Able to convert server psu for mining purposes?

[equinsuarcha]

I've noticed on that ebay is flooded with server power supplies from data center upgrades, mostly hot swap models. 
Many of these are sub $100, and have +80amp 12v rails, with some models at 2000+ watts.

Has anyone successfully converted any of these over for mining purposes?
I found plenty of info about converting for 12v charging(i.e. RC batteries).
 
Also, someone could make a killing with an upstart that made wiring harnesses for the more common power supply models.

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[crazyates]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

[notaek]

If you do it show us how

Edit:  Search on google found a bunch of RC groups using these supplies.  Other thread some guy got his server PSU to work for ATX spec. 

[crazyates]

This link has better pictures of the back layout, specifically look at the 2nd picture:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Poweredge-1855-1955-Enclosure-Power-Supply-MJ046-2100-Watt-AA24150L-RS5-Hot-Swap-/160919262357

This guy here has a good start for setting them up, but he's got 2 in series for a total of 24V. You do NOT want that plugged into your GPUs.
http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread.php?8949481-Server-Power-Supply-Conversion

Sounds like it can be done. I have no idea how efficient they are, but the voltages that come out of them should be pretty stable. It will take some time, lots of patience, lots of electrical knowledge, and you won't be able to run your motherboard off of it (no 3.3V or any of those other little rails), but if you've got a handful of GPUs that you're looking at powering, it might work!

[razorfishsl]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

And this CRAP is from China meant for the China market , manufactured to the same exacting standards as their baby-food.

Just because it says  175A on it does not mean it is continuous........

[grue]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

And this CRAP is from China meant for the China market , manufactured to the same exacting standards as their baby-food.

Just because it says  175A on it does not mean it is continuous........

they are dell branded PSUs. it's also shipped from the US. stop spreading FUD.

[crazyates]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

And this CRAP is from China meant for the China market , manufactured to the same exacting standards as their baby-food.

Just because it says  175A on it does not mean it is continuous........

they are dell branded PSUs. it's also shipped from the US. stop spreading FUD.

Mmmm ya I don't see anywhere why you would think these are Chinese.

[razorfishsl]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

And this CRAP is from China meant for the China market , manufactured to the same exacting standards as their baby-food.

Just because it says  175A on it does not mean it is continuous........

they are dell branded PSUs. it's also shipped from the US. stop spreading FUD.

shows how little you know........

1. No UL marking
2. 'CCC' =http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Compulsory_Certificate
3. Chinese characters for markings....

Goods sold onto the US market are required to be marked in English......

If you are going to buy 'E-waste' at-least do a bit of research......

[crazyates]

You're asking about something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Power-Edge-1855-1955-Blade-Server-PSU-2100W-Power-Supply-RJ574-/350586085933

2100W, 175A on the 12V line, and absolutely zero documentation on how to jerry-rig that sucker into a bunch of PCIe 6 pin cables.

And this CRAP is from China meant for the China market , manufactured to the same exacting standards as their baby-food.

Just because it says  175A on it does not mean it is continuous........

they are dell branded PSUs. it's also shipped from the US. stop spreading FUD.

shows how little you know........

1. No UL marking
2. 'CCC' =http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Compulsory_Certificate
3. Chinese characters for markings....

Goods sold onto the US market are required to be marked in English......

If you are going to buy 'E-waste' at-least do a bit of research......

You didn't do any research yourself, did you?

1. It does have a UL marking, just not the one you're looking for. See that cRCus marking in the middle of the bottom? Yep, that's a UL Recognized Component Mark. "These are Marks consumers rarely see because they are specifically used on component parts that are part of a larger product or system."
2. So it's made it Taiwan, as blatantly labeled, and has been approved by Chinese safety standards to be used in China. How is this bad?
3. Again, it's made in Taiwan for use in Chinese and American markets. What's your point?
4. It has English markings, model number, Input, Output, and everything. It just happens to have the same information listed in Chinese. So what?

You're an idiot. Now, if you don't have anything productive to add to this thread, or how to use these (or any other server PSU) for use with miners, please leave.

[malevolent]

Most of the electronics is made in China, that's nothing new.

Most of PC PSUs manufactured are crap and dangerous to use with bitcoin mining rigs.

But the few decent PSU brands/models are also manufactured in China (and from what I've heard sometimes in the same factories).

These Dell PSUs are high-quality ones with 95%+ efficiency but there is not much demand for them (most people look out for and buy common PC PSUs) and if older servers are no longer used they may be sold in parts, hence why it's sold on ebay.

[razorfishsl]

Lol....

1. It does have a UL marking, just not the one you're looking for. See that cRCus marking in the middle of the bottom? Yep, that's a UL Recognized Component Mark. "These are Marks consumers rarely see because they are specifically used on component parts that are part of a larger product or system."

Copied it verbatim from the Ul website but you still don't know what it actually means........

And as a simple Geography lesson....

