My PCIe 4.0x1 slot, where my 5GbE NIC was supposed to live in my server, is in between two large HBAs. It’s not getting nearly enough air, and running about 20 C over its max operating temperature on the spec sheet.
I’ve got the x16 and x8 slots full with HBAs, so there’s no room to stick in a fan. But I have plenty of room in my chassis to put it elsewhere–lots of unused slots.
Luckily, it’s a PCIe 3.0x1 card, so I don’t have to worry about PCIe 4.0 risers (even though I’d prefer one since it’s a PCIe 4.0 slot), but I have no idea what to buy that’s reliable (won’t reduce bandwidth on the slot) and safe to use (won’t damage the card, board, etc.).
I’m looking for something like this, in at least 20 cm. I’d rather avoid the ones that use USB 3 to connect the two ends.
There’s a lot of no-name cheap stuff on Amazon I’m afraid to touch.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I had good experience with a Gen3x1 and Gen3x16 cables. At the time I picked cables not dissimilar to your example.
I had a much more difficult experience with Gen4 cables, but that is off topic for this discussion.
I eventually gave up on the cables ultimately because they interfered with air flow and consequently cooling.
And that would be my recommendation in your case as well: Instead of looking for a cable to remove a card from what is already a hot spot, I would invest in fans to increase air flow for a more wholesome solution.
I’ve got server fans installed, and everything else in the chassis stays below 50 C unless I’m doing a stress test.
Airflow is the issue here, as the two HBAs on either side of the NIC are so big they’re cutting off the nic from the rest of the case; it’s essentially walled in on three sides. The nic’s heatsink is millimeters away from the back of the HBA next to it.
I’ve got a little fan I can try pointing at it, but I’m not optimistic that will work, and wanted a backup plan.
Do you remember what brand Gen 3x1 cable you used?
I bought it on eBay and you can find it under the term “ADT-Link Right Angle PCIe3.0 x1 to x1 Extension Cable”. The item was shipped from China and although I normally stay away from buying abroad, I could not find a locally available product for purchase. I have no issue with the product I received nor with the purchase experience.
My application obviously looked for an angled cable and likely will not fit yours.