Server boards and VRMs

LeRoy_Blanchard

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I really dislike how server boards have such tiny VRM heatsinks. However, I happened to find some upgraded heatsinks for this dual SP5 board I have so I installed them. They're massive compared to the stock ones. Hopefully they'll keep those VRM temps in check so I can run full throttle on the CPUs without throttling issues.

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Just waiting on a few more things to come before I get this bad boy going.
 
LeRoy_Blanchard said:
I really dislike how server boards have such tiny VRM heatsinks.
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Unless you're shoving it in a drawer, it's a non-issue. Consumer boards have hilariously overbuilt VRMs and are a poor point of comparison.

Not that beefing them up is likely to hurt anything of course.
 
LazyGamer said:
Unless you're shoving it in a drawer, it's a non-issue. Consumer boards have hilariously overbuilt VRMs and are a poor point of comparison.

Not that beefing them up is likely to hurt anything of course.
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Yes it does. This isn't my first EPYC build. I have 6 of them and they all need active cooling on the heatsinks there to prevent the CPUs from throttling badly. Those are on the Rome setups I have. This one, while I have only ran it with a single 9654 for testing to make sure it works I have noticed the VRMs do get toasty. I put active cooling on them as well to keep the temps in check. Before finding these massive heatsink upgrades.

If I don't actively cool these things they WILL go over 90C and throttle the CPU(s) heavily.
 
LazyGamer said:
What are you putting them in? Standard(ish) EATX cases or something ventilated like a Fractal Torrent?
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All the current EPYC builds are in open-frame "mining" racks.

This one will be going on a Fractal Define R7 XL.
 
LeRoy_Blanchard said:
All the current EPYC builds are in open-frame "mining" racks.
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Without directed airflow I can see why you've needed additional heat dissipation.

LeRoy_Blanchard said:
This one will be going on a Fractal Define R7 XL.
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With as many fans as you can fit in these, they're still pretty closed off cases (intentionally of course) - still a good idea to sink them up!
 
Yeah, I plan on mounting 40mm fans to the outer heatsinks and 60mm fans to the inner/middle heatsink as well. I will be going water cooling on this so heat from the CPU and GPUs shouldn't be much of an issue inside the case since the radiator will be mounted externally.
 
I was going to say these server boards are meant for high pressure high flow wind tunnels to be moving through them. They don't GAF about big heatsinks when the average wind speed in the chassis is like 40MPH. (Ok it's not that high but you get my point.)
 
That's correct. It's just those servers in that config are way, way to loud for an apartment or even a house really.

Realistically though, it's already too noisy in my apartment. I got 11, Nvidia P100s with delta centrifugal (blower) style fans mounted to them on custom 3D printed shrouds. They're really loud, just not the annoying loud that 1u servers 80mm fans have. Well, any of the form factor servers really.
 
Seems like with all of that mining you should be able to afford a small apartment just for the servers.
 
Ah ok never mind then. And wow... that's quite the investment.
 
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