selfhosting.couchsurfingmmkay, having a low function period.
still got the last #1LPC server to rebuild with parts on hand and recommission. hopefully this weekend.
I'm a bit less excited about the G/GE series chips these days since they're no longer homogenous (these days they're a mix of full-fat and compact cores, although this is less heterogenous than Intel's chips which have entirely different microarchitectures between core types) and since AMD isn't increasing the L3 this generation... but I admit that my use case - #1LPC Proxmox servers - is not their target niche, given that they spend a ton of die space on a pretty decent GPU which, at least as of Zen 3, can't be passed thru to a VM.
widening the topic to the future life of this cluster in such a scenario, I have a general plan for that as well:
* use 35-watt tier (T-class CPU) #1LPC systems for now, with an eye to moving to 15-watt tier (U-class CPU) systems in another couple upgrade cycles; currently there isn't really a U-class equivalent of the T-class #TinyMiniMicro systems from the big manufacturers, NUC is about as standard as it gets.
* develop technique with gear on hand whenever possible, meaning continue using these ancient & crappy consumer UPSes with drop-in LFP batteries, use existing 15yo RasPi for control, but the point is to have the experience built up so I can quickly switch to a Pi Zero class system and a custom DC-DC UPS when the time comes.
so while I'm desperately trying to get a HDD purchase figured out tonight before prices go up some more, I realized, I'm not really sure I described what I'm actually trying to do all in one place.
long story short, I have a 10yo metal eSATA+USB2 drive enclosure which I'd like to use for an external HDD on one of my #1LPC servers, in place of an 8yo plastic USB3 enclosure (with USB3 micro B connector and dodgy USB-SATA bridge chip).
the plan is to use an m.2 A+E key SATA adapter with hopefully somewhat less dodgy SATA controller in the m.2 2230 wifi slot, plus a slim SATA cable with 90-degree connector at one end, to connect the external drive. because why not.
I haven't had problems with the current questionable USB3 setup, but would prefer fewer translation layers between the drive and the OS. and an enclosure which radiates heat a lot better.
I gotta say I'm disappointed at the amount of cache not increasing, but they are speccing these chips for compact single-user business desktops.
if you are sticking to #1LPC systems, the tradeoff is between getting a system from a major manufacturer like HP or Lenovo with one of these and then enjoying the parts availability, firmware updates, etc which comes with that.... or buying a similarly sized box from a small manufacturer with higher-end laptop silicon in it, which doesn't come with those ecosystem benefits (and maybe sounds like a wind tunnel when you exercise it, depending on the thermal envelope).
AMD has finally announced the next series of 35-watt and 65-watt desktop APUs to follow up the Ryzen 8000G/GE series. these are the chips which get used in "1-liter" PCs from major manufacturers, among other things.
@arstechnica: AMD Ryzen AI 400 chips will bring newer CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs to AM5 desktops
Patrick from #ServeTheHome with a new TinyMiniMicro video on Lenovo's new generation 2 ThinkStation P3 Tiny ... there's a lot crammed into a tiny 1-liter package!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-xVenrTcB8
#miniPC #1LPC #HomeLab #CouchLab #TinyMiniMicro #ThinkStation
Even an NVIDIA GPU and 3x SSDs fit in 1L Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tiny Gen2
@badnetmask @mmeier @homelab I have two HP EliteDesk Mini and a Dell OptiPlex Micro, all running Proxmox headless.
most of these so-called "1-liter" PCs ship with CPUs in the 35-watt range, though you can get 65-watt ones which will be louder if you make them work hard.
I don't know about AMD yet, but with Intel CPUs it's possible in Linux to tell it how much power it can use for short & long periods, so if you want to limit noise and power consumption, that's at least possible. not sure about BSD.
as far as expandability, Dell tends to skimp on NVMe slots. HP EliteDesk Mini and ProDesk Mini often have 2. I like to put an Optane stick in one NVMe slot and use it for swap and partitions like /var/log.
HP also has a lot of little option daughterboards, such that you can add a NIC or a high-speed USB port with PD in (and then get a USB NIC with PD in and power your PC thru it).
you can also get cards for the m.2 wifi slot which accept a tiny NVMe drive, or add a couple SATA ports, or add a NIC (which you then have to mod the case to add).
be aware that if you get a DDR4 #1LPC, you are limited to 64GB of memory.
Arm Comes to Project #TinyMiniMicro: Lenovo neo 50q Tiny QC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yenAVRvctdQ
tl;dw: last-gen Qualcomm CPU, soldered memory, poor Linux support
Arm Comes to Project TinyMiniMicro Lenovo neo 50q Tiny QC
some days more than others I perceive the time warp living in a constant state of sensory overwhelm puts me in, and today is one of those days after learning that the 9000G (and presumably GE) series #AMD Ryzen APUs will drop soon.
as a #1LPC user, AMD's 35 and 65 watt APUs are important, especially since Intel just could not compete in thermally-limited applications for so long.
that said, I think I remember looking at a roadmap when the #Ryzen 8000G series came out and thinking that the 9000 series would be hot on its heels, after a couple rounds of long pauses between Zen 2 and Zen 3 #APU products in that class.