SMBs

IBM System x3400 M3 small-office server teardown

By // August 9, 2010, 12:59 PM PST // billdetwiler

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  • IBM System x3400 M3

    IBM loaned us a System x3400 M3 test system to review, and I decided to see what was inside before firing it up. Come along as we crack open this hefty box.

    According to IBM, the System x3400 M3 is designed for "small/medium businesses, large multilocation enterprises and bank branch offices."

    Note: Click each image for a larger version.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic?

  • One very large box

    Our IBM System x3400 M3 test server arrived in a rather larger cardboard box with its own wooden pallet.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Opening the box

    Our IBM System x3400 M3 server arrived unscathed thanks to more than adequate packing material.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • First look at the server

    With the packing material removed, we get our first look at the IBM System x3400 M3 tower.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Power cables and documentation

    The IBM System x3400 M3 is shipped with a pair of power cables and the product documentation.

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  • Out of the box

    Unpacking the IBM System x3400 M3 server is best done with two people.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • One rather large tower

    The IBM System x3400 M3 comes as either a tower or 5U rack by CTO or optional conversion kit. This tower version is 17.3 inches tall, 8.6 inches wide, 30.2 inches deep, and weighs between 59.7 and 83.4 pounds (depending on the configuration). This machine is significantly larger and heavier than your average desktop tower.

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  • Front

    On the front of the IBM System x3400 M3 are two USB 2.0 ports, two locking drive covers (with hexagonal ventilation holes), and a row of indicator lights (on the edge of the case above the top drive cover).

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Top drive cover open

    Behind the IBM System x3400 M3's top drive cover is the optical drive and two additional 5.25" drive bays. A small white power button is also located in the top-left corner.

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  • Top drive bays

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  • Media bays access instructions

    Instructions for accessing various areas of the IBM System x3400 M3 (such as the media bays) are conveniently located on multiple case stickers.

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  • External USB 2.0 ports

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  • Side panel catch and media bays access button

    The lock on the side panel prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing the hardware inside the case and the media bays.

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  • Drive covers open

    Opening the drive covers reveals the hard drives.

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  • Optical drive with drive cover open

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  • Hard drives

    Standard IBM System x3400 M3 machines support either eight 2.5" SAS drives, four 3.5" SAS/SATA drives, or four solid-state 3.5" SATA drives. Optional configurations are available with 16 2.5" SAS or eight 3.5 SAS/SATA bays.

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  • hard drive latch

    Drives are hot-swappable and removing them is as simple as lifting up this level and pulling the drive out. I'll leave them in place for now.

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  • Hard drive slots

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  • 5.25" Drive bays

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  • Side panel latch

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  • Opening the side panel

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  • Inside the IBM System x3400 M3

    With the side panel open, we get our first look inside the IBM System x3400 M3. The M3's case design allows for easy access to the system's interior hardware.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • System service information

    A large sticker with system service information is located on the inside of the IBM System x3400 M3's removable side panel.

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  • Removable side case panel

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  • System service information

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  • System board diagram and common part numbers

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  • Media bays

    Our test system came with a single optical drive, but the IBM System x3400 M3 has two additional 5.25" bays.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Hard drive bays

    The back of the IBM System x3400 M3's hard drive bays. Our test system was configured for eight, hot-swappable 2.5" SAS drives.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Power supplies

    The IBM System x3400 M3 comes with either a fixed or hot-swappable power supply. Our test system had a pair of hot-swappable supplies.

    The supplies were mounted in a large metal housing that swung out of the case allowing access to the first CPU, a second set of DIMM sockets, and various motherboard connections.

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  • CPUs

    The IBM System x3400 M3 has space for a pair of CPUs and supports a variety of Intel units, including the 6-Core Intel Xeon (X56xx), 4-Core Intel Xeon (E56xx), 4-Core Intel Xeon (E55xx), and 2-Core Xeon (E55xx).

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  • Adapter guide

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  • Cooling fan

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  • Removing the cooling fan

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  • Cooling fan removed

    The IBM System x3400 M3 tower contains three of these large cooling fans.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller

    The optional IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller takes up one of the PCIe slots. The two large cables run to the circuit board behind the hard drive bays.

