My 8 core Intel Xeon D-1541 arrives by mid February, no ETA on 12 and 16 core models

Posted by Paul Braren on Feb 3 2016 (updated on Feb 11 2016) in
  • VMware
  • ESXi
  • Storage
  • Network
  • HomeLab
  • HomeServer

    • It's time. By mid-February, I'll have a new Supermicro SYS-5028D-TN4T mini-tower to tinker with for a bit. Since word got out last November, perhaps you've been patiently waiting for this 2nd wave to arrive, of the beloved Xeon D-1500 SoC (System on a Chip). This article gives you a summary of what to expect.

    Here's what I know, so far

    • This SuperServer system SKU of SYS-5028D-TN4T stays the same

    • The included motherboard SKU X10SDV-TLN4F also stays the same, note the specs page for the motherboard already show both CPUs:

      Intel® Xeon® processor D-1540/1541,
      Single socket FCBGA 1667;
      8-Core, 16 Threads, 45W

    • Same SKUs also means no changes in order pages at TinkerTry or Wiredzone:
      Order a TinkerTry'd Supermicro SuperServer Bundle - powerful and efficient home virtualization lab solutions

    • I plan to make sure that SR-IOV works under VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 1b

    • I will have a good look at the BIOS, and see if there are any changes since my recommended 1.0b settings, other than just the addition of SR-IOV

    • The availability of Supermicro's 12 core and 16 core variants of the growing Intel Xeon D 1500 product line aren't yet known, the family is called X10 UP (Uni-processor), 45W for the current 8-Cores and upcoming 12-Cores model, 65W for the 16-Cores, seen pictured below - that extra 20 watts would be about $26 extra cost per year, if left running 24x7

    • I don't yet know how to determine what date the Wiredzone inventory will cut over, but I suspect by the 3rd week of February it's likely any new orders will have the Xeon D-1541 on board, I'll keep the order page information up to date

    Here's what I'm currently planning to test

    Here's in depth coverage you might enjoy

    all-models-compared
    5028D-TN4T chassis, X10SDV-TLN4F, X10SDV-12C-TLN4F, and X10SDV-16C+-TLN4F motherboard specs. Note that all 3 have the same motherboard features, only the pre-installed soldered-on CPU specs vary.

    Intel ARK (CPU specs)

    Here's the relevant ARK pages:

    and here's the comparison page, Xeon D-1540 versus Xeon D-1541:

    Feb 06 2016 Update

    It's here! My Xeon D-1541 loaner arrived on Feb 5 2016, in the same SYS-5028D-TN4T form that I'm accustomed to. Basic testing has already begun, BIOS 1.0b versus 1.0c BIOS comparisons coming up. For now, see also:

    Feb 11 2016 Update

    See also at TinkerTry

    I also plan to do some thermal testing of my various SSDs, should be fun!

    Video and Audio sped-up 4X, showing Samsung SSD 950 PRO M.2 NVMe during initial power-up. You'll even hear the BIOS speaker beep at the end of POST.

    TinkerTry - PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency and more, including virtualization. My opinions here, not my employer's.

    Paul Braren, MCSE in 1998, VCP #2681 in 2005, vExpert 2014 to 2024, Veeam Vanguard Emeritus, 2015 to 2019.

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    After 6 successful years testing then shipping well over 1,000 Xeon D Bundles, Wiredzone had to stop selling them in mid-2021 due to cost, supply, and logistics challenges. So far, Xeon D-1700/2700 (Ice Lake D) was a minor refresh for 2023, with Xeon D-1800/2800 (Granite Rapids D) refresh looking a little better for 2024. More cores, but still just PCIe Gen4 and DDR4. Looking ahead, I'm glad it's Pat Gelsinger at Intel's helm. I'm also grateful to have had the honor of working at VMware when Pat was the CIO there. I'll leave it at that, given the whole Broadcom thing.

    Easily update VMware ESXi at TinkerTry.com/easy-update-to-latest-esxi