Noise levels from SuperServer 6018R-TDW 1u server at low use?

[BlizzardX]

Hi

I've got a pair of Dell R710s in a rack mount that are pretty much whisper quiet. I'm looking at my options to upgrade the lab to newer hardware... I can pick up (in NZ) Dell Rx20 models now for ~350-450 NZD depending on the spec but there is a Superserver with newer hardware and DDR4 ram. The Dells will do me well given how long the R710s have lasted me but ideally I would want HTML5 based IPMI access which the supermicro should have but I believe the Dells are Idrac 7 based and therefore still Java?

The question I have is how loud are the supermicros in a 1u chassis? I can hear the Dell R710s on boot up and I remember the R410 being quite a lot louder but I've never heard a SM chassis before. Anyone use one in a home lab environment?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[On Holiday]

In my experience, Supermicro fans are generally quieter than Dells, you can also set different fan profiles too with th
The fans in the 1u are standard 3/4-pins so you can change them out for equal-sized fans (Noctua is a popular option) too if you really want to.

If the SM hasn't got HTML5/iKVM then it can easily be updated to have it.

The R710 can also be updated to HTML5 but the process is a little more messy and inconsistent.

 

[BlizzardX]

Ooh thanks, the motherboard in the SM supports redfish and will have firmware updates for the BMC to support HTML5 on the console so that is beneficial but my last experience of a 1u server was my old Dell R410 which was noisy. Looks like the R6/720s also have HTML5 based iKVM not Java and they're cheaper and supported by vSphere 7 but part of me thinks I should jump to DDR4 based systems for future compatability and upgrading.

 

[BlizzardX]

So an update, picked up a SM 2u chassis with 128GB DDR4 ram with an X10SRi-F with an E5-2620v3 cpu for ~250GBP which is awesome considering NZ has such limited supply. My main concern with the SM X10-12 was the need for DDR4 ram and the cost but I've basically got enough ram for two nodes now!

In practice, am I really going to heaer that much if I get an SM 1u unit? I'm used to hearing the two Dell R710s humming away in their rack but I am aware that 1u's have different acoustics compared to 2u units but I also understand that hte Dell 710s where not considered that quiet...

I can't get another 2u unit as they rarely come up but the 1u unit would work as it comes with 32gb DDR4, 3 x 512GB enterprise SSDs and two E5 v3 CPUs plus rails etc... my only concern is that the 1u take SM proprierty which means I can't chop and change MB makers over time like I can with the 2u unit.

I've also got a SM 3u chassis from an old x7 gen setup that I made compatible with modern ATX standards. I don't believe it has the PMBus cables for PSU usage and its heavy and the rails are clunky... I was going to sell that with the X8 gen motherboard in it but I could look at Ebay for a used X10 mobo and chip perhaps?

Hmm.. what to do!

Thoughts, comments, advice is really appreciated!