On Xeon D Supermicro SuperServers, don't connect 24 pin ATX power connector at the same time as nearby 4 pin connector
I've had couple of folks alert me to potential issues that result from having both power connectors simultaneously connected. One guy reporting SATA ports gone bad, perhaps caused by an EU reseller that had attached both connectors simultaneously.
I've had one report of a non-bundle bare-bones SYS-5028D-TN4T system ordered from Wiredzone, but drop-shipped from Supermicro. It was said to have both of the connections attached. That's not good. Admittedly, that's still an unconfirmed report, still being investigated. That system is working fine though.
Meanwhile, let's have a look at what the manual has to say about this matter, on page 4-6, 4-7, and 4-9:
- Supermicro SuperServer SYS-5028D-TN4T USER'S MANUAL Revision 1.0b
ATX
PWR, DC PWR and HDD PWR Connectors (JPW1, PJ1, J6)
The 24-pin
ATX power connector at JPW1 is used to provide power to the motherboard. PJ1 is
the 12V DC power connector that provides alternative power for special
enclosure when the 24-pin ATX power is not in use. The 4-pin HDD power
connector J6 provides power to onboard HDD devices.
This description is decent, but not exactly obvious to a new user unboxing this system, or similar Xeon D-1500 systems, thinking that perhaps somebody forgot to attach this connector. Nope! Just hoping to get this article into the Googles, to hopefully spare some folks potential trouble, especially folks not getting bundles, or putting all the pieces together themselves.
Oh, and note that this 4 pin connector is the only one that is used on the tiny new Xeon Ds on the block, the SYS-E300-8D and SYS-E200-8D. It's attached right to the external DC power brick, makes sense, seen in the related videos I've featured below.
