SGI: Hardware

Curious, what size fan does the Octane use in the top and PSU fans? I'm buying fans to update and replace in my systems, so I wanted to buy them all at once to save some money. Any special connectors I need to be aware of?

I no longer have an Octane, but they would be using 12V Panaflo or Pabst fans. The fans are variable speed and have tach or stall signals, and specific connectors. The assortment of option codes that are available with this grade of fan is pretty amazing.

I briefly had an Octane and from what I remember, the PSU fan is 120x120x38mm and only had 2 pins (Cherokee model). Not sure about the top fan, but I think it's 92x92x25mm and also 2 pins.

Replaced the fan in the PSU, system is soo much quieter. I'll leave the other fan for another day.

Can you link what fan you used?

I used a standard 3-pin 120mm fan.

I replaced the fan 92mm main fan in my Octane2 but it couldn't sense the speed using SGI black magic over the 2-wire power only connector and it's going full speed all the time. Now I get to completely take apart the Octane and splice the cable back together on the original fan after I finish cleaning it. Replace that fan with caution.

I don't plan to replace it until I take it apart for periodic cleaning of the chassis and frontplane.

Don't have my Octane in front of me... are those the only 2 fans in the machine?
Meaning if I got some quiet fans for those, plus an SSD for a drive, I could have a nearly silent Octane?

Yes, there's a fan in the PSU, and one at the top of the system.

Actually, in true workstation fashion the Octane has four fans. The thing was designed to keep running no matter what, even if it was plunked down in the middle of the Sahara Desert...

Where are the other 2 fans?

In addition to the system fan and the power supply fan there's a drive bay fan and a frontplane fan...

EDIT: Actually now that I think about it the system fan on the Octane is the drive bay fan, so, three fans not four. Been awhile since I had mine apart...

the (optional) PCI cardcage also has it's own little fan built in from what I remember.

GIJoe wrote: the (optional) PCI cardcage also has it's own little fan built in from what I remember.

yes, i have the PCI card cage, and i confirm!

I replaced all Octane fans some time ago and I'm thinking about the front fan a lot reacently. Couldn't you silence it by cutting off the front plate??? Fans get a lot louder if you place something directly in front of them and this front fan is the smallest and ironicly the loudest fan im my 31 Kilogramm Behemoth-Workstation.

I chopped a square hole in the front fan grille of one of my octanes because the fan had failed and it's replacement was too thick to fit otherwise. Moved a decent amount of air and couldn't hear it over the PS fan, which isn't saying much.

Pick your weapon (dremel, air saw, etc) and go to town. Only downside is pulling the frontplane board off first, which has at least a dozen screws, but it isn't difficult. (and you must do first to get at the fan, anyways, if you are going to replace it.

Once you have chopped a suitable hole, the frontplane will no longer require disassembly to replace the fan.

So, I chopped a hole in the front fan grille and the fan is now much more silent! It's like a new fan

We need to add a page to the wiki "Extreme SGI Modifications" ...