Supermicro 40mm Quiet Fan Adapter

thingiverse

I wanted to quiet down two 1U Supermicro servers I have. The stock fans are 40mm x 40mm x 28mm which is an odd size to find in the aftermarket. In order to use a standard size 40mm x 40mm x 20mm fan I created these 8mm adapters with 4mm diameter pins which will mount to a Noctua fan to make it fit in the factory fan brackets. PWM fans were used to replace the fans connecting to the mainboard. FLX fans were used in the other locations. The printed pins on each fan adapter, which go through the fan mounting holes, are hollow to reduce the material needed. Two adapters were made to match the mounting requirements of the different factory fan brackets. The top of the adapters is labeled and a cable notch lines up with the Noctua power cord.. The fan swap is documented in the photos. The before and after sound difference is amazing. - The stock fans were easily heard from anywhere in the basement (where the servers live) and up the basement stairs. This was with three of the fans connected to a fan speed control which was set to low. - The Noctua fans are barely heard with an ear to the server's intake grill. The fan speed control was removed during the fan swap so all of the Noctua fans are running at their full speed. This upgrade made working from home, in the same area as the servers, much more comfortable.