Replace Fans?

[LIGISTX]

Has anyone come up with a elegant way to either replace supermicro server fans, or quiet them down without the motherboard not freaking out (I assume it would if I used a fan controller and it sees 0 fans plugged in). Or a good software solution?

 

[nightshade00013]

There should be a setting in the BIOS that will allow you to spin them down a bit. Put it into a power save mode vs performance or max mode.

As far as it complaining I have not seen the issue with the board I have as when I first set it up I only had two case fans and two CPU fans that were connected to the headers. I suspect that you may have the CPU fan on the wrong header if it is having issues being posted due to a fan going to slow or not being connected.

 

[Stux]

You can change IPMI fan thresholds.

 

[Dice]

You can change IPMI fan thresholds.

I wonder if that can be done as smoothly on the X8 systems, see signature: "SUPERMICRO 4U 846E16-R1200B -- X8DTE-F -- 32 GB ECC -- Dual Intel XEON L5520"

IIRC the X8's used a way older IPMI implementation than the X10, X11 boards.
Some adjustments can be done in the BIOS, but one cannot trust the same RAW commands would necessarily apply (as in your/Horton's script).
At least I would like some sort of confirmation before sending <unknown raw commands> to the IPMI circuit.

My X8DTE .. I don't think it is the -F (IIRC - the built in IPMI version), has an external IPMI plugin card for IPMI functionality. I do doubt that is even remotely likely to behave according to expectations of an X10 board.

 

[Stux]

I wonder if that can be done as smoothly on the X8 systems, see signature: "SUPERMICRO 4U 846E16-R1200B -- X8DTE-F -- 32 GB ECC -- Dual Intel XEON L5520"

Try it :)

BTW, these aren't raw commands, they are actual IPMI protocol commands.

grab a list of your current thresholds
# ipmitool sensor list all

my lower thresholds for my large 120mm fans:
# ipmitool sensor thresh "FANA" lower 100 200 300

Was getting false critical assertions in Optimal mode. So I tried this:
# ipmitool sensor thresh "FANA" lower 000 000 300

Which is actually where I still have it. But I still get non-critical alerts in Optimal mode. This is because the BMC lowers the fan speed below 25-30% and stalls it. Yeah.

And the upper thresholds (specific to Noctua NF-F12 PWM)
# ipmitool sensor thresh "FANA" upper 1600 1700 1800

So then you write a replacement fan controller, and do it yourself ;)

My CPU fan (Noctua 90mm) fan thresholds

Code:

FAN1			 | 1200.000   | RPM		| ok	| 100.000   | 200.000   | 300.000   | 1800.000  | 1900.000  | 2000.000
FAN2			 | 1200.000   | RPM		| ok	| 100.000   | 200.000   | 300.000   | 1800.000  | 1900.000  | 2000.000

My exhaust fan (Noctua 80mm) fan thresholds

Code:

FAN3			 | 1400.000   | RPM		| ok	| 200.000   | 300.000   | 400.000   | 2400.000  | 2500.000  | 2600.000
FAN4			 | 1500.000   | RPM		| ok	| 200.000   | 300.000   | 400.000   | 2400.000  | 2500.000  | 2600.000

Now regarding raw commands. They're used for setting the Fan mode, and Zone duty cycles.

ipmitool raw 0x30 0x70 0x66 0x01 $zone $duty

where zone is 0 or 1, and duty is a percentage, 0-100.

you can read the current duty cycle with

ipmitool raw 0x30 0x70 0x66 0x00 $zone

Which I guess is safer than setting it.

And you can also set the mode with

ipmitool raw 0x30 0x45 0x01 $mode

where mode is (0,1,2,4) your board probably only supports 0,1 if it does at all... but 1 is the only one necessary.

and likewise, you can read the mode with

ipmitool raw 0x30 0x45 0x00

all of these commands can be used in the terminal. I'd suggest gently trying them.

 

[Stux]

Unfortunately, I did find this

https://www.supermicro.com/support/faqs/faq.cfm?faq=21954

IPMI does not support raw commands for changing fan speeds. Fan speeds are controlled by BIOS on X8 motherboards.

Looks like the BMC based fan control is only for X9/X10/X11

 

[Dice]

I appreciate your effort.
Yet my X8 box is not operational at the moment, and won't be for probably a couple of months.

Looks like the BMC based fan control is only for X9/X10/X11

That's probably what I've read and put at the back of my mind.

 

[LIGISTX]

Yea, unfortunately I have my BIOS set to their lowest options and they are still insanely loud :/.

Looks like I may have to get way fancy with it and either replace them, or build my server a sound dampening box to live in lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dice]

build my server a sound dampening box to live in lol

I'm in the process of doing that myself.
(I've a SC847 with X8 system too)

 

[CookiesLikeWhoa]

I have an X8 system, a twin actually. On the lowest fan settings you can have in the bios the fans are still louder than a traditional desktop, but quieter than the switches I have sitting above them. The annoying thing is the PSU fans. Those things have a mind of their own. With both sides of the twin running the PSU fans will spin up and down all the time, which is way more annoying than just the fans staying spun up. On top of the fans just being way louder than the system fans too.

 

[Dice]

I can relate <A LOT> to your description @CookiesLikeWhoa

 

[Ericloewe]

I have an X8 system, a twin actually. Only the lowest fan settings in the bios they are still louder than a traditional desktop, but quieter than the switches above them. The annoying thing is the PSU fan. Those things have a mind of their own. With both sides of the twin running the PSU fans will spin up and down constantly which is by far more annoying than just the fans staying spun up. This is also on top of them just being way louder than the system fans too.

I know the feeling. Not from rackmount PSUs, but from the week or so after I first assembled my original FreeNAS server. The fans would constantly spin up and down, torturing my ears.