Building a dual 1.6GHz LV Xeon cruncher.

[Jeff]

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DISCLAIMER: Only use the information posted here as a loose outline. If you attempt to do anything mentioned in this thead, you are accepting full responsibility for your actions. If you can not accept this, please do not read any further!

Since I have been asked a few times through private messaging, I figure I will post the information for everyone to see here.

PROCESSOR:
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X1.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X2.jpg
Processor Type: Intel Xeon
Package: 604-pin FC-PGA2/mPGA
Stock Processor Speed: 1.60GHz
Core Voltage: 1.3v
Stock Multiplier: 16x (12x - 16x available)
Bus Speed: 400MHz
L2 Cache Size: 512Kb
Core Stepping: D1
sSpec: SL6XK (http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL6XK.html)

Various forum classifieds and eBay are the best place for low voltage processors now. I've had great luck here in our for sale forum and over at 2cpu.com's for sale forum. And here is a eBay link to search there:
http://search.ebay.com/1.6GHz-Xeon

Addendum (August 22, 2005): A few months ago these processors were only available once in a while on eBay and through various forums with typical costs in the $150-$200 range. It seems that they have settled down in price recently with the range being from $50 to $120 per pair. (and yes, I was the one lucky enough to snag a pair for $50) :D

PROCESSOR ALTERNATIVE:
The next best thing to the D1 stepping 1.6GHz LV Xeon CPU is the C1 stepping 1.6GHz LV Xeon CPU. Note the difference in sSpec...
D1 = SL6XK
D1 = QQV2 (Pre-release SL6XK chips, just as good as "normal" D1s)
C1 = SL6GV

C1 CPUs are still a great deal at ~$80/pr since they will run 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz on average. One thing to note is I have had a few of these C1s NOT run 200MHz FSB, even after increasing core and memory voltage. A good base setting for C1 CPUs after increasing core voltage to 1.6v is 165x16=2640MHz. If you get brave and want to go for 200MHz just remember that this is not guaranteed to work.

C1 Xeons can sometimes be found on eBay and various forums. Good luck in your LV Xeon hunt. ;)


PROCESSOR HEAT SINKS:
The standard heat sink for Intel Xeon processors is the Intel Wind Tunnel(IWT). IWTs are great stock heatsinks and adequate for running Xeons at up to 3.2GHz. The only negative I have heard from people is in regards to noise level. Personally I am used to fan noise and actually like hearing it. (no, I am not kidding) BUT, I do admit when CPU temperatures rise, the fans can get a bit noisy. Simple solutions range from the "+7v mod" to installing a quieter fan. I think most people here have done a little "fan modding" so I will not discuss this any further. (if you need help just start a thread in the forum and someone will be glad to assist you)
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X3.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/x14.jpg
IWTs can be found on eBay for downright CHEAP. They are offered in waves with a price range of $25/pr to $40/pr delivered. $40/pr is a great price in my book so if you get lucky and get a pair for $25 then consider yourself very lucky. :up:

Addendum (April 2, 2005): These will NOT fit NCCH-DL motherboards!


MOTHERBOARD:
No doubt the perfect motherboard for a cheap Xeon cruncher is the Asus PC-DL. It uses normal DDR memory and does NOT require an expensive EPS server power supply.
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X4.jpg
eBay and BizRate.com are the best places to look for one. Use BizRate.com to find the cheapest online prices and to see who has them instock. The price has ranged from $175 to $200 over the past few months. Here are the links to start comparing...
eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/asus-pc-dl
BizRate.com:
http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/product_info/overview/index__cat_id--419,prod_id--11331551.html


ALTERNATIVE MOTHERBOARD:
The Asus NCCH-DL is also a very good board for crunchers. It is ~$30 to $50 more than the PC-DL but has a few added features like seperate VRMs for each processor and an adjustable Vdimm of 2.5v to 2.8v. Core voltage is still NOT adjustable so the "u-wire" method mentioned later in this guide will also apply to the NCCH-DL. Here are a couple links to start your search for this motherboard...
eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/asus-ncch-dl
BizRate.com:
http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/search/search__cat_id--419,prod_id--168102377.html

Addendum (April 2, 2005): The stock Intel Wind Tunnel heatsinks mentioned above will NOT fit the NCCH-DL motherboard!


