Lenovo has always clearly focused on edge computing and continues to push towards the outer limits with a server that is one of the smallest we've seen. At just 212mm wide, 318mm deep and 2U high, the ultra-compact ThinkEdge SE360 V2 offers an impressive hardware specification that belies its modest dimensions.
Aimed at a wide range of applications including cutting-edge artificial intelligence, machine learning, intelligent surveillance and video analytics, the SE360 V2 is ready for harsh environments. Its robust chassis is shock and vibration resistant, accepts optional front and rear dust filters, and can withstand ambient temperatures up to 55 degrees C.
Location options are extensive as the server can be rack, wall and ceiling mounted or placed on a desk. Its extreme narrowness also allows two servers to be installed side by side in a standard rack or wall cabinet.
The SE360 V2 offers many data security and physical protection measures. Along with support for SEDs (Self-Encrypting Units), all models include top and bottom intrusion switches plus a customizable motion detector, and if one is activated, the server can be configured to go into lockdown mode.
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 Review: Hardware
Lenovo has kept the chassis size down by moving power out of the case. There are two connector blocks located on the rear and, together with the dual 300W external power supplies provided with our system, the SE360 V2 supports direct DC connections and a pure AC input mode; the last two options are required for the upper operating limit of 55 degrees C.
The server supports a single Xeon D-2700 CPU – our system came with an 8-core 2.1 GHz It is available on special offer orders). We also receive a healthy 128 GB TruDDR4 memory made up of four 32 GB units and which can be expanded to a maximum of 256 GB.
Unlike the SE350 V2, this model has space inside for two PCIe Gen4 expansion slots. They can be used for additional network adapters or for up to two GPUs with Nvidia A2 or L4 cards and Qualcomm's Cloud AI 100 on Lenovo's guest list.
Standard network connections are handled by a choice of two modules using a dedicated motherboard connector. Our system had the dual 2.5GbE quad Gigabit module that also includes several USB ports and a remote management port or you can choose the module that replaces the Gigabit ports with four of the 10/25GbE SFP28 variety.
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 review: Storage and expansion
The SE360 V2 offers an interesting combination of storage features with optional dual front drive bays that support NVMe or 7mm SFF SATA SSDs. Internally, it's the M.2 form factor across the board, as you can add two NVMe 2280 SSD mirrored boot devices and associate them with up to eight NVMe 2280/22110 SSDs for data storage.
All RAID configurations are handled by Intel's built-in VROC (Virtual RAID on CPU) controller and you'll need to think about potential license upgrades as the base version only supports SATA drives and RAID0 or 1 arrays. If you want NVMe support, you'll need to purchase a standard key that adds NVMe RAID10 or a Premium key for RAID5 support.
Be prepared for some serious screwdriver action for upgrades, as the main lift box is secured by eight screws and must be removed carefully to prevent the cables from coming loose. Lenovo offers a variety of riser cards with options for a PCIe slot on each side or, in our case, a single slot on the right with the other side occupied by the two SFF SSD bays.
With a dual-slot riser, you can add adapters, each holding four NVMe M.2 SSD slots. You'll find two easily accessible M.2 boot drive slots behind the bottom cover of the server and there's also room for an optional dual M.2 NVMe cabled adapter, although this will be disabled if you have both SSD adapter cards in the riser. . .
Wireless and Bluetooth 5 are on the menu, as Lenovo's optional dual-slot adapter can plug into the front of the motherboard. The wireless antennas are installed on each side of the chassis using SMA connectors and the WLAN module uses an Intel AX210 chip, so WiFi 6/6E and WPA3 encryption is supported.
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 Review: Remote Management
Remote management looks good as the SE360 V2 has the same XClarity Controller (XCC) 2 chip and dedicated Gigabit port that Lenovo's larger ThinkSystem servers offer. An XCC Standard license enables features such as remote power controls, sensor monitoring, and inventory, while a Platinum upgrade adds remote KVM, virtual media services, remote operating system deployment, power limiting, and neighbor group management functionality. from where multiple servers can be managed. An XCC interface.
The XCC Provisioning Manager simplifies RAID configuration and operating system installation. Using the XCC Remote Console to mount a virtual Windows Server 2022 ISO, we selected the 'Effortless Installation' option and watched it load the operating system in 35 minutes with no further intervention required.
Lenovo's XClarity Administrator provides centralized remote management of all Lenovo systems and we run it in the lab as a Hyper-V virtual machine. After discovering the SE360 V2, it provided a complete inventory, system and power utilization details, power controls, and options for remote operating system deployments and firmware updates.
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 Review: Is it worth it?
The ThinkEdge SE360 V2 shows that Lenovo is taking edge computing seriously. Its innovative design packs a killer server package into the smallest of spaces and its value for money seems good too, with prices for basic models starting at around £2,400.
The robust chassis allows you to operate comfortably in harsh environments, but take your time with hardware upgrades as internal space is quite limited. However, it offers a powerful processing package with surprising expansion potential and support for many NVMe M.2 SSDs and two GPU cards, making it very versatile.
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 specifications
| Chassis | 2U rack/wall/ceiling/desk mount |
| CPU | Intel Xeon D-2733NT 8-core 2.1 GHz |
| Memory | 128GB 3200MHz TruDDR4 RDIMM (maximum 256GB) |
| Storage | 2 x 800GB 7mm NVMe SFF SSDs |
| Other storage | 2 NVMe M.2 2280 boot drives, 8 NVMe M.2 2280/22110 drives |
| RAID | Intel VROC SATA (key required for NVMe support) |
| Grid | 2 x 2.5GbE, 4 x 1GbE |
| Expansion | 1 x PCIe Gen 4 16x (max. 2) |
| Force | 2 external 500W power supplies |
| Management | XClarity Controller, XClarity Manager |
| Warranty | 3 years on site the next day |
