Fujitsu TX1320 M3 - Cheap low power server (barebone)

[Gruenschnabel]

Got a Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1320 M3 | Xeon E3-1270 v6 | 32 GB RAM | 512 GB SSD today. Want to build a NAS with it and put it in my 19 inch rack.

Do you know if there is a 3D Printed rack mount for it or anything else like that? Only found information about a "Tower-to-Rack Conversion Kit", Partnumber: S26361-F4007-L400. But there is no offer anywhere.

Also what about the iRMC / BMC license?

 

[Albert67]

Got a Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1320 M3 | Xeon E3-1270 v6 | 32 GB RAM | 512 GB SSD today. Want to build a NAS with it and put it in my 19 inch rack.

Do you know if there is a 3D Printed rack mount for it or anything else like that? Only found information about a "Tower-to-Rack Conversion Kit", Partnumber: S26361-F4007-L400. But there is no offer anywhere.

Also what about the iRMC / BMC license?

The easyest way is to buy a 19" rack shelf and put the server on top..

 

[Gruenschnabel]

The easyest way is to buy a 19" rack shelf and put the server on top..

I know but thats too easy Want to let it look more "factory"

 

[hmartin]

Also what about the iRMC / BMC license?

Fujitsu iRMC S4 License | «WatchMySys» Blog

 

[Gruenschnabel]

Fujitsu iRMC S4 License | «WatchMySys» Blog

Seems like i can generate it myself

 

[hmartin]

Also i will put a Noctua NH-L9i into it.

The stock heat sink is plenty quiet.

If you don't already have an 8 port backplane, you can either buy a second 4 port or just buy a single 8 port. This has been discussed previously: Fujitsu TX1320 M3 | «WatchMySys» Blog

Unless you have SAS drives, you can also use an ASM1166 controller with SFF-8087 ports, they're very low power but the last 3 drives share bandwidth since it's only a 6 port controller and has a port multiplier to reach 8: ZyDAS ASM1166 SATA controller | «WatchMySys» Blog

Or just use the 4 onboard ports plus ASM1166 with a backplane to SATA breakout cable.

As you can read on the blog post, I achieved 16W idle with 2 DIMMs. Your idle power consumption will depend mostly on the SSD idle power draw, and that can vary a lot depending on consumer/DC SSDs

 

[hmartin]

I will buy a second 4 port backplane as i already have one (came with Server).

Often the 8 port model is the same price, I would check before ordering. I see a few offers for A3C40173252 under 20€

Also, someone has experience with Xeon v5 CPUs? Or whats you best Performance / Power Ratio CPU for that System?

Xeon v5 works fine, but why are you interested in changing out the E3-1270 v6? Idle power consumption is basically the same between v5 and v6, and for heavy CPU stuff this platform is too old and inefficient. You'd be better off gutting the chassis and dropping in a TFX PSU and mATX Ryzen.

 

[Gruenschnabel]

You'd be better off gutting the chassis and dropping in a TFX PSU and mATX Ryzen.

Why?

 

[hmartin]

Why?

Why? You can get 2-3x the CPU performance and 128-192GB of RAM (vs 64GB) from a modern Ryzen for the same full power budget than you can with any Skylake CPU. But this is beyond the thread and just into "buy the chassis because it's well designed and cheap for what you get"

Just saying, if you ever look at this and think it's getting closer to the e-waste pile, consider a motherboard/PSU swap. The motherboard is standard mATX and as mentioned on the blog, a TFX PSU dimensions are almost the same as the Fujitsu PSU. Or if you're really feeling adventurous, you can make a custom Fujitsu to ATX power cable. You "just" need to drop down 11VSB to 5V and then drop 12V to 3.3V and 5V for the other rails ATX expects.

 

[Gruenschnabel]

The stock heat sink is plenty quiet.

Once again: What about the temperatues?

 

[hmartin]

Once again: What about the temperatues?

Can't comment, I don't monitor CPU temp. I have not noticed any thermal throttling and I personally don't care if the CPU is 50C or 90C as long as it doesn't sound like a jet engine.

 

[Gruenschnabel]

Can't comment, I don't monitor CPU temp. I have not noticed any thermal throttling and I personally don't care if the CPU is 50C or 90C as long as it doesn't sound like a jet engine.

I mounted the Noctua one now. Was a bit of struggle but it works. Booted up once to see if its working and if i can reach the Bios. Then i realized how ****ing load those 2x 450 Gold Platinum PSU's are. Is that just because of startup / no power saving features are enabled, or thats the standard noise of those PSU's?

May sound like a dump question, but that are the first "server psu's" i got.

 

[celemine1gig]

If noise is a concern, just get rid of the hot-swap PSUs and get the standard single one. Much quieter, due to to the bigger fan, and much more appropriate for a use case outside of a server-room.

