Broadberry CyberServe XE5-R2216

Comprehensive remote management

Remote server management via a web browser comes as standard with Intel's RMM4 module. This snaps into a small socket next to the I/O module slot and provides a dedicated network port at the rear.

It uses the same KVM chip as Supermicro's servers and provides a tidy web interface displaying sensor readouts for fan speeds, temperatures and voltages. Each value has low and high thresholds which can be tied in with email and SNMP alerts.

You can keep a close eye on critical components and link detected problems to emails and SNMP alerts.

The server came with a single 750W hot-plug power supply. For an extra 234, you can add a second for redundancy. Intel also steps into line with Dell and HP as it now offers a choice of supplies with 460W, 750W AC and 750W DC models on the menu.

The E5-2670 CPUs have a TDP of 115W and we found the server to be easy on the juice in our power tests. With Windows Server 2008 R2 in idle, we measured a draw of 104W which peaked at only 250W with all 32 logical cores under heavy pressure from the SiSoft Sandra benchmarking app.

The CyberServe XE5-R1304 isn't as well built or feature rich as Dell's PowerEdge R720 but it is a lot cheaper. Businesses looking for a low-cost 2U storage server with the latest Xeon E5 processors and a high memory capacity will find this fits the bill nicely.

Verdict

The CyberServe XE5-R2216 delivers supports Intel’s latest Xeon E5 processors and impresses when it comes to storage, memory and expansion. It won’t be beating Dell’s new PowerEdge R720 for quality, features and design but this is reflected in its much lower price tag.

Chassis: Intel R2000GZ 2U rack

Motherboard: Intel S2600GZ

CPU: 2 x 2.6GHz Xeon E5-2670

Memory: 48GB DDR3 expandable to 768GB (using RDIMM or LR-DIMM)

Storage: 1 x 900GB Seagate SAS 2 SFF 10K hot-swap hard disk

RAID: Intel C600-A (upgradeable to C600-T)

Array support: RAID0, 1

Expansion: 6 x PCI-e Gen3 slots (with dual CPUs)

Network: 4 x Gigabit

Power: 750W hot-plug supply (max 2)

Management: Intel RMM4 with 10/100 port

Warranty: 3yrs on site NBD

Options: Redundant 750W PSU, £234