SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SLM+-F-O motherboard in Mini Tower.

[Jim_Lafleur]

Hi Guys,
I'm thinking about buying the SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SLM+-F-O uATX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C224 and put it in a minitower case.

I've read:
Thermal and Accoustical Design Validation
How To: change sensor thresholds with IPMI using ipmiutil

I'll state what I think I'll need to do. Please confirm if I'm in the good or wrong direction OK?

So if I understand well, to use this motherboard in a mini tower, I need an adapter for the fans. I need an adapter / splitter which supports multiple PWM fans from a single motherboard PWM header. In our case it seems we need to use header Fan-A.

The adapter: Evercool EC DF001
For example, I'll have 2 PWM 120mm fans : I'll connect the main connector to the Fan-A header, one 4 pin connector to one of the fans (to monitor rpm) and one of the four 3 pin connectors to the second fan.

I guess someone could also buy a self controlled fans like the GELID Silent 12 TC (FN-TX12-15)?

[Side note: If we look in the manual it's a bit confusing : There's one place they say : "Fan A / Fan1~Fan4 : System/CPU Fan Headers (Fan 1: CPU Fan))" and there's another place they say : "Fan A (CPU Fan)" http://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/C224/MNL-1500.pdf ]

Than I'll need to set the fans speed via ipmiutil (I really need to be doing this remotely. So the ipmitool option is not for me). I've read the tutorial but I'll present an example, just to be sure if I understood right.
Example :
120mm fan with 800-1500 RPM (they don't state the % of error) http://www.cougargaming.com/fileadmin/downloads/COUGAR VORTEX PWM.pdf

Let's say I've found out that the SNum for the FanA sensor is : 45 (Did this to find it : ipmiutil sensor -N 192.168.7.254 -U Administrator -P *Password* -c)
To set the speed via IPMIUtil I'll issue this command:
ipmiutil sensor -N 192.168.7.254 -U Administrator -P *Password* -n 45 -l 800 -h 1500

Does that look OK to you?


Also, can I use a regular desktop power supply for that motherboard? I mean, is there special power connectors on that motherboard? Or any basic power supply will do? I see there's an 8 pin cpu connector. Would a typical 4+4 pin CPU connector do? (Like this one for example : http://www.coolermaster.com/powersupply/elite-series/elite-power-v2-550w/)

 

[Darren Myers]

The motherboard will take a standard PSU that has a 24 pin and a 4+4 pin or dedicated 8 pin for CPU, in your link the CPU 4+4 is exactly what you need. You dont list a case..but depending on your case choice, i personally (it is MY personal opinion) would go with a noctua heatsink/cpu cooler over the stock heatsink, theres a link for newegg, just pick out the one that does your socket (most if not all are multi socket) if that is of course something youre interested in.

 

[DrKK]

Wait a second. Why do you need an adapter for multiple fans? That board has one CPU fan header, and FOUR other 4-pin fan headers.

 

[Jim_Lafleur]

Wait a second. Why do you need an adapter for multiple fans? That board has one CPU fan header, and FOUR other 4-pin fan headers.

Because I saw this : (In this thread)

The reason you see the fans going at a hopping rate is because the BMC has a threshold limit for the fans at 600rpm.
If the fans go below 600rpm, it considers that there's a fault and will spin them back at full speed.

So you need to reduce that lower threshold.

So it seems SuperMicro boards have problems with low speed fans, cause those motherboards are meant to be in a rack with high speed fans.

Some reviews on NewEgg are mentioning that behavior that the SuperMicro Boards have:

The following are talking about the SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SL7-F-O uATX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C222: (See reviews at this Link.)

Not much in the way of fan control for a desktop setup. It would have been nice if they had provided a rackmount and desktop mode you could switch between. It's profile is set for smaller very high speed fans used in rackmount cases so it doesn't really spin down lower RPM desktop fans.

Doesn't like 4-pin fans that spin slower than 800RPM; it will cycle the fan speed 3-4 times a minute

The following is talking about the SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SLM+-F-O uATX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C224: (See reviews at this Link)

I did run into the issue, mentioned in thread above, of the fans spinning up to max RPM then slowing down. This happened about every 10-15 seconds or so.

(He's talking about the Supermicro X10 motherboard FAQ)

In Thermal and Accoustical Design Validation, GrumyBear says that FAN-1 to FAN-4 headers are controlled by the CPU's temperature. Fan-A by some temp sensors on the board. He says that if we want a low noise system, we should connect all the case fans to the Fan-A header (with an adapter) and the CPU fan to Fan-1 header.


