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MSI Announces New AI Server Platforms with Liquid Cooling

by Lyle Smith

MSI unveiled its latest server technology at the SC23 convention, enhancing its position within the enterprise, organizational, and data center markets. At the event, MSI showcased its new GPU and CXL memory expansion servers, which are integrated with cutting-edge processors from AMD and Intel. They promise to address the growing demand for more robust data center compute performance.

MSI unveiled its latest server technology at the SC23 convention, enhancing its position within the enterprise, organizational, and data center markets. At the event, MSI showcased its new GPU and CXL memory expansion servers, which are integrated with cutting-edge processors from AMD and Intel. They promise to address the growing demand for more robust data center compute performance.

MSI G4201

MSI’s new server technology aligns with the growing requirements of data centers challenged by the massive influx of data from both human and machine sources. In response to these needs, the industry is witnessing a shift towards liquid cooling solutions, recognized for their high-efficiency rates in high-performance computing environments. MSI’s server platforms are constructed to support this shift, offering a scalable architecture that can be customized to meet contemporary data centers’ diverse and specific needs.

MSI presented its new GPU server models, focusing on the HPC and AI sectors, which offer flexible solutions tailored to high-performance and AI inference computing workloads.

First is the G4101, a robust 4U server chassis engineered to meet the demands of AI inference computing. It is equipped with an AMD EPYC 9004 Series processor, enhanced by a liquid cooling system, to ensure optimal performance. This model boasts an array of memory and expansion capabilities, including 12 DDR5 RDIMM memory slots and multiple PCIe Gen5 slots for GPU expansion, complemented by a dozen 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe storage bays for high-speed data access.

G4201 Specifications

Processor Single AMD EPYC 9004 Series Processors, up to 128C, TDP 500W
Memory 12 x DIMM slots, 12 channel DDR5, up to 4800MT/s, RDIMM/3DS
Form Factor 4U
Drive Bays 12 x U.2 Gen4 NVMe or 12 x 2.5″ SAS/SATA Hot-swap drive bays
Expansion Slot 6 x PCIe5.0 Full height/Full length x 16 slot:
• 4 PCIe5.0 triple slot GPGPU
• 2 PCIe5.0 x16 slot (x8 signal)
Dimensions 17.2″W (447.9mm) x 6.9″H (176mm) x 32.6″D (827.3mm)
Networking 1 x GbE RJ45 Mgmt. port (Realtek RTL8211FD-CG)
Front I/O 1 x Power button
1 x Reset button
2 x USB3.0 ports
1 x LED: UID
Rear I/O 1 x GbE RJ45 (for Mgmt.)
1 x Serial port (RJ45)
2 x USB3.0
3 x LEDs: Power/HDD/Status
Server Management Aspeed AST2600 IPMI2.0 with iKVM
Environment System Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 35°C
Non-operating Temperature: -20°C ~ 70°C
Non-operating Relative Humidity: 5% to 85% (non-condensing)
Certification CE, FCC (Class A)
Storage 2 x M.2 M-Key (2280/22110, PCIe Gen3 x4/x2)
Power Supply CRPS 3000W 1+1 hot-plug redundant PSU
Indicators 1 x LED: PWR_SW
1 x LED: UID_SW
Accessory 1 x Slide Rail (Optional)
Cooling 1 x Liquid Cooling with 3 x 92mm x 38mm non Hot-swap fans

In contrast, the G3101 offers a compact 3U form factor with a single-socket design that supports professional GPU workloads. It houses up to four double-wide PCIe slots for GPUs alongside eight DDR4 memory slots. The six 2.5-inch drive bays allow for easy maintenance and upgrade. With a single AMD EPYC 7003 Series processor and liquid cooling integration, the G3101 is poised as a robust server solution for businesses and data center applications.

G3101 Specifications

Processor Single AMD EPYC™ 7002/7003 Series Processors, up to 64C, TDP 300W
Chipset SoC
Memory 8 x DIMM slots, 8 channel DDR4, up to 3200MHz, RDIMM/LRDIMM/3DS
Form Factor 3U
Drive Bays 6 x 2.5″ SATA Hot-swap drive bays
Expansion Slot 4 x PCIe4.0 x16 GPGPU Full height/Full length
Dimensions 17.2″W(438mm) x 5.2″H(131mm) x 17.7″D(450mm)
Networking 2 x 10GBase-T ports (Intel® X710AT2) w/ NCSI
1 x GbE RJ45 Mgmt. port (Realtek RTL8211E-VB)
Front I/O 1 x Power button
1 x Reset button
1 x USB3.0 port
1 x LED: UID
Rear I/O 2 x 10GBase-T ports(w/NCSI)
1 x GbE RJ45 port(for Mgmt.)
2 x USB3.0 ports
2 x USB2.0 ports
1 x VGA port
1 x COM port
3 x LEDs: Power/HDD/Status
Server Management Aspeed AST2500 IPMI2.0 with iKVM
Environment Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 35°C
Non-operating Temperature: -20°C ~ 70°C
Non-operating Relative Humidity: 5% ~ 85% (non-condensing)
Certification CE, FCC (Class A)
Storage 2 x M.2 M-key (2280/22110, PCIe Gen4 x4)
Power Supply CRPS 1600W 1+1 hot-plug redundant PSU
Accessory 1 x Slide Rail (Optional)
RAID SAS/SATA 12Gb/s by LSI3008IR/IMR (MSI MEZ-200a/200b)
Cooling 1 x CPU air cooler module (240W) or 1 x CPU liquid cooler module (300W)
4 x 80mm x 38mm PWM Hot-swap fans

