Ratdude's main rig V5.0

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

Apparently I never updated this thread.

Awhile back the remains of this system (along with a replacement X7DWA-N and an identical case) were built up into a replica of the original build... which is my wife's current rig.

No pics because it's literally the exact same thing other than different optical drives (maybe).

Posting this because I'm linking this in a new thread.

I'm an idiot... I did post it, and it was lost in the bowels of the forum.

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74328

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

Apparently I never updated this thread.

Awhile back the remains of this system (along with a replacement X7DWA-N and an identical case) were built up into a replica of the original build... which is my wife's current rig.

No pics because it's literally the exact same thing other than different optical drives (maybe).

Posting this because I'm linking this in a new thread.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

New theory:

When I first swapped GPUs, the board did get hit in that area. While there is no visible damage, I wonder if a BGA joint failure at the NIC (which is in the area hit) could have happened... would explain why it would sometimes come and go, but usually not work at all.

Sadly I don't have a hot air station, so no good way to test it... but I'd like to sometime.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

^and pin 1 wasn't well marked

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Ended up passing on the board. Ended up selling for $68, but truth be told it was a money pit due to RAM required.

I'll keep my eyes open for another x7DWA-n board (or other capable board)... no teaming sucks, but It's not worth spending hundreds of dollars I don't have.

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

Only if you use my adapter

Nope, raw pin header like all my other SM boards.

Ok, computer basics 101.... red stripe on the ribbon is always pin # 1.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

I thought those ribbons were keyed..... lol....

Only if you use my adapter

Nope, raw pin header like all my other SM boards.

[dmill89]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

I saw all sorts of westmeres for dirt cheap. Yay blade server scrapping (which is where I bet most come from).

Yep, at work we have a 5-year replacement cycle on servers and many other companies have similar replacement schedules, so Westmere and even Sandy-Bridge Xeons out of scrapped servers are flooding the market driving down prices.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

I thought those ribbons were keyed..... lol....

...but if you do move to the X8 platform, nehalem/westmere processors are wonderful.

Fastest quad-core westmere: http://www.ebay.com/itm/352155915956

Fastest hex-core westmere: http://www.ebay.com/itm/192291451054

I went with the 3.6GHz dual quads. I just don't have anything that will tax 12 cores (or even 8 for that matter)....so I went with the extra MHz....and they're about half the price.

I saw all sorts of westmeres for dirt cheap. Yay blade server scrapping (which is where I bet most come from).

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

I thought those ribbons were keyed..... lol....

...but if you do move to the X8 platform, nehalem/westmere processors are wonderful.

Fastest quad-core westmere: http://www.ebay.com/itm/352155915956

Fastest hex-core westmere: http://www.ebay.com/itm/192291451054

I went with the 3.6GHz dual quads. I just don't have anything that will tax 12 cores (or even 8 for that matter)....so I went with the extra MHz....and they're about half the price.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0



Boy genius here did something smart all right ... I both had the front panel ribbon backwards, and also screwedriver'd the wrong end of the header. Doh!

No LAN activity. The controller isn't even getting warm... and it's a die'd chip with a heatsink. Even with all cards pulled and cmos fully cleared.

Grr...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

which board did you kill? the x7dwa?

Yes.

Not spinning fans makes me think I'm missing something. Before I go to bed I might try rigging a different PSU to see if the backplane for the PSU modules is the issue.

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Another option:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-X...torefresh=true

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

which board did you kill? the x7dwa?

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

Looking at Supermicro AMD boards:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Micro-...gAAOSwnF9Y7szn

They make 6 core CPUs for those. I'd need to get RAM (or rob V4.1's 16GB or use the 8GB that used to be in it) if I went down that road. Unlike the the socket 940 version of this (what's in V3.8), NIC teaming in windows 7 is supported. Pending a benchmark check, I might put in a lowball offer on it... thoughts? Edit- the fastest 6 core one can drop in is 50 passmark points ahead of what I have (Read: a wash). However, while CPUs are cheap for these ($16 for a pair of slightly slower 6 core units!), it's only PCIe 1.0 which for my GPU could be a bottleneck (the GTX 970 ran fine on PCIe 2.0 but 1.0 is probably cutting it close).

