Neo's FreeNAS Build

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HotFix

Member
May 20, 2015
87
23
8
Silver Spring MD
blogs.technet.com
My Supermicro SC836 case came originally with a DVD drive. The newer revision SC836 cases all have a DVD drive block off plates. I ordered one and installed it.


DVD drive in it's original location and the replacement dummy block off plate.




DVD drive removed and dummy block off plate installed.
Out of curiosity why did you spend more money to buy the plate and remove the DVD drive?
 

neo

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2015
672
363
63
Out of curiosity why did you spend more money to buy the plate and remove the DVD drive?
Aesthetic reasons mostly. I do not use optical media. One may also assume the slotted fins can improve case flow. You can also sell the DVD drive on eBay and double what you paid for the block off plate.
 

Stanza

Active Member
Jan 11, 2014
205
41
28
Aesthetic reasons mostly. I do not use optical media. One may also assume the slotted fins can improve case flow. You can also sell the DVD drive on eBay and double what you paid for the block off plate.
Fins might improve case airflow..... but would lessen the airflow over the drives I would think.

.
 

Terry Kennedy

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2015
1,140
594
113
New York City
www.glaver.org
Does anybody know a source where I can buy those fans?
#1 Either I am to stupid to use google
or
#2 they are nowhere to be bought!

I am hoping for #1
-57 is a special-order option for the R40W12BGAC fan. The standard models are dumb 2-lead fans. -57 is PWM speed control circuit (option -56) terminated in a third lead wire (standard = blue) and an open-collector, tachometer (option -52) terminated in a fourth lead wire (standard = yellow).

The closest generally available substitute I can find is the Delta GFC0412DS-DV17 which is available from Digi-Key (their part # 603-1822-ND in case the link rots), 174 in stock at present.

Of course, free advice on the Internet is worth what you paid for it - in other words, confirm that this is in fact the correct substitute before you go spending any money. Delta should be able to tell you if it is correct. Their US contact info is:
Code:
DELTA PRODUCTS CORPORATION
Fan and Thermal Management Business Group
4405 Cushing Parkway
Fremont, CA 94538 U.S.A.
TEL: 1-866-407-4278
EMAIL:thermal@delta-corp.com
 

Terry Kennedy

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2015
1,140
594
113
New York City
www.glaver.org
I was impatient the last days so I ordered
Nidec UltraFlo Fan R40W12BS5AC-65 12V/0.80A 40x40x55 4-Pin 4-Wire

You don't happen to know if those will be of any use?
I don't think so. The S5 in that part number indicates a special speed for a customer, and -65 specifies an inverted non-latched locked rotor alarm on the fourth (yellow) wire. The third (blue) wire is the same on -57 and -65. So, unless your application ignores the fourth wire, it will think that the fan isn't spinning. And there's no point in ordering -57 (with the fourth wire) if all that's needed is -56 (the third wire), so the design probably depends on the signal on the fourth wire.

Here is a document describing the different dash suffixes. And here is an (incomplete) part number decoder (click on "UltraFlow" to get the decoder) .
 

PnoT

Active Member
Mar 1, 2015
650
162
43
Texas
Nice work Neo!

I'm glad I found this article today because I was just about to pull the trigger on the same motherboard and CPU combo for a FreeNAS build of my own running plex and a few other jails.

Are there any shortcomings to this combination you could share, now that you're basically done with the build, that would help someone like myself out?
 

Terry Kennedy

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2015
1,140
594
113
New York City
www.glaver.org
Did a test fit on the optional front cover. If you are wondering why I bothered purchasing it, the main reason was the built in air filter.


How do you detach the filter from the cover? I would have thought the slot on the filter would lift off the tab in the cover (both on the left side of the picture above) would do it, but mine doesn't want to move and I don't want to force it.

To the other poster that asked how the cover was retained, at least on the covers I received, there were replacement handles in a bag with the keys. My chassis already had the correct handles with the dimples in the sides - I guess the replacements are for chassis which had an older style of handles.