POWER SUPPLY: (prices as of August 22, 2005)
The Asus PC-DL does NOT require a server level power supply which is usually referred to as an EPS power supply. It can use an ATX supply with it's standard 20/4 pin power connectors or it can use a proper EPS supply which has 24/8 pin motherboard connectors instead. Personally, I like using EPS supplies for Xeon rigs but if you have a great ATX supply then why bother upgrading. ;) Here is a picture of how the 20/4 pin connectors are attached when using an ATX power supply:
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X4-b.jpghttp://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X4-c.jpg
WARNING: Most PC-DL motherboards do not have a clip to lock in an ATX's 20/4 pin power connectors. If using an ATX supply you should exercise caution when working around a live motherboard since pulling the power connectors out(or partially out) can result in damage to the system.

Dual Xeon systems need a great deal of +12v current when overclocked so make sure your power supply has at least 20A on this rail... preferably you should get one that is capable of 25A to 30A or more if you are going to be overclocking in the 3.0GHz or higher range.

Here are a few power supplies that should perform nicely:
Sparkle/Fortron Source 550w EPS(single +12v rail): $103.50 + shipping
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-478&depa=0
(MONSTER power supply for the money... 36A on the +12v rail!)

OCZ 520w EPS: $124.00 + shipping
http://www.directron.com/ocz520adj.html
(if you like having adjustable pots... get this, otherwise consider the 550w Sparkle/Fortron Source listed above)

Sparkle/Fortron Source 550w EPS(split +12v rails):
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=PS-FS550PN
$81.37 + shipping
http://www.directron.com/fsp55060pln.html
$79.00 + shipping
(I've used a couple of these in my crunchers and never had a problem with the split rail.)

Sparkle/Fortron Source 460w EPS(split +12v rails):
http://www.directron.com/fsp46060pfn.html
$69.99 + shipping
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=PS-SP460I
$73.13 + shipping
(Good power supply for dedicated crunchers. Not a monster like the above... but a very good & solid FSP power supply.)

OCZ 420w EPS: $84.00 + shipping
http://www.directron.com/ocz420adj.html
Only buy this one for dedicated crunchers... you shouldn't have a lot of hard drives, optical drives, or a top of the line graphics card in a rig using this power supply.

AMD Mercury 460w: $54.99 plus shipping
http://www.directron.com/pp4306.html
Only buy this for a dedicated cruncher since a bare-bone video card and a single hard drive is about all it is good for... other than being CHEAP! ;)

MEMORY: (prices as of August 22, 2005)
Like I said before you need standard DDR on the Asus PC-DL. I recommend at least PC3200 just in case you want to try and run 200MHz FSB. Currently TwinMOS PC3200 is being talked about a lot here at XS.org since most people report getting the new Winbond UTT chips. It seems more people are having luck with 256Mb sticks than 512Mb sticks. As always, your milage may vary so buyer beware. ;)

If you are only going to run D2OL on your Xeon monster, then you will need two 256Mb sticks of memory. With 4 instances of D2OL you will have ~100Mb-150Mb of memory free so you can still use this computer for other, basic tasks. If you are going to be using this computer daily, two 512Mb sticks of memory should be considered a minimum.

For those wanting to take a chance with TwinMOS, here are the NewEgg.com links:
TwinMOS 256MB DDR PC-3200: $25.95 + shipping (per stick)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820218404
TwinMOS 512MB DDR PC-3200: $42.95 + shipping (per stick)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820218060

Addendum (August 26, 2005): Not sure about what chips are on the TwinMOS anymore and the links above work one day and not the next. I just searched around for decent memory at a decent price and came up with the following:
Corsair 256Mb DDR400 PC3200 CAS2.5 Value Select Memory:
https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80093-6
$29 delivered!

