SuperMicro 846E16-R1200B replacing PLINK IPC-ML4U20-MSAS

[Dan Langille]

I have a PLINK IPC-ML4U20-MSAS with 20 HDD and 4 SSD, but lately I've grown tired of having to derack it to get into the case. It is on generic rails which don't pull out far enough to allow the top to come off. Rather than solve that problem, I decided to look at the 846 chassis after getting recommendations from various usual suspects.

I know someone with a new and unloved 846E16-R1200B they'll let me have at what I think is a fair price.

I'll move everything over and go from there. It contains a SAS expander so I'll go from 3x SAS2008 HBA to one. The drive bays will be filled with spinning drives, so I don't think that HBA change will amount to much.

Having some empty drive bays will make replacing drives easier. I'm also hoping that not having to derack the case to get inside it will help.

For now, I'm off to get pizza and hope that my brain can stop thinking about options.

Ideas? Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[BlueFox]

That chassis is actually a Norco 4220. The Supermicro is a huge improvement quality wise. Just be prepared for the fact that it's going to be a bit louder.

 

[Dan Langille]

Norco 4220

This is the Norco page for that.

The Supermicro is a huge improvement quality wise

That's what I'm hoping. I regret not spending up larger in the beginning, but I was new to rack-mount and was transferring existing system into rack-mount chassis.

Just be prepared for the fact that it's going to be a bit louder.

The rack is in a room in the basement and the loudest gear in there now is a Dell R710. The room is finished with dry-wall and the rack cannot be heard from the floor above it.

If that unit is audible from the floor above:

• if it's the fans, I'd try Noctua fans.

• If it's the PSU fans, I'd swap them the SQ version I've seen mentioned above

That's what makes me question buying this new unit, even though it's a decent price.

 

[Dan Langille]

If that unit is audible from the floor above

So far so good. The new chassis does not seem to be any louder than any other system in that rack.

On Monday, I transferred the system from the old chassis to the new chassis. Photos