ES Xeon Discussion

[pisiiki]

Hello there!

What a fantastic thread. I've been curious about the Sapphire Rapids Engineering Sample (ES) versions and have been searching for information, but I'm still somewhat confused. I spend a significant amount of time compiling code on my machine (UE C++ and shaders, Linux packages, etc.). As you can imagine, I would greatly benefit from a powerful Xeon processor.

My question is as follows: I've noticed some Intel Xeon Platinum 8468 (D0 revision) chips for sale on eBay. Which motherboard would be most suitable in this case? Additionally, what drawbacks should I expect from using an ES chip as opposed to a retail chip?

Thank you!

 

[RolloZ170]

My question is as follows: I've noticed some Intel Xeon Platinum 8468 (D0 revision) chips for sale on eBay. Which motherboard would be most suitable in this case?

this is D0 stepping, microcodes have revisions.
gigabyte C741 motherboards.
ASUS W790 boards (only D0 supported, not E0 and up)

 

[pisiiki]

this is D0 stepping, microcodes have revisions.
gigabyte C741 motherboards.
ASUS W790 boards (only D0 supported, not E0 and up)

Thanks for answering. What pros/cons are there for the C741 motherboards vs the W790? I plan on getting a 350W chip. Are both fine at this wattage?

 

[Kizune]

Thanks for answering. What pros/cons are there for the C741 motherboards vs the W790? I plan to get a 350W chip. Are both fine at this wattage?

Asus W790 motherboards built to withstand much more than 350W - I mean they are made for overclockable Xeon W CPUs and has durability to unlock their potentials under liquid nitrogen cooling. Both ACE and SAGE variants have a second set of power connectors to accommodate hooking up two power supply’s because one 1600W PSU might not be enough. So 350W is nothing for them. As for Gigabyte the motherboard is rated for the 350W CPU so also should be Ok. Asus boards are either more expensive (SAGE costs about $1200 in US) or have fewer memory channels (ACE has 4 where comparable in price C741 board will have all 8). Asus boards have better support for desktop OS drivers - you will have an ability to manage fan speed, for example, from Windows where with Gigabyte you will have to get used to IPMI - either from command line or trough the web interface. Asus has additional hardware such as sound output and various 2.5g and 10g ethernets. And so on…

 

[Civiloid]

What pros/cons are there for the C741 motherboards vs the W790?

It is a bit complicated question. BIOS are different, PCIe slot behavior would be different (Xeon D0 have 80 PCIe lanes, while Xeon WS have 56 or 112 and W790 motherboard will treat your Xeon as 56 PCIe Lane chip, so you'll have more usable slots in x8 mode on Gigabyte MS33-AR0 on a D0 Xeon CPU, compared to ASUS W790 Sage), ability to overclock memory is different (ASUS can use XMP profile and can take advantage of higher frequency memory, while in C741 boards you'll be limited to 4800 MHz, and as far as I remember reading the thread, D0 xeon can actually run with higher frequency memory on W790 boards).

You also need to keep in mind that VRM cooling on server boards is designed for a server airflow, so you will need to think about extra fans that will push the air through VRM area.

 

[pisiiki]

Asus W790 motherboards built to withstand much more than 350W - I mean they are made for overclockable Xeon W CPUs and has durability to unlock their potentials under liquid nitrogen cooling. Both ACE and SAGE variants have a second set of power connectors to accommodate hooking up two power supply’s because one 1600W PSU might not be enough. So 350W is nothing for them. As for Gigabyte the motherboard is rated for the 350W CPU so also should be Ok. Asus boards are either more expensive (SAGE costs about $1200 in US) or have fewer memory channels (ACE has 4 where comparable in price C741 board will have all 8). Asus boards have better support for desktop OS drivers - you will have an ability to manage fan speed, for example, from Windows where with Gigabyte you will have to get used to IPMI - either from command line or trough the web interface. Asus has additional hardware such as sound output and various 2.5g and 10g ethernets. And so on…

Thanks for the clarification! I have decided to order the W790-E PRO SAGE SE. Now I need to decide on the CPU/MEM. Any recommendations going forward in the range of ~$600 ~350W ES CPUs? Best number of RAM sticks, speed? I'm going for 128GB of RAM for this machine.

 

[RolloZ170]

Thanks for the clarification! I have decided to order the W790-E PRO SAGE SE. Now I need to decide on the CPU/MEM.

Any recommendations going forward in the range of ~$600 ~350W ES CPUs?

nothing in that range except of overpriced ones.
QYFS/QYFR is best price perf. ratio so far. QYFX(8490H D0 ES2) clocks are lower

Best number of RAM sticks, speed? I'm going for 128GB of RAM for this machine.

8 channel is a must have(dual ch. per cpu tile), dual ranked for best performance.
unfortunaly Kingston Fury Remegade Pro's 5600/6000 32GB are single ranked.

 

[pisiiki]

nothing in that range except of overpriced ones.
QYFS/QYFR is best price perf. ratio so far. QYFX(8490H D0 ES2) clocks are lower

Q0KG/8470 E0/S1 not a good idea? This one seems to fit my needs the best as I will be compiling tons of code from time to time and I still want to get a high clock for some casual gamming.

