Anyone using Supermicro 1U with PWS-203-1H power supply who can share noise level?

mhweb

I'm thinking on buying either the supermicro 5018A-FTN4 or A1SRi-2758F server to build a pfsense router, and I'll be placing it in the office, since I don't have a lot space. So I was wondering if anyone has experience with the PWS-203-1H power supply, who can share if the fan of the power supply is loud during operation.

Also, can the be fan speed be adjusted from BIOS?

Thanks,

DaddyGo

@mhweb said in Anyone using Supermicro 1U with PWS-203-1H power supply who can share noise level?:

PWS-203-1H

Hi,
yes I have to say the factory FAN is loud...

we have 6 pcs. Supermicro MOBO in our system (let me suggest this to you as pfSense):
https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/M11SDV-4C-LN4F - (the MOBO AMD Epyc series)
(it is completely sufficient for 300-500 clients)
because:
https://meltdownattack.com/

we use exactly these power supplies, but we have converted that way:

https://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x20-pwm/faq
and unnecessary SATA and other cables were removed

The fans can be controlled in several ways via IPMI interace!
There are 5 - 6 default settings, but note that this is only a feature of the motherboard FAN headers, the power supply fan cannot be controlled from an IPMI interface

so NOCTUA is the solution, otherwise all the fans we have been replaced with NOCTUA
these fans are really quiet

PS:
or consider using this housing with an external power supply
https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/chassis/1U/E30/SCE300

ext. power supply:
https://www.meanwell.com/webapp/product/search.aspx?prod=GST90A
(compatible with my suggested ones)

mhweb

Thanks for the info.
Just to be clear, are you saying that it's possible to open the power supply and replace the default fan, and include a notcua fan without the need of soldering?

Thanks,

mhweb

Also, as an alternative, I was thinking on using removing the power supply and MacGyver the this https://www.mini-box.com/12v-12-5A-AC-DC-Power-Adapter inside of the unit.

DaddyGo

@mhweb
@mhweb -"Just to be clear, are you saying that it's possible to open the power supply and replace the default fan, and include a notcua fan without the need of soldering?"

Hi,

Yes, it is about a half hour job. (with soldering !!!)
We use these chassis CSE-505-203B and they are not optimized for the Epyc series MOBO so there would be no need for unnecessary (SATA + SATA power + ATX 24 pin) cabling in the box (we use NVMe SSDs)

-so it should be removed, as they impede airflow and there is really no room for their placement

if you have already opened the power supply housing:
-it makes sense you can replace the FAN with a better / quieter one for a reason
-the power supply fan is a PWM controlled 4-wire type, as is the NOCTUA unit I recommend
-the connector is not compatible, but four soldering jobs and 4 shrink tubes and the conversion is ready in 10 minutes

PS:
what I forgot is that 4 screws also need to be screwed back and forth
this is my original profession an electrical engineer, so I only recommend the conversion, if you have an affinity for such work and minimal experience!

DaddyGo

@mhweb "Also, as an alternative, I was thinking on using removing the power supply and MacGyver the this https://www.mini-box.com/12v-12-5A-AC-DC-Power-Adapter inside of the unit."

+++edit: otherwise, these plastic - housed power supplies are not designed to lock them in an extra box
thus even more limiting the heat dissipation

The MOBO you mentioned (A1SRi-2758F) works directly from 12V,

if you use it with an external power supply you will lose the ATX function, stdby. power, etc.

if you choose an external power supply, be sure to choose a quality, well-proven manufacturer type
therefore, I proposed the world’s leading PSU manufacturer MeanWell
https://www.meanwell.com/

this MacGyver term is a bit ambiguous, hahahaha
and you originally asked if the power supply fan is loud?

PS:
with the CSE-E300 housing, the case is simpler as it operates with a basic 12V external power supply, like:

CSE_E300_12V ext..jpg

mhweb

@DaddyGo Thanks for the info. I found that I can also use a picoPSU https://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT which you can then power with the power adapter https://www.mini-box.com/12v-12-5A-AC-DC-Power-Adapter I think could be a solution.

I understand about the mean well brand, but I'm not able to find the same equivalent solution like the one offered by mini-box.

DaddyGo

@mhweb

You don't need this unit / adapter ( https://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT ), the motherboard also has a 4-pin direct 12V connector and a 24-pin ATX.

All you need are these:

The PICOPSU-150-XT special connector is just a temporary solution for a miniITX MOBOs where only the 24-pin connector is available.
Unfortunately, this "simulator" cannot solve other control functions fixed in the ATX standard.

Supermicro Set for example, usually accompanies such an adapter for this task:

PS:

We haven't even mentioned that in addition to the PSU, the MOBO also needs 1 to 2 fans (depending on the load), as the CPU is passively cooled (contains only one heat sink)

+++++as we have solved, like:
Epyc3151_Noctua 3.jpg

mhweb

Yes, after my last reply, I felt odd that I needed the pico-psu.
What did you mean by "control functions fixed in the ATX standard"? Are you referring to "stdby"? What other functions will I be missing?
It's going to up and running 24/7 and with a UPS, so standby isn't a big deal.
Also, you were saying about the the fans, do you think that 150w power supply isn't enough? I mean it's a 20w Atom CPU.

