Server Motherboard Specifications
Server Motherboard Specifications: In-Depth Technical Analysis of the XyloCore 9000 Series Platform
This document provides a comprehensive technical analysis of the XyloCore 9000 series server motherboard, detailing its hardware specifications, performance characteristics, recommended use cases, comparative advantages, and essential maintenance considerations. This platform is designed for high-density computing environments requiring extreme I/O bandwidth and memory capacity.
1. Hardware Specifications
The XyloCore 9000 platform is built around a proprietary dual-socket architecture utilizing the latest generation of XyloTech Scalable Processors (XSP) and supporting advanced PCIe 6.0 lanes and high-speed DDR5 ECC Registered Memory.
1.1 Core System Architecture
The motherboard, designated Model XC9K-MB-P01, employs a custom PCB layout optimized for signal integrity across its high-speed interconnects.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | SSI-EEB (12" x 13") |
| Chipset | XyloTech Nexus-C9 (PCH) |
| BIOS/UEFI | 256MB SPI Flash, Dual-BIOS Redundancy |
| Management Engine | Integrated BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) supporting IPMI 2.0 and Redfish API |
| Power Delivery | 24-Phase VRM per CPU socket, supporting up to 350W TDP CPUs |
1.2 Processor Support
The XC9K-MB-P01 supports dual-socket configuration, enabling significant computational density.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| CPU Socket Type | LGA 5689 (Proprietary) |
| Supported CPUs | XyloTech XSP Gen 5 Series (e.g., XSP-5990, XSP-5840) |
| Maximum Cores per Socket | 128 Physical Cores (256 Threads) |
| Total System Cores (Dual Socket) | Up to 256 Physical Cores |
| UPI/Interconnect Speed | XyloLink 4.0, 18 GT/s per link |
| Cache Support | L1: 128KB per core, L2: 2MB per core, L3: Up to 128MB Shared per CPU |
The XyloLink interconnect is crucial for maintaining low-latency communication between the two processors, a key factor in high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.
1.3 Memory Subsystem
The memory architecture is designed for massive parallelism and high throughput, leveraging the latest DDR5 technology.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | DDR5 ECC RDIMM/LRDIMM |
| Total DIMM Slots | 32 (16 per CPU channel) |
| Maximum Capacity | 8 TB (using 256GB LRDIMMs) |
| Maximum Speed | DDR5-6400 MT/s (RDIMM, 1 DPC) |
| Memory Channels | 8 Channels per CPU (Total 16 Channels) |
| Memory Bandwidth (Theoretical Max) | Up to 819.2 GB/s (Dual CPU, Peak Configuration) |
Proper DIMM population is mandatory to ensure optimal memory interleaving and avoid triggering memory controller throttling mechanisms.
1.4 Storage and I/O Capabilities
The platform excels in I/O density, supporting next-generation storage and acceleration devices through extensive PCIe lane allocation.
1.4.1 PCIe Connectivity
The motherboard exposes a substantial number of PCIe lanes directly from the CPUs, minimizing reliance on the Platform Controller Hub (PCH) for primary GPU/Accelerator communication.
| Slot Type | Lanes Provided (CPU 1) | Lanes Provided (CPU 2) | Total Lanes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Accelerator Slots (x16 Gen5) | 4 (x16 physical) | 4 (x16 physical) | 8 x16 (Total 128 Lanes) |
| High-Speed Network Interface Card (NIC) Slots (x16 Gen5) | 2 (x16 physical) | 2 (x16 physical) | 4 x16 (Total 64 Lanes) |
| Storage Expansion Slots (x8 Gen5) | 2 (x8 physical) | 2 (x8 physical) | 4 x8 (Total 32 Lanes) |
Total available PCIe 5.0 lanes: 224. This extreme lane count supports complex NVMe storage arrays and multiple accelerator cards.
1.4.2 Onboard Storage Connectors
The board integrates several onboard storage interfaces:
- M.2 Slots: 4 x M.2 22110 slots, all wired directly to the CPU via PCIe 5.0 x4 links.
- SATA Ports: 16 x SATA 6Gb/s ports, managed by the Nexus-C9 PCH.
- OCP Slot: 1 x OCP 3.0 mezzanine slot supporting 100/200/400 GbE adapters.
1.5 Networking
Integrated networking is handled via a dedicated management port and high-speed fabric connections.
- Management LAN: 1 x 1GbE dedicated port for BMC access.
- Base Fabric: 2 x 25GbE ports (Intel X710/equivalent) for primary OS networking.
- Fabric Expansion: Support for optional 200GbE or 400GbE via the OCP 3.0 slot.
2. Performance Characteristics
The XyloCore 9000 configuration is engineered for peak computational throughput, particularly in workloads that are sensitive to memory latency and I/O bottlenecks.
