Platform Support: Three Old Chipsets, C216, And Memory Compatibility
Picking A Platform
As with Intel’s Ivy Bridge-based Core processors, the newest Xeon E3s are compatible with previous-generation motherboards, so long as vendors update their firmware to support them. Granted, upgrades are far less common in the server and workstation space. Technically, though, the C202, C204, and C206 chipsets work fine.
There is new core logic to complement Ivy Bridge-based Xeon E3s, though—C216.
You might recognize its Panther Point code name from Intel’s 7-series desktop chipsets, and its features largely from Z77. But C216 adds vPro and AMT 8.0 support, which are necessary for the remote management capabilities not available from Intel’s enthusiast-oriented offerings.
| C216 (Workstation) | C206 (Workstation / Server) | C204 (Server) | C202 (Server) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vPro / AMT 8.0 | X | X | ||
| Rapid Storage Technology | X | X | X | X |
| Smart Response Technology | X | |||
| Integrated Graphics | X | X | ||
| Supported Displays | Three | Two | ||
| HD Audio Support | X | X | ||
| Node Manager Support | X | |||
| USB 3.0 Ports | Four | |||
| USB 2.0 Ports | 10 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| PCI Express 2.0 Lanes | Eight | Eight | Eight | Eight |
| SATA 6Gb/s | Two | Two | Two | |
| SATA 3Gb/s | Four | Four | Four | Six |
Otherwise, C216 facilitates DisplayPort 1.1 support, four USB 3.0 ports, HD Audio, a pair of SATA 6Gb/s ports (complementing four 3 Gb/s connectors), eight second-gen PCIe 2.0 lanes, and an integrated gigabit Ethernet MAC, just like Z77.
Like C206 before it, C216 is intended as a workstation-oriented chipset. It supports the Ivy Bridge architecture’s three display outputs on boards equipped with the right connectors. It has the audio and I/O functionality you’d expect to use on a desktop, but not a server. And it even adds Smart Response Technology to the company’s business portfolio, facilitating SSD-based caching for faster boot-up and application launching.
Memory Compatibility
The trickiest part of setting up our Xeon E3-1280 v2 and Intel S1200BTL motherboard was finding a memory kit that’d work. Like the desktop Core processors, these E3s support unbuffered modules-only. So, the 100 GB+ of registered modules we have on-hand don’t work.
Constrained to desktop-oriented kits, it quickly became clear that you want to pay close attention to Intel’s supported memory list prior to picking the pieces for a new server or workstation. We eventually tracked down four 2 GB modules based on Micron ICs, but not before exhausting four or five other kits from Kingston, G.Skill, and Crucial.
| Platform | DIMM Configuration | Xeon E3-1200 v2 Family |
|---|---|---|
| Intel C202 and C204 Chipsets | Unbuffered, Non-ECC | Not Supported |
| Unbuffered, ECC | Supported | |
| Unbuffered, Non-ECC/ECC Mix | Not Supported | |
| Intel C216 and C206 Chipsets | Unbuffered, Non-ECC | Supported (Client OS)Not Supported (Server OS) |
| Unbuffered, ECC | Supported | |
| Unbuffered, Non-ECC/ECC Mix | Not Supported | |
| Intel 7-Series Desktop Chipsets | Unbuffered, Non-ECC | Not Supported |
| Unbuffered, ECC | Not Supported | |
| Unbuffered, Non-ECC/ECC Mix | Not Supported |
The good news is that the E3’s memory controller is fairly flexible. It’s able to accommodate up to 32 GB in four slots, operating as fast as 1600 MT/s even with two DIMMS per channel. And although the C206 and C216 chipsets do support non-ECC mode, Intel’s configuration matrix clearly encourages you to stick with ECC-capable RAM.