VIDEO CARD:
Any AGP or PCI graphics card will be fine. You can decide on your own what you need. Personally I have only been using 9200 Radeon class cards or less. I am a farmer... not a gamer. :)

Addendum (March 11, 2005): XS.org forum member shmaa has had great luck buying basic video cards from DumpingGoods.com (http://www.dumpinggoods.com) for ~$10 each. As of this writing, they have some great deals on $5 and $9 cards. :up:

Here is a word of caution by shmaa:

Jeff, It was brought to my attention that that Number 9 S3 card I posted about in the other thread is a 2X AGP... so it WILL NOT work in an Intel chipset systems... please add something about doing some research when buying from dumpinggoods as to what AGP spec the cheapo cards are... you need at least a 4X card for Intel systems. Those cards should be OK in an AMD system, however.

HARD DRIVE:
1.0Gb is the minimum needed for Windows 2000.
2.5Gb is the minimum needed for WinXP (no SP).
4.0Gb is adequate for WinXP SP2 and all D2OL programs.

But again, you know what you need here.


PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Once you get everything needed. STOP!!! You have to do a few things to the motherboard to help it keep itself cool and to get the most out of your Xeons.

First thing you will want to do once you take your Asus PC-DL out of it's anti-static bag is remove the VRM heatsink and the chipset heatsink.
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X5.jpg
The VRM heatsink is silver in color and uses a thermal compound that honestly looks and feels like bubble gum. :down:
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X6.jpg

The chipset heatsink is black and, thank God, uses a little better thermal compound. The problem is on 4 out of my 5 motherboards it is not making adequate contact.

Addendum (January 29, 2005): Since first starting to write this guide I have received 3 more PC-DLs and all of these have had great chipset heatsink contact. I would now recommend NOT removing this heatsink since there probably will be no gains made in doing so. BUT, if you are having problems with unstability at higher FSB, you may want to consider it.

NOTE: Since the thermal compound used for the chipset heatsink can be difficult to clean, only experienced people should attempt this "re-paste". Unless you are going to run very high bus rates, the stock compound is probably good enough for most users.

Use Ceramique by Arctic Silver or your favorite paste on both after you thoroughly clean the original compounds off. MAKE SURE TO USE NON-CONDUCTIVE PASTE OR YOU COULD DAMAGE YOUR MOTHERBOARD AND/OR PROCESSORS!!! A small amount of Goo-Gone (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001Z93KW/104-5610981-6157560?v=glance) will be helpful when removing the old chipset compound. Very simple things to do and the pay off is big in the long run. (both VRM and chipset over-heating will cause instabilities when running 24/7 full-load)

Another recommended thing to do is to add a small heatsink to the voltage regulators(VR) inbetween the chipset and the AGP port.
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X7.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X8.jpg
The temperature of these VRs has been measure to ~90c when running a overclocked rig at full-load and no air flow. I can not stress how important air flow over this entire area is. You should have a fan blowing across the VRs, the chipset heatsink, and the VRM heatsink at all times. And you do not have to have a super high flow fan either, just use a fan that moves air. ;)


Next on the list of things to do is a little Vcore boost. The easiest way to do this is called the "U-wire" method. Basically you take some extremely small gauge wire and u-wire pins of the CPU together. Doing this in the socket is very easy and what I'll describe here. (you can use one strand of twisted speaker wire or twisted electrical cord wire for u-wiring)
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/x13.jpg
In order to increase these Xeons from their stock 1.3v Vcore to a more respectable and managable Vcore, we need to add a couple/three u-wires PER CPU.

WARNING: The following information is for LOW VOLTAGE(1.3v) Xeons Only!!! Do not follow these u-wire suggestions if you have a different processor.

For 1.5v(which will result ~1.45v on the PC-DL):
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/PCDL-15vcore.jpg
Pins B2-B3 need a u-wire.
Pins C2-C3 need a u-wire.

For 1.6v(which will result in 1.55v on the PC-DL):
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/PCDL-16vcore.jpg
Pins B2-B3 need a u-wire.
Pins C2-C3 need a u-wire.
Pins D2-D3 need a u-wire.

