Broadberry CyberServe X34-104L review

The processor is located in the centre of the motherboard and the six DIMM sockets to one side support up to 16GB of UDIMM or 32GB of RDIMM memory. We didn't think much of the cooling shroud, as Supermicro insists on using flimsy plastic covers. This is made worse by the fact that it's integrated with the mounting bracket for the three small cooling fans, so you have to remove the lot if you want to upgrade memory or change a fan.

The server included a pair of 250GB Seagate Momentus SATA drives configured as a mirror. If you want higher performance then we suggest Supermicro's X8SI6-F motherboard. Expansion options include a riser card with a PCI Express 2 x16 slot, which can handle a full-height, full-length card. There are two USB ports at the rear, and the motherboard has two internal ones.

Full remote management comes as standard, with the integrated controller providing a dedicated port and web browser access. The latter has seen a number of design tweaks making it easier to use. It offers plenty of data about all motherboard sensors plus options to issue SNMP traps and email alerts if preset thresholds are breached.

Along with full control over power, remote control is also provided, so you can access the BIOS setup menu and OS via a browser. It supports virtual floppy and optical drive media, allowing you to boot the server from another system and install an OS if required.

For general remote and local server monitoring, the SuperO Doctor III utility provides plenty of operational information on all critical system components. Basic remote control facilities are also provided.

The bundled Intel Matrix Storage Manager provides local management access to the RAID controller where you can view the status of arrays and member drives, remove arrays and create new ones. It also drops an icon into the System Tray, where pop-up messages advise on any array issues.

Broadberry scores a notable first over Dell, HP and IBM by bringing support for SFF hard disks to Intel's low-power Xeon 3400 platform. There's room for only four disks, but the CyberServe X34-104L offers a good overall specification for
the price, has a low power demand and doesn't skimp on remote management tools.

Author: Dave Mitchell