Beware of EMC switches sold as Mellanox SX6XXX on eBay

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Terry Wallace

PsyOps SysOp
Aug 13, 2018
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Whats the idle (or closest to it) power consumption between the two? I'm still looking at buying one and I was going to get the 12port, but if the 18 port is quieter AND uses less power (it seems to according to the PDFs) that sounds like a win-win to me. It's less about the power bill than it is about UPS runtime :D
Sorry I never got you an answer btw. But all of my stuff is in use at the moment. And I don't have per port power monitoring on my power taps..:)
 

Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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you can see power utilization in the gui - not 100% accurate but good enough for comparison I guess
 

Terry Wallace

PsyOps SysOp
Aug 13, 2018
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Oh yeah, I never use the gui lol
My 6012 12 port switch has 4 ports used (its consuming 35.5 watts)

My 6018 18 port switch is using all 18 ports (its consuming 47.87 watts)

the fans are running at the same speed. I think the wind tunnel effect of the 9" wide 6012 enhances the noise compared to the 19" wide 6018
 

Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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Oh yeah, I never use the gui lol
My 6012 12 port switch has 4 ports used (its consuming 35.5 watts)

My 6018 18 port switch is using all 18 ports (its consuming 47.87 watts)

the fans are running at the same speed. I think the wind tunnel effect of the 9" wide 6012 enhances the noise compared to the 19" wide 6018
All active QFSP modules in both, or some DAC or QSFP->SFP+ adapters? If you happen to have the models of the modules I can (maybe) find their "typical" power consumption, but under 50 watts in the UI fully loaded sounds great! Does anyone have an idea of the typical UI-> at the wall conversion? I'm assuming the UI is not able to account for PSU overhead.
 

Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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I think it was like 5-10W on my 6012, but even if its 20 - no way you'll get 18 ports QSFP on any other switch for much less juice - those things have a brilliant performance/power ratio in my book.
 
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Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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I think it was like 5-10W on my 6012, but even if its 20 - no way you'll get 18 ports QSFP on any other switch for much less juice - those things have a brilliant performance/power ratio in my book.
Yea, I don't "need" 18 ports (yet :D), for the moment everything would be breakouts, so I think I'll end up with like 5-6 ports used? If the 18 port one is quieter and a bit more efficient, it's worth it to me vs the 12 port one, plus well 50% more ports so... it might last a little longer before I outgrow it lol.
 

Rand__

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Just checked my 6036 - 50W with 8 active FDR ports (DACs) and two breakouts (single PSU version)

Edit: But this one definitely is not silent;)
 

Necrotyr

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Jun 25, 2017
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The mlnxbase.zip should be at the same link with all the files needed for the conversion (minus the base package from HP).

The server is down right now for the next couple of hours due to maintnance (read comparing SX6012 vs SX6018 and deciding which is going back in the rack).
 

Necrotyr

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Oh yeah, I never use the gui lol
My 6012 12 port switch has 4 ports used (its consuming 35.5 watts)

My 6018 18 port switch is using all 18 ports (its consuming 47.87 watts)

the fans are running at the same speed. I think the wind tunnel effect of the 9" wide 6012 enhances the noise compared to the 19" wide 6018
I just got done comparing my 6012 and 6018, the '12 is actually quieter than the '18.

My '12 is running ~8500 RPM compared to the ~9200 RPM on the '18 (and 11000 RPM on the '18's PSU).

The '18 has got an annoying whine to it aswell, sounds like tinnitus.

THe SX6012 is going back in my rack, so I have an SX6018 with the conversion done up for grabs :)
 

Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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The mlnxbase.zip should be at the same link with all the files needed for the conversion (minus the base package from HP).

The server is down right now for the next couple of hours due to maintnance (read comparing SX6012 vs SX6018 and deciding which is going back in the rack).

I'd love to year your thoughts on the two, and if it would be possible to get a comparison of both running idle (converted), preferably at the wall and as empty as possible. I'm curious how it would compare to the other numbers given :D
 

Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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I just got done comparing my 6012 and 6018, the '12 is actually quieter than the '18.

My '12 is running ~8500 RPM compared to the ~9200 RPM on the '18 (and 11000 RPM on the '18's PSU).

The '18 has got an annoying whine to it aswell, sounds a little line tinnitus.
Maybe one or more fans going bad in the '18? Personally I'd be looking to do a fan swap anyways.
 

Necrotyr

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Maybe one or more fans going bad in the '18? Personally I'd be looking to do a fan swap anyways.
I'd love to do a fan swap, but I'd need to solder new connectors on the fans as they use Molex PicoBlade connectors.

Firstly I'd need to find some fans simillar to the current ones (Delta FFB0412SHN).

BTW power consumption on one PSU is 28,4w for the '12 and 43,2w for the '18 measured using a kill-a-watt, both empty fully booted.

