Supermicro H13SSL-N

Supermicro H13SSL-N – ATX Powerhouse for AMD EPYC 9004 with 12-Channel DDR5 Architecture

The Supermicro H13SSL-N redefines the performance limits of the standard ATX form factor (12″ x 9.6″). Engineered to host the powerful AMD EPYC 9004 “Genoa” and 9005 “Turin” processor series, this motherboard brings data-center class bandwidth to workstations and compact servers. By utilizing the Socket SP5 interface, it supports CPUs with a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of up to 400W, enabling the deployment of up to 160 cores in a single standard chassis without proprietary cooling solutions.

Unleashing 12-Channel DDR5 Bandwidth

The most significant architectural leap in the H13SSL-N is its memory topology. Unlike previous generations limited to 8 channels, this board activates the full 12-channel memory controller of the EPYC 9004/9005 series. With 12 DIMM slots available (1DPC), system architects can install up to 3TB of DDR5 ECC RDIMM or 3DS RDIMM memory. This design maximizes throughput for memory-bound applications like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and AI training, running at speeds up to 4800 MT/s (or higher depending on CPU generation).

Next-Gen Connectivity: PCIe 5.0 and MCIO

The board abandons legacy interfaces in favor of the PCIe 5.0 standard, doubling the I/O bandwidth compared to Gen4.

• Expansion Slots: It features three PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and two PCIe 5.0 x8 slots, providing a high-speed pipeline for next-gen GPUs, FPGA accelerators, or 400GbE network cards.
• Modern Storage I/O: Instead of bulky traditional headers, the board utilizes two MCIO connectors. These compact, high-density ports provide connectivity for up to 16 SATA 6Gb/s drives or can be reconfigured for NVMe, depending on the cabling strategy.

High-Speed Storage and Reliability

For operating system booting and fast caching, the motherboard includes two M.2 NVMe slots (PCIe 5.0 x4), supporting both 2280 and 22110 form factors. This allows for a mirrored RAID 1 OS setup running at Gen5 speeds. Network connectivity is ensured by the reliable Broadcom BCM5720 controller, providing dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for stable utility traffic.

Remote Management and Control

Designed for professional deployment, the H13SSL-N integrates the industry-standard ASPEED AST2600 BMC. This silicon enables secure, out-of-band management via IPMI 2.0 and KVM-over-LAN through a dedicated RJ45 port. Administrators can monitor thermal telemetry, manage power states, and update firmware remotely, significantly lowering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by eliminating the need for physical maintenance.

Target Deployment Scenarios

• AI & Deep Learning Workstations: Leveraging PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for the latest GPUs in a quiet ATX chassis.
• Scientific Simulation: Utilizing 12-channel DDR5 memory to feed 96+ Zen 4 cores.
• Compact Storage Servers: Using MCIO connectors to manage massive arrays of SATA drives.

Technical Specifications Summary

• Processor Support: AMD EPYC 9004/9005 (Socket SP5) / 400W TDP
• Memory Topology: 12 DIMM Slots, 12-Channel DDR5 ECC (Up to 3TB)
• Expansion Slots: 3x PCIe 5.0 x16 + 2x PCIe 5.0 x8
• Storage I/O: 2x MCIO (supporting 16x SATA), 2x M.2 Gen5 x4
• Networking: 2x 1GbE (Broadcom BCM5720) + Dedicated IPMI LAN
• Management: ASPEED AST2600 BMC (IPMI / KVM)
• Form Factor: ATX (12″ x 9.6″)