If I had my druthers I'd nab a H8DG___ board... those support up to 12 core CPUs and have LSI SAS built in. But they're still pricey as **** right now.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

I think I f*cking killed her.

Pulled the main board to look for PCB damage (resetting CMOS didn't help). Upon inspection I found 5 wrong jumpers: watchdog, and 4 for I2C over PCIe and PCI-X; all were enabled and according to manual are disabled by default.

I also found a large bypass SMD ceramic cap that had both solder joints cracked (hanging by a thread), which was knocked off at some point. Board removal didn't go well, so it's very possible that's fresh damage. I resoldered it, which seemed to go well.

Reassembled it, she won't even spin fans. Nothing. tried both hot swap PSU bays and two known supply modules. also tried starting it with a screwdriver to the header. Not looking good for the board.

Suggestions for what would cause such?

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

The DTI doesn't have onboard audio.



The odds of that NIC frying are pretty low....I still think its some kind of conflict with that GPU....thats when all the NIC trouble started.

But the X8DAH+-F does.

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I don't see how a GPU conflict would do this. No option ROM. No port activity in standby. That's a failed chip or a bad enable jumper (which I've confirmed isn't the issue).

Edit- did see this: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/30...plug-upgrading

I'll hard reset the BIOS and see what happens.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

More window shopping:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adaptec-ASR-...IAAOSw7ZlZny1y

Cheapest 8 Port SAS controller with BBU. I have brackets of similar size to hack on... cheapest one with a bracket (and 8 ports/BBU) is $47, so for $27 I'll cannibalize an old 3ware 9500 or the like.

Best part is being adaptec, my array would be a direct swap... uses PCIe 8x so might even be the same chip.

And for RAM: From what I'm seeing the going rate for PC3-10600R DDR3 (ECC) is $10 per 4GB Module and $30 per 8GB module. F*ck. The board will cost less than the F*cking RAM!

So If I do snare an upgrade board, it might be awhile until I can afford the RAM.

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

The DTI doesn't have onboard audio.



The odds of that NIC frying are pretty low....I still think its some kind of conflict with that GPU....thats when all the NIC trouble started.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

The one shown with the Quadro FX5800 isn't the X8DTI, its an X8DAI. The DAI is the workstation version (no onboard graphics, yet has onboard audio). The DTI is the server version with the onboard Matrox GPU that you love so much!

And yet they make a board with both Matrox AND onboard audio...

I could brag about having more case space than you, but nah, I need good karma right now. Stupid fried LAN controller

Found another one with fanned coolers... but the CPU's are 80W Nehalams, not 40W Westmere's like the auction one: (edit- the auction's CPUs are only $11 for a pair... did westmere have a 6 core version?)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-X...torefresh=true

Maybe that's why the auction one had fanless coolers? 40W per CPU, combined with a matched 2U-high air duct and two high performance rear 80mm fans, is a working setup (which is what my case is, rear fans and 2U clear air duct).

I'd prefer another X7xxx board so my parts would transfer, but I'm also cool with westmere's!

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

As I don't need more than 1 PCIe x16 slot. IIRC Topcat is using these (or very similar boards) in his dual board build (and based on his last post, the slot will work with a GPU).

The one shown with the Quadro FX5800 isn't the X8DTI, its an X8DAI. The DAI is the workstation version (no onboard graphics, yet has onboard audio). The DTI is the server version with the onboard Matrox GPU that you love so much!

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's main rig V5.0

Scams:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SuperMicro-X...QAAOSwUIhZYpNK

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-X...4AAOSw9ENZn0m0

Graphics workstation boards my ass

"Server" board that would work for what I need:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-X...8AAOSw-4BXYevk

As I don't need more than 1 PCIe x16 slot. IIRC Topcat is using these (or very similar boards) in his dual board build (and based on his last post, the slot will work with a GPU).

Another workstation board:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-X...wAAOSw7ZRZi53n

Also has onboard matrox, but the audio ports give it away as a workstation board. Same as the auction above but just a board with no CPUs.

No drop in solutions. Damn, almost makes me want to look at Tyan boards