Request for Recommendations: media / transcode server

[Josh Paetzel]

> 
> On Nov 14, 2019, at 12:40 AM, Ravi Pokala <rpokala at freebsd.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> For a few years, I've known that my media server's motherboard[1] was potentially vulnerable to a bricking issue[2]. It looks like that day has come. :-/
> 
> Or it might just be "normal" old-age, since I've had the board for ~4.5 years.
> 
> Either way, I find myself in need of a new motherboard. My requirements are:
> 
> - 2C/4T amd64 (4C/8T preferred)
> - 2x DDR4 slots (4x preferred)
> - 6x SATA ports (8x preferred)
> - 2x 1GbE NICs
> - 1x 80mm M.2 slot (2x preferred, 110mm preferred)
> - 1x PCIe x8 slot (2x preferred)
> - BMC w/ dedicated NIC
> 
> Suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ravi (rpokala@)
> 
> [1] https://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-A1SAM-2550F-Micro-Processor-Motherboard/dp/B00IRHNKKK/
> [2] https://www.anandtech.com/show/11110/semi-critical-intel-atom-c2000-flaw-discovered
> 
> 
> _

The bad news.

No one is making server class boards off the current gen SoC based x86 stuff like they did with the atom c2000 based stuff.

If you look for J4000/J5000 based boards all there is are media server boards with no BMC, 1 SODIMM slot, two SATA ports, and a single PCI-e slot. 

You’ll need to step up to something like a SM X11SPA which is a lot of board to get what you want.

Supposedly the ARM ecosystem was going to fill that void (or pushed x86 out depending on who you ask) but I don’t really know if that happened. 

Thanks,

Josh Paetzel