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RAPTOR Computing Systems Talos II
This platform is current owner-controllable hardware and is still sold despite its age. It remains relevant because of its open firmware stack, auditable design, and unusual high degree of owner control.
Talos II is a workstation- and enterprise-class POWER9 mainboard platform from Raptor Computing Systems. It is designed around OpenPOWER technology and focuses on performance, openness, expandability, and owner control. Talos II was announced and made available for pre-order on 31 August 2017
Overview
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Raptor Computing Systems |
| Product | Talos II |
| Platform | OpenPOWER / PowerNV |
| CPU sockets | 2 x POWER9-compatible sockets |
| CPU family | IBM POWER9 v2 |
| Memory | Large DDR4 ECC registered memory capacity |
| PCIe | PCIe 4.0 support |
| CAPI | CAPI 2.0 support on all slots |
| Networking | Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet |
| BMC | OpenBMC |
| System class | Workstation / server / development platform |
Hardware details
Talos II is a dual-socket POWER9 platform intended for high-end workstations and servers. Raptor describes it as the first modern owner-controllable workstation- and enterprise-class mainboard, with PCIe 4.0 support, substantial DDR4 memory capacity, and support for virtualisation extensions in POWER9. [page:2][web:93][web:96]
According to Raptor’s product announcement, the Talos II mainboard includes 2 POWER9-compatible CPU sockets, 16 DDR4 ECC RAM slots, 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, 2 PCIe 4.0 x8 slots, 2 Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet ports, and an optional Microsemi SAS 3.0 controller. Talos II also supports CAPI 2.0 on all slots. [web:90][page:2]
Supported CPUs
Raptor lists the following POWER9 v2 CPUs for Talos II:
- IBM POWER9 v2 4-core
- IBM POWER9 v2 8-core
- IBM POWER9 v2 18-core
- IBM POWER9 v2 22-core
Talos II is available in both single-CPU and dual-CPU bundle variants, so the board can be deployed with one or two installed processors depending on the intended system build. [page:2]
Owner-controllability
Owner-controllability is one of the key reasons to use Talos II. Raptor states that Talos II is designed with a fully owner-controlled CPU domain and that the firmware can be audited and modified all the way down to CPU microcode level. [web:93][web:96]
Talos II also ships with fully open and auditable OpenBMC firmware. Raptor explicitly presents this as an alternative to the usual proprietary and difficult-to-audit management firmware found on mainstream server and workstation platforms. [page:2]
The practical advantages include:
- auditable and modifiable system firmware
- open BMC firmware based on OpenBMC
- a boot and security model that can be reviewed by the owner
- fewer opaque vendor-controlled components in the trust chain
- better fit for security-sensitive, freedom-respecting, and long-lifecycle deployments
Performance and positioning
Talos II is positioned above Blackbird in terms of system size, memory capacity, and expansion. It is suitable for workstation, server, storage, development, and virtualisation roles where PCIe 4.0, higher core counts, and dual-socket capability are desirable. [page:2][web:90]
Compared with Blackbird, Talos II is the more capable platform for heavier workloads, larger RAM configurations, and broader PCIe expansion. Blackbird, by contrast, is the smaller and more affordable desktop-oriented option. [page:1][page:2]
Notes
Talos II is especially relevant for users who want an owner-controlled modern system without the usual x86 platform trust issues. As with Blackbird, prospective users should still evaluate software support, device compatibility, power usage, and total platform cost before deployment.
Links
- Manufacturer: Raptor Computing Systems
- Product page: Talos II Secure Workstation
- Bundle page: Talos II bundle
- Mainboard page: Talos II mainboard
- Wiki page: Talos II (Raptor CS Wiki)