Supermicro X13SWA-TF

Supermicro X13SWA-TF – Ultimate W790 Workstation Motherboard for Intel Xeon W-3400/2400 with PCIe 5.0 and 10GbE

The Supermicro X13SWA-TF is a flagship E-ATX motherboard engineered for the Intel W790 chipset, designed to unleash the full potential of Intel Xeon W-3400 and W-2400 series processors (Sapphire Rapids). Supporting up to 60 cores and a TDP of 385W, this platform is the definitive choice for high-end content creation, VFX pipelines, complex engineering simulation (CAD/CAE), and AI development. It bridges the gap between desktop usability and server-grade reliability, offering massive expansion capabilities for multi-GPU setups and ultra-fast NVMe storage.

With a robust 16-slot memory layout, the board supports up to 4TB of DDR5 ECC 3DS RDIMM memory when paired with Xeon W-3400 CPUs (8-channel architecture), or up to 2TB with W-2400 CPUs (4-channel architecture). This ensures maximum bandwidth and stability for memory-intensive applications, running at speeds up to 4800 MT/s (1DPC) for responsive multitasking and sustained 24/7 workloads.

Uncompromised PCIe 5.0 Expansion

Unlike many competing W790 boards, the X13SWA-TF maximizes I/O throughput by offering six physical PCIe 5.0 x16 slots. This configuration is critical for professional workstations requiring multiple high-performance GPUs, FPGA accelerators, or ultra-high-bandwidth network cards (100/200GbE). The layout is optimized to prevent bottlenecks, ensuring that compute resources have full access to the CPU’s PCIe lanes.

Next-Generation Storage Architecture

Storage performance is paramount for 8K video editing and massive dataset processing. The motherboard provides a comprehensive storage solution:

• 4 × M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 slots: Ready for the fastest NVMe SSDs available, ideal for OS booting, scratching, and active project files (supports 2280/22110 form factors).
• 2 × U.2 ports (PCIe 3.0): Allows for high-capacity enterprise SSD integration.
• SATA Support: Includes onboard RAID 0/1/5/10 for reliable mass storage arrays.

Professional Connectivity and Remote Management

The X13SWA-TF is equipped with dual networking options to suit modern studio environments: a 10GbE port (Marvell AQC113C) for high-speed NAS access and a standard 1GbE port (Intel I210-AT) for general connectivity. Uniquely for a workstation board, it includes an ASPEED BMC controller, providing true server-class remote management via IPMI and KVM-over-IP. This allows IT administrators to monitor system health, update firmware, and troubleshoot issues remotely, eliminating the need for physical access.

Thermal Design and Power Delivery

Designed to handle the extreme power demands of overclockable Xeon W processors, the VRM is built to sustain up to 385W TDP workloads. The E-ATX form factor allows for better component spacing and cooling efficiency. The board also features extensive telemetry and PWM fan headers, enabling precise thermal tuning to keep the system quiet during long render sessions or simulation runs.

Recommended Configurations

• VFX & Rendering Node: Xeon W-3495X, 512GB DDR5, 4x NVMe Gen5 SSDs, and multiple pro-grade GPUs.
• Deep Learning Station: Xeon W-3400 series, 1TB+ Memory, Multi-GPU setup for training models.
• Engineering & CAD: Xeon W-2400 series, 128GB-256GB Memory, fast single-core performance, and redundant storage.

Key Specifications

• Socket/Chipset: LGA4677 / Intel W790
• Processor Support: Intel Xeon W-3400 & W-2400 (up to 60 cores)
• Memory: 16 × DDR5 DIMM slots (ECC RDIMM/3DS), up to 4TB capacity
• Expansion Slots: 6 × PCIe 5.0 x16
• Storage: 4 × M.2 Gen5 x4, 2 × U.2, 8 × SATA 6Gb/s
• Networking: 1 × 10GbE (Marvell), 1 × 1GbE (Intel)
• Management: IPMI 2.0 with KVM-over-IP (VGA output)
• Form Factor: E-ATX (12″ x 13″)