At Flash Memory Summit (FMS) 2025, Supermicro surprised the industry with the launch of the ARS-121L-NE316R, a 1U NVMe storage server powered by the NVIDIA Grace Superchip. What’s innovative isn’t just the compact design with the latest-generation EDSFF support, but the fact that this NVIDIA Arm processor—initially designed for high-performance computing loads and AI acceleration—is now being used as the foundation for a storage server.
Design Focused on EDSFF and PCIe Gen6
The new server features 16 E3.S 1T drive bays, aligning with the industry’s shift toward EDSFF (Enterprise & Datacenter SSD Form Factor), a standard set to completely replace U.2 with the arrival of PCIe Gen6 in 2026.
The 1U front is designed to optimize airflow, while the rear of the system offers expansion with two full-height PCIe slots or support for AIOM, Supermicro’s implementation of the OCP NIC 3.0 standard.
The redundant power supplies of 1.6 kW with 80Plus Titanium certification ensure energy efficiency and reliability in critical environments.
The Role of the NVIDIA Grace Superchip
At the heart of the system is the NVIDIA Grace Superchip, a module combining 144 Arm cores and up to 960 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This setup delivers high computational performance and substantial memory capacity, though with lower bandwidth compared to pure HPC configurations.
What’s notable about this use is that Grace was not originally designed for storage: it doesn’t natively support PCIe bifurcation into x4 links, which is essential for managing multiple SSDs. To address this, Supermicro has integrated a PCIe Gen5 switch that distributes connections and adds flexibility, mirroring functionalities typically found in x86 CPUs.
Additionally, there are two PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 slots located between the Grace module and the switch, expanding high-performance local storage options.
A Different Approach to Storage Servers
This model offers something unusual: a dual 500 W processor module with 144 Arm cores dedicated to managing up to 16 NVMe SSDs. While it may not be a best-seller, it presents an innovative proposition:
- More local storage compared to other Grace-based systems.
- Compute power combined with large memory capacity in a storage server.
- Flexible expansion options for high-speed networking and additional accelerators.
Market Implications
The ARS-121L-NE316R exemplifies how manufacturers like Supermicro are exploring non-traditional uses of NVIDIA’s Arm architectures in sectors historically dominated by x86 CPUs from Intel or AMD.
This type of system could be appealing for data centers seeking energy efficiency, workload consolidation, and flexibility in intensive storage environments. It can also serve as a foundation for edge applications requiring computing and storage at the same node.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Supermicro ARS-121L-NE316R?
It’s a 1U NVMe storage server that uses the NVIDIA Grace Superchip, offering 16 E3.S drive bays and up to 960 GB of memory.
Why is the use of NVIDIA Grace in this server considered innovative?
Grace was designed for high-performance computing and AI, not storage. Supermicro adapts it using a PCIe Gen5 switch to manage SSDs similarly to an x86 processor.
What advantages does EDSFF E3.S have over U.2?
EDSFF allows higher density, better thermal dissipation, and compatibility with PCIe Gen6 speeds, whereas U.2 is not suitable for that standard.
Who will benefit from this design?
Data centers looking for compact servers with high compute and local storage capacity, as well as organizations considering Arm architectures to reduce power consumption and diversify their infrastructure.
via: servethehome