Any issues or gotchas with using the 12-bay 6Gb/12Gb SAS cages (Inspur?) that have been on AliExpress for the last year or so? SATA support? Series?

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Dave Corder

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Dec 21, 2015
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You'll be fine. There's no significant difference in power draw for the higher capacity drives, and even if there is, it's on the 12v side.

On a different note..wow those power distributors got expensive! These are old distributors... (G6 era). I bought them for like $7/ea and now they're 4-5x as much!
And those HP distributors can probably run at full load no problem, whereas went I built my contraption, I basically derated the cheap 12V->5V converters I used by 50%...
 
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ca3y6

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See those bins of offcuts from all the ABS/PET/Al/Cu/Steel/etc sheets?
Those bin that says "Free use"?
The ones you don't need to pay to replace?

How about that drill press 5 feet away from the bins? See that?
That's good to know. That being said I have looked all over my flat, I can't locate that drill press. But maybe I should invest into an industrial laser cutting machine, I just need to find a smaller bed.

If the only tool you have is a 3d printer, it is legitimate that every problem looks like a 3d printing problem.
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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If the only tool you have is a 3d printer, it is legitimate that every problem looks like a 3d printing problem.
I have lots of tools, but not all that much time, if a printed part will hit the strength and precision requirements I need then I'm happy to let the robot make a dozen parts while I get on with something else instead of standing in front of the drill press for an hour.

Edit: also my printed 1U heatsink fan duct looks and works way better than the TIG welded aluminum one I made previously.
 

nabsltd

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If you have a 3d printer, but you don't have a $10 hand-saw, $20 drill, and some sand paper, what are you doing?
3D printing a hand saw, drill, and sandpaper. ;)

Also, where can you buy a drill for $20 today that lasts more than a few hours?
 
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Prophes0r

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Also, where can you buy a drill for $20 today that lasts more than a few hours?
Everywhere?
I was going to link some, but I'm finding them everywhere.

We aren't talking about a 12A 1/2" chuck hammer drill for boring holes into concrete.

A basic corded drill with a 1/4" chuck should last decades.
 

Dave Corder

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Dec 21, 2015
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Then you spent your money on the wrong tools first.

If you have a 3d printer, but you don't have a $10 hand-saw, $20 drill, and some sand paper, what are you doing?
Don't know about anyone else, but I'm making the things I want or need, at the required accuracy and precision, and with the time, skills, and tools that I have at my disposal, instead of letting someone else dictate to me "The One and Only Right Way of Making Things"™. Oh, and having fun learning new things and enjoying one of my many hobbies while I'm at it...
 
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nabsltd

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Everywhere?
I was going to link some, but I'm finding them everywhere.
My local Home Depot has zero drills (corded or cordless) for $20. The cheapest is a $26 random corded brand that I wouldn't trust. You can get some very good brands with solid warranties for $60.

We aren't talking about a 12A 1/2" chuck hammer drill for boring holes into concrete.
I have drilled holes in concrete with an $80 cordless hammer drill with a 1/2" chuck. For example, that's how my rack is fastened to the basement floor.

I'm not saying you need to spend a fortune to get a good drill, but you really can't get them for $20.

A basic corded drill with a 1/4" chuck should last decades.
This is true of the drills that were built decades ago. I have one that is now close to 60 years old. It has a solid steel body, and can be used to bludgeon your enemies.

But, a new drill you buy today won't last very long if you are spending less than $50, and would probably break if you drop them from more than a few feet.
 

Prophes0r

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But, a new drill you buy today won't last very long if you are spending less than $50
I disagree.
Motors have come a LONG way since the 90s.

A cheap CORDLESS drill is going to tear itself apart, or rip the teeth off it's cheap plastic internal gearbox.
The problem with cordless drills is they prioritize smaller size and lighter weight, and cheaping out on the batteries makes them awful.

Corded drills haven't changed much in the last 25 years, except the commodity motors that get put in them are better than they used to be.

Walmart - $19.77
HarborFreight - $17.99
Tractor Supply Co. - $17.99

Honerable Mention: HarborFreight - $30 for a 1/2" hammer drill with the extra handle.
It's not $20, but it's also way more drill if you need a heavy duty one AFTER you have a small shop one.
I personally have 2 of these exact drill, and I have used(abused) them to do things like bore holes through 8"x8" posts for building a retaining wall.
I also used it to dig post holes with an augur.