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  • Clear plastic cover

    A clear plastic cover surrounds the CPUs, DIMMs, and much of the mother board. We need to remove the power supplies before removing this clear cover.

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  • Hot-swappable power supplies

    Our IBM System x3400 M3 test machine had a pair of hot-swappable power supplies.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Releasing the power supply

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  • Self-contained power supply

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  • Power supplies removed

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  • Power supplies removed

    The IBM System x3400 M3 supports either 920W or 670W universal, autoswitching power supplies.

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  • Power supply connectors

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  • Power supply housing

    With the supplies removed, the supplies' metal housing should swing out from the case.

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  • Lift up on the power supply latch and pull

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  • Power supply housing in open position

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Behind the power supply housing

    With the supply housing in the open position, we can see the clear plastic cover behind it.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Clear plastic cover

    We can now remove the clear plastic cover that sits behind the power supply housing.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Clear plastic cover latch

    This latch holds the clear plastic cover in place.

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  • Clear plastic cover starts to come free

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  • Lifting the clear plastic cover away

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Clear plastic cover

    This clear plastic cover helps direct air flow to critical areas inside the IBM System x3400 M3.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • System board without the clear plastic cover

    With the clear plastic cover removed, we get a much better view of the main system board, DIMM sockets, CPU heatsinks, and other internal components. Next, I'll remove the large metal housing for the IBM System x3400 M3's three cooling fans.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Cooling fan housing bottom latch

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  • Cooling fan housing top latch

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  • Cooling fan housing

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  • Cooling fan housing removed

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  • Main system board

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  • CPUs and DIMM sockets

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  • CPUs and DIMM sockets

    The IBM System x3400 M3 can support up to 128GB of RDIMM memory in 16 DIMM slots, or up to 24GB of UDIMM memory in 12 slots. Our test system had 16 slots.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Miscellaneous cables

    Cables for the optical drive, hard drives, and various other components.

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  • CPU Heatsinks

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  • Samsung 4GB 2Rx4 PC3-10600R DIMM

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  • Hypervisor USB port

    The IBM System x3400 M3 contains an embedded hypervisor--"a USB port on the motherboard, activated with an optional USB key for supporting VMware ESXi for virtualization."

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Adapter slots and IMM

    The IBM System x3400 M3 has six adapter slots standard--five PCIe Gen 2 slots and one legacy PCI slot.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller

    One slot is used for the IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Gb Ethernet

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  • IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller - Front

    The optional IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller - Back

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  • SAS hard drive bay circuit board

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  • Three 2.5" SAS hard drives

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  • Removing the hard drives

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • IBM System X 300GB hard drive

    Our IBM System x3400 M3 came with three IBM System X 300GB 10,000 RPM SAS hard drives.

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  • Removing the optical drive

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • DVD-ROM optical drive TS-H353

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  • Removing the hard drive bay circuit board and connectors

    This circuit board contains the eight connectors for the 2.5" SAS hard drives and connects to the IBM ServeRAID SAS/SATA Controller.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Main System board release latch

    The IBM System x3400 M3's main system board is mounted on a removable plate. Releasing this latch allows you to remove the plate.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Hard drive bay circuit board removed

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Near-empty case

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  • Nothing left but a few wires and various metal housings

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Main system board - Top

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  • Main system board - Side

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  • CPU heatsink removed

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • CPU

    A generous amount of thermal paste covers the CPU.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

  • Completely disassembled

    I really enjoyed cracking open the IBM System x3400 M3. The "toolless chassis" really made this teardown a breeze.

    Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

IBM System x3400 M3

IBM loaned us a System x3400 M3 test system to review, and I decided to see what was inside before firing it up. Come along as we crack open this hefty box.

According to IBM, the System x3400 M3 is designed for "small/medium businesses, large multilocation enterprises and bank branch offices."

Note: Click each image for a larger version.

Photo credit: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic?

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By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...