I'm curious if anyone has successfully installed third-party NVMe drives in Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. I'm considering purchasing ThinkSystem SR650 V4 servers that come with NVMe U.2 backplanes, but Lenovo's drives are considerably pricier compared to third-party options. Any insights or experiences would be appreciated!
4 Answers
I don't have experience with U.2 specifically, but I've used third-party 3.5” SATA drives in a ThinkSystem SR650v3 without issues. The only catch was that the xClarity software didn't report the drive serial numbers. I found solutions using smartctl and lsblk though, so you can still manage them effectively!
In my experience with a V1 system, third-party NVMe drives weren't recognized by the BMC. So it's worth checking compatibility if you're planning to go this route.
From what I've seen, Lenovo typically doesn't offer support for issues related to third-party disks. If you run into any controller or backplane problems while using them, they'll likely refuse to troubleshoot. I've had to escalate a few cases with SR650 V3 units when using unsupported drives. They seem to hold their standards for NVMe similar to their other drives.
Honestly, it seems like a risky move to use third-party drives in Lenovo servers. If you're set on this idea, you might want to consider going with a Supermicro server instead. They can save you a good amount in the long run, and while their support has its flaws, you probably won't face the hassle you might with Lenovo's setup. Just something to think about!
Totally agree! Supermicro can be a great choice and pairing it with a service like Park Place helps a lot too.