Need help with picking E5 CPU/GPU for Windows 2012

[BrianBulaw]

I'm building up a new on-site server for a doctor's office with about 10 users. We're going to use Windows Server 2012, Remote Desktop Services, and N-Computing thin clients to help comply with HIPPA security requirements.

I'm planning on using a Gigabyte GA-6PXSV3 motherboard with an E5-1650 CPU. The motherboard has iKVM capability. If I don't ever need to access the machine directly, do I still need to install a video card? Would I need a video card if I switched to one of the -05 CPU's that have on-board video?

Does the Windows 2012 vGPU take advantage of the -05 CPU hardware?

If I want to provide hardware video acceleration for RDS, do you have any recommendations for a DirectX11 GPU? They will be recording and playing back video clips at the work stations.

Thanks in advance,
Brian

 

[Patrick]

OK so first off, one important note, the Xeon E5 series CPUs do not have -5 parts. Only the Intel Xeon E3-1200 (and V2) series CPUs have integrated GPUs. The integrated ASPEED 2300's GPU is not so great, as in it is fine for a console but crawls at desktops.

Here is the best guide I have seen thus far on RemoteFX hardware: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff817602(WS.10).aspx It also talks about how iKVM works with Windows with another RemoteFX GPU installed.

I will likely do a post once I build the Windows Server 2012 box. The E5-1650 will be plenty CPU wise.

 

[cactus]

I have used Server 2k8R2 RemoteFX with a HD5970 and a HD6950 without problem. Just installed the Win7 drivers.