(Yet another) SC846 Thread

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Necrotyr

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Jun 25, 2017
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I have PDB-PT846-2824 in mine, AFAIK it and the PDB-PT846-8824 are the only ones supporting P and SQ PSU's.
 

cessquill

Member
Nov 30, 2017
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You can use the PWS-920P-SQ PSU with your PDB-PT846-N24:

FAQ Entry | Online Support | Support - Super Micro Computer, Inc.
After contacting SM support, they kindly got back to me saying that the -N24 PDB and the -SQ PSU are "mechanically compatible". They have gone on to ask if I see a light on the PSU, and if other PSUs work. I'm inclined to think that the FAQ above is incorrect.

I have PDB-PT846-2824 in mine, AFAIK it and the PDB-PT846-8824 are the only ones supporting P and SQ PSU's.
Servercase.co.uk (who seem good with support) stock the 2824 and can get the 8824 in about 7 days. The 2824 is about £20 more expensive, but I don't really know the difference. On the SM site they look identical.

Is it worth getting the 2824 over an 8824?

edit: put this website's name in by accident
 
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Necrotyr

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Jun 25, 2017
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No clue, I just got the cheapest one with next-day delivery.

AFAIK there might be some cabling differences. I once found a comparison chart, but can't for the life of me find it now.
 

anlin

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Dec 8, 2016
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If you have a 920P-SQ, you might as well get the cheaper -8824 PDB. The 2824 supports high wattage PSUs (1k28P-SQ and up) with the wide connector but to my knowledge doesn't offer much else over the 8824. Also note that the 2824 requires a different PDB cover (although the N24/8824 cover can be modified to fit).
 

cessquill

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Nov 30, 2017
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Cheers guys - I went for the 2824 in the end, simply because I could get it next day (today, hopefully), rather than a 7+day wait. Was a bit of a coin toss though, but I might be able to get the noise down to a bearable level before Christmas...

Off to figure out how to mod the PDB cover now.
 

anlin

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Dec 8, 2016
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Modifying the PDB cover is simply a matter of cutting off a small section off the bottom of the cover and shaving down some of the plastic ribs. The cover is made of ABS plastic, so no power tools required (although having a Dremel will speed up things up :)).
See the photos for this listing of a 2824-compatible PDB cover for reference: Supermicro 05-SC84601-XX00C103 Power Distribution Bracket For SC846A Chassis | eBay.
 
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cessquill

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Nov 30, 2017
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So I took the -N24 PDB out and put the 2824 in (tidying up some cabling on the way.

Unfortunately the -SQ power supply will still not power up my Supermicro X10SL7-F motherboard. I can get access to the IPMI, but LE6, the Power Status LED on the mobo is red. The manual states "When the LED indicator turns to color red, power supply has a problem." Put the regular supply in and it boots fine (albeit loud).

Kind of answering my own question, but does it look like the -SQ supply I've got is faulty, and is there much I can do?
 

cessquill

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Nov 30, 2017
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Just to finish up on this - I've got it all sorted for now. I'd been sent a faulty SQ power supply. The company replaced it, and everything works fine and quiet enough. Thank you for all your help on this. I can finally add/swap drives without risk of putting my back out!

When I get a chance I'll likely change the internal fans for 120mm ones, but it's fine for now. I also didn't change the rear fans, but they seem OK.

The next time I open the case will be to hopefully replace the mobo/CPU - just researching into the coffee lake CPU's ability to offload Plex transcoding to the GPU.
 

maze

Active Member
Apr 27, 2013
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The next time I open the case will be to hopefully replace the mobo/CPU - just researching into the coffee lake CPU's ability to offload Plex transcoding to the GPU.
Get a Quadro card.. will save you the hazar of a mobo/CPU upgrade :)
 

cessquill

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Nov 30, 2017
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Get a Quadro card.. will save you the hazar of a mobo/CPU upgrade :)
Wow that's expensive! Seriously though, I'm running Plex in a docker, and I think that currently the only way to get hardware transcoding is via an internal GPU. Although I may be very wrong...
 

maze

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Apr 27, 2013
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Its not cheap no.. but you Can get a deal at times..

I would Think docker has access to the gpu.. but might be wrong though
 
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Orm1server

New Member
Jan 29, 2019
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Hey guys and gals, been reading thru this for over a month and finally adding to it. I know this is old thread but I created a 3d print to convert the center fan array in a cse846 to (3) 120mm fans and it doesn't require any additional holes. It's also designed to be pieced together meaning for smaller print beds. Just thought since you all helped me I can share the love. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3384281

If this deserves to go elsewhere in forum please let me know or move it.

Thanks,
Steve
 

IronAddict

New Member
Jul 3, 2021
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I noticed no one answered your HDD questions. I would put your parity drives in the expander. I have not come across a reason not to. I bought one of these to hold two SSDs in my SC846: caddy. You could put your OS/cache drive in there to save a 3.5 bay.

Regarding your question about dummy drives, I cut out a flat piece of cardboard to put into each empty caddy. It made a big difference. I would also suggest you cover the "speed holes" on the outside of the case to maximize the airflow through the drives bays.

Regarding fan replacement, I personally built a 120mm "fan wall" like is shown here. The only thing I am running into is that the mobo spins them down too much so I need to run with fanspeed set to "heavy IO". I am planning on implementing one of the fan control scripts out there eventually but haven't gotten to it yet.

Finally there are front panel extension cables: link.

Overall I think you're gonna like that chassis. I'm really glad I went with supermicro.
I'm officially suffering from a severe envy/anxiety attack .. i already had a norco 4224, and a SM SC846 (bought 5 years ago and this month going into service as a JBOD extension using Version 3 of course)) AND played the "chicken game" on eBay for a SC487 and ended up winning .. ugh .. cant fathom supporting 86 drives although i'm at 48 and counting) -- i love your 19" inch rack setup THAT has me envious lol .. great looking system and love all the improvements you've made over time .. i dont feel so lonely now :D