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September 29th, 2012 02:00

Is there a place to post about older servers like the CS23? - I want to transfer the mobo to a tower.

Basically I want to ask if I can transfer the contents of a CS23 to a tower. I realise the S5400SF mobo is a custom board (I believe) but it's too loud for home use and I want to put it in a tower.

Can I buy a tower server or ATX case and fix the mobo inside?

Thanks.

9 Legend

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16.3K Posts

September 29th, 2012 08:00

Just know that the CS23 is not a standard Dell server, so nobody, including Dell, has documentation or drivers for them ... just saying don't hold your breath for an answer.  Even if it were a standard Dell server (it was custom-built for a single large customer), doing something "unsupported" as you have described, there would not be any information on how to do this.  That said, If you want to move the board to a tower, there are some things you should watch out for:  

  • The power supplies on many rackmount servers connect directly to the board (no cable), so you would need to consider how you would mount the power supplies so they can still interface directly with the board
  • Many servers have a backplane (for drives) that is an integral part of the power distribution of the server, and the server often will not POST or turn on without it, so it must also be considered for placement
  • Sometimes, to fit the design/size/shape of the server chassis, custom cables are used for things like the power button, LED's, etc.
  • You should also watch out for the retaining clips/screws that hold the board to the chassis - because they were designed only to fit in the intended chassis, they may not line up in any other chassis ... however, since this was more likely only assembled by Dell using third-party parts, they may be somewhat more standard (as servers go) than an actual Dell server design
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