Specifications

Intel® Server Board S3420GPRX TPS Platform Management
Revision 1.1
Intel order number E92065-001
41
The BIOS provides data to the BMC with the fan profile the platform is set up for - Acoustics
Mode or Performance Mode. The BIOS uses the parameters retrieved from the thermal sensor
data records (SDR), fan profile setting from BIOS Setup, and altitude setting from the BIOS
Setup to configure the system for memory throttling and fan speed control. If the BIOS fails to
get the Thermal SDRs, then it uses the Memory Reference Code (MRC) default settings for the
memory throttling settings.
The <F2> BIOS Setup Utility provides options to set the fan profile or operating mode the
platform will operate under. Each operating mode has a predefined profile for which specific
platform targets are configured, which in turn determines how the system fans operate to meet
those targets. Platform profile targets are determined by the type of platform that is selected
when running the FRUSDR utility and by the BIOS settings configured using the <F2> BIOS
Setup.
4.4.2.2.1 Fan Domains
System fan
speeds are controlled through pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, which are
driven separately for each domain by integrated PWM hardware. Fan speed is changed by
adjusting the duty-cycle, which is the percentage of time the signal is driven high in each pulse.
Table 15. S3420GPRX Fan Domain Table
Fan Domain Onboard Fan Header
Fan Domain 0 CPU Fan, System Fan 3
Fan Domain 1 System Fan 1
Fan Domain 2 System Fan 2
Fan Domain 3 System Fan 4
4.4.2.3 Configuring the Fan Profile Using the BIOS Setup Utility
The BIOS uses options set in the <F2> BIOS Setup Utility to determine the fan profile which the
system should operate under. These options include Throttling Mode, Altitude, and Set Fan
Profile. Refer to section 5.3.2.2.7 System Acoustic and Performance Configuration for details of
the BIOS options.
The Altitude option is used to determine appropriate memory performance settings based on
the different cooling capability at different altitudes. At high altitude, memory performance must
be reduced to compensate for thinner air.
Note: Selecting an Altitude option to a setting that does not meet the operating altitude of the
server may limit the system fans ability to provide adequate cooling to the memory. If the air
flow is not sufficient to meet the needs of the server even after throttling has occurred, the
system may shut down due to excessive platform thermals.
By default, the altitude option is set to 301 m – 900 m which covers the majority of the operating
altitudes for these server platforms.
The user can set the Set Fan Profile option to either the Performance mode (Default) or
Acoustics mode. Refer to the following sections for details describing the differences between
each mode.
Changing the fan profile to Acoustics mode may affect system performance.