Lambda Vector FAQs and Guides

• 1: Can I upgrade my workstation to RTX 4090 GPUs?
• 2: How do I fix slow performance with my Gen 4 M.2 NVMe drive?
• 3: How do I set the fan speeds for my workstation?
• 4: How do I upgrade my Samsung 980 PRO NVMe SSD's firmware?
• 5: How do I upgrade my system's GPUs, storage, or other hardware?
• 6: What are the power requirements for my workstation's PSU?
• 7: Where can I download recovery images for my workstation?

1 - Can I upgrade my workstation to RTX 4090 GPUs?

Workstations can’t be upgraded to RTX 4090 GPUs.

To ensure system stability and longevity, the RTX 4090 GPUs we use in our workstations are liquid-cooled, as opposed to air-cooled like other GPUs. To accommodate the liquid-cooling solution and dissipate the amount of heat put out by the RTX 4090 GPUs, the workstation case requires special fan designs and layouts.

2 - How do I fix slow performance with my Gen 4 M.2 NVMe drive?

If you’re experiencing slow performance or errors with your Gen 4 M.2 NVMe drive, you might need to reinstall the drive into a new slot on your workstation’s motherboard.

There’s a known issue where Gen 4 M.2 NVMe drives experience slow performance and errors when installed into the M.2_1 slot in ASUS Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI motherboards, which are used in Lambda workstations. The manufacturer of the motherboard, ASUS, is aware of the issue.

Until ASUS releases a BIOS update that fixes the issue, you can work around the issue, depending on your workstation’s drive configuration:

• If you have only 1x M.2 NVMe drive in your workstation, move the drive from slot M.2_1 to slot M.2_2.

• If you have 1x M.2 NVMe drive and 1x U.2 NVMe drive in your workstation, move the M.2 NVMe drive from slot M.2_1 to slot M.2_2. Move the U.2 NVMe drive from slot U.2_1 to slot U.2_2.

3 - How do I set the fan speeds for my workstation?

You can set baseline fan speeds for your workstation using ipmitool. Once baseline fan speeds are set, you can fine-tune the fan speeds in the web-based IPMI interface.

First, install ipmitool by running:

sudo apt -y update && sudo apt -y install ipmitool

Then, set the baseline fan speeds by running:

sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x00 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x01 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x02 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x03 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x04 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x05 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64 && \
sudo ipmitool raw 0x30 0x0E 0x04 0x06 0x32 0x23 0x49 0x46 0x5a 0x64 0x61 0x64 0x61 0x64

4 - How do I upgrade my Samsung 980 PRO NVMe SSD's firmware?

Follow these instructions to upgrade your Samsung 980 PRO NVMe SSD’s firmware.

First, download the latest firmware ISO from Samsung’s website by running:

wget https://semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/software-resources/Samsung_SSD_980_PRO_5B2QGXA7.iso

Next, run sudo -s to open a shell with root (administrator) privileges.

Finally, run:

mkdir /mnt/iso && mount -o loop Samsung_SSD_980_PRO_5B2QGXA7.iso /mnt/iso && \
mkdir fwupdate && cd fwupdate && \
gzip -dc /mnt/iso/initrd | cpio -idv --no-absolute-filenames && \
cd root/fumagician && ./fumagician

The above command mounts the firmware upgrade ISO, extracts the firmware upgrade, and launches the upgrade.

After the firmware upgrade completes, restart your computer.

Run sudo smartctl -a /dev/nvme0 to confirm your SSD is using the new firmware.

5 - How do I upgrade my system's GPUs, storage, or other hardware?

Contact the Lambda Support team if you’re looking to upgrade any of your system’s hardware components, including:

• GPUs (graphics cards)
• SSDs (storage)
• RAM (memory)
• NICs (network cards)

The Lambda Support team will make sure you’re purchasing the right upgrades for your system.

6 - What are the power requirements for my workstation's PSU?

The power requirements for Lambda workstation power supply units (PSUs) are as follows:

Power connector inlets and outlets

This is what a C14 inlet looks like:

This is what a C13 outlet looks like:

This is what a C20 inlet looks like:

This is what a C19 outlet looks like:

Power cord plugs and receptacles

SF-1300F14MG V1.0 1300W PSU

For customers in North America, the SF-1300F14MG V1.0 1300W PSU power cord has a NEMA 5-15 plug. The plug inserts into NEMA 5-15 and NEMA 5-20 receptacles, which look like this:

On request, a C13-C14 power cord can be substituted for use with power distribution units (PDUs) commonly found in data centers.

SF-1600F14HT 1600W PSU

For customers in North America, the SF-1600F14HT 1600W PSU power cord uses a NEMA 5-20 plug. The plug inserts into a NEMA 5-20 receptacle, which looks like the receptacle on the right in the picture, below.

On request, a C19-C20 power cord can be substituted for use with power distribution units (PDUs) commonly found in data centers.

SF-2000F14HP 2000W PSU

For customers in North America, the SF-2000F14HP 2000W PSU power cord uses NEMA 6-20 or NEMA 6-15 connectors, which look like the ones in the third row in the picture, below.

On request, a C19-C20 power cord can be substituted for use with power distribution units (PDUs) commonly found in data centers.

7 - Where can I download recovery images for my workstation?

Workstation recovery images can be downloaded from our recovery images FAQ.