Gigabyte MD72-HB0 C621A 2x S4189

The GIGABYTE MD72-HB0 stands apart from typical dual-socket boards by pairing Intel's C621A chipset with a robust 32-DIMM memory architecture and native 10GbE networking, all in a standard E-ATX footprint. Built for 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, it delivers the PCIe 4.0 bandwidth and storage flexibility that demanding enterprise workloads require.

Highlights

• Dual LGA 4189 sockets support 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake-SP) processors
• 32 DDR4 DIMM slots (16 per CPU) with ECC support, up to 8TB capacity
• Four PCIe 4.0 x16 slots plus an OCP 3.0 Gen4 x16 slot for expansion
• Dual 10GbE LAN via Intel X710-AT2 and dedicated 1GbE management port
• 10 SATA ports, 2 M.2 PCIe Gen4 x4, and 2 SlimSAS connectors for storage
• ASPEED AST2600 BMC with VGA output for remote management

In daily use

This board excels in virtualisation, high-performance computing, and storage-heavy applications. The generous memory capacity and ECC support ensure data integrity, while the integrated 10GbE ports eliminate the need for add-in network cards. The OCP 3.0 slot allows for flexible mezzanine card upgrades, keeping the system future-ready. The E-ATX form factor fits many standard server chassis, simplifying deployment.

Full specifications

• CPU Socket: Dual LGA 4189 (Socket P+)
• Compatible CPUs: 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors (Ice Lake-SP)
• Chipset: Intel C621A
• Memory: 32 x DDR4 DIMM slots (16 per CPU), supports DDR4 3200/2933/2666 MHz RDIMM/LRDIMM/3DS RDIMM/3DS LRDIMM, ECC, max 8TB
• Expansion Slots: 4 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 x OCP 3.0 Gen4 x16
• Storage: 10 x SATA 6Gb/s, 2 x M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4), 2 x SlimSAS (PCIe Gen4 x8 or 8 x SATA)
• Network: 2 x 10GbE (Intel X710-AT2), 1 x 1GbE management (Intel I210)
• Management: ASPEED AST2600 BMC
• Form Factor: E-ATX (305 x 330 mm)
• USB: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (rear), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 header (internal)
• Video: 1 x VGA (via BMC)
• Power Connectors: 1 x 24-pin ATX, 2 x 8-pin EPS
• RAID: Intel VROC for NVMe, SATA RAID 0/1/5/10
• OS Support: Windows Server, RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu, VMware ESXi

Final note

The MD72-HB0 offers a balanced combination of performance, expandability, and management features, making it a solid foundation for modern data centre servers.