Repeat after me: "Thailand is NOT Taiwan....." They are not even close, nor do they speak the same language.
Thailand: Main industries: Dick sucking, pedophile services, prostitution , cheap electronics
Taiwan : Computer design, silicon design , wafer fabs, horticulture.

Handy translations:
Thailand 泰國
Taiwan 台灣

Simplified
Taiwan 台湾
Thailand 泰国

It is you that cannot "keep up" and you have to 'selectively' plagiarize material to attempt to make your point......
Further quotations from the SAME sections of text you selectively plagiarized....

These components may have restrictions on their performance or may be incomplete in construction. Guidelines addressing the suitability of a component when used in an end product are noted in UL's test report as conditions of acceptability. This information can also be found in UL's Online Certifications Directory and the UL iQTM parametric databases. The suitability of the use of a functional safety component in a certain situation or for a particular safety level (SIL, ASIL, PL or Class) must be further evaluated within the context of the end-use application.

(Taken from http://www.ul.com)

More importantly:

The Functional Safety Component Recognition will streamline the functional safety investigation of the final product/system since the component will have already been partially prequalified for the intended use.

(Taken from http://www.ul.com)

When you have actually modified some E-waste switch mode PSU... please feel free to get back to me, until that time, it is better that you just stick to playing in the sand-pit.

[crazyates]

And as a simple Geography lesson....

Repeat after me: "Thailand is NOT Taiwan....." They are not even close, nor do they speak the same language.
Thailand: Main industries: Dick sucking, pedophile services, prostitution , cheap electronics
Taiwan : Computer design, silicon design , wafer fabs, horticulture.

My sincere apologies for confusing the two, but your racism doesn't discredit my counterpoint: the fact that the hardware is made by a 3rd party country for both Chinese and American markets does not make it a shit product.

1. It does have a UL marking, just not the one you're looking for. See that cRCus marking in the middle of the bottom? Yep, that's a UL Recognized Component Mark. "These are Marks consumers rarely see because they are specifically used on component parts that are part of a larger product or system."

It is you that cannot "keep up" and you have to 'selectively' plagiarize material to attempt to make your point......
Further quotations from the SAME sections of text you selectively plagiarized....

These components may have restrictions on their performance or may be incomplete in construction. Guidelines addressing the suitability of a component when used in an end product are noted in UL's test report as conditions of acceptability. This information can also be found in UL's Online Certifications Directory and the UL iQTM parametric databases. The suitability of the use of a functional safety component in a certain situation or for a particular safety level (SIL, ASIL, PL or Class) must be further evaluated within the context of the end-use application.

(Taken from http://www.ul.com)

More importantly:

The Functional Safety Component Recognition will streamline the functional safety investigation of the final product/system since the component will have already been partially prequalified for the intended use.

(Taken from http://www.ul.com)

I did not "selectively plagiarize" the material. See that portion where it clarifies that it "may be incomplete"? Ya, it's a server PSU that can't plug into any standard power supply hookup, ATX or otherwise. It's a proprietary system, where the PSU is useless without the proper backboard for power distribution to the blade servers. It's useless outside of it's intended purpose of being used in it's proprietary server chassis. To me, this qualifies as "incomplete" from a standards standpoint.

From this standpoint, your last quote makes perfect sense. The overall system has gone thru a safety inspection, but the individual components (which are only designed to work in the proprietary configuration and nowhere else) are only partially approved.

Again, I ask you: why are you fucking in this thread, and throwing crap everywhere, instead of helping? If you really feel that this particular PSU is not worthy of the ebay posting it takes up (which is actually prices high, as some of those 2100W PSUs are in the high 20s or low 30s in USD), then please, offer us an alternative! Post a link to a server PSU that puts out 175A on a 12V rail for under $40, that passes your racist approvement, and actually contributes to the point of this thread. Maybe we can actually get somewhere towards converting a server PSU into a GPU powering machine.

[snootch]

Jesus guys.. just reading this makes me think of the days in elementary school... "My Dad could beat up your Dad."

Does it really make a damn bit of difference where a freaking PSU is made? All of Apple Inc. products are made in China. Does that make them cheap? By looking at their sales figures, I don't think so. If a PSU is rated (especially an enterprise-grade unit) for 80A, then it'll probably do it. Effeciency, i don't know. I'd have to buy one and load test it with a kill-a-watt to tell ya. Yes, it does have a bunch of odd pins on the back. They are not ATX spec units. So, if you want to use one, you'd probably have to do a little research and testing with a multimeter. Then some soldering. There is loads of 12V capability, solder some wiring to the relevant pins and crimp the other ends into a PCI-E molex. Done. please quit this stupid "My e-penis is bigger than yours" competition.... it hurts the brain.

[crazyates]

There is loads of 12V capability, solder some wiring to the relevant pins and crimp the other ends into a PCI-E molex. Done.

