SuperMicro SC836 case w/ X11 board

[BryceRocky]

Hi All,

I'm looking at using a SuperMicro SC836 with an X11 based EATX board. Is there any compatibility issues I need to worry about between different revisions of this chassis? Also, Are there any good replacement power supplies? I'm unsure I want to use whatever comes with the used chassis. On that note, is there a good place/seller to source cases like this from?

My current plan is to use half the bays in the SC836 for the SSDs I store my ESXi VMs on. The other half I was thinking about using for a NAS storage (I currently use a synology for this purpose). My main goal is to have easy drive access + full size pci slots. Does anyone know of a better case for this purpose? Thanks!

-Bryce

 

[Terry Kennedy]

I'm looking at using a SuperMicro SC836 with an X11 based EATX board. Is there any compatibility issues I need to worry about between different revisions of this chassis? Also, Are there any good replacement power supplies? I'm unsure I want to use whatever comes with the used chassis. On that note, is there a good place/seller to source cases like this from?

There are 2 major generations of SC836 chassis - the older one has a fixed blank plate with 2 holes for a grounding strap below the 2 power supplies, and the newer one has a removable filler there which can be replaced with either a dual 2.5" drive bay or a 3rd power supply or BBU (HA versions only).

There are 2 different versions of the chassis - the regular one has 3 fans in the fan wall and only takes 2 power supplies. The HA version has 4 fans in the fan wall and takes 3 power supplies or 2 supplies + BBU. If looking at the back of the case, you can tell a HA because it has a blank below the 2 power supplies, but that blank has the same "slide to eject" handle as the power supplies. Chassis parts are not interchangeable between regular and HA - the fan wall frame is riveted in, the PDB has different mounting holes, etc.

There are various power supplies which may or may not fit without modification - older chassis sometimes have PDB connectors which are too narrow for newer, higher-current power supplies. A number of people have come up with various tricks to get around this.

There are also a number of different variations on rack rails for these - if it didn't come with rails, contact Supermicro tech support with the chassis serial number (outside of case on left side, toward the front) and ask them what the correct part number is for your chassis.

Since this chassis comes with an X11 board, it will probably be one of the newer versions. It should have a clear plastic air shroud that fits over the motherboard to help direct airflow. The shroud has a number of adjustable / removable pieces which may or may not be included with the used chassis. This only matters if you will be changing the motherboard.

My current plan is to use half the bays in the SC836 for the SSDs I store my ESXi VMs on. The other half I was thinking about using for a NAS storage (I currently use a synology for this purpose). My main goal is to have easy drive access + full size pci slots. Does anyone know of a better case for this purpose?

While I think the SC836 is a very good chassis, it is far from perfect in a number of ways. But it is still the chassis I would use. For your application, it may not be the best fit - if your SSDs are 2.5" you may be better served by a chassis with 2.5" drive trays, instead of using 3.5" adapter trays.