AMD EPYC 7402P Proxmox Host
Originally built 2022-07-14 — actively evolved
Say hello to my little friend.
System Overview
This system is a single-socket AMD EPYC virtualization host running Proxmox VE. It serves as a primary compute node for infrastructure services, GPU-accelerated workloads, and general-purpose virtualization.
The design emphasizes predictable performance, clean I/O topology, and long-term serviceability over maximum density or theoretical peak benchmarks.
This system is intentionally single-socket. No dual-socket configurations are used anywhere in the lab to avoid NUMA complexity and cross-socket latency. Design principles: see Lab Philosophy.
Hardware Configuration
| Component | Manufacturer | Model / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | Supermicro | H12SSL-C (SP3, PCIe 4.0) |
| CPU | AMD | EPYC 7402P (24C / 48T, Rome, P-series) |
| Heatsink | Supermicro | SNK-P0064AP4 |
| Memory | Micron | 256 GB DDR4-3200 RDIMM (8 × 32 GB) |
| Chassis | Rosewill | RSV-L4000U (4U rackmount) |
| Drive Cage | Icy Dock | ToughArmor MB516SP-B |
| Boot Pool | Mixed | Mirrored SATA SSDs (Samsung 850 PRO 256 GB + Crucial MX200 250 GB) |
| Data Pool | Seagate | Nytro 1551 SATA SSDs (ZFS mirrors) |
| GPUs | NVIDIA | 2 × GeForce RTX 3090 (passed through to VM) |
| NIC | Intel | X520 (82599ES) Dual-port 10 Gb SFP+ |
| Fans | Noctua | NF-A12x25 PWM |
| Power Supply | Corsair | HX1200 |
| OS | Proxmox | Proxmox VE |
CPU & Platform Notes
The EPYC 7402P is a P-series processor intended exclusively for single-socket deployments. This provides:
- 24 cores / 48 threads
- Full 8-channel memory bandwidth
- Full PCIe lane availability
- No inter-socket NUMA overhead
This makes it particularly well-suited for virtualization and mixed workloads where predictable latency and clean topology matter more than raw socket count.
Memory Configuration
- Total installed: 256 GB DDR4-3200
- Configuration: 8 × 32 GB RDIMMs
- Topology: One DIMM per channel (1DPC)
This layout maximizes memory bandwidth while maintaining stability under sustained load.
Storage Layout
Boot Pool (rpool)
- ZFS mirror
- Mixed SATA SSDs:
- Samsung 850 PRO 256 GB
- Crucial MX200 250 GB
This pool hosts the Proxmox OS and system datasets.
Fast Storage Pool (fast)
- ZFS mirrored vdevs
- Enterprise SATA SSDs (Seagate Nytro)
Used for VM disks where consistent I/O latency matters.
GPU Configuration
The system contains two NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPUs, both of which are:
- Isolated via IOMMU
- Passed through directly to a dedicated VM
- Used for AI / ML workloads
No GPU sharing or mediated devices are used — each GPU has exclusive access within the guest for maximum performance and driver stability.
Networking
- Intel X520 dual-port 10 Gb SFP+ NIC
- Based on the Intel 82599ES controller
- Used for high-speed storage and backbone connectivity
- Onboard 1 Gb interfaces are retained for management and fallback access
Cooling & Power
Cooling and power delivery were selected for sustained load and reliability, not minimum acoustics.
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans provide front-to-back airflow across drive cages
- Corsair HX1200 PSU supplies ample headroom for dual GPUs under load
Thermal behavior remains stable under continuous CPU and GPU workloads.
Design Notes
Key design goals for this system:
- Single-socket architecture to avoid NUMA complexity
- High memory bandwidth with simple DIMM topology
- Clean PCIe layout for GPUs and high-speed NICs
- Hardware that can remain in service for many years with incremental upgrades
This machine reflects a preference for operational clarity and predictable behavior over chasing maximum density or short-term benchmarks.
Related Documentation
- AI Inference VM — GPU-accelerated inference platform running on this host
Photos
Updated photos showing the dual-GPU configuration and current layout will be added in a future revision.