Gigabyte ThunderXStation Press Release Excerpt
Aside from the specs, we wanted to provide some insight into the ThunderXStation from the official press release on the new system:
Workstations are standalone platforms with high performance CPUs, lots of memory and excellent graphics capabilities, widely used for advanced software development. ThunderXStation integrates dual socket ThunderX2 motherboard in a 4U tower suitable for office environments. Arm has a very strong ecosystem with millions of developers and is the processor of choice for a variety of verticals such as mobile, embedded and IoT. Arm software developers currently utilize binary translators and cross compilers resulting in increased development and debug cycles. By delivering native performance and eliminating the need for cross compilers, ThunderXStation simplifies software development for Arm and significantly improves time to solution delivery.
Developers need their workstations to include comprehensive software development environment including latest compilers, tool chains, libraries and middleware. For gaming application development, excellent graphics capabilities are required. In addition, developers also need the ability to quickly test and debug their code.
ThunderXStation offers unprecedented performance and flexibility for Arm software development for Android, gaming, embedded and NFV applications. Each system comes preinstalled with comprehensive software development environment, enabling developers to rapidly develop, debug and release applications for Arm processors. Key preinstalled software development tools include gcc 7.2, LLVM, gdb, Golang, OpenJDK 9.0, HHVM, Python, PHP, Ruby etc. The CentOS 7.4 environment on ThunderXStation includes support for KVM and Docker, enabling developers to quickly test their applications in either hypervisor based or containerized environments. Open source graphics drivers included with the OS, enable development and testing of gaming applications quick and painless.
ThunderX2 product family is Cavium’s second-generation, 64-bit Armv8-A server processor SoCs for data center, cloud and high-performance computing applications. The family integrates fully out-of-order, high-performance custom cores supporting single- and dual-socket configurations. ThunderX2 is optimized to drive high computational performance, delivering outstanding memory bandwidth and memory capacity. ThunderX2 family includes multiple SKUs for both scale up and scale out applications and is fully compliant with Armv8-A architecture specifications, as well as Arm’s SBSA and SBBR standards.
My feedback for this is I’d prefer if there was a complete base system priced with options.
It all says 1 or 2 could but what are cores and clocks? What are features? What do I lose with 1 CPU? How do I get a quote for a complete system or even know if it’s worth the time?
There needs to be a config all in price under $4999 so I can use a grant and I don’t need to get our central procurement involved. Trying to explain why this is better than a Dell or something means I’ve got to explain to procurement that they’re special CPUs.
Look at that brown square on the mobo, it is a HUGE CPU slot.
I don’t understand what is taking so long for Cavium to get their TX2 in the hands of review sites like STH, my only hypothesis when a company hides their product from reviewers is that the product is a flop (and I really hope it isn’t).
Marcelo – who said STH does not have Thunderx2 in the lab?
Sweet! Finally something worth thinking about. With the low-noise I would be a little bit conservative since on the picture the board is probably connected to dual/redundant PSUs like in real server and those PSUs are usually PITA w.r.t. high-pitch noise.
Anyway, still, two questions: (1) price and (2) market availability?
KarelG – I have passed along this price feedback since we have gotten that a lot. Noise wise, I expect it to be better than the 2U offering! Availability is slated for Q2.
Patrick — if you have ThunderX2 in your lab, please do not hesitate to post benchmarks as/once you are allowed. I somehow believe that this CPU is interesting so would like to see concrete numbers. Thanks!
Not allowed to yet.
Patrick, can you also share, when allowed, how it compares TDP wise to Xeon/RISC-V/Power9 ?
Thanks in advance.
Karol – I have not gotten the OK to do so yet.
At least it already do have public price tag. 9.5k to 11.7k british pounds! See here https://www.avantek.co.uk/store/arm-desktops.html — in comparison with that price for ThunderX based workstation is just fun…