2.1 Computational Throughput Benchmarks
Performance testing was conducted using a standardized dual-socket system populated with two XSP-5990 CPUs (128C/256T each, 3.5 GHz base clock, 4.2 GHz boost) and 1TB of DDR5-6000 ECC RDIMMs.
| Benchmark Suite | Metric | Result | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPEC CPU 2017 Float | Rate (Peak) | 18,500 | SPECrate_fp_peak |
| SPEC CPU 2017 Integer | Rate (Peak) | 14,200 | SPECrate_int_peak |
| LINPACK (HPL) | GFLOPS (Double Precision) | 65.8 | TFLOPS |
| HASH Benchmark (SHA-256) | Operations/sec | 11.2 | Billion Ops/sec |
The high performance in floating-point operations (SPECfp and LINPACK) is attributed to the XSP Gen 5 architecture's enhanced AVX-512 capabilities and the massive memory bandwidth provided by the 16-channel DDR5 configuration.
2.2 Memory Bandwidth and Latency
Memory subsystem performance is a critical differentiator for this platform, especially for data-intensive simulations and in-memory databases.
- Peak Read Bandwidth: Measured at 785 GB/s utilizing the full 16-channel, DDR5-6400 configuration (single rank DIMMs).
- Peak Write Bandwidth: Measured at 690 GB/s.
- Latency (Random Access): Average latency measured at 68 nanoseconds (ns) for first-level cache misses accessing local memory bank.
The latency measurement confirms the tight integration between the CPU complex and the memory controllers, crucial for workloads like SAP HANA or large-scale molecular dynamics.
2.3 I/O Performance Analysis
The PCIe 5.0 implementation on the XC9K-MB-P01 delivers unprecedented throughput for accelerators.
- PCIe 5.0 x16 Throughput: Verified bidirectional throughput of approximately 62 GB/s per slot (theoretical max is 64 GB/s).
- NVMe Storage Performance: A four-drive PCIe 5.0 x4 U.2 array demonstrated sequential read speeds exceeding 30 GB/s total, confirming minimal I/O contention when utilizing CPU-direct lanes.
The reduced reliance on the PCH for primary I/O paths minimizes jitter and improves Quality of Service (QoS) for demanding accelerators like AI training GPUs.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The XyloCore 9000 motherboard configuration is optimized for environments demanding the highest levels of compute density, memory capacity, and I/O throughput. It is generally overkill for standard web serving or light virtualization tasks.
3.1 High-Performance Computing (HPC)
This platform is ideally suited for tightly coupled HPC clusters where inter-node communication latency (via InfiniBand or high-speed Ethernet) must be complemented by low intra-node latency.
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Excellent for large mesh simulations requiring massive parallel floating-point calculations and fast access to boundary condition data stored in high-capacity DRAM.
- Climate Modeling: The large memory capacity (up to 8TB) supports complex global climate models that often require loading entire datasets into RAM for performance.
3.2 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)
The combination of high core count and abundant PCIe 5.0 lanes makes this platform a prime candidate for AI inference and smaller-scale training clusters.
- Inference Servers: Deploying multiple high-TDP inference accelerators (e.g., NVIDIA H100/B200 equivalents) benefits directly from the 128+ PCIe lanes, ensuring accelerators operate at full bandwidth without resource starvation.
- Data Preprocessing: The high-speed storage interfaces (PCIe 5.0 NVMe) allow for rapid ingestion and transformation of massive training datasets prior to feeding the accelerators.
3.3 Enterprise Database Acceleration
For mission-critical databases requiring "all-in-memory" capabilities, the 8TB RAM ceiling is essential.
- Large OLTP Systems: Environments running massive in-memory OLTP workloads (e.g., large SAP HANA instances) benefit from the low-latency 16-channel memory architecture.
- Data Warehousing: Accelerating complex analytical queries (OLAP) where intermediate result sets must be held in high-speed memory.
3.4 High-Density Virtualization (VDI/VMware)
While core count is high, the memory capacity allows for consolidation of dense virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments or large virtualization hosts. A single host can comfortably support hundreds of light-to-medium utilization Virtual Machines (VMs). Proper CPU pinning is recommended for performance-critical VMs.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the XyloCore 9000 platform, it is compared against two common alternatives: a previous-generation high-end dual-socket system (XyloCore 8000, PCIe 4.0) and a contemporary single-socket, high-core-count system (XyloCore 9S).
4.1 Key Differentiators
The primary differences lie in I/O speed (PCIe 5.0 vs 4.0) and memory channel count (16 vs 8 or 12).
