What are Server Motherboards?
A server motherboard is the primary circuit board that serves as the backbone of a server, providing a platform for various hardware components to connect and work together. It is specifically designed to handle the demands of hosting multiple users and running various software applications simultaneously.
Server motherboards typically have larger form factors than consumer-grade motherboards to accommodate additional components such as multiple CPUs, high-speed network interfaces, and large amounts of RAM. They also often have other features such as remote management capabilities, redundant power supplies, and enhanced security to ensure continuous uptime and protect sensitive data.
Overall, the server motherboard plays a critical role in the overall performance and reliability of a server, making it an essential component in any server system.
Top 5 server motherboards
Here are five server motherboards that are highly rated and widely used in the industry:
ASUS WS C422 PRO/SE:
This is a high-end workstation motherboard that can be used for servers, supporting up to 10-core Intel Xeon W-series processors and up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM. It has dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and support for Thunderbolt 3 and comes with ASUS Control Center for remote management.
Supermicro X10DRi:
This motherboard supports dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4 processors, up to 1TB of ECC DDR4 RAM, multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports, SAS3 support, and IPMI 2.0 remote management. It also features a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot and dual U.2 ports for high-speed storage.
Gigabyte MW51-HP0:
This workstation motherboard supports Intel Xeon W-series processors and up to 512GB of DDR4 RAM. It has dual 10GbE LAN ports, dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, and support for dual M.2 NVMe SSDs. It also features Gigabyte’s Server Management software for remote management.
ASRock Rack EP2C602:
This motherboard supports dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors and up to 1TB of DDR3 RAM. It has dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, six SATA3 ports, and support for SAS2 and RAID. It also comes with ASRock Rack’s Remote Management software.
MSI MEG Z590 ACE WIFI:
This is a high-end consumer motherboard that can also be used for server applications, supporting 11th Gen Intel Core processors and up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM. It has dual 2.5G LAN ports, Wi-Fi 6E, and support for Thunderbolt 4. It also has advanced power delivery and cooling features for high-performance computing.
Server motherboards for high-performance computing (HPC) applications
When it comes to high-performance computing (HPC) applications, you need a server motherboard that can handle demanding workloads and provide high-speed connectivity. Here are some server motherboards that are well-suited for HPC applications:
Supermicro H11DSi-NT:
This dual-socket motherboard supports up to two AMD EPYC processors, up to 4TB of DDR4 memory, and multiple high-speed interfaces including 10GbE LAN, InfiniBand, and PCIe 4.0. It also has IPMI 2.0 remote management and supports software-defined storage with NVMe and SAS3 drives.
ASUS WS C621E SAGE:
This workstation motherboard can also be used for server applications, supporting up to two Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 768GB of DDR4 memory, and multiple high-speed interfaces including 10GbE LAN and PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. It also has ASUS Control Center for remote management and advanced cooling features for reliable operation under heavy workloads.
GIGABYTE MZ31-AR0:
This server motherboard supports up to two AMD EPYC processors, up to 2TB of DDR4 memory, and multiple high-speed interfaces including 10GbE LAN and PCIe 4.0. It also has dual M.2 NVMe SSD slots for fast storage and Gigabyte Server Management for remote management.
ASRock Rack EPYCD8-2T:
This server motherboard supports up to two AMD EPYC processors, up to 2TB of DDR4 memory, and multiple high-speed interfaces including 10GbE LAN and PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. It also has ASRock Rack’s Remote Management software for easy monitoring and maintenance.
Intel S2600WFQ:
This server motherboard supports up to two Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 2TB of DDR4 memory, and multiple high-speed interfaces including 10GbE LAN and PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. It also has Intel Remote Management Module for remote management and advanced security features to protect your data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a server motherboard is a critical component in any server system, providing a platform for various hardware components to connect and work together. When selecting a server motherboard, it’s important to consider factors such as processor compatibility, memory capacity, high-speed interfaces, remote management capabilities, and advanced features such as redundancy and security. For high-performance computing (HPC) applications, it’s particularly important to choose a motherboard that can handle demanding workloads and provide high-speed connectivity. Ultimately, the choice of server motherboard will depend on your specific requirements, workload, and budget.