Help with this Supermicro Chassis?

[oguruma]

I need to expand into a larger chassis that will hold more drives. Existing chassis is a cheap-o Rosewill or some such.

I found Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B brand new online for $250 shipped.

It has 8 x 3.5 bays plus 2 x 5.25 bays in case I need to add more later.

My concern is over the PSU/Distributor. I'd like to know if it supports Dual Processors. The Supermicro site for the Chassis says that it supports dual CPU, but from the few pictures that I can see of it, I can only see a single CPU connector.

Also, how exactly does a "triple redundant" PSU/Backplane work? It has 3 x 380W PSUs for a total of 760W. How is that better/worse than 2 x 760W PSUs?

 

[Spearfoot]

My suggestion is: keep shopping! There are a lot of Supermicro chassis out there. And triply-redundant power supplies seems a little over-the-top.

Example: new Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U chassis for $250 :

NEW Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U Server Chassis /w 760W PSU 8-Port 3.5" HDD Bays

Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U Server Chassis with 760W PSU and 8-Port HDD Backplane

www.techyparts.com

This is a reputable seller (they also sell on eBay) and I've purchased quite a bit of equipment from them. You'll save on shipping if you buy direct vs. using eBay.

Dual-CPU systems have the same PSU hookups as single-CPU systems: 24-pin + 8-pin power connectors. You can rely on Supermicro if they say a chassis supports dual CPUs. Of course you should still do due diligence and pore over the specs at Supermicro's website.

 

[jgreco]

Also, how exactly does a "triple redundant" PSU/Backplane work? It has 3 x 380W PSUs for a total of 760W. How is that better/worse than 2 x 760W PSUs?

The wording is somewhat misleading. It isn't "triple redundant" in the way that a ZFS 3-way mirror is "triple redundant"; it is N+1 redundant.

In a system designed for 760W power, you could have 2x760W PSU's as you note, these are fully redundant, and either PSU can fully power the system. With the 3x supply, that is not the case; you need two PSU's to provide the specified power. This actually leads to a bit of a hazard, because you EITHER need to plug all three PSU's into the same upstream power circuit (so that they live together/die together), OR you need to plug each PSU into a separate circuit. If you plug two PSU's into circuit A and then one PSU into circuit B, you get the bad situation where a breaker trip on circuit A leaves the single PSU in a highly overloaded situation.

The upside to using three smaller PSU's is that they're not as hard to design as two beefier ones.

My concern is over the PSU/Distributor. I'd like to know if it supports Dual Processors. The Supermicro site for the Chassis says that it supports dual CPU, but from the few pictures that I can see of it, I can only see a single CPU connector.

If you're looking for an 8-pin connector for each CPU, that's unlikely.

Please do understand what you're actually purchasing. It isn't a chassis that is suitable for any random thing that you want to throw in there; this was specifically designed for compatibility with late-2000's-era Supermicro X7 and X8 systems. In the meantime, the ATX PSU standard and what is commonly provided has continued to evolve, so matching a current generation mainboard to a chassis many generations old might end up suboptimally.

 

[oguruma]

My suggestion is: keep shopping! There are a lot of Supermicro chassis out there. And triply-redundant power supplies seems a little over-the-top.

Example: new Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U chassis for $250 :

NEW Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U Server Chassis /w 760W PSU 8-Port 3.5" HDD Bays

Supermicro CSE-833T-R760B 3U Server Chassis with 760W PSU and 8-Port HDD Backplane

www.techyparts.com

This is a reputable seller (they also sell on eBay) and I've purchased quite a bit of equipment from them. You'll save on shipping if you buy direct vs. using eBay.

Dual-CPU systems have the same PSU hookups as single-CPU systems: 24-pin + 8-pin power connectors. You can rely on Supermicro if they say a chassis supports dual CPUs. Of course you should still do due diligence and pore over the specs at Supermicro's website.

The Chassis you referenced is the exactly the one that my OP is about... In fact, it's from the same seller, though I found it on Ebay.

 

[Spearfoot]

The Chassis you referenced is the exactly the one that my OP is about... In fact, it's from the same seller, though I found it on Ebay.

Doooooohhhhh! My apologies...

I recently purchased an SC835TQ-R800B chassis from them -- which would have been well-suited to your purpose -- and thought I was referencing the same unit. But those are sold out!

 

[oguruma]

Doooooohhhhh! My apologies...

I recently purchased an SC835TQ-R800B chassis from them -- which would have been well-suited to your purpose -- and thought I was referencing the same unit. But those are sold out!

Lol no worries. I appreciated the input either way.

I may keep my eyes peeled for the SC835TQ, it seems like it would make more sense for what I want.

Let me ask, do you know if there is a Supermicro brand 2x5.25 -> 3x3.5 HDD Chassis? I know that IcyDock makes one, but it would be nice if Supermicro made one to expand the 5.25" bays to hold more drives.

About a year ago I purchased a 3U Supremicro JBOD (12 bay) chassis on eBay (maybe from them, idr). I wish I would have gotten a second one. It works well except I had to cut out a section for the motherboard panel.