[SOLVED] Dell R720 vertically mounted

[grimfox]

I got a vertical mount for my R720. Which will some day be an overkill Plex server. Will the ears be strong enough to support the weight of the system if it's hanging from the ears in the vertical mount? Or do I need to shell out for the rails?

The server (it's the LFF):
https://www.orangecomputers.com/nod...ell&model=PowerEdge-R720-&ff=2U&config=PER720

The vertical mount:
https://www.amazon.com/19-Inch-Mountable-Simple-Vertical-Server/dp/B00ZY7AK72/ref=asc_df_B00ZY7AK72/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193992629021&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=549065378117824735&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1017367&hvtargid=pla-312676085995&psc=1

 

[kanewolf]

I got a vertical mount for my R720. Which will some day be an overkill Plex server. Will the ears be strong enough to support the weight of the system if it's hanging from the ears in the vertical mount? Or do I need to shell out for the rails?

The server (it's the LFF):
https://www.orangecomputers.com/nod...ell&model=PowerEdge-R720-&ff=2U&config=PER720

The vertical mount:
https://www.amazon.com/19-Inch-Mountable-Simple-Vertical-Server/dp/B00ZY7AK72/ref=asc_df_B00ZY7AK72/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193992629021&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=549065378117824735&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1017367&hvtargid=pla-312676085995&psc=1

I would be more concerned about cooling.

 

[grimfox]

Cool.

Why?

I think I know what you are thinking but you didn't explain why I should be more concerned about cooling which is not helpful to me. If it's a legit reason or anyone else who might also be looking for an answer.

 

[kanewolf]

Cool.

Why?

I think I know what you are thinking but you didn't explain why I should be more concerned about cooling which is not helpful to me. If it's a legit reason or anyone else who might also be looking for an answer.

Heat rises. The fans pull air from the front and exhaust the back. So your normal convection will be fighting against the forced cooling. You could get hot spots that Dell never designed for.

 

[grimfox]

This is what I expected. Roll your case on it's backside. Don't worry around the cables or supporting the case, your concern is cooling. Let me know about the temps.

Convection is a weak effect, particularly on personal computer scales. We design our systems to take advantage of that effect because we can, it's free real estate. But if you flip a computer on it's back or upside down. It's going to work just fine. Provided it's an all air system, liquid cooling does rely on gravity for some aspects so orientation would be more critical. The system overall may run a few degrees warmer because you aren't taking advantage of that free real estate. But it's not going to catch fire.

 

[kanewolf]

This is what I expected. Roll your case on it's backside. Don't worry around the cables or supporting the case, your concern is cooling. Let me know about the temps.

Convection is a weak effect, particularly on personal computer scales. We design our systems to take advantage of that effect because we can, it's free real estate. But if you flip a computer on it's back or upside down. It's going to work just fine. Provided it's an all air system, liquid cooling does rely on gravity for some aspects so orientation would be more critical. The system overall may run a few degrees warmer because you aren't taking advantage of that free real estate. But it's not going to catch fire.

Airflow in a 2U server is very different than in a desktop PC. There are baffles and other airflow management features DESIGNED into the chassis.

 

[grimfox]

You aren't wrong. But the fact that there are baffles and airflow management features in a 2U isn't proving your point that convection is going to suddenly cause the system to overheat because the system's orientation changes.

If the case didn't weigh a ton which was the original point of this thread. I'd orient it 6 different ways to prove to you that it's not going to fail.

As to my original question. I've continued my research and found several instances of people mounting dell poweredge severs vertically, "for years." Not my specific model but enough to give me confidence that it's not going to be an issue.