At FMS 2024, the spotlight was on the ASRock Rack GNRD8-2L2T. This standard-size motherboard is engineered for the Socket E2 / LGA4710, primed for the upcoming Intel Xeon 6 processors, known as “Granite Rapids.” Given its expansive potential, we decided it deserved some attention.
ASRock Rack GNRD8-2L2T Intel Xeon 6 Granite Rapids Motherboard Overview
This motherboard measures 12″ x 10.5″, slightly larger than the typical ATX form factor. However, it’s compatible with numerous server and workstation cases that offer the necessary stand-off spots.
The featured CPU socket is the Intel Xeon 6 LGA4710, also referred to as “Socket E2”. This socket configuration is used for LGA4677 as seen in our recent analysis of the Intel Xeon 6 6700E Sierra Forest. The cover clearly indicates compatibility with both LGA4677 and LGA4710.
Memory capabilities are a significant feature. The support for DDR5 RIMM is confirmed, with the potential to reach DDR5-6400 speeds. This indicates a substantial advancement, with the motherboard incorporating an 8-channel DDR5 design.
The motherboard offers multiple PCIe x16 slots. Though all slots support x16 and CXL 2.0, there’s an important detail to note: you need to use the R1S CPUs to access the complete 136 PCIe Gen5 lane capacity in a single socket configuration. With the appropriate CPUs, each of the seven slots can run at PCIe Gen5 x16, leaving 24 lanes for other uses on the board. Furthermore, there’s support for CXL 2.0 across all these lanes.
There are two M.2 slots and an MCIO x8 connector, utilizing another sixteen lanes in total. The flexibility of the MCIO x8 extends beyond just storage or PCIe expansion because of its compatibility with CXL 2.0.
The motherboard features an ASPEED AST2600 BMC, dual 10Gbase-T via an Intel X710 NIC, and dual 1GbE through Intel i210-at. A key update with this motherboard is the elimination of the PCH by Intel, enhancing the board’s efficiency and capabilities.
Final Words
Granite Rapids represents a significant development for Intel, offering an expansive selection of server processors no longer constrained by limited I/O and memory capabilities. Featuring the Intel Xeon 6 R1S with a 136-lane PCIe Gen5 / CXL 2.0 design, Intel plans to enhance both core counts and memory speeds significantly in this current generation. With the anticipated launch of Granite Rapids-AP in Q3 2024 and our current progress through the quarter, stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
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