ASRock Rack 2U12L2S-SIENA Review 2U AMD EPYC 8004 Siena Server

Saying the ASRock Rack 2U12L2S-SIENA is a simple server. Instead of trying to run with the absolute maximum load-out of cores and DIMMs in this generation of servers, ASRock Rack has a platform positioned between its EPYC 4000 and 9000 series that offers flexibility for folks who want to use the EPYC 8004 series.

ASRock Rack 2U12L2S-SIENA External Overview

The system is 2U in height and only 26.7″ or 680mm deep making it more compact than one might assume at first glance.

In the front, we get twelve 3.5″ SATA drive bays.

For the 3.5″ drives you can install them tool-less, but especially if you have rotating drives, sometimes people like to add screws. You would also use screws if you wanted to use 2.5″ SATA SSDs.

On the left side, we get the power button, and many status LEDs.

On the right, we get a USB 3 Type-A port.

Something fun on this chassis is how that happens. There is a channel on the side of the chassis that has the cables and wires for all of the status LEDs and the USB port (there is a similar one on both sides.) This is a practical solution for getting connectivity to the front of the chassis.

In the rear, we get a simple layout, but with a little twist.

First, we get redundant 800W power supplies.

The Great Wall units we have are 80Plus Platinum rated.

Next to the power supplies, we have room for two 2.5″ SATA bays. These are best for boot drives.

In the center, we get a classic rear I/O. There is a management port, two USB 3 Type-A ports, and a VGA port. Onboard networking is dual 1GbE links.

All of the expansion slots are via low profile slots instead of via risers. There are no full-height expansion slots in this system. Let us quickly take a look inside to see how the system works.

Next, let us get inside the system to see how it works.