Server as workstation

ihrsetrdr · Jul 22, 2017

A project that I've long had on my mind, was to acquire a dual processor server board, and configure it for use a workstation. That plan is coming together with the purchase of a SuperMicroX9DRD-7LN4F-JBOD motherboard equipped with x2 Xeon e5 2670s, and 128gb of ddr3 ram.

EDIT: I had another pic laying around, here's the server in it's Chenming tower case:

ihrsetrdr · Jul 22, 2017

One of the purposes for this workstation is to do some folding@Home, for the sake of "old times" with just CPUs. Not a regular folder, just for interest.

However, the stock cooling proved to be a limitation, with a passive heatsink on CPU1, and a real noisy 25mm HS fan on CPU2.

As a first step, the passive HS was replaced with a SUPERMICRO SNK-P0050AP4 .

Testing with a running f@h work unit, pegging the CPUs @100%.

Works as hoped, the temps are considerably lower than the other HSF on CPU2:

At Idle, the temps for both CPUs are in the lows 40s C.

Robert17 · Jul 22, 2017

ihrsetrdr · Jul 22, 2017

A better video card was also on the agenda, the onboard video is a little "flat", but hey it is a server board.

PCIE x8 slots only, hmmm. I had an XFX GeForce 8400 GS(PCIE x16) laying in the parts drawer, so I bought a PCIE x8 to PCIE x16 riser cable .

Plugged 'em in one of the PCIE x8 slots, and wa-la....no video output.

Looking around for 'someone' in the World that might have attempted the same thing, ran across this thread post, which was the "brass ring" as they say.

Well, the next item that needs taken care of, is figuring out a way to secure the video card to the case somehow.

Robert17 · Jul 22, 2017

Maybe a 3mm fan screw, looks like a 30mm length would do, an oversize (wide) washer, , nut, boom. Probably almost $1 worth of hardware at a good hardware store if you have one nearby. If you own the screw, about $0.35. (For educational purposes, the wide washer is DIN 9021, the nut DIN 439B).

ihrsetrdr · Jul 22, 2017

Robert17 said:
Maybe a 3mm fan screw, looks like a 30mm length would do, an oversize (wide) washer, , nut, boom. Probably almost $1 worth of hardware at a good hardware store if you have one nearby. If you own the screw, about $0.35. (For educational purposes, the wide washer is DIN 9021, the nut DIN 439B).

I checked the 300 million screws and nuts I have on hand, none suitable :shrug:

so I'll have to swing by the hardware store, Monday.

ihrsetrdr · Jul 23, 2017

I'll probably use screws to mount the vid card horizontally, at least in the short term. It's tempting to do a vertical mount case mod though, if I get ambitious.

ihrsetrdr · Jul 23, 2017

I looked further, and did find a suitable nylon machine screw, I think from a Mac Mini heatsink mounting venture years ago. It provides some increased stability. I used the lamented retail packing of the SUPERMICRO SNK-P0050AP4 heatsink, wedged it under the vid card, to further stabilize it for when the case goes in the vertical position.

I'm still interestedin a vertical mount, will look for a store bought verttical PCIE bracket, to make the case mod look better.

Robert17 · Jul 23, 2017

The smell of victory.

DaveB · Jul 23, 2017

ihrsetrdr said:
PCIE x8 slots only, hmmm. I had an XFX GeForce 8400 GS(PCIE x16) laying in the parts drawer, so I bought a PCIE x8 to PCIE x16 riser cable .

So why are you using that riser cable? Why didn't you just plug the video card into the x8 slot?

ihrsetrdr · Jul 23, 2017

The video card is a PCIE x16, and the PCIE x8 slots are not open at the rear.

DaveB · Jul 24, 2017

OK, I see that now. They are in my Intel S2600CP2J so I can just plug in any GPU. It is interesting how little performance is lost going from x16 to x8.

mackerel · Jul 24, 2017

If there is nothing else on the mobo getting in the way (unclear from photo), could you carefully cut open the PCIe slot to allow the 16x to drop in?

ihrsetrdr · Jul 24, 2017

I probably could, I've watched a couple videos of that being done. Before I quit drinking I would have, but nowadays I'm more 'reserved'. :soda:

Most videos suggest cutting the PCIE slot with a dremmel blade, here's a screeny of a video suggesting the use of a soldering iron instead:

ihrsetrdr · Jul 24, 2017

Here's a video where the guy pulled a x16 PCIE slot off a spare motherboard, and attempts to put it on his server board:

DaveB · Jul 24, 2017

I gave one of my Intel S2600CP2J's x8 video slots a treat today and stuck a Zotac GTX 1080 in it. :cheers:

ihrsetrdr · Jul 24, 2017

Nice!

It looks like you have a couple Cooler Master Hyper 212+ HSFs keeping the Xeons cool. I have a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ that I initially thought I could use, but the screws are smaller than what the mounting

plate on the Supermicro board will accomodate. I just pulled the trigger on another SUPERMICRO SNK-P0050AP4, since the one I recently bought does a good job, and is a 5 minute install.

DaveB · Jul 24, 2017

Yeah the Intel motherboard uses standard LGA 2011 sockets so any X79/X99 HS/Fan will work, Supermicro loves the Narrow ILM size. I use Noctua NA-RC7 Low Noise Adapter (LNA) cables to slow down the fans while keeping the temps of all cores under 65C under constant 100% load running Prime95. The Intel board sets fan speeds high thinking the motherboard is in a 1U or 2U server case where the small fans need to be running at high speed all the time.

ihrsetrdr · Jul 24, 2017

Yeah, speaking of small, loud fans -this one can get pretty shrill at times:

I won't be missing it, once I have the SUPERMICRO SNK-P0050AP4 to replace it with.

ihrsetrdr · Jul 25, 2017

ihrsetrdr said:
Yeah, speaking of small, loud fans -this one can get pretty shrill at times:

View attachment 192320

I won't be missing it, once I have the SUPERMICRO SNK-P0050AP4 to replace it with.

Whoa, that was quick, I just caught a guy throwing a box over the fence, was driving an OnTrac delivery truck.

A nice, 5 minute install, I like that.

- - - Updated - - -

Running f@h work unit wide open. Temps are stable and tolerable, especially with the ambient temps in room being up around 29.4 C(85F).

Server as workstation

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