I've never crimped a PCIe 6 pin before. How would you go about doing that? Tools, extra jacks, etc?

[snootch]

There is loads of 12V capability, solder some wiring to the relevant pins and crimp the other ends into a PCI-E molex. Done.

I've never crimped a PCIe 6 pin before. How would you go about doing that? Tools, extra jacks, etc?

Pretty simple providing you have the proper tools. Basically, you buy a kit that has the molex connectors themselves, and also the pins. Strip the wire, crimp a pin on it, then the pin snaps into the connector. Here's some linkage:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1136451/molex-atx-power-supply-connectors-and-part-numbers

[crazyates]

This conversation has come up again having to do with ASIC hardware. BFL SC Singles are run off 2x 6pin PCIe power connectors. Those K16 boards are powered using a single 6pin PCIe power connector. I believe BitFury's boards use a direct wire, which is even better for this sort of thing. Here are a few things I've found:

Thread with recommendation and details on how to convert a specific HP PSU, including pin layouts to turn it on, and small quirks for this model:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1005309

Example eBay listing for that specific PSU. It can do 900W on a 120V input, or 1300W on a 220V input. $24 bucks shipped. I just put in an offer of $20 and they took it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/348114-B21-HP-Power-supply-1300W-PFC-PROLIANT-DL580-G3-/281110803764

Example eBay listing for a pair of 6pin PCIe power connectors. $6.50 shipped. I was just planning on cutting the white end off, and soldering the 2 12" PCIe 6pin power connectors directly to the PSU.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261188076546

Basically each pair gives you enough power for 1 SC Single or pair of K16 boards. Solder multiple of these on, and you could have a PSU that has the connectors and Amps to power 4 SC Singles, or 8 K16 boards, all for under $60. Or you could skip the PCIe power cables, and use any decent gage wire to power 2-3 BitFury M-boards.

[polarhei]

Yes. What are you going to mine?

If Litecoin, you will need 2U at least to do.

[crazyates]

Well it took me a while, but I finally got all the parts, pulled out my soldering iron, and put everything together. I got the PSU I linked to in my last post here. I had to buy a 15P-C19 power cable, since I'm running this on a standard 110V outlet and didn't have the right cord for it, but that was cheap enough. I could easily transition to a 220V outlet and get A) a bit more efficiency and B) more power out of this. It's only rated for 900W on a 110V input, but can handle up to 1300W on a 220V input.

For a switch, I took it apart, and routed a servo extension cable thru the inside, and out a crack in the case. One end is hooked up to the 3 pins that power the device, and the other end is soldered to a simple rocker switch. I could have bypassed this and just run it ON all the time, but I liked the idea of having an OFF switch that wasn't called "yank-the-cord".

I then soldered all 6 wires of a PCIe cable to the 12V and ground leads. It's only about 11-12", which isn't the longest cable in the world, but it works. I've only got 1 attached for now, but that's enough to test it with my Little Single for now. Soldering 3 of those wires into each clamp was a PITA, at least for me who's basically a nub when it comes to soldering. This thing has enough juice to power up to 8 PCIe 6pin connectors, but that means I'd have to figure out a way to fit 6 wires per clamp, which could get interesting.

Right now, the only thing stopping me from running 4 SC Singles on it are A) getting the rest of my hardware from BFL, B) fitting and soldering 8 PCIe cables (or all 48 wires) into the 8 clamps, and C) moving all the hardware onto a tray on a rack and hooking it up to a 220V line.

Word of advise: These things are loud! There are 2 fans inside, and they must spin pretty fast, as there's a good amount of air moving thru it, and it uses ~60W with nothing plugged into it! I guess you can put a resistor in there to slow the fans down, but I haven't done that  yet. I plan on putting this in a location where noise is a non-issue, so I don't really care.

My Little Single was using ~120W with the stock brick, and now this PSU and the Little Single are using ~215W. Minus the 60W for the fans, it looks like this is using 155W, so I think it's actually less efficient than the stock power brick. Does that sound right? I don't know the numbers of either, so I can't say. It puts out 12.56V on idle, and 12.49V with the Little Single running. Not bad, and I don't think it will even drop below 12V when running under full load. Here's a pic of it running the Little Single:



Hope this helps anyone else, and I'd encourage you to try it. If you've got an isolated location where you don't care about noise, and you want to consolidate your power supplies, it's a MUCH cheaper alternative to buying an ATX one and powering it that way. I have ~$40 into it so far, but I have to buy a few more cables to rip apart and solder onto it. All said and done it'll cost me less than $60.

[xminer]

155W on a 1200W PSU vs 120W on a stock brick - yes, it does.

Typically PSU's are "that efficient" only at 30-50% or more load (or something like that), but definitely not at 10% (it goes down to 50%-60% efficiency) - so, try to hook up "your everything" that can use 12V to it up to 500W - and you'll likely get the other readings - unless something is wrong with the PSU itself.