Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

One oopsie: I took a look at my drive stash and only found one SATA optical. I do have a 2nd, but it's slow as hell. Looks like I'll be on the lookout for another good SATA optical (no rush, this build won't be complete for a while).

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

Mobo came in. Picture time!

First, one thing I DON'T like about this board is the fan cooled northbridge. That fan was a bit noisy. Luckily, a drop of ATF (Type F, I use it in 3 speed bike hubs and for bike chains too) squelched the rattle (it's a dual ball bearing fan). Here's the model number for future reference (if I need to replace it):




Another pain in the ass was the retainer screws for the fan brackets. The original dynatrons screwed to the backplates directly. They're also non-PWM jet turbines (this board seems to have been a former server board... ), so they aren't getting reused. The issue is that 2 of the 4 screws (939/940 use 2 per socket) are too long and while the old backplates on the K8WE would allow for that, the new ones don't (and the backplates are well adhered... they ain't coming off safely). Nothing that a screw cutter won't fix though:



With those issues fixed, I was able to drop in the board (along with some 85W 2.6GHz Opteron X2 285's):



Everything I have installed:



Memento from the old board:



(as I doubt I could get a SM one if I wanted to... it's a farking SLI bridge, so what?)

I haven't thrown in one of my breakout boards yet, as my two not in use are currently at work as desk decorations. I need to remember to bring them home and toss one in.

The good news: after a CMOS clearing (password locked into server fan mode) and a BIOS update she runs great. Very quiet and cool running. Also decently snappy.

The bad news: SLIC isn't possible. Or rather, I can't get a modded BIOS to work. Before some of you start cheering (and bashing), no, I didn't brick it. Instead, I tried SSV, SSV2, and SSV3 AMI slic methods and all three for some reason blocked my RAID card from being recognized by the 3ware driver (no shit ). Dynamic was of no use as obviously SM didn't have any SLIC in it from the factory.

I tried DAZ loader but after checking decline to 5 bits of shitware and seeing all sorts of shitware fire up during the install, I abandoned ship. My new plan will be to fetch the 7 pro key off my dead latitude E5530, as I don't want to linux-only this one (various reasons, based off personal experience). I'm also out of my 4 windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade keys; 2 are on X5DAL rigs, one is on my parent's rig, the last was given to my father inlaw ages ago for a project (no idea if he's still using it, that may be an option if it's not in use).

At least it returned to normal after flashing the stock BIOS...

[Per Hansson]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

I tried DAZ loader but after checking decline to 5 bits of shitware and seeing all sorts of shitware fire up during the install, I abandoned ship. My new plan will be to fetch the 7 pro key off my dead latitude E5530, as I don't want to linux-only this one (various reasons, based off personal experience). I'm also out of my 4 windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade keys; 2 are on X5DAL rigs, one is on my parent's rig, the last was given to my father inlaw ages ago for a project (no idea if he's still using it, that may be an option if it's not in use).

At least it returned to normal after flashing the stock BIOS...

Well that should not happen, but beware that a Google search for DAZ loader will have viruses in like the first 10 links lol.
The only safe place for DAZ loader is from the author on MDL.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

Well that should not happen, but beware that a Google search for DAZ loader will have viruses in like the first 10 links lol.
The only safe place for DAZ loader is from the author on MDL.

Shit, I swore I found the what looked to be the original creator too.

I may look into that as MDL is where all of my existing OS-side SLIC mod stuff come from.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

nice board with equally nice caps there! its a boardful of sanyo poly and electrolytic caps!

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

nice board with equally nice caps there! its a boardful of sanyo poly and electrolytic caps!

That be supermicro. Always well built like that.

---

After 5 tons of virus cleaning and the like (malwarebytes, adwcleaner, etc.), I nabbed a torrent of the real DAZ from MDL. Works great... that said I still prefer SLIC mods as I've always favored hardware/firmware mods over software mods when given the choice.

I also installed one of my supermicro breakout boards:



Works great... although that was my last "nice" one as OSH Park boards are done in sets of three and I have two in use (the third was gifted to topcat). I may do a reorder from digkey and OSH park for spares? IDK, they're pretty cheap but I don't need another (even if I did I have one of the old milled jumpered boards left).

All that's left is finding a decent 2nd SATA optical drive (DVD Burner, Blu-ray is still ridiculously pricey if you get a new one with software) and a better GPU for V5.2 (unless I chose to buy a 3rd GTS 250... IIRC I got them for like $20 a pop NOS last time?). Suggestions (on what to buy/what you have that you want to sell only) are welcome here...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

Something else I was looking at was upping it to 16GB of PC3200, since this board (unlike the K8WE?) supports 4GB modules. However, while I can get 4GB DDR modules in slower speeds for cheap, 4GB PC3200 modules aren't so. Here's the cheapest I could find:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/QTY-1x-4GB-D...0AAOxyoA1RV-4O


And only 2 available at that. They are pretty rare apparently (as only late model DDR workstations and servers supported it, DDR2 came into vogue not long after).

Yeah, I'll leave 8 in it and keep my RAM full speed and full dual channel. Sure, V4.1 is kicking it's ass in that regard, but I didn't really need 16GB in it (but the DDR2 was so cheap I'd be a fool not to).

I will say that this, even on one GPU, is pretty slick to use... Nice and quiet too. Same for V4.1 (now that it doesn't BSOD all the time). They're older rigs but still quite nice to use (hence why I won't be getting rid of either one).

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's Main rig V3.5

Something else I was looking at was upping it to 16GB of PC3200, since this board (unlike the K8WE?) supports 4GB modules. However, while I can get 4GB DDR modules in slower speeds for cheap, 4GB PC3200 modules aren't so. Here's the cheapest I could find:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/QTY-1x-4GB-D...0AAOxyoA1RV-4O


And only 2 available at that. They are pretty rare apparently (as only late model DDR workstations and servers supported it, DDR2 came into vogue not long after).

Yeah, I'll leave 8 in it and keep my RAM full speed and full dual channel. Sure, V4.1 is kicking it's ass in that regard, but I didn't really need 16GB in it (but the DDR2 was so cheap I'd be a fool not to).

I will say that this, even on one GPU, is pretty slick to use... Nice and quiet too. Same for V4.1 (now that it doesn't BSOD all the time). They're older rigs but still quite nice to use (hence why I won't be getting rid of either one).

Update time!

This has become my wife's workstation; while she uses her laptop a lot, this gets some usage too.

Scored a second DVD drive for it. $5, brand new in (open) box HP dvd1265:



Ugly but functional. $5, I'm not complaining.