Intel Server R2208WT2YS System Review

Introduction

Fueling today's datacenters is low latency storage solutions and incredibly fast networks. Intel's release of the latest Haswell-EP processors delivers the CPU processing power to take on this job. Features that include power-efficient spread core design, high-speed DDR4 memory banks, and a huge appetite for PCIe lanes to provide I/O for the system.

The Intel R2208WT2YS Server bases its design on these basic design principles and offer up to 36 cores/72 thread systems with a massive 3TB of fast DDR4 memory. To connect to the network, 80 PCIe Gen 3 lanes feed network expansion cards that can go all the way up to Dual port QSFP FDR 56 GT/S InfiniBand modules. Additional computing power can also be added with support of Intel Xeon Phi co-processors.

All of these features come together in the Intel R2208WT2YS Server with a highly configurable server package. Let us move on and take a closer look.

Specifications

The R2208WT2YS server supports memory capacities up to 3TB of DDR4 and has 80 PCIe Gen 3 lanes to power the available PCIe expansion slots which can be used for Intel Xeon Phi co-processors and Intel TXT technology. The connector for Intel I/O Expansion modules includes the ability to run these network adapters:

• Quad port RJ45 1 GbE adapter based on Intel I350
• Dual port RJ45 10GBase-T I/O Module adapter based on Intel x540
• Dual port SFP+ 10GbE Module adapter based on Intel 82599 10 GbE controller
• Single port QSFP FDR 56 GT/S InfiniBand module
• Dual port QSFP FDR 56 GT/S InfiniBand module
• Single port QSFP+ 40 GbE module
• Dual port QSFP+ 40 GbE module

There is also a wide variety of SAS 3 or SAS 2 Intel integrated RAID modules that can be used to supplement storage requirements and that do not use available PCIe slots.

Here we see a detailed block diagram showing how all the input/output ports connect to different chips on the motherboard. In order to take advantage of all PCIe lanes/slots on the R2208WT2YS, both CPU's need to be installed.

Layout

Looking at the front of the R2208WT2YS server, we can see our sample unit has the left hand drive module equipped with an eight-drive bay module. The far right module has I/O, status display and a DVD drive, while the middle module is blank.

The possible configurations of the front drive bay modules are shown above, the unit we received is equipped as figure 12 shows.

Swapping out drive bay modules is simple to do, only three screws hold each one in place and removing these allow the module to be taken out or inserted.

There is also an option for a security front panel that can be purchased to prevent unauthorized access to the drive bays.

The sample R2208WT2YS server we received can be equipped with an Intel DC S3500 Series 240 GB SSD installed in drive bay number 0.

Our sample did not come with drive rails, but here you can see the side of the server and its rail mounting hole locations.

Now we are looking at the back I/O ports.

There is a lot going on at the back of the R2208WT2YS server, at the far left side we can see there is an optional 2x 2.5" Hot Swap Drive Bay, which can be used for a RAID 0 SSD boot setup. This would free up the front drive bays for pure storage. There are also eight riser card slots available for expansion cards.

The R2208WT2YS server has an option for dual redundant power supplies; our sample came equipped with just one PSU.

On the server lid there is a handy reference chart that shows various features of the R2208WT2YS.

Here we have taken the lid off the R2208WT2YS to our first look at the insides. The entire layout is nice and clean with only two sets of cables floating around. Our system does not have any expansion cards installed, except for an Intel P3700 PCIe 400 GB SSD, which has no cables attached to interfere with airflow.

The air shroud bevels down to the top of the passive CPU heat sinks so that all airflow goes directly through the coolers. It also directs airflow through the memory area to cool the DDR4 memory sticks.

The CPU heat sinks used in the R2208WT2YS server are simple passive heat sinks that are as tall as the DDR4 memory sticks. There are also plastic DDR4 dummy sticks in unused memory slots that help channel airflow through this area.

Each of the cooling fans on the middle fan bar can be easily removed for replacement if needed.

The only expansion card that came equipped on our R2208WT2YS server is an Intel P3700 400GB PCIe SSD. When we received the sample R2208WT2YS server, you could not boot from this card, but later BIOS revisions enabled this feature.

Looking at the I/O expansion bay, we can see mounting holes for these expansion cards.

The motherboard used on the Intel Server R2208WT2YS system is an Intel Server Board S2600WT shown here. This board is designed to support Intel E5-2600 v3 processors, DDR4 memory, Intel Xeon Phi co-processors, TXT technology, and Intel SSDs and can be configured for 1U and 2U rack mount chassis.