SX6018 fan speeds
Code:
ORG21-SW-XLG01 [standalone: master] # sh fan
=====================================================
Module          Device          Fan  Speed     Status
                                     (RPM)
=====================================================
FAN             FAN             F1   9090.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F2   9090.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F3   9300.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F4   9300.00   OK
PS1             FAN             F1   10560.00  OK
PS2             FAN             -    -         NOT PRESENT
SX6012 fan speeds
Code:
ORG21-SW-XLG01 [standalone: master] # sh fan
=====================================================
Module          Device          Fan  Speed     Status
                                     (RPM)
=====================================================
MGMT            FAN1            F1   8670.00   OK
MGMT            FAN2            F1   8670.00   OK
MGMT            FAN3            F1   8490.00   OK
MGMT            FAN4            F1   8310.00   OK
 
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Mithril

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I'd love to do a fan swap, but I'd need to solder new connectors on the fans as they use JST(?) connectors.

Firstly I'd need to find some fans simillar to the current ones (Delta FFB0412SHN).

BTW power consumption on one PSU is 28,4w for the '12 and 43,2w for the '18 measured using a kill-a-watt, both empty fully booted.
I've got various connectors about, and plenty of 3/4pin "headers" that can be soldered up to make adapters. Likely I'll go the route I have before, program a 'duino to control the fans based on some inexpensive temperature probes. The 3.3v nanos can be quite low power and if you run them from a little buck converter and not a linear regulator not much additional heat. Just drive the mosfet(s) well (as in proper driver chips or DIY totem pole driver), add a pullup so that if the PWM signal fails or whatever the fans should fail on.

Given the power difference between the two, I'm highly tempted to go with the 12 port so that I don't feel like I need to get another UPS (or finally get a real rackmount one, as the "rackmount" one I have is barely better than the typical 150ish "tower" style for desktops.

Oooooon the other hand looking up how much it's going to cost to breakout 3-4 of the QSFP ports to optical 10G has me questioning this whole idea :-/ DACs are great for what I've got going in the rack, but it looks like around 60 per breakout (10-15 for the QSFP, ~40-15 for the MPO -> LC) The rest would be the same either way.

On the other-other hand, even if I spend say 300 on breakouts (5 breakouts), even going for a 18 port that puts me around 500 total for 20 10 gig ports outside of the rack, and TBH DACs for QSFP -> SFP+ are not really that bad when you consider they replace 4 SFP+ DACs so personally that's a draw price wise. So I think I've talked myself back into it lol.
 

Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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I'd love to do a fan swap, but I'd need to solder new connectors on the fans as they use JST(?) connectors.

Firstly I'd need to find some fans simillar to the current ones (Delta FFB0412SHN).

BTW power consumption on one PSU is 28,4w for the '12 and 43,2w for the '18 measured using a kill-a-watt, both empty fully booted.

SX6018 fan speeds
Code:
ORG21-SW-XLG01 [standalone: master] # sh fan
=====================================================
Module          Device          Fan  Speed     Status
                                     (RPM)
=====================================================
FAN             FAN             F1   9090.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F2   9090.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F3   9300.00   OK
FAN             FAN             F4   9300.00   OK
PS1             FAN             F1   10560.00  OK
PS2             FAN             -    -         NOT PRESENT
SX6012 fan speeds
Code:
ORG21-SW-XLG01 [standalone: master] # sh fan
=====================================================
Module          Device          Fan  Speed     Status
                                     (RPM)
=====================================================
MGMT            FAN1            F1   8670.00   OK
MGMT            FAN2            F1   8670.00   OK
MGMT            FAN3            F1   8490.00   OK
MGMT            FAN4            F1   8310.00   OK

Maybe it's that PSU fan that's wailing? Maybe if it had both PSUs it would calm down some?
 

Necrotyr

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Jun 25, 2017
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Maybe it's that PSU fan that's wailing? Maybe if it had both PSUs it would calm down some?
Tried it with both, both ran at 11000 RPM.

The fan module is the one that is whining (I tried replacing the fan in one of the PSU's with one from an HP server PSU, but it was not working, whine was still there though).
 

Mithril

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Sep 13, 2019
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Tried it with both, both ran at 11000 RPM.

The fan module is the one that is whining (I tried replacing the fan in one of the PSU's with one from an HP server PSU, but it was not working, whine was still there though).

Oof, between that and your empty-idle power numbers looks like I'm going for the '12.
 

Necrotyr

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Jun 25, 2017
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Oof, between that and your empty-idle power numbers looks like I'm going for the '12.
Just tried puling the fan tray, the whine goes away, but the PSU fans spin up to 14000 RPM to compensate :/

Looks like I need to get some other fans or just stay with my 6012.