RCS Platform Comparison
Here is a quick comparison to help people get started with the platform.
Some details have been omitted, this page is intended to give a high-level overview without too much clutter.
Purchasing overview:
- consider the single CPU board, Talos II Lite as your default option, it offers best performance for a single CPU with all four memory channels loaded
- if you really need more than 22 CPU cores or more than 2 PCIe slots, consider the full Talos II but be conscious of extra PSU requirements
- if you really need something compact and potentially portable, consider the Blackbird due to its MicroATX form factor but be aware that you are constrained to only 8 CPU cores (4 threads/core), only 2 memory channels and you need to be careful to choose a case the meets noise and cooling expectations for this board
| Feature | Talos II | Talos II Lite | Blackbird | Condor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | Y | Y | Y | postponed |
| Reasons to buy | most CPU cores, max RAM speed, need >2 PCIe slots[note 1] |
Cheaper but still 22 cores | Cheapest, integrated peripherals, smaller size |
- |
| Price (USD)[note 2] | 3194.66 | 1502.57 | 1310.99 | - |
| RYF Certified[note 3] | Y | Y | ? | ? |
| Size | EATX | EATX | Micro ATX | ATX |
| CPU count | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CPU max cores | 22 | 22 | 8 | ? |
| Memory channels | 8 (4 per CPU) |
4 | 2 | 8 |
| Memory channels×speed[note 4] | 21 336 (10 668 per CPU) |
10 668 | 5334 | ? |
| PCIe 4.0 16x slots[note 5] | 3[note 6] | 1 | 1 | 4? |
| PCIe 4.0 8x slots | 2[note 6] | 1 | 1 | ? |
| μPCIe ports | 1 | 0 | 0 | ? |
| Video | VGA | VGA | HDMI | ? |
| USB 3.0 ports | 4 | 4 | 4 | ? |
| Storage | Optional 4x SAS/SATA | Optional 4x SAS/SATA | 4x SATA | ? |
- ↑ although some of these boards only have two PCIe slots, you can easily expand them using PCIe risers (some cases have space for these) or using an OCuLink port expander. Please share your questions and experiences in the forum.
- ↑ please see online shop for latest prices, and be aware that bundles may discount prices if also purchasing CPUs and HSFs. Last updated 2020-07-31.
- ↑ Certified by the Free Software Foundation's Respects Your Freedom program
- ↑ channels multiplied by maximum speed in MHz
- ↑ All x16 slots on Talos II (and Lite) and Blackbird are CAPI 2 capable
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 on Talos II, only 2 PCIe slots are available with a single CPU; two CPUs must be installed for all slots to be available
