Low power/passive cooled CPU?

[Gimpymoo]

Is for a small server project.

Many thanks.

 

[Gimpymoo]

"Embedded" is fine. Infact, from looking around, getting any ultra low TDP chip "off the shelf" is difficult.

Would rather look at "new" just for sake of compatibility and knowing it will work (as best as I can).

Thanks.

 

[Gimpymoo]

G5400t

Actually, that looks awesome.

https://ark.intel.com/products/129949/Intel-Pentium-Gold-G5400T-Processor-4M-Cache-3_10-GHz

"Configurable TDP-down = 25 W" - What is that, underclocking?

Looks like is going to be pricey though.

I assume modern CPU's if under no/little load draw little power as most of the time, I expect it not be under an excessive load.

 

[Gimpymoo]

EDIT: Configurable TDP usually means it's set by whoever is selling the entire system (OEM for example). Might be changeable in BIOS though.

Sounds about right.. Intels definition is:

Configurable TDP-down is a processor operating mode where the processor behavior and performance is modified by lowering TDP and the processor frequency to fixed points. The use of Configurable TDP-down is typically executed by the system manufacturer to optimize power and performance. Configurable TDP-down is the average power, in watts, that the processor dissipates when operating at the Configurable TDP-down frequency under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Alpine 12 Passive cooler.

That thing is just the ticket, thanks.

"The heatsink is priced at USD $12, and is backed by a 6-year warranty, which could come in mighty handy if the block of metal with zero moving parts somehow stopped working."

 

[Gimpymoo]

PfSense exclusively.

 

[Gimpymoo]

something far less powerful will suit pfsense's needs.

Any suggestions?

Struggling to find anything new and "off the shelf".

 

[Gimpymoo]

How many NIC's do you need?

Two

 

[Gimpymoo]

Do you use openvpn? If you don't head for one of those pc engines' machines.

I am not using VPN right now but it is very likely I will do in the future which is part of the reason for this build and using a few other features, such as a proxy.

I am not against the idea of using something like that but I had my heart set on a 1U rackmount. Part of the reasoning is that I think it would look cool and secondly, I like something I can upgrade and/or replace components if faulty as needed. Those AIO units are great but just a little restrictive maybe?

It's a shame the thin itx motherboards seem to have totally disappeared.

As you say, they would have been PERFECT for this build.

Have you considered ordering the Netgate SG-1000? It's from the company that maintain pfsense and is pretty good.

Or you could get an Asrock board and just add an Intel Pro dual port NIC, they have a lot of models so might be worth checking if any have dual Intel NIC already

I did consider it but for the price, I think I can build something with more "oomph" for proxy/VPN etc.

I do already have a few PCIe x4 cards I can use in a build.

So, a lot of it depends on your case and fan/not fans arrangement. Massive heatsinks are your friend.

Low power/passive is my aim, i say passive, am realistic, not nuts so the PSU will have a fan but the choice of 1U PSU's is limited anyway from what I can see.

Underclocking is an option if it helps to achieve lower power/low temps.

As it stands, the G4560 is the winner at the moment, still though, a 54w TDP is waaaay too high so all depends how low I could get that.

https://ark.intel.com/products/97143/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G4560-3M-Cache-3_50-GHz

The Pentium Gold G5400T would be a great choice with its 35w and even lower 25w configurable TDP but that is not released yet and will likely be priced at double that of the G4560.

Can underclocking cause stability issues?

Thank you for all your input.

 

[Gimpymoo]

A slow/quiet fan would not be an issue, am sure the PSU would be louder.

I have not got "silent fever"

Regarding the underclock, I think the CPU will be running at a quarter load, tops, so I would hope that leaves a lot of room for flexible cooling

 

[Gimpymoo]

It's a shame the thin itx motherboards seem to have totally disappeared

Been looking around and there are a few available but taking into account "which power adapter works best" issues and no SATA port etc etc, seems too much faff.

 

[Gimpymoo]

CPU is sorted, am going with the Intel Pentium Gold G5400T.

https://ark.intel.com/products/129949/Intel-Pentium-Gold-G5400T-Processor-4M-Cache-3_10-GHz

Runs 25w at 2.1Ghz.

I could downlock that even more I reckon to achieve a lower power draw and temps.

Will use a https://www.arctic.ac/uk_en/alpine-12-passive.html when I can find one in stock anywhere

6 year warranty though although I am unsure how often a lump of metal can fail under warranty?

Now, board and RAM..

H310 chipset?

 

[Gimpymoo]

SFX so smaller than a normal power supply.

Would it fit in a 1U rack?

 

[Gimpymoo]

Also, getting hold of these low powered "T" variant Intel Sku's is a proper pain in the butt. Not giving up though

 

[Gimpymoo]

current attempts to fix it slow the computer down and you're already at a disadvantage with low power and clock speed.

From what I can tell, 4 threads at 2.1Ghz are not going to cause any problems punching through that. We are not talking an Atom or ARM chip here.

Unless you've already been using pfSense and love it

Running it through a VM with an Intel quad NIC and do indeed love it

Never been a fan of domestic grade routers for a LONG time but likewise, £200 on so called "Premium" low spec routers is a joke.

PfSense ticks all my boxes and I get to play with computer stuff in the meantime. What is the fun in plugging a cable into a box. I like to know how stuff works.

 

[Gimpymoo]

OcUK to the rescue.

Been able to order the G5400T through them. Thank you @Ice Tea for the recommendation. It really is a powerhouse of a "low power" CPU.

The fact these are soo difficult to find, are people just not interested in low power parts or are they just a "niche"?

The Alpine 12 does not seem to be in stock anywhere yet.

I have some DDR4 2400 4GB RAM spare so that will do nicely.

Just need board, PSU, 6U server cabinet and a 1U or 2U case and good to go.

I got a WG Green 120GB SSD to install PfSense to and I know the whole build seems overkill but when you add Proxy, 1Gb internal LAN traffic and full firewall functionality into the mix, it is not too over the top as it first seems.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Does it need to be x86? Could you not run it on something like a RaspberryPi?

I do not believe a Pi has the full instruction set required but I see no reason why it would, this is not what it was designed for.

I maybe wrong but that is my understanding.

 

[Gimpymoo]

The G5400 and G5400T was only just released at the start of April.

Thing is, you can get the 5400 very easily.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Cannot use the Alpine cooler as simply put, it is too big for a 1U rackmount and I do not want to go 2U for such a simple appliance server.

So, looking for a low profile heatsink with a small fan.

Any suggestions please?

 

[Gimpymoo]

I'd suggest going for a name you know as that way you know at least the R&D budget is likely there...

Good shout.

Noctua NH-L9i it is

Need to check but think will fit in 1U... just.

Overkill I know but I love Noctua, reliable, I know will be quiet and customer service/R&D is superb.

Thanks.