit is priced at $399 and offers a good balance of capacity and cost compared to other options.

➁ The review highlights the advantages of using this kit in lower-cost servers and workstations that support ECC UDIMMs but not ECC RDIMMs.

➂ The author mentions that while the kit is not cheap, it is a better option compared to the more expensive 32GB Micron DIMMs with less capacity.

VMware has reintroduced a free version of ESXi 8.0U3e, allowing users to download and install it for evaluation purposes. This is not the full version, but it is available for download. The process to obtain the free version involves navigating through the Broadcom support portal and accepting terms and conditions.

For those seeking a simple virtualization host based on VMware ESXi, this free version offers a straightforward solution, although it lacks advanced features. This reintroduction of a free option in the VMware ecosystem comes after around 14 months without such an option, and some users may have already switched to alternative ecosystems.

➀ The MikroTik RDS2216-02XG-4S+4XS-2XQ is a 1U system that combines a network switch, routing functions, NAS, and server functions into a single box.

➁ It features a Marvell switch with 10GbE, 100GbE, and 25GbE capabilities, along with an Annapurna Labs Arm CPU for server and NAS operations.

➂ The system includes space for 22 SSDs, with 20x front-accessible NVMe SSDs and 2x internal SATA M.2 SSDs, but has limitations in drive bay size and PCIe connectivity.

At NVIDIA GTC 2025, we got to tour Pegatron's booth, where we saw the Pegatron NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 rack and other GPU systems. The GB300 NVL72 racks are liquid cooled with a busbar for power in the rear. The sleds have four Blackwell modules along with two NVIDIA Grace CPUs and are liquid cooled.

The article also mentions that Pegatron is integrating Delta power supply shelves into their racks and that the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 is neat, with several other GPU systems on display.

➀ Kioxia, AIO Core, and Kyocera have developed a PCIe Gen5 over optical SSD;

➁ The new technology doubles the speed of the previous PCIe Gen4 version;

➂ The technology is designed for future data centers and allows for longer PCIe distances.