The point is not to pay for the perfect "forever" tool.
This all started because we were talking about someone with no tools.

Screwdriver. Claw hammer. Drill & bits.
I don't normally include a saw in that list, but a hacksaw or handsaw is so cheap that you might as well.
You can get a miter saw with the box, so you can cut 45 and 90 degree corners, for $6 at harbor freight.
They might as well be disposable at that price, but they will still last years as long as you don't leave them out in the rain...

Someone with no tools doesn't need to spend $80 on a hammer drill.
They don't need a drill press or table saw.
They need cheap basic tools for the kind of jobs that they will run into all the time.

Even if they DO manage to wear out a $20 drill...then it means they are actually using the drill enough to justify spending $30-$40 on one.

A 3d printer is NOT the right tool for most jobs, and if it is someone's ONLY tool, then that is the problem.
There is simply no excuse for wasting the computer time, printer time, electricity, and filament costs on flat sheets with a few holes.

Unless someone lives in a van, they have the room, and the budget to spend $50 on the MOST BASIC of tools.

And remember...we are talking about someone who is fabricating something, not some grandma who is going to leave a burnt out lightbulb broken for 8 years and only use that room when it's sunny out...


This is a computer focused forum.
Would we be having this same argument if someone had a smartphone and zero other computing devices?
No we wouldn't. We would be telling them where and how to get a cheap and usable computer, because a smartphone isn't the right "tool" for most tasks, even if you CAN use it to do those things in a pinch.

Note: I'm not mad when I'm typing this. I'm smiling. It's a silly argument to be having, and arguing can be fun.
 
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gregsachs

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A 3d printer is NOT the right tool for most jobs, and if it is someone's ONLY tool, then that is the problem.
There is simply no excuse for wasting the computer time, printer time, electricity, and filament costs on flat sheets with a few holes.
In a purely hypothetical, not at all related to the real world example, if one were trying to rapidly determine if one could make a robot gripper with aluminum plates, one might print sheets in the correct shapes and slap them together....
 

Prophes0r

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In a purely hypothetical, not at all related to the real world example, if one were trying to rapidly determine if one could make a robot gripper with aluminum plates, one might print sheets in the correct shapes and slap them together....
Ahh but that's not what we are talking about.
In THAT situation, you are absolutely using the correct tool, because "prototyping" is one of the 2.5 things a 3d printer is for.

Prototyping is about speed and iteration.
The actual production requirements have very bearing while prototyping.
Material properties often don't matter.

(Though it would still be extremely "impolite" to tie up a hackerspace printer with a bunch of flat sheets just so a prototype can be printed. Hackerspaces only really work when people are being respectful of each other.)

What are the other 1.5 things?

1.0 Making plastic toys.
0.5 And sometimes it is okay to make temporary field repairs, when the material properties cooperate.

That's the whole list.
 

kapone

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May 23, 2015
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@kapone You running an illicit nightclub out of your basement?
Nah…just the latest iteration of my home theater. I sort of got sick of retail (crappy) subs and speakers, and finally custom built everything to my tastes.

I have to say, I’m totally satisfied. This rivals the performance of things costing ~10x at retail prices.
 

Dave Corder

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Dec 21, 2015
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I have those Inspur cages from Taobao with seller included power cable to Molex, will take pics if anyone need something. Havent got time to play with them yet but from memory, those have expander backplane, mine need one single 8643 cable.
The cage from x79 gen seem to have rack ear on them. The one from x99 platform I havent seen any, need to make couple for mine aswell.
Mine arrived today after a long journey at sea. I didn't get the power adapter cables with mine, though..I would appreciate it if you could post some pics of the cable and/or pinout on the backplane side.

Also only got a baggie of screws with one of the two cages, thankfully I have plenty of caddy screws already.
 
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Prophes0r

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Mine is taking the "Slow" in SlowBoat very seriously.
It took them almost 2 weeks to hand it off the the carrier.
Not scheduled to arrive until April 18th...

I actually ended up ordering 4 of these, because the shipping kept getting smaller until 4 were added.
$168 feels like a steal for 4x.

Maybe that's why mine are taking so long?
 

seadog2441

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Mar 19, 2023
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Mine arrived today after a long journey at sea. I didn't get the power adapter cables with mine, though..I would appreciate it if you could post some pics of the cable and/or pinout on the backplane side.

Also only got a baggie of screws with one of the two cages, thankfully I have plenty of caddy screws already.
Will do as soon as I get back to work 2morow.
 
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