Additionally, MSI introduced two new server platforms leveraging Compute Express Link (CXL) technology, the S1301 and S2302. These servers are optimized for handling data-intensive workloads and in-memory databases, boasting the ability to expand memory capacity significantly. The S1301, with support for dual AMD EPYC processors, offers up to 11TB of extended memory capacity, while the S2302 is equipped with Intel Xeon processors with memory extension of up to 12TB.

Both platforms are a testament to MSI’s commitment to innovation in server technology and its pursuit of addressing the evolving needs of data-heavy environments.

S1301 Specifications

Processor Dual AMD EPYC 9004 Series Processors, up to 32C, TDP 210W
Memory 24 x DIMM Slots, 12 channels DDR5, up to 4800MT/s, RDIMM/3DS
Form Factor 1U
Drive Bays 10 x E3.S CXL (1T/2T)
Expansion Slot 2x PCIe5.0 HHHL x16 slots
Dimensions 17.2″W(438mm) x 1.7″H(43.2mm) x 30.3″D(770mm)
Networking 2 x GbE RJ45 ports (1x Intel® i350AM2 w/NCSI)
1 x GbE RJ45 Mgmt. port (Realtek RTL8211FD-CG)
1 x OCP3.0 NIC
Front I/O 1 x Power button
1 x UID button
1 x USB3.0 port
1 x USB2.0 port
1 x VGA Port
Server Management Aspeed AST2600 IPMI2.0 with iKVM
Environment System Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 35°C
Non-operating Temperature: -20°C ~ 70°C
Non-operating Relative Humidity: 5% ~ 85% (non-condensing)
Certification CE, FCC (Class A)
Storage 2 x M.2 M-Key 2280 (PCIe Gen3 x2)
2 x microSD
Power Supply CRPS 1600W 1+1 hot-plug redundant PSU
Indicators 1 x LED: PWR_SW
1 x LED: UID_SW
1 x LED: Global Alarm (Fan/PWR)
2 x LEDs: NIC Link
1 x LED: HDD
Security TPM 2.0
Case intrusion switch
Accessory 1 x Slide Rail (Optional)
Cooling 2 x Passive CPU heatsink
8 x 40mm x 56mm non Hot-swap fans

S2302 Specifications

Processor Dual 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors, up to 60C, TDP 350W
Chipset Intel® C741
Memory 32 x DIMM Slots, 8 channel DDR5, up to 4800MHz, RDIMM/3DS
Form Factor 2U
Drive Bays 8 x E3.S CXL (1T/2T) + 2 x E3.S Gen5 SSD (1T/2T)
or 10 x E3.S Gen5 SSD (1T/2T)
Expansion Slot 3 x PCIe5.0 FHFL x16 slots (Max. 3 CXL AIC supported)
2 x PCIe5.0 HHHL x16 slots
Dimensions 17.2″W(438mm) x 3.4″H(87mm) x 30.3″D(770mm)
Networking 1 x GbE RJ45 Mgmt. port (Realtek RTL8211FD-CG)
1 x OCP3.0 NIC
Optional: 2 x GbE RJ45 ports (1x Intel® I350AM2 via M.2 LAN Mezz.)
Front I/O 1 x Power button
1 x UID button
1 x USB3.0 port
1 x USB2.0 port
1 x VGA Port
Rear I/O 1 x GbE RJ45 port (for Mgmt.)
2 x GbE RJ45 ports (Optional)
2 x USB3.0 ports
1 x VGA port
1 x Serial port (RJ45)
1 x UID LED button (w/ BMC reset function)
Server Management Aspeed AST2600 IPMI2.0 with iKVM
Environment System Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 35°C
Non-operating Temperature: -20°C ~ 70°C
Non-operating Relative Humidity: 5% ~ 85% (non-condensing)
Certification CE, FCC (Class A)
Storage 2 x M.2 M-key (2280/22110, PCIe Gen3 x2)
2 x microSD
Power Supply CRPS 1600W 1+1 hot-plug redundant PSU
Indicators
  • 1 x LED: PWR_SW
  • 1 x LED: UID_SW
  • 1 x LED: System Status (Fan/PWR)
  • 2 x LEDs: NIC Link
  • 1 x LED: M.2
Security TPM 2.0
Case intrusion switch
Accessory 1 x Slide Rail (Optional)
Cooling 2 x Thermosyphon with air duct
6 x 60mm x 38mm PWM Hot-swap fans

Product pages: G4101G3101S1301S2302

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