Recommendation for a new server

[Paralyta]

Hi everyone,

I found this forum by accident and hope someone could help me.
I'm an avid PC gamer and I always enjoy building my own rig, but I almost know nothing about server hardware.
A friend of mine, who works for a small education facility, asked me if I could help her with this problem.

She needs a recommendation for a new server, which could replace an old Supermicro server (with iESX 6.7.0):

Specs:
Supermicro X10DRi
Intel Xeon E5-2630v4
32 GB RAM
2x 500 GB SSD
2x 1 TB HDD

The server only hosts 6 VMs:
- domain controller
- exchange server
- file exchange (NextCloud)
- monitoring
- VM for small website projects
- VM for testing

They will be adding some additional VMs in the future, but apparently nothing huge.

Some IT company suggested them this build:
Supermicro A+ 1014S-WTRT
Supermicro H12SSW-NT
EPYC 7662 (with 64 Cores, 128 threads)
64GB ECC RAM
2x 3,84GB SSD
500W AC redudant
cost: ~4700€ (~5700$ including tax)

They also offered:
CyberPower PR750ERT2U: 315€ (~381$ including tax)
CyberPower SNMP-networkd card RMCard 205 for 110€ (~133$ including tax)

This maybe future proof, but it seems a little bit too oversized for my taste.
Do they really need ECC RAM for some VMs?
Do they really need the EPYC CPU?

What would you suggest instead?

 

[NablaSquaredG]

Hi,

EPYC is generally a good choice and 99% of the time much more bang for the buck compared with Intel.

ECC RAM is always a good idea and should be used whenever possible, especially in a server that runs 24/7!

The 7662 might be a bit oversized, but 64G ECC RAM seem to be a bit too little.
Perhaps trade some cores for more RAM?

Have they specified the RAM speed? You should check that it's 3200MHz RAM and all 8 channels should be populated (=> 8 DIMMs).
Have they specified the type of SSD? You should check that it's an Enterprise grade model (=> with power loss protection) . Did they suggest a SAS3 or U.2 model? Or SATA?

 

[Paralyta]

Thanks for your input!

I have some my experience with AMD through my PC rigs (with Ryzen CPUs) and I know that AMD CPUs crush Intel CPUs in most multithreaded tasks (and with Ryzen5000 also in single core performance), especially if you use the right RAM. So 3200Mhz was the first thing I checked.

Big thanks for the tipp with the 8 channels. I didn't know that. They specified: 8 DIMMs with 8GB @ 3200Mhz.

But weren't there any issues regarding AMD CPUs and virtualization in the past? I usually hear "Intel" when someone orders servers, especially if ESX/VMware is on the sheet. I was so surprised to read AMD EPYC at once.
You are right: I don't think they need 64 cores/128 threads. The EPYC 7502 (32C/64T) should be enough for them.

But is a EPYC CPU really necessary or should they opt for a cheaper Threadripper 3990X and non-ECC RAM?
I always thought that ECC is only mandatory for the financial and scientific sector or only if have host a service, where you can't afford even the slightest chance of a bit flip or even a crash.

They only suggested the WD Ultrastar DC SN640 as storage. Apparently it's an SSD with NVMe U.2. It's a TLC drive, but it has 3,84TB capacity instead of 4TB, so there should be enough room for wear leveling.

 

[iGene]

I will say if you currently have no issue with the current setup, the new configuration is a bit overkill.

EYPC CPUs is OK, but I don't think you'll need a 7662, IMO a 7232P (8 core 16 thread )may be enough or you can go with a 7302P (16 core 32 thread). Single core performance has increased a lot over 2630v4, I suppose lower core counts EPYCs will be enough for your usage.

64GB RAM looks OK.

I will always recommend ECC if you have the budget. You can read this article for more information why ECC is important.
Why don’t PCs use error correcting RAM? “Because Intel,” says Linus | Ars Technica

For storage, you can use U.2 SSD if you have the budget, but from you're current usage, I will say that SATA SSD may be enough for you use case.

 

[Paralyta]

Thank you very much!