X13 Servers – the Case for HPC

In this and some following articles, we will take a closer look at the new X13 product line from Supermicro. It delivers a particularly powerful and efficient solution for many application areas. It achieves this by using the latest technologies, such as:

• Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors of the 4th generation,
• Various accelerators integrated into the CPU or also
• PCIe 5.0, CXL 1.1, EDSFF backplanes and DDR5 memory.

In this article, we focus on the use of the X13 product line in the context of HPC (high-performance computing).

What you can expect:

Background: What High-Performance Computing is used for

High-performance computing is essential to solving some of the biggest challenges in science and engineering. Whether it's modeling weather phenomena, exploring new materials, sequencing genomes, computing complex financial models, or providing real-time analytics for big data, HPC enables researchers and companies to push the boundaries of what is technically possible and find answers to important questions faster than ever before.

HPC resource provisioning requires hardware optimized for speed and performance. This includes powerful processors, high memory density, and ultra-fast data transfer speeds to accelerate data movement between memory and processors. In addition, efficient cooling is required to keep hardware at optimal performance levels, and high network bandwidth is required to enable communication between computers.

In this context, the Supermicro X13 server series for 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors offers an impressive platform for HPC applications thanks to its high memory capacity and performance, as well as fast data transfer speeds.

The most important facts about the Supermicro X13 product line for Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors of the 4th generation

• Powerful 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors with up to 60 cores (compared to 40 cores for the previous generation) and 350 W TDP per CPU.
• Accelerators integrated into the CPU:
  • Intel® AMX - for up to 8x performance improvement on matrix multiplication microbenchmarks.
  • Intel® DSA - for up to 2.5x improvement in data movement performance.
  • Intel® Dynamic Load Balancer - improves system performance when processing network data on Intel® Xeon® Scalable multi-core processors.
  • Intel® Quick Assist Technology - for up to 98% core workload capacity for encryption and related workloads.
  • Intel® vRAN Boost - reduces vRAN power consumption by up to 20%.
  • Intel® IAA - for faster queries and resource utilization for more efficient business decision making.
• Faster communication between CPU and other components: through support for PCIe 5.0 (up to 80 lanes), which is twice as fast as the previous generation of CPUs with PCIe 4.0.
• Very high energy efficiency: Various products in the X13 series use different cooling systems from conventional (CRAC) to free-air and liquid cooling and thus achieve a PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.1 or even 1.05 in combination with optimized air circulation, energy-saving design and other features.
• Improved memory performance: thanks to support for DDR5-4800MHz memory (vs. max. 3200MHz of 3rd generation).
• Increased addressable memory capacity of up to 4 TB DRAM per socket.
• Faster communication between CPUs: more and faster Ultra Path Interconnects with the new generation of Intel processors.
• Support of latest technologies like CXL 1.1 and DDR5.

X13 systems for high-performance computing

High-performance computing (HPC) requires systems that are powerful, efficient and robust to perform complex calculations quickly and reliably. Supermicro's X13 server series meets these requirements and offers a number of advantages that make it ideal for HPC applications.

The 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors used in the X13 series provide tremendous computational power, which is critical for quickly processing large amounts of data and performing complex calculations typical in HPC environments.

High memory density and performance are also of central importance in the HPC environment. Here, the X13 series scores with the new, more powerful DDR5 technology. In addition, faster communication between CPU and other components through up to 80 PCIe Gen 5 lanes enables more efficient data transfer within the system. Both result in faster and more efficient data processing, which are crucial in HPC environments.

The special E1.S form factor, which offers a larger cooling surface, also supports efficient cooling of the systems. This is especially important for HPC applications, where the systems often run under full load, generating a large amount of heat. Efficient cooling ensures optimal performance of the hardware and extends its lifetime.

Supermicro's X13 systems prepare organizations for future storage solutions and provide the scalability and flexibility to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of HPC environments.

Which products of the line are particularly suitable for HPC

X13 GPU systems
These systems can accommodate up to 10x PCIe Dual Slot or up to 8x HGX™ H100 GPU in a 19" rackmount enclosure, depending on the GPU form factor and design. The GPUs are designed to be efficient as well, depending on the technology (HGX: all GPUs directly via NVIDIA® NVLINK™ + NVIDIA® NVSwitch™ technology; PCIe: NVIDIA® NVLINK™ with 2 GPU/GPU communications each). Also, the GPU systems can address the maximum memory of currently 8TB RAM 4800MHz ECC DDR5.

You can find more information about this family:
https://www.supermicro.com/datasheet/datasheet_X13_uGPU.pdf
https://www.supermicro.com/datasheet/datasheet_X13_PCIeGPU.pdf

X13 FatTwin systems
The highly configurable FatTwin systems are explicitly tailored to data center needs. They are easy to maintain and energy-saving due to improved thermal management with new, optimized airflow designs and have maximum packing density for optimal use of the available rack resources in the DC.

You can find more information here:
https://www.supermicro.com/datasheet/datasheet_X13_FatTwin.pdf

X13 SuperBlade systems
The resource-saving SuperBlade systems are especially optimized for high performance and density with extreme energy efficiency, especially to reduce companies' operating costs.

You can find more information about these systems here:
https://www.supermicro.com/datasheet/datasheet_X13_SuperBlade.pdf

Application scenario: Climate modeling

A typical application scenario for high-performance computing (HPC) is climate modeling. Climate models are complex computer-based simulations that represent and forecast the climate on Earth. They are used to understand climate changes, predict future climate developments, and thus inform climate protection measures.

Why so much computing power is needed
Climate models require processing large amounts of data and performing complex calculations to represent a range of physical processes and interactions in the atmosphere, oceans, and on land. These models must be constantly updated and refined to incorporate the latest scientific findings and provide increasingly accurate predictions.

How the X13 systems can help
That's where the Supermicro X13 servers come in. With powerful 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and high memory density and performance through DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5 technology, X13 systems can quickly and efficiently handle the massive amounts of data and complex calculations required for climate models.

In addition, the efficient cooling of the systems, including through the EDSFF backplanes, allows the systems to run under high load without overheating. This is especially important in HPC environments, where systems often run continuously and generate a large amount of heat.

Finally, the X13 series offers the scalability and flexibility needed to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of climate modeling. With support for future storage solutions, the systems can be easily expanded and adapted to growing data volumes and increasingly complex models.

Conclusion: Efficiency and high-performance computing power

In this article, we have examined the strengths and features of the Supermicro X13 server series and highlighted their particular suitability for high-performance computing (HPC). The combination of high-performance 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, DDR5 memory technology, and 80 PCIe Gen 5 lanes per CPU enables powerful and efficient processing that is essential for the complex and data-intensive tasks in the HPC environment. In particular, we highlighted the importance of efficient cooling, looking at the special E1.S form factor, for example, which offers a larger cooling surface and thus improved heat dissipation. This allows the servers to operate under high load conditions, which often occurs in HPC scenarios, without overheating and performance loss.

The high scalability and flexibility of X13 servers makes them a future-proof choice for HPC applications. With the ability to keep pace with the ever-changing and growing demands in HPC environments, X13 servers provide a robust and powerful platform.

Choosing the right server for your use case is a complex matter. Therefore, our Custom Server Solutions team is always available to answer your questions. Together we will find the ideal server for your respective application scenario with the desired performance and/or packing density at the lowest possible power consumption and investment costs!

You can also find more information about the X13 product line on Supermicro's website.