Gigabyte MZ31-AR0 vs Dell 384-BBSR PowerEdge SP3 System Board

Buy the Gigabyte MZ31-AR0 if you are building a server from parts and need a board that takes a single EPYC in a standard E-ATX case. Buy the Dell 384-BBSR only if you are repairing or upgrading an existing PowerEdge and need the exact replacement board. The Gigabyte gives you 10GbE SFP+ ports, SlimSAS for 16 SATA drives, an M.2 slot and seven PCIe slots out of the box. The Dell is a proprietary PowerEdge part: it fits its chassis, its firmware and its management stack, and little else. Owners of the Gigabyte report it runs flawlessly but also report failures and poor documentation, so test it early.

• Choose the Gigabyte MZ31-AR0 if you are assembling a single-socket EPYC server and want built-in 10GbE, many drive connections and standard E-ATX mounting.
• Choose the Dell 384-BBSR if you are replacing a failed board in a PowerEdge server and need the exact Dell part for that chassis.