HP threw us a bit of a curve ball. After we leaked the specs of the HP ProLiant Microserver Gen8 it appears as though the final specs got locked down. Of course, there is always a possibility specs change. It turns out, the original HP spare parts list matched the specs of a development system but not the final product in one important regard: processor. Although there are many similarities to the version previously leaked (for example, TDP, feature sets and cache sizes are the same), the new HP Microserver Gen8 line will apparently have Ivy Bridge Celerons, namely the Celeron G1610T and Celeron G2020T processors.
The HP ProLiant Microserver Gen8 is officially up on the HP shopping website now. Estimated ship dates are currently mid-June so the time frame is what we expected.
For those wondering, here is an Intel ARK link comparing the Sandy Bridge Pentium/ Celeron units seen previously on HP’s website and the newer Ivy Bridge processors. For those wondering, here is an example screenshot for what we saw earlier this year:
Luckily now we have, via HP shopping:
The Celeron C1610T version is listed at $449 USD and the Celeron G2020T is listed at $529. Note: The cost of the Intel Celeron G2020T is less than the difference in price between the two models
The dual port gigabit Ethernet controller is confirmed along with the memory configuration and power supply. Pricing for the HP Microserver Gen8 is about what we would expect. Discounts available through channel programs should bring prices down a bit.
Looking at the spec pages, iLO4 is confirmed, and from pictures it also appears as though the flexible 5.25″ bay on the Gen7 models is gone. The HP ProLiant Microserver Gen8, as expected, has a slim optical drive bay.
Overall, the CPU change to Ivy Bridge should be a positive one. Advanced features such as QuickSync, VT-d, vPro, and AES-NI are still not supported on the HP Gen8 Microserver. The good news is that if the platform supports these Ivy Bridge CPUs, it is highly likely that the platform will support other, higher-end Ivy Bridge parts assuming the thermal management systems can cope. More to come as we get these in the lab. Overall, a positive spec alteration from what we heard originally for the HP Microserver Gen8 family.
I would love one to these to upgrade my N40L (and in turn make that into my PBX and my Atom system into a pfSense box).
Hello,
I think you forgot the ARK link (that or I’m blind) 🙂
Thanks for the great article
Why HP didn’t choose for a Haswell CPU is a big question to me. Anyone know why?
Because they aren’t out yet? I think the IB Celeron and Pentium chips listed were only released last quarter.
“They” meaning Haswell Celeron and Pentium (and i3). Only the i5/i7 Haswell have been released to date.
Can anyone see any info about the number and size of the internal drive bays?
The N54L was cool because you could fit up to six 3.5″ drives in it (with some hacking).
He must’ve forgotten, so here ya go:
http://ark.intel.com/compare/71069,71074,37147,41316