Gotcha with the RAM info too, thanks a lot for the advice!

 

[RolloZ170]

Q0KG/8470 E0/S1 not a good idea?

sure for a C741 board. you sayd you want to buy W790 so i excluded E0 and up....

 

[pisiiki]

sure for a C741 board. you sayd you want to buy W790 so i excluded E0 and up....

Alright then, I see. I will go with the W790 + QYFS/QYFR then. I prefer the desktop motherboard. Thanks a lot!

 

[AVID-MEDIA]

I have decided to order the W790-E PRO SAGE SE

May I ask you a question for what purpose you are building such a system?

 

[Civiloid]

I will go with the W790 + QYFS/QYFR then

Honestly, for compiling, I would suggest analysing the bottlenecks first. Unless you run multiple independent jobs in parallel (as even with a single project, unless it was developed in a way to minimise cross-dependencies, you'll quickly hit a small number of compile tasks and therefore would benefit from higher 2-4-6 core frequency), you'd probably be better with just the top desktop CPU from either AMD or Intel, which would also be cheaper.

 

[JosefHrib]

Alright then, I see. I will go with the W790 + QYFS/QYFR then. I prefer the desktop motherboard. Thanks a lot!

I have QYFS and it is good processor.

 

[pisiiki]

Honestly, for compiling, I would suggest analysing the bottlenecks first. Unless you run multiple independent jobs in parallel (as even with a single project, unless it was developed in a way to minimise cross-dependencies, you'll quickly hit a small number of compile tasks and therefore would benefit from higher 2-4-6 core frequency), you'd probably be better with just the top desktop CPU from either AMD or Intel, which would also be cheaper.

This is for my personal setup. I'll be engaging in gaming and hobby projects. This includes compiling Unreal Engine from almost scratch multiple times a day and experimenting with deep learning. At work, I have a Threadripper PRO 5995WX with 256GB of RAM, which builds significantly faster than any consumer CPU. The "affordable" ES Xeons caught my eye because, after deciding to replace my PC, I thought it would be wise to invest a bit more instead of blindly opting for a Z790/14900K setup. I prefer to spend a bit more money if it means saving time on builds or training. I will keep this machine for about 3 years or so I guess.

 

[JosefHrib]

This is for my personal setup. I'll be engaging in gaming and hobby projects. This includes compiling Unreal Engine from almost scratch multiple times a day and experimenting with deep learning. At work, I have a Threadripper PRO 5995WX with 256GB of RAM, which builds significantly faster than any consumer CPU. The "affordable" ES Xeons caught my eye because, after deciding to replace my PC, I thought it would be wise to invest a bit more instead of blindly opting for a Z790/14900K setup. I prefer to spend a bit more money if it means saving time on builds or training. I will keep this machine for about 3 years or so I guess.

Before QYFS I had AMD Threadripper PRO 5965WX 24cores 48threads + ASUS Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI I
with 8x64GB Samsung DDR3 3200MHz and XFX Speedster SWFT 319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT.
And for me is Intel QYFS is better.

 

[pisiiki]

Before QYFS I had AMD Threadripper PRO 5965WX 24cores 48threads + ASUS Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI I
with 8x64GB Samsung DDR3 3200MHz and XFX Speedster SWFT 319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT.
And for me is Intel QYFS is better.

First of all, thank you to everyone for the advice. I was able to make a decision quickly and have already ordered the SAGE SE and the QYFS. The only component I'm still looking for is the RAM. I was planning on 8x16GB. After some research, I've learned that dual rank 16GB modules do not exist, which means I'll need to opt for 32GB modules I guess.

I have spotted this modules: Samsung Registered DDR5 5600. I have seen that the renegade units are very popular here but those are single rank.

I guess I'm not missing something obvious right?

 

[ardabilal]

Hi,
Plat. 8490H ES is it work with Supermicro X13DEI mobo ?

 

[RolloZ170]

Hi,
Plat. 8490H ES is it work with Supermicro X13DEI mobo ?

which 8490H ES ?
8490H ES step 3 D0 QYFX = no ( or with unofficial BIOS 1.0 is full of bugs - you can't downgrade, needs soldering )
8490H ES step 4 E0 Q03J = yes.

 

[ardabilal]

which 8490H ES ?
8490H ES step 3 D0 QYFX = no ( or with unofficial BIOS 1.0 is full of bugs - you can't downgrade, needs soldering )
8490H ES step 4 E0 Q03J = yes.

Thanks !
i think this is ok , i will buy 2pcs today.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[Civiloid]

i think this is ok , i will buy 2pcs today.

There are about 2-3 sellers who sell them on ebay:
One you've mentioned, and as well those people:
1. Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H ES S4 1.6-.5ghz 60C/120T server cpu support ms73 hb1 | eBay
2. Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H ES Q03J 60C 120T 1.9GHz LGA4189 112.5MB 350W 4800MT | eBay

Probably more, but you basically need to inspect all the offers.

Just remember - you can try negotiating with them and maybe lower the price by 30-40$ if you buy more than one things for them. The more you buy the better discount