The System x3650 M5 is a versatile 2U dual-socket business-critical server that offers improved performance and pay-as-you-grow flexibility along with new features that improve server management capability. This powerful system is designed for your most important business applications and cloud deployments.

Combining balanced performance and flexibility, the System x3650 M5 is a great choice for small and medium businesses up to the large enterprise. It can provide outstanding uptime to keep business-critical applications and cloud deployments running safely. Ease of use and comprehensive systems management tools help make deployment easier. Outstanding reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) and high-efficiency design improve your business environment and help save operational costs.

Scalability and performance

The System x3650 M5 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:

• Improves productivity by offering superior system performance with the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v4 product family with up to 22-core processors, up to 55 MB of L3 cache, up to 2400 MHz memory speeds, and up to 9.6 GT/s QPI interconnect links.
  • Support for up to two processors, 44 cores, and 88 threads allows to maximize the concurrent execution of multithreaded applications.
  • Intelligent and adaptive system performance with energy efficient Intel Turbo Boost Technology allows CPU cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporarily going beyond processor thermal design power (TDP).
  • Intel Hyper-Threading Technology boosts performance for multithreaded applications by enabling simultaneous multithreading within each processor core, up to two threads per core.
  • Intel Virtualization Technology integrates hardware-level virtualization hooks that allow operating system vendors to better utilize the hardware for virtualization workloads.

  Note: Also available via CTO is the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family with up to 14-core processors, up to 35 MB of cache, up to 2133 MHz memory speeds, and up to 9.6 GT/s QPI interconnect links.

• Up to 2400 MHz memory speeds with two DIMMs per channel running at 2400 MHz to help maximize system performance.
• Up to 1.5 TB of memory capacity with 64 GB load-reduced DIMMs, or LRDIMMs
• The 12 Gbps SAS internal storage connectivity doubles the data transfer rate compared to 6 Gb SAS solutions to maximize performance of storage I/O-intensive applications.
• Flexible and scalable internal storage configurations provide up to 215 TB of storage capacity with 7.68 TB 2.5-inch solid-state drives (SSDs) in a 2U rack form factor.
• The use of SSDs instead of or along with traditional spinning HDDs can significantly improve I/O performance. An SSD can support a significantly higher number of I/O operations per second (IOPS) than a typical HDD.
• The server has four integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports and optional 10 Gb Ethernet ports with ML2 adapters.
• The server offers up to eight PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 I/O expansion slots plus one dedicated PCIe 3.0 slot for an internal storage controller in a 2U rack form factor.
• With Intel Integrated I/O Technology, the PCI Express 3.0 controller is integrated into the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v4 product family. This helps to dramatically reduce I/O latency and increase overall system performance.

Availability and serviceability

The System x3650 M5 provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:

• Tool-less cover removal provides easy access to upgrades and serviceable parts, such as processors, memory DIMMs, and adapter cards.
• The server offers hot-swap drives supporting RAID redundancy for data protection and greater system uptime.
• The server offers redundant hot-swap power supplies and hot-swap redundant fans to provide availability for business-critical applications.
• The new Next Gen light path diagnostics LCD display panel simplifies servicing, speeds up problem resolution, and helps improve system availability.
• Proactive Platform Alerts (including PFA and SMART alerts): Processors, voltage regulators, memory, internal storage (SAS/SATA HDDs and SSDs, NVMe SSDs, M.2 storage, flash storage adapters), fans, power supplies, RAID controllers, and server ambient and sub-component temperatures. Alerts can be surfaced through the system IMM to managers such as Lenovo XClarity Administrator, VMware vCenter, and Microsoft System Center. These proactive alerts let you take appropriate actions in advance of possible failure, thereby increasing server uptime and application availability.
• SSDs offer significantly better reliability than traditional mechanical HDDs for greater uptime.
• Built-in Integrated Management Module II (IMM2.1) continuously monitors system parameters, triggers alerts, and performs recovery actions in case of failure, to minimize downtime.
• Built-in diagnostics using Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) Preboot speeds up troubleshooting tasks to reduce service time.

Manageability and security

Powerful systems management features simplify local and remote management of the System x3650 M5 and deliver enterprise-class data protection:

• The server includes an Integrated Management Module II (IMM2.1) to monitor server availability and perform remote management.
• An integrated industry-standard Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) enables improved setup, configuration, and updates, and simplifies error handling.
• Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers comprehensive hardware management tools that help to increase uptime, reduce costs and improve productivity through advanced server management capabilities.
• An integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) enables advanced cryptographic functionality such as digital signatures and remote attestation.
• System x Trusted Platform Assurance, an exclusive set of System x security features and practices, establishes a solid security foundation for workloads by delivering firmware that is securely built, tested, digitally signed and verified prior to execution.
• The server offers enterprise-class data protection with optional self-encrypting drives.
• Industry-standard AES NI support offers faster, stronger encryption.
• Intel Execute Disable Bit functionality can help prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supporting operating system.
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based resistance to malicious software attacks, allowing an application to run in its own isolated space, protected from all other software running on a system.

Energy efficiency

The System x3650 M5 offers the following energy-efficiency features to save energy, reduce operational costs, increase energy availability, and contribute to the green environment:

• Energy-efficient planar components help lower operational costs.
• High-efficiency power supplies with 80 PLUS Platinum and Titanium certifications.
• Intel Intelligent Power Capability powers individual processor elements on and off as needed, to reduce power draw.
• Low-voltage Intel Xeon processors draw less energy to satisfy the demands of power and thermally constrained data centers and telecommunication environments.
• Low-voltage 1.2 V DDR4 memory offers energy savings compared to 1.35 V and 1.5 V DDR3 DIMMs.
• The server uses hexagonal ventilation holes, a part of Calibrated Vectored Cooling™ technology. Hexagonal holes can be grouped more densely than round holes, providing more efficient airflow through the system.
• Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager provide advanced data center power notification, analysis, and policy-based management to help achieve lower heat output and reduced cooling needs.