Best Dual CPU Motherboards [Review & Complete Buying Guide]

A dual CPU motherboard accommodates two of the most powerful processors in the lineup and houses all the necessary components in a large number.

The multiple components are ideal for establishing a server, and I’ve tested and shortlisted the best dual CPU motherboard for your workstation.

If you’re in a rush, my best recommendation will be the ASUS WS C621E for your Intel and SuperMicro H11DSi-NT for the AMD CPU. But for a budget-friendly option, I would pick the X99 Dual CPU Motherboard.

Best Dual CPU Motherboard

The dual-processor motherboard is a top choice for PC enthusiasts and is widely used as a server CPU. The mainboards offer enough memory, SATA, and PCIe slots to expand your RAM and storage.

All the motherboards have differences in specification, compatibility, maximum capacity, and market price.

We’ve tested the motherboards in different scenarios, and based on the result, we’ve listed the best dual CPU motherboard below.

Here are the lists of the best dual CPU motherboard:

1. ASUS WS C621E Sage

The ASUS WS C621E Sage is manufactured for the Dual LGA3647 socket Intel Xeon scalable processor. It’s equipped with 12x DIMMs of ECC DDR4 RAM and has a maximum capacity of 1.5 TB. It also comes with U.2, M.2, and USB 3.1 Gen2 to give a next-gen transfer speed.

Key Specifications

CPU Socket: LGA3647
Compatible Processor: Intel Xeon
Memory: 12x DDR4 DIMM
Memory Capacity: 1536 GB
I/O ports: 3.1 Type-C & Type-A, 10x SATA 6Gb/s Ports
Multi-GPU Support: 4-Way NVIDIA SLI, 4-Way AMD CrossFireX
Graphics Card Interface: PCI-Express x16
Storage: 1x M.2, 4x U.2, 10x SATA
Expansion Slots: 7x PCIe 3.0 x16

The ASUS WS C621E Sage is a future-proof dual processor motherboard that is capable of containing 2 fully overclocked Intel Xeon processors. In my usage, I’ve overclocked both of my processors to unleash the maximum power for my content creation.

It provides 12x DIMMs of ECC DDR4 RAM slot of 2400 MHz memory speed for the fastest execution, and you can expand the capacity up to 1.5 TB. For storage purposes, the motherboard has 10x SATA III slots and the M.2 & U.2 slots for better speed.

Additionally, you can use the PCIe Gen3.0 x4 for increasing the data transfer rate up to 5x compared to the traditional storage device.

The motherboard has dual LAN support for the fastest and uninterrupted internet connection to keep you always connected.

The C621 chipset-based motherboard comes with a 4-way multiple-graphic card capability for the best graphical performance. It features on-demand NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX technology to give an excellent performance during gaming, editing, content creation, engineering, and handling the server-side workload.

ASUS WS C621E Sage is surely more expensive than an average motherboard.

But for a fully equipped Benchmark World Record holder motherboard, the price is very understandable. However, compared to the other dual CPU motherboard, it’s relatively cheap and provides better facilities.

With its 16.26 x 14.73 x 4.06 dimension, you fit in any full tower casing and enjoy the full potential of a dual CPU motherboard.

2. SuperMicro H11DSi-NT

The SuperMicro H11DSi-NT dual CPU motherboard is manufactured for the AMD-powered processor. It contains the SP3 socket type, supported for the AMD EPYC 7000 series. It has 16x DIMMs DDR4-supported RAM slots and multiple input-output ports for transferring high-speed data.

Key Specifications

CPU Socket: SP3
Compatible Processor: AMD EPYC
Memory: 16x DDR4 DIMM
Memory Capacity: 2048 GB
Storage: 1x M.2, 10x SATA, 2x NVMe OCuLink
Expansion Slots: 2x PCIe 3.0 x16, 3x PCIe 3.0 x8

SuperMicro H11DSi-NT is one of the best dual processor motherboards for the 7000 series AMD EPYC CPU. It comes with a massive 16x DDR4 DIMM RAM slot which lets you expand the memory capacity up to 2048 GB.

It has an 8-channel memory bus, which supports 2666 MHz to 3200 MHz of RAM speed.

The mainboard has 10x SATA III as the storage option. And, if you want a faster storage solution, you can use the 1x M.2 and 2x NVMe OCuLink port.

Though it comes with an x16 PCIe slot, it doesn’t have SLI/Crossfire support. But other than a graphics-intensive task, the motherboard can provide all the essential output.

It has 2x RJ45 10GBase-T ports and 1x RJ45 Dedicated IPMI LAN port for a faster internet connection. In addition, the motherboard is very efficient with a 240W max TDP and saves your electric bill.

The motherboard is 12 x 13 x 2 inches in dimension and can fit inside any E-ATX casing. If you are using the AMD EPYC for your server, the SuperMicro H11DSi-NT is the best choice for you in the market.

3. X99 Dual CPU Motherboard

The X99 Dual CPU Motherboard is made for Intel X99-based processors. It’s one of the most affordable dual CPU mainboards on the market. You can get optimal performance on a low budget with a high-frequency DDR4 quad-channel RAM slot and PCIe x16.

Key specifications

CPU Socket: LGA2011-3
Compatible Processor: Intel Xeon E5 series
Memory: 8x DDR4
Memory Capacity: 256 GB
Storage: 2x NVMe M.2, 10x SATA III
Expansion Slots: 4x PCIe x16

The X99 Dual CPU Motherboard is capable of holding two LGA2011 v3 socket processors. You can easily fit the Intel Xeon E5 series motherboard, for example, Intel Xeon E5-2630.