4.2 Comparative Specifications Table
| Feature | XC9K-MB-P01 (Dual Socket) | XC8K-MB (Previous Gen Dual Socket) | XC9S-MB (Single Socket High-Density) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Generation | XSP Gen 5 | XSP Gen 4 | XSP Gen 5 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 TB | 4 TB | 4 TB |
| Memory Channels | 16 (8 per CPU) | 12 (6 per CPU) | |
| PCIe Generation | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Total PCIe Lanes Available | ~224 (CPU Direct) | ~144 (CPU Direct) | ~112 (CPU Direct) |
| Max Core Count (Theoretical) | 256 | 192 | 128 |
| Typical TDP Envelope (System) | 1200W - 1800W | 1000W - 1400W | 800W - 1100W |
4.3 Performance Trade-offs
- **XC9K vs. XC8K:** The move from PCIe 4.0 to 5.0 provides a 2x increase in theoretical I/O bandwidth, which is transformative for high-end GPU workloads. The 16-channel memory architecture also yields a significant boost in memory-bound tasks, often resulting in 20-35% better performance in HPC benchmarks.
- **XC9K vs. XC9S (Single Socket):** While the single-socket XC9S offers excellent core density and high memory capacity (4TB) on one CPU, the dual-socket XC9K configuration offers superior aggregate bandwidth (16 channels vs. 8 channels) and significantly higher total PCIe lane availability (224 vs. 112). The XC9K is superior for workloads that need to feed multiple accelerators simultaneously or require extreme memory parallelism. The XC9S is better suited where NUMA node boundaries must be strictly avoided, or in space-constrained environments.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Deploying a high-density, high-TDP platform like the XyloCore 9000 requires stringent attention to power delivery, cooling infrastructure, and firmware management.
5.1 Thermal Management
The dual 350W TDP CPUs, combined with high-power PCIe 5.0 accelerators (which can draw up to 700W each), necessitate industrial-grade cooling solutions.
- **Air Cooling:** Requires high-static pressure fans (minimum 150 CFM capability per CPU heatsink) and a minimum server chassis airflow rating of 150 CFM at the front intake. Ambient data center temperature must be strictly controlled, ideally below 22°C (72°F).
- **Liquid Cooling (Recommended):** For sustained peak utilization (e.g., HPC or database clusters), direct-to-chip liquid cooling (DLC) utilizing cold plates for both CPUs and primary accelerators is highly recommended to manage thermal density and reduce acoustic output. The motherboard supports standard mounting points for proprietary DLC solutions. Thermal throttling can severely impact performance if cooling capacity is inadequate.
5.2 Power Requirements and Redundancy
The power budget for a fully populated system is substantial.
| Component | Quantity | Est. Power Draw (Watts) | Total (Watts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSP-5990 CPU | 2 | 350 W | 700 W |
| DDR5 DIMMs (256GB LRDIMM) | 32 | 25 W (per DIMM) | 800 W |
| PCIe 5.0 Accelerators (e.g., Dual Slot) | 4 | 450 W (per card) | 1800 W |
| Motherboard/PCH/Drives | 1 | ~150 W | 150 W |
| Total Estimated Peak Load | -- | -- | 3450 W |
- **PSU Recommendation:** Systems should be deployed with redundant, Platinum or Titanium efficiency power supplies, yielding a minimum combined capacity of 4500W (N+1 configuration) to account for power supply inefficiencies and transient spikes. PDU sizing must accommodate this load density.
5.3 Firmware and Management
Maintaining the complex firmware stack is crucial for stability and utilizing new hardware features.
- **BMC Firmware:** The BMC must be kept current to ensure optimal sensor reading accuracy, especially regarding VRM temperature monitoring and power capping enforcement. IPMI commands are frequently used for remote diagnostics.
- **Memory Training:** Due to the density and speed of the DDR5 configuration, firmware updates often include memory training profile refinements. It is critical to perform a full memory training cycle after any significant BIOS/UEFI update, especially when changing DIMM ranks or speeds.
- **Driver Compatibility:** As a bleeding-edge platform, compatibility with older operating systems (e.g., RHEL 7) is not guaranteed. Deployment should target modern OS kernels (Linux Kernel 6.0+ or Windows Server 2022+) that natively support PCIe 5.0 enumeration and advanced memory management features.
5.4 Physical Installation and Cabling
The SSI-EEB form factor requires specialized chassis (4U racks recommended). Proper cable management is not optional; it is essential for thermal performance.
- **Power Connectors:** Requires multiple EPS 12V connectors (typically 3 x 8-pin per CPU) and dedicated 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power feeds routed directly from the PSU cage to the accelerator slots to prevent motherboard trace overload.
- **Front Panel/System Management:** Ensure dedicated KVM connections are established for initial BIOS configuration before network management (IPMI) is configured. Refer to the Chassis Integration Guide for specific motherboard standoff requirements.
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️