Do supermicro rack mount PSU's need to be matched?

[Gmdfunk]

I have a 24 bay supermicro chassis with redundant power supplies. It came with 2-900 Watt PSU's. I have an extra one that I bought in case of a failure, but the ones available are the 1200 Watt PSU's. Is there any reason that if one of the 900 watt PSU's goes out, I cant replace it with a 1200 Watt PSU and it with the other 900?

 

[Spearfoot]

I have a 24 bay supermicro chassis with redundant power supplies. It came with 2-900 Watt PSU's. I have an extra one that I bought in case of a failure, but the ones available are the 1200 Watt PSU's. Is there any reason that if one of the 900 watt PSU's goes out, I cant replace it with a 1200 Watt PSU and it with the other 900?

I don't see a problem with doing this, provided the 1200W unit will fit. After all, you're going to a higher-capacity unit. But you can always ask Supermicro technical support -- support@supermicro.com -- and get a definitive answer.

 

[Ericloewe]

The server's power backplane might complain about this. It's definitely a good idea to ask supermicro.

 

[Dice]

Did any clarity emerge whether or not it is safe to mix&match?

 

[Blade Runner]

I have a 24 bay supermicro chassis with redundant power supplies. It came with 2-900 Watt PSU's. I have an extra one that I bought in case of a failure, but the ones available are the 1200 Watt PSU's. Is there any reason that if one of the 900 watt PSU's goes out, I cant replace it with a 1200 Watt PSU and it with the other 900?

Specific power distribution blocks (PDB) are configured with specific redundant PSU. I replaced redundant 920W PSU with 1280W-SQ. A new PDB was required because the 1280W-SQ did not plug into the 920W PDB. Call Supermicro or review their website for specific server chassis. There will be a list of configurations and one can figure out which PDB/PSU combos will fit.

 

[Dice]

@Blade Runner thnx. Your reply inspired me to explore my own combination.
I replaced the noisy original in my 847E16-R1400LPB (1400W gold: PWS-1K41P-1R) with PWS-1K28P-SQ.

Turns out the "Power Distributor PDB-PT847-8824" is the same for both chassis:
https://www.supermicro.nl/products/chassis/4U/847/SC847E16-R1400LPB
https://www.supermicro.nl/products/chassis/4U/847/SC847E16-R1K28LPB

I can confirm PWS-1K28P-SQ works retrofitted. Cannot confirm if I've tried plugging in one of each kind at the same time.

Conclusion:
You can swap the horrifically noisy PWS-1K41P-1R for the super silent PWS-1K28P-SQ.
It will be WELL worth it.

 

[Blade Runner]

@Blade Runner thnx. Your reply inspired me to explore my own combination.
I replaced the noisy original in my 847E16-R1400LPB (1400W gold: PWS-1K41P-1R) with PWS-1K28P-SQ.

Turns out the "Power Distributor PDB-PT847-8824" is the same for both chassis:
https://www.supermicro.nl/products/chassis/4U/847/SC847E16-R1400LPB
https://www.supermicro.nl/products/chassis/4U/847/SC847E16-R1K28LPB

I can confirm PWS-1K28P-SQ works retrofitted. Cannot confirm if I've tried plugging in one of each kind at the same time.

Conclusion:
You can swap the horrifically noisy PWS-1K41P-1R for the super silent PWS-1K28P-SQ.
It will be WELL worth it.

Did you replace stock case fans with lower rating DBA? The SQ generate less noise however the stock case fans are noisy.

 

[Dice]

Did you replace stock case fans with lower rating DBA? The SQ generate less noise however the stock case fans are noisy.

No.
It sufficed decently to relocate stock fans to the motherboard and select the lowest setting. In addition, I did some air-pressure ducts to assure air passed over my drives. (At some point I've planned to redo and share some temps and pics of those mods)
However - the screeching noise from the server closet and filled my living areas .....all emanated from the PWS-1K41P-1R.

 

[leonroy]

I'm 99% certain Supermicro say mixing PSUs is a no-no. It can apparently shorten their lifespan. That said running a single PSU is perfectly fine provided it has enough wattage to power the whole system and is what we do in our demo and non critical environments.