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Verdict: The Gigabyte GA-7PESH1 Rev. 1.0 is a legacy Intel C602 workstation/server board for two Xeon E5-2600 or E5-2600 v2 processors. Its 16 DDR3 slots, eight SAS ports, six SATA ports, multiple PCIe slots and built-in IPMI make it attractive for a carefully planned scientific or virtualization build. It is not a plug-and-play modern workstation platform: the E-ATX/SSI EEB size, dual CPU power inputs, square-ILM cooler requirement, old firmware ecosystem and second-hand availability all demand verification before purchase.
What the GA-7PESH1 is—and is not
GIGABYTE identifies the GA-7PESH1 Rev. 1.0 as a legacy server motherboard based on Intel’s C602 chipset. It has two LGA2011 sockets and is specified for Xeon E5-2600 and Xeon E5-2600 v2 families. Xeon E5-1600 and E5-1600 v2 processors are listed only for single-CPU configurations, so they are not a route to a dual-socket system.
The product page lists an AnandTech article titled “GA-7PESH1 Review: A Dual Processor Motherboard through a Scientist’s Eyes,” dated January 5, 2013. That listing establishes the article’s title and date, not its testing methods or conclusions; no benchmark result should be inferred from it. The specifications below are manufacturer-published hardware characteristics rather than independent performance measurements.
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Core specifications at a glance
| Area | GA-7PESH1 Rev. 1.0 specification | Practical implication |
|---|---|---|
| CPU sockets | Two LGA2011 | Designed for a dual-processor Xeon system; CPU support must match BIOS and the exact SKU. |
| Chipset | Intel C602 | Older server/workstation platform with legacy firmware and operating-system considerations. |
| Supported CPUs | Xeon E5-2600 and E5-2600 v2; E5-1600/E5-1600 v2 in single-CPU configurations | Do not assume every LGA2011 Xeon is supported. |
| Memory | 16 DDR3 DIMM slots; quad-channel; ECC or non-ECC UDIMM/RDIMM | Large memory capacity is possible, but population, rank, voltage, speed and CPU-generation rules apply. |
| Storage | 8 SAS 6 Gb/s, 4 SATA II 3 Gb/s and 2 SATA III 6 Gb/s ports | Well suited to a multi-drive server or research-data array when the chassis and cables match. |
| RAID modes listed | Intel SATA RAID 0/1/5/10; LSI SAS2008 RAID 0/1/1E/10 | SAS and SATA storage use separate controllers and configuration paths. |
| Expansion | 1 PCIe Gen3 x16, 1 Gen3 x8, 2 Gen3 x4, plus an x4 connector wired electrically as Gen2 x1 | Check the electrical link and physical clearance of every accelerator, HBA or networking card. |
| Networking | Two Intel I350-AM2 Gigabit Ethernet ports plus a separate 10/100 management LAN | Provides dual data links and a dedicated management connection. |
| Management | AST2300 and Avocent MergePoint IPMI 2.0 | Supports sensor monitoring, event logging, remote power control, Serial over LAN, virtual KVM and virtual media. |
| Form factor | E-ATX/SSI EEB, 305 × 330 mm | Requires a compatible server/workstation chassis, not merely a standard ATX case. |
| Power | One 24-pin main connector and two 8-pin ATX 12V CPU connectors | Your power supply must provide both CPU feeds and sufficient current for two Xeons and add-in cards. |
Processor compatibility and scientific workloads
Choose the CPU family first
A dual-socket build should start with two supported Xeon E5-2600 or E5-2600 v2 processors, then be checked against GIGABYTE’s exact-model CPU support information and BIOS requirements. The E5-1600 line is a single-socket option on this board. Two processors also mean two heatsinks, two sets of thermal material and a chassis with airflow designed for server-class heat output.
#1 Best Overall
- Capacity: 8GB
- Form Factor: 240 pin DIMM
- Speed: PC3-10600R Registered DDR3 1333MHz
- Halogen Free; ROHS; Warranty: Lifetime
What the platform suits
The board’s value is parallel capacity rather than modern single-thread speed: CPU-heavy batch jobs, virtual machines, software builds, numerical workloads and storage services can use many cores and large memory pools. Actual throughput depends on the selected Xeons, memory population, software scaling, storage and cooling; the available evidence contains no independent benchmark for this board.
Memory: 16 slots, but not one universal maximum
There are 16 DIMM slots arranged for quad-channel operation. GIGABYTE lists support for ECC and non-ECC UDIMMs and RDIMMs, with stated limits of up to 8 GB for UDIMMs and up to 32 GB for RDIMMs. Those figures are conditional, not a promise that any mixture will work.
- Follow the board’s channel and slot-population order when installing modules.
- Match module type, rank and voltage to the supported configuration table.
- Expect speed and capacity limits to vary between Xeon E5-2600 and E5-2600 v2 generations.
- Use GIGABYTE’s configuration tables and qualified-vendor information for the exact memory kit; do not mix UDIMM and RDIMM unless the board documentation explicitly permits that configuration.
Storage and RAID layout
Connector mix
Storage connectivity is one of the GA-7PESH1’s strongest specifications: eight SAS 6 Gb/s ports, four SATA II 3 Gb/s ports and two SATA III 6 Gb/s ports. The four SATA II connections are exposed through a Mini-SAS connector, and the eight SAS connections are on two additional Mini-SAS connectors. Cable pinout and backplane compatibility therefore matter as much as the port count.
