I’ve been running nested VMware SDDC on the SDDC in a Box for a year now. The nested environment demands high CPU, RAM, and I/O utilization. The utilization demand generates a good amount of heat on the CPU. I was concerned about the longevity of my servers due to the excessive heat. I decided to replace the passive heat sink with FAN based CPU heat sink. There were only a few choices for 1U based heat sink that fits the E200-8D server with enough clearance. After some research on the web, I settled with Dynatron I2 Cooling Fan. The fan can be purchased on the Amazon website for about $28 each.

The Dynatron I2 unit comes with:

1. Fan mounted on the heat sink
2. Pre-applied thermal paste
3. Wiring hardness
4. Mounting bracket and screws

With the fan installed I was able to bring down the CPU temperature significantly from 90s Celsius to 60s at a high CPU utilization. Thankfully, the fan noise increase was not significant and I can still have SDDC in a Box running in my office without issues.

Supermicro E200-8D heatsink does not use a standard-sized screw. You will have to remove the heatsink mounting bracket and replace it with the one that comes with Dynatron I2. It’s not hard to do but be aware that you can damage the motherboard if not careful.

Installation guide:

• Unplug all cables from the motherboard.

• Remove screws that hold the motherboard to the chassis and remove the motherboard from the chassis. Remove screws from the heat sink. Most likely, the heatsink will be firmly attached to the CPU.

• Use a hairdryer to heat the CPU heatsink. Put your fingers on the heatsink mounting bracket located on the backside of the motherboard to feel the heat. Heat the CPU heatsink until the mounting bracket is hot to the touch.

• Twist the heatsink to remove it from the CPU. Careful, it’s hot!

• Use the hairdryer to heat the mounting bracket to loosen the adhesive. Flip the motherboard around and use a small plier to push down the mounting bracket screw hole on all fours. You will hear the popping sound of adhesive coming loose. Flip the motherboard and remove the mounting bracket.

• Install the new mounting bracket and the fan. Don’t forget to remove the black tape around the thermal paste!

• Attach the fan power cable to the motherboard

• Install the motherboard back into the chassis and re-attach all the cables.

I hope it helps!