Thanks,

DaddyGo

@mhweb

Hi,

Additional function (ATX) WOL (Wake up on LAN) for example, but this is also not an important factor here, because we are talking about 24 hours

You are right about this and it is definitely recommended to install UPS and pfSense with ZFS file system.
You won’t lose much with the lack of ATX in continuous operation.
For the sake of completeness, I wanted to draw attention to this, so read this too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX

Even without any problems, a 60W PSU would suffice, but a spare is required, so 90 or 120W will suffice. (even if you use 3 pieces FANs)
Consumption of small fans is minimal!

As I wrote at the beginning, we use the Epyc series, because of Intel’s vulnerability and this AMD CPU has brutal performance for pfSense.
(but they serve more than 500 customers)

The MOBO (Supermicro Epyc 3151) with this CPU consumes 34W + RAMs (16GB ECC!!!) + Addons (Intel I350-F4) + FANs (Noctua 3 pcs.), total 42 - 48W (depending on the load).

So don’t buy a nuclear power plant for power supply tasks

mhweb

@DaddyGo My only concern going AMD is that pfsense is based on FreeBSD, and FreeBSD and psfsense favors the Intel platform more, and I didn't want to run into compatibility issues or hiccups. Also, it's a little more pricey, about $200 more.

Thanks,

DaddyGo

@mhweb

Hi,

FreeBSD has no problem with AMD.
Epyc is really a bit more expensive.
Epyc is not even required for an SOHO use.
(I just described the experience for the sake of completeness, at first we also used Intel D series)

The Intel vulnerability is pretty much already being addressed anyway.

if you think so, report that you succeeded...

mhweb

@DaddyGo Thank you for your help.

mhweb

@DaddyGo Do you know the size of hard drive that I'd need for a pfsense box?
Thanks,

DaddyGo

@mhweb

the pfSense storage capacity requirements they are really minimal:

we used (a few years ago) mSATA SSDs in most cases (Kingston or similar quality, this is important!) 60GB
but due to the development of storage chips, such low-capacity devices are rarely available

recently we use NVMe SSDs (Supermicro certified) 128 or 256 sizes
like: HDS-TMN0-KXG60ZNV256G (Toshiba) / HDS-TMN0-KXG50ZNV256G (Toshiba)
(smaller size not available)

since you only have SATA ports on the MOBO:
would try to get a low capacity 2.5 "Samsung EVO 860 or possibly a

maybe PRO(?), but this is unnecessary

the best solution for you as the MOBO includes a SATA DOM connector,
the original Supermicro SATA DOM SSD, of which there are 16/32/64/128 GB types
https://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/SATADOM.cfm

in addition to the NVMe SSD, we always install a spare 64GB SATA DOM in case the NVMe fails
there is a mirror copy of the system on the SATA DOM
which is activated immediately via IPMI (BIOS boot order) if the main storage is faulty

important suggestion:
during the first installation select ZFS opportunity
and the swap area, do not leave 2G, as you still have capacity, raise it to a higher value

SATA DOM (64GB):
minimal space requirements, no need for a separate power supply
and fully pfSense compatible!

SATA DOM.png

mhweb

@DaddyGo I'm going to have to back to the drawing board because I just learned that the Atom cpu in the A1SRi-2758F motherboard has a clock signal issue that could brick the server :(

DaddyGo

@mhweb

I’m not a big fan of Intel Atom CPUs.
What I still think of is the Intel Xeon D series, although here the price is already higher. (this is the analogy of the Epyc series, of course based on Intel CPUs)
https://www.servethehome.com/amd-epyc-3451-benchmarks-and-review/

I would definitely keep Supermicro as a manufacturer!
In the really stable miniITX (network appliance) theme, they are currently providing unbeatable quality.

I should also add that the Intel Xeon D is equivalent of AMD Epyc. Nearly identical in performance, the price can be decisive.

Due to the application environment, Intel's vulnerability is also a serious factor.
I would never use AMD CPUs anywhere else, I didn’t even do it until I built NGFWs.

These may be interesting to look at in Supermicro X10 and X11 series (but as I mentioned the price is higher)

https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/embedded/servers?pro=cputype%3D60%2C99
https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboards/embedded-iot-boards

nmitra6

@DaddyGo, actually instead of using a custom made cable for 12V supply out of PWS-203-1H psu, one can use the connected 8 pin 12v line into the 4 pin onboard connector, keeping the yellow lines at the left. One just need to use the bottom four pins of the connector. To insert the cable align the pins of the connector to pin 1 and 3 side of onboard header and just push till the point it goes in. It will not go till the bottom due to obstruction from adjacent USB header but a stable connection can be achived.

Now just the PS_On of the ATX connector to be grounded using a jumper for continous 12v supply. This is also done on the custom connector as shown by you.