AMD

9 posts

AMD EPYC or Intel Xeon? Some Thoughts

The discussion around Windows or Linux can be religious. As can be the discussion around which platform to use whether it be Intel or AMD. Qualifier: We’ve been in the System Builder Channel since the late 1990s. Intel System Builder When we started MPECS in 2003 we were an all […]

Server or Workstation Board RMA Swap: Leave the M.2 x4 PCIe x16 Card Out Prior to First Boot

We just completed a workstation board swap of an ASRock TRX40 Creator board that was set up with an Asus HYPER M.2 x16 Card (link to current product). We had plugged everything back in and hit the power button on the board for that first boot then jumped up to […]

AMD EPYC and Ryzen ThreadRipper Cooling: It’s Important to get the Right Cooler!

We’re in the process of building an AMD ThreadRipper based system. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to either AMD EPYC or AMD ThreadRipper is that they are _big_ processors! So, when looking to cool the processor it’s important to make sure the cooler is designed for […]

Azure Stack HCI/Storage Spaces Direct: Optimal Network Configuration

There are many ways one can go about setting up the networking for an Azure Stack HCI (ASHCI)/Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) cluster. TL;DR Our rule of thumb is to start with four 25GbE ports via two network adapters for multiple nodes requiring switches or even in smaller […]

Lessons Learned: Rack Enclosures: PDUs, PDU Cables, and Cable Ties

This is what one of our Proof-of-Concept (PoC) rack enclosures looked like before we were finished buttoning things up: Four Node Storage Spaces Direct Cluster with Mellanox 40GbE RoCE Fabric In the end, we did a decent job of wrapping and coiling the massive 40GbE cables and the 250V PDU […]

TYAN RMM TIPs: Default Username and Password Plus Set Up Tips

TYAN has an excellent built-in Remote Management Module (RMM) that does not require an extra license like some Tier 1 vendors do. TYAN Default Administrator Username and Password The default TYAN username and password is: Username: root Password: superuser The first thing we do when we sign in is create […]

AMD’s Game Changer: EPYC Rome and S2D

A conversation on the S2D Slack channel brought about a realization that we are on the cusp of one of the bigger technology shifts in the CPU industry in a very long time. Since Intel incorporated Core into their Intel Xeon line many, many years ago where we saw a […]