Edit:
Oh and one more thing:
The hotswap cages will also severely hinder cooling of the disks. I had this running with 7x 900GB SAS HDDs and needed to add quite noisy Delta 70x70x38mm fans, so that the temps for the disks stayed in check. Or a least at a level, that I felt comfortable with.

In other words:
That whole thing is not done for quiet operation, while maintaining good temps. So you will probably (at least partly) have to sacrifice one or the other. You won't have both.

 

[Gruenschnabel]

If noise is a concern, just get rid of the hot-swap PSUs and get the standard single one. Much quieter, due to to the bigger fan, and much more appropriate for a use case outside of a server-room.

I checked about that upfront, but the original Fujitsu One has only 250W. You can recommend another one or another solution? If the 2 server psu's just will become quiet, thats ok for me besides that.

The hotswap cages will also severely hinder cooling of the disks. I had this running with 7x 900GB SAS HDDs and needed to add quite noisy Delta 70x70x38mm fans, so that the temps for the disks stayed in check. Or a least at a level, that I felt comfortable with.

I will only put SSDs here and i already got fitting Noctua Fans. I 3D printed an 8 bay 3.5" HDD Case. I can put Backplanes on it or simply connect HDDs by SATA Cable and external PSU.

 

[celemine1gig]

There is a reason, that the original PSU does "only" have 250W. That system was not intended to handle more power. Thermally and as a result accoustically.
But it seems like you want to find out the hard way.

 

[celemine1gig]

Don't worry, we're all here because we like tinkering, one way or the other. Question is just where your pain threshold is.

If you want to know what the PSU was designed to handle, look at what the max config was, that Fujitsu sold this system with.
Then you'll know. And also looking at the PSUs specs.

It can maybe handle a little more, as you most likely won't be running it at the absolute max temperature it was specified for, but anyway.
If you still have fun with it, and the time to do so, keep going and get experience. However, at the point you realize it's too much, it's also no shame to just stop and get something new/else.

 

[Gruenschnabel]

Don't worry, we're all here because we like tinkering, one way or the other. Question is just where your pain threshold is.

That's true, good point! My frustration threshold hasn’t been reached yet — I can still push through a bit

Right! From what I’ve found so far, that could work. I’ll order one for about €15 so I have it ready.

It can maybe handle a little more, as you most likely won't be running it at the absolute max temperature it was specified for, but anyway.
If you still have fun with it, and the time to do so, keep going and get experience. However, at the point you realize it's too much, it's also no shame to just stop and get something new/else.

I think the solution with the two fans in the front and a 3D-printed part that directs the airflow precisely to the power supplies — and most importantly seals it properly — could work together with the Noctua in the back. From what I can tell, the small fan inside the PSU currently pulls the air from front to back through the unit, right?

Someone also suggested a similar solution to me, but unfortunately that won’t work — there’s just no space:

Reddit

 

[Gruenschnabel]

Fujitsu iRMC S4 License | «WatchMySys» Blog

I dont understand what i should do. There is a lot about encryption, AES, Cyper and so on, but i dont understand a lot. Is there a tutorial for idiots and newbies like me? Step by Step easy follow

 

[hmartin]

Do you know how much the original 250W PSU can handle?

With a CPU, 4 sticks of RAM, 8 hard drives, and 25W per PCIe slot you should be fine with the stock PSU. The only reason the hot-swap PSUs are higher wattage, in my opinion, is because 450W is the lowest power PSU Fujitsu made. It's a common part they shared with RX servers.

This is a workstation class system, it's not like Fujitsu did not size the 250W PSU appropriately. And as I said previously, the dimensions of the PSU would permit you to install a TFX PSU (which go above 250W) with just an adapter to handle the different mounting holes between the chassis and the TFX PSU.

I dont understand what i should do. There is a lot about encryption, AES, Cyper and so on, but i dont understand a lot. Is there a tutorial for idiots and newbies like me? Step by Step easy follow

Sure, there is of course an easier method:
1. Find a Fujitsu reseller
2. Pay them for an iRMC license

More seriously:
1. Re-read the blog post
2. Read all the comments from many other people who succeeded, they contain tips
3. Download the python proof-of-concept linked in the blog post
4. Use a hex editor to fill in the missing values in the proof-of-concept (that I cannot and will not share because of DMCA)

 

[Gruenschnabel]

More seriously:
1. Re-read the blog post
2. Read all the comments from many other people who succeeded, they contain tips
3. Download the python proof-of-concept linked in the blog post
4. Use a hex editor to fill in the missing values in the proof-of-concept (that I cannot and will not share because of DMCA)

I did and i understood nothing. I gonna check with NotebookLM or ChatGPT.