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Rank #2
- Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 & E5-2600 V2 product families
- Intel C602 chipset
- 16 x RDIMM/UDIMM ECC DIMM slots
- 2 x SATA III 6Gb/s + 4 x SATA II 3Gb/s
- 8 x SAS 6Gb/s
Separate controller paths
GIGABYTE lists Intel SATA RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10, and an LSI SAS2008 controller with RAID 0, 1, 1E and 10. Decide whether a drive set belongs on the Intel SATA controller or the LSI SAS controller before cabling. Confirm that the intended operating system has the required driver and that the chassis backplane supports the chosen SAS or SATA signaling.
PCIe expansion for accelerators and adapters
The slot arrangement mixes high-bandwidth and lower-bandwidth links:
- One PCIe Gen3 x16 slot.
- One PCIe Gen3 x8 slot.
- Two PCIe Gen3 x4 slots.
- One connector described as x4 mechanically but wired as PCIe Gen2 x1 electrically.
A GPU, compute accelerator, high-speed network adapter or HBA should be assigned to a slot with the required electrical width. Also measure card length, neighboring-slot thickness and airflow; a card that fits the connector may still block another device or obstruct a CPU heatsink.
Rank #3
- Capacity: 16GB
- Form Factor: 240 pin DIMM
- Speed: PC3-12800R DDR3 1600MHz
- Halogen Free; ROHS Warranty: Lifetime
Remote administration is a central feature
The AST2300-based Avocent MergePoint IPMI 2.0 implementation gives the board server-style administration without requiring a local monitor. GIGABYTE specifies sensor monitoring, system-event logging, remote power control, Serial over LAN, virtual KVM and virtual media. The separate 10/100 management LAN should be connected to a controlled management network rather than exposed directly to the public internet.
Because this is a legacy platform, verify the management firmware behavior, browser compatibility and security posture before deployment. Treat the historical feature list as a description of capability, not a guarantee of current firmware support.
Case, cooler and power requirements
Chassis fit
The 305 × 330 mm E-ATX/SSI EEB board is larger than standard ATX. Confirm mounting-hole locations, rear-I/O opening, expansion-slot alignment, standoff placement and front-panel wiring in the target chassis.
Rank #4
- Memory Chip: Each 16GB Memory for Gigabyte Ram comes from a reputed manufacturer. All chips are 100% Tested, RoHS Compliant, JEDEC Compliant. Ensures the quality of each DDR3-1866MHz PC3-14900 ECC registered memory RAM upgrade kit.
- Easy Installation: Designed For Easy Installation And For Maximum Compatibility With compatible DDR3 Desktops/Servers/Laptops.
- Versatile Functionality: Increase bandwidth by up to 30-Percent, Reduce power consumption by up to 40-Percent and extend battery life, Faster burst access speeds for improved sequential data throughput.
- Lifetime Warranty: If for any reason you're not completely satisfied with our DDR3 RAM Memory, please feel free to contact us we will provide you our best service possible.
- Before you order, just check that the RAM is compatible with your motherboard/CPU and your system can support max memory. Before installation, please wipe the connection figure gently with an eraser.
CPU cooling
LGA2011 uses the square ILM mounting pattern, specified here as 80 × 80 mm. Select two coolers designed for the square ILM—not a narrow-ILM LGA2011 cooler—and verify that their height and airflow suit the case.
Fastener warning
GIGABYTE’s specification states: “Screws longer than 3.7mm might damage the motherboard.” Measure standoff and cooler hardware before tightening anything; do not substitute longer screws because they appear to provide a better grip.
Power delivery
Connect the 24-pin main power lead and both 8-pin ATX 12V CPU leads. Size the supply for two processors, all DIMMs, the drive array, fans and PCIe cards, with appropriate server-grade connectors and cable length.
Best Value
- Capacity: 16GB
- Speed: PC3L-10600 DDR3 1333MHz LP RDIMM
- Form Factor: 240 pin DIMM
- 1.35v Low Voltage
- Halogen Free; ROHS; Warranty: Lifetime
Rear I/O and operating-system caveats
Rear I/O includes four USB 2.0 ports, VGA, serial, three RJ45 connections and an identification button/LED. GIGABYTE’s listed operating systems include historical releases such as Windows Server 2008-era editions, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6/6.1, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.1 and ESXi 5.0/5.1. Those entries document the period’s validation, not current support for modern distributions or hypervisor releases. Check storage, network and management drivers for the OS you intend to run.
Pre-purchase and build checklist
- Confirm the board is specifically GA-7PESH1 Rev. 1.0 and obtain its BIOS/support information.
- Check each Xeon E5-2600 or E5-2600 v2 SKU for dual-socket support and required BIOS level.
- Choose one documented ECC UDIMM or RDIMM population plan; verify rank, voltage and capacity limits.
- Secure an E-ATX/SSI EEB chassis with square-ILM cooling support and adequate airflow.
- Verify the power supply has one 24-pin and two 8-pin CPU connectors.
- Map every drive to the Intel SATA or LSI SAS controller and obtain the correct Mini-SAS cables or backplane.
- Assign expansion cards according to electrical PCIe width and physical clearance.
- Plan an isolated management-LAN connection for IPMI and test remote-console access before production use.
- Check the seller’s board condition, included I/O shield, firmware state and return policy; this model is legacy and present availability, pricing and seller reliability vary.
Who should consider it?
The GA-7PESH1 makes sense for a builder who specifically needs an inexpensive, serviceable dual-Xeon platform with many DDR3 slots, SAS connectivity and out-of-band management, and who is comfortable sourcing legacy parts. It is a poor fit for a quiet modern desktop, a system requiring current vendor support, or anyone unwilling to validate chassis, BIOS, memory and cabling details.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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