Also saw this in the Supermicro X10 motherboard FAQ :

My server's fans keep spinning up and down. Fan thresholds are set to unrealistic values, how do I change them? Setting IPMI sensor thresholds : Supermicro X10 motherboards have their fans monitored by the BMC, which automatically attempts to recover stalling (of the motor, not in the aerodynamic sense) fans by spinning them up to maximum (PWM set to 100% speed). This behavior is determined by the sensor thresholds.

 

[Jim_Lafleur]

My Cooler Master N200 case supports 4 120mm fans. I think I'll just install 4 Enermax Magma Advance UCMAA12A in it and let them run on medium speed (2200 RPM, 34 CFM, 21 dBA) 24/7. I think it'll be pretty cool in there (and quiet). And I won't have all the hassles of playing with fan speeds, adapters, etc. The processor will be a E3-1246 v3 by the way.

 

[Ericloewe]

In Thermal and Accoustical Design Validation, GrumyBear says that FAN-1 to FAN-4 headers are controlled by the CPU's temperature. Fan-A by some temp sensors on the board. He says that if we want a low noise system, we should connect all the case fans to the Fan-A header (with an adapter) and the CPU fan to Fan-1 header.

My system is low-noise, despite the 3000RPM fans. And they're still quieter than the not-controlled fans on my drive cages. All controlled fans are connected to FAN1-FAN4.

 

[Jim_Lafleur]

My system is low-noise, despite the 3000RPM fans. And they're still quieter than the not-controlled fans on my drive cages. All controlled fans are connected to FAN1-FAN4.

OK, what is the low speed of your 3000RPM fans? So if I'd install low RPM PWM fans, all I have to do is to connect them to FAN1-FAN4? And connect FANA to CPU fan? Would I have to tweak the low/high speed of each fan using ipmiutil ?

 

[Ericloewe]

Code:

FAN1             | na         |            | na    | na        | na        | na        | na        | na        | na
FAN2             | 800.000    | RPM        | ok    | 300.000   | 400.000   | 500.000   | 3600.000  | 3700.000  | 3800.000
FAN3             | 1000.000   | RPM        | ok    | 300.000   | 400.000   | 500.000   | 3700.000  | 3800.000  | 3900.000
FAN4             | 800.000    | RPM        | ok    | 300.000   | 400.000   | 500.000   | 3600.000  | 3700.000  | 3800.000
FANA             | na         |            | na    | na        | na        | na        | na        | na        | na

Fan3 is the CPU fan, stock cooler. 2 and 4 are Noctua NF-F12 IndustrialPPC 3000PWM.

 

[Jim_Lafleur]

Fan3 is the CPU fan, stock cooler. 2 and 4 are Noctua NF-F12 IndustrialPPC 3000PWM.

Alright. According to Noctua's website, your fans have those specs:
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) 3000 RPM
Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%) 750 RPM

Did you have to use ipmiutil or ipmitool to tweak the minimum / maximum fan speeds? Did you have the fans spinning up to max RPM then slowing down repetively problem?

 

[Ericloewe]

Alright. According to Noctua's website, your fans have those specs:
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) 3000 RPM
Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%) 750 RPM

Did you have to use ipmiutil or ipmitool to tweak the minimum / maximum fan speeds? Did you have the fans spinning up to max RPM then slowing down repetively problem?

Yes, that's why I wrote the two guides on the matter. Those guides are the elegant solution and have solved the problem in all reported cases.

They don't actually (explicitly, at least) change the fan control curve, but it's good enough not to matter, since it's a feedback loop controlling temperatures.

 

[Jim_Lafleur]

Yes, that's why I wrote the two guides on the matter.

If I was using the Noctua NF-F12 IndustrialPPC 3000PWM fan, for example:
Maximum Speed 3000 RPM (+/- 10%) : So max is 3000+10% = 3300 RPM
Minimum Speed : 750 RPM (+/- 20%): Min would be 750-20% = 600 RPM

Would this be the proper command in this case? : (of course I'd replace the proper values where needed)

ipmiutil sensor -N *IP address* -U *Username* -P *Password* -n *snum* -l 600 -h 3300

I'm asking cause in your tutorial, you talk about the lower limit but not the upper limit. I'd just like to be sure if that's how it's done.