The mainboard has quad-channel DDR4 memory slots, which can contain 8 DIMMs RAM at the same time. The maximum frequency of the memory is 3000 MHz to satisfy your execution capabilities. You can use up to 256 GB of RAM for the best output.

For the data storage, the Intel X99-based motherboard has 10x SATA 3 connectivity and 2x NVMe M.2 slots to extend the speed.

It also includes 4x PCIe x16 expansion slots for the graphics card, which lets you use multi-graphics cards concurrently. In addition, the onboard 2x Gigabit LAN provides the fastest internet connection to your computer.

The X99 is a budget-friendly dual-processor motherboard and can easily fit inside your E-ATX PC tower.

Comparison Table

Things to Consider Before Buying

Buying a dual CPU motherboard sounds easy. But to suit your work, you must consider some points before selecting the mainboard. You need to pick it depending on your purpose, compatibility, memory, storage capacity, and budget, or else it won’t give optimal performance.

Here are the things you need to consider before buying a dual CPU motherboard:

Purpose

The dual CPU motherboard is used for workstations, server-side work, and cloud-based services. It is used for massive storage and expanding the RAM capacity, which isn’t required for daily computing and gaming.

If you are working for a server or doing extensive graphics rendering, the dual CPU motherboard will help you to execute the data faster and store the information.

However, as a streamer, gamer, or for normal business purposes, you don’t need to spend extra money for a dual processor motherboard and specific CPU.

Compatibility

Processor compatibility is a major thing before buying a dual CPU motherboard. Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC have different socket types and pins, so the motherboard varies depending on the manufacturer.

Some dual-processor motherboards have LGA3647 or LGA2011 sockets, and others may have SP3-based CPUs.

You must select the motherboard based on the CPU you prefer to use in your workstation. Also, the CPU cores and threads count can vary in your choice while picking the dual processor mainboard.

Memory

While working on a server or cloud service, fast execution is a top priority. The more the memory capacity is, the faster the performance.

The dual CPU motherboard may contain from 8 to 16 quad-channel DIMM RAM and support up to thousands of GB RAM capacity. For example, the SuperMicro H11DSi-NT has 16 DDR4 memory slots which can increase the capacity up to 2048 GB.

Also, memory frequency plays a significant factor in fast execution. Some support 2400 MHz max RAM frequency, while you can use up to 3200 MHz in the other.

If your server prioritizes compiling data and running various programs, more RAM slots will help you accomplish your work faster.

Storage

Besides the memory, storage is a must for a server. Numerous data and information go through the server, and you need to store them.

For this reason, all the dual CPU motherboards have multiple SATA ports. Most of them contain 10x SATA ports to extend the storage with a SATA drive.

Some motherboards contain NVMe, M.2, and U.2 storage slots for even faster data transfer.

If you are building a data storage server, you must take a motherboard that has multiple SATA 3 slots, NVMe, and M.2.

Expansion Slot

The expansion slot is necessary for the graphics card. Multiple expansion slots help to contain several graphics cards.

It’s beneficial for graphics-related work and vital for the rendering server. Also, the PCIe x16 slots can be used for expanding the storage with NVMe M.2.

If you have a rendering or graphics-associated server, you should consider taking a dual CPU motherboard with multiple expansion slots.

Budget

After considering all the factors, budget is the main thing you need to check before buying a dual-processor motherboard. If you have an unlimited budget, you should definitely go for the best ones in the market.

But, you may be required to select a cheaper one if your budget doesn’t meet with the high config motherboard.

You’ll receive fewer storage and expansion slots, and compatibility may differ. But if the motherboard fulfills your requirement, you can go for it without hesitation.

Why Should You Use a Dual CPU Motherboard?

A dual CPU motherboard allows you to run two CPUs simultaneously in the same motherboard. It helps to unleash the full power without investing in a second motherboard. Also, increasing the number of memory, expansion slots, and I/O ports gives you an advantage in establishing a server.

The cumulative core power of a Xeon or EPYC processor is much greater than an average consumer’s processor and capable of executing processes faster.

It helps to build a workstation for an enterprise or business, cloud-based servers, CGI projects, and farms.

The quad-channel ECC memory helps use higher frequency RAM and accomplish a task faster. The ECC or error correction memory is essential for running a 24/7 online server without snapping any issues.

Additionally, multiple SATA and NVMe slots help to build a storage-based server where you can store all the necessary data and information.

For the CGI project or graphics rendering work, the dual CPU motherboard is ideal. It supports SLI and CrossFireX technology, which enables the ability to install multiple graphics cards on a single motherboard.

All these components make the dual CPU motherboard monstrous and make the build much cheaper compared to a consumer-graded computer.

A dual CPU motherboard makes it possible to gather all the best technology in one place, and helps to run projects, research, online servers, and all the heavy and demanding tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there motherboards that support 2 CPUs?

Yes, dual CPU socket motherboards support running two server or workstation CPUs simultaneously.

Which processor is used in the dual CPU motherboard?

The dual CPU motherboard uses Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors for the server and workstation.

Is a dual CPU motherboard good for gaming?

A dual CPU motherboard is extremely overkill and expensive for gaming, and modern games don’t require that much power to run smoothly.

Conclusion

Dual CPU motherboards are perfect for starting your server or workstation. It’s capable of handling all the necessary execution and is enough for storing all your data.

Before finalizing your decision, consider reading all the aspects and specifications to match your requirement.

This article has provided the best choice for a dual CPU motherboard, with additional information to ease your purchasing decision.

Cheers!