SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ 1U Server Teardown

Overall Significance

This is a teardown analysis of a SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ Server which is a 1U rack server based on a SuperMicro X9DRW-3LN4F+ motherboard which is a dual socket LGA 2011 design made for Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 (as is the Intel R1304GZ4GC being analyzed in parallel). This server is designed for the cloud / data center market and sells for around $1300 USD in the market.

SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ 1U Server Main Image

Key Features per SuperMicro: 1. Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600 family; QPI up to 8GT/s. Up to 768GB DDR3 1600MHz (depending on memory configuration) ECC Registered DIMM; 24x DIMM sockets, 1 PCI-E 3.0 (x8) Low-profile, 1 PCI-E 3.0 (x16) & 1 PCI-E 3.0 (x8), Full-height slots (see below for details), Intel® i350 GbE Controller; 4x ports. 4x Hot-swap 3.5' SAS/SATA HDD Bays Connected to onboard storage controller. 750/700W Redundant Power Supplies 80 PLUS, Gold Level Certified.

Design Significance

This server is based on a SuperMicro X9DRW-3LN4F+ motherboard which is a dual socket LGA 2011 design made for Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 (as is the Intel R1304GZ4GC being analyzed in parallel). No CPUs or DIMMs were bundled with the units provided for analysis. The SuperServer 6017-N3RF4+ features 2 redundant 750W power supplies (from CompuWare Technology). No DIMMs were bundled with the unit analyzed.

Target Market

Cloud / Data Center

Released

Unknown

Should have been released around the same timeframe as the competing Intel unit - Q1 2012.

SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ 1U Server - Disassembly View 1

$1260

Found online at the time of writing (11/2012) for as low as ~$1260 USD from various online retailers.

Worldwide

Availability assumed to be worldwide.

Volume Estimations

45,000 Annual Production Volume
3 Product Lifetime (years)

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have assumed an Annual Production Volume of 45000 units and a Product Lifetime Volume of 3 year(s).

Teardown volume and production assumptions are primarily used for our cost analysis in terms of amortized NRE and tooling costs, especially for custom components specific to the model being analyzed (mechanical components especially). Unless assumed volumes are different by an order of magnitude, minor changes in volume (say 1 million vs. 2) rarely have a large net effect on our final analysis because of this.

SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ 1U Server Cost Analysis

Such servers are typically built by a handful of very experienced, high-volume producers of server and PC products. Even though the production volumes for these specific servers are modest, we are assuming overall industry leverage and consolidated purchasing power in this analysis. Having said that, it is in the server market where IC companies at least, especially Intel, seem to make the most gross margin on their products.

Total BOM: $655.50
Top Cost Drivers below: $418.98
% of Total BOM 64%

Main Cost Drivers below

Compuware Technology PWS-703P-1R Switching Power Supply - Redundant, 750W Max, 100-140V/180-240V & 6.0-8.5A/3.8-5.0A Input, 12V/58A & 5Vsb/3A Output, 80 PLUS Gold, 91.63% Average Efficiency- (Qty: 2)
Allied Circuits 10-Layer - FR4, Lead Free- (Qty: 1)
Intel BD82C606SLJKH Platform Controller Hub - C606 Chipset, 65nm- (Qty: 1)
Delta Electronics GFB0412SHS-AF00 Fan - DC Brushless, 12VDC, 1A, w/ 8 Discrete Insulated Wires, 1 4-Position Pin Socket, Heat Shrink Tubing & Label- (Qty: 6)
Enclosure, Main, Chassis - Stamped / Formed Electro-Galvanized Steel, 9 Pieces, Clinched & Riveted, Painted, w/ 3 Stamped / Formed Release Metal Tabs, 2 Pressed-In Metal Tabs, 4 Pressed-In Metal Standoffs, 4 Pressed-In Metal Pins, 18 Rivets, & 27 Clinch Points- (Qty: 1)
CPU Heatsink - Extruded / Machined Aluminum Block, w/ Plated Copper Bottom Plate, Aluminum Fins, Integral Copper & Aluminum Heatpipes, Thermal Transfer Material, 4 Spring-Loaded Mounting Screws, Box, & Packaging- (Qty: 2)
Infineon TDA21220 Regulator - Integrated Power Stage, Step-Down, Synchronous Buck, Adjustable, 50A, MOSFET w/ Integrated Driver, for Intel VR11.X / VR12- (Qty: 12)
Intel NHI350BT2SLJ3Y Ethernet Controller - Dual Port, 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T/SX/LX/KX, Supports Fiber Channel over Ethernet- (Qty: 1)
Texas Instruments CSD87350Q5D MOSFET - Dual, N-Channel, 30V, 40A- (Qty: 17)
Panasonic EEFCX0D471R Aluminum Conductive Polymer - Encapsulated, 2V, 470uF, Low ESR- (Qty: 22)

Not Included in Analysis

The total materials and manufacturing costs reported in this analysis reflect ONLY the direct materials cost (from component vendors and assorted EMS providers), AND manufacturing with basic test. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the material manufacture of the core device itself - cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fees (those not already included into the per component price), software, software loading and test, shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only EMS provider and the OEM's margin, but that of other resellers. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device and exceptionally in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

We do provide an Excel tab 'Overall Costs' where a user can enter their known pre and post production costs to build a per unit cost reflective of theirs actual expenditures.

Manufacturing Notes

It is assumed that SuperMicro are performing a certain amount of system integration (PCBAs) in Taiwan and China - with system-level integration in the US (per labeling).

Country of Origin

For the purposes of this analysis, we are assuming the following country(ies) of origin for each level of assembly, based on a combination of 'Made In' markings, and/or assumptions based on our knowledge of such equipment.

Box Contents - China
Motherboard - Taiwan
Other - Enclosures / Final Assembly - United States
Peripheral PCBs - China
Power Supply PCB - China

Country of origin assumptions relate directly to the associated cost of manufacturing, where calculated by iSuppli. In the cases of 'finished' sub-assemblies (such as hard drive), we do not calculate internal manufacturing costs, but rather assess the market price of the finished product in which case country of origin assumptions may or may not have a direct effect on pricing.

Labor rates are applied directly only to hand inserted components and systems in our bill of materials, and although regional assumptions do, these new rates do not have a direct effect on our modeled calculations of placement costs for automated SMD assembly lines. "Auto inserted components (such as SMT components) placement costs are calculated by an iSuppli algorithm which allocates a cost per component based on the size and pincount of the device. This calculation is affected by country or region of origin as well.

Design Complexity

Component counts by assembly and the number of assembly are indicators of design complexity and efficiency.

Component Qty: 3532 - Motherboard
Component Qty: 195 - Other - Enclosures / Final Assembly
Component Qty: 134 - Box Contents
Component Qty: 243 - Peripheral PCBs
Component Qty: 267 - Power Supply PCB
Component Qty: 4371 - Grand Total

Servers tend to have thousands of components, specifically on the motherboard, which in this case, has over 4000 components. This component count is reflective of the dual CPU architecture and is towards the high end of complexity - but again reflects the overall architecture. The SuperMicro motherboard - despite also supporting dual socket E5-2600 Xeon processors, as the Intel R1304 motherboard does, has 16% fewer components than the Intel motherboard - which may be a function of the different C606 (vs. C602) chipset implemented on this design.

Design Notes

The motherboard driving this system is supported by the Intel C606 chipset which is composed of a single IC: the Intel BD82C606SLJKH. Other major integrated circuits are listed below.

SuperMicro SuperServer 6017R-N3RF4+ 1U Server - Box Contents