Again, this needs to be done on BOTH CPUs.
(notice in both pictures this is CPU1 and the orientation of the latch lever up top, use these for reference to make sure you are placing your u-wires in the correct locations)

I suggest placing the u-wires for CPU1 first, installing a Xeon in that socket, then moving on to CPU2. The Xeons will resist going into the socket a little but should still basically just go right in. If you have to press hard... the gauge of the wire is too big or you may have a stray slightly bent pin somewhere. STOP TRYING TO FORCE THE XEON IN THE SOCKET!!! Take a step back and examine your u-wire job and the pins on the Xeon. Correct whatever needs correcting and try again. PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME!!! I would really hate having someone break their Xeon or PC-DL. :(

Ok, once you have both Xeons in their sockets you need to install the Intel Wind Tunnels. The directions included with these heatsinks are very good and explain all the steps needed to successfully install them. If you have any questions or problems with this step just post a message on the forums and someone will give you a hand.

WARNING: So far two people have experienced problems when there is a Xeon in the CPU2 socket. Both incidents have been traced back to a shorted trace between the motherboard and the metal plate that holds the IWT to the motherboard. Nylon washers should be used on at least CPU2 because of this potential problem. No damage has occured so far because of this shorted trace... but I highly recommend NOT taking a chance here. For a little more information, please see the following thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=688827

One of the biggest downfalls to the Asus PC-DL is the lack of memory voltage(Vddr) control. The stock motherboard only provides 2.45v to 2.50v and while this may be decent enough for some memory at loose timings to run DDR400 speeds... it is not enough for most memory at default timings.

The Vddr modification should be considered optional. The PC-DL can run with memory dividers so even if you choose to run 200MHz FSB your memory can still run at 166MHz or 133MHz. The biggest reason I am calling this optional though is that it requires the soldering of wires. If you are not comfortable with soldering do NOT experiment with your $200 motherboard. ;) Either live with running a divider or find a friend or relative who can solder for you. Do not kill your $200 motherboard!

This mod is about as easy as it comes for Vddr mods. You need to put a 10K Ohm variable resistor between pin 6 and ground of the control chip(sorry... I can not read the markings on this :rolleyes: ).
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X9.jpg
You can choose whatever ground you like. I prefer to use either the ground of a fan header or a screw hole. The advantage to the fan header is that you can disable the mod by just removing this wire. But either place(or other places) will do.

Addendum (February 4, 2005): There is a little easier alternative to the Vddr mod. that uses the middle pad near the coil pictured below instead of Pin6 of the controller. These two points are electrically equivilent so feel free to use whichever is easier for you.
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X9-alt.jpg
BTW, the other solder point shown above is a ground. You can use that or any other ground.

Before you solder the VR in place, make sure to set it to at least 5K Ohm. At 5K Ohm PC-DL motherboards will run between 2.8v and 3.0v to the memory. The lower you turn the resistance the higher the voltage will go. YOU NEED A DIGITAL MULTIMETER TO READ Vddr! In the above picture you will notice the place to measure Vddr. There is no software tool that can read this voltage. Use caution when measuring Vddr so you do not short another component. Doing so can and most likely will damage your motherboard/CPUs/memory/etc.

A word about Vddr... Here is my $0.02... or £0.0107 for those across the pond... 3.0v and up is fine to run with older BH-5, BH-6, CH-5, and the newer TwinMOS RAM. I have next to NO EXPERIENCE with other type ram so 3.0v may be a bit too much for them. Please use common sense with this voltage and start out with the VR at 10K Ohm and work your way down from there keeping an eye on Vddr. Personally, I do not see a problem wiring a 5K Ohm resistor(not a variable resistor) here and calling it good. The memory I mention above loves voltage and the PC-DL does not seem to have a problem supplying up to 3.5v(people over at 2cpu.com have run this high... personally I have never been over 3.2v on a PC-DL). Again, use common sense and try not to damage your $200 motherboard. ;)


Now it's time to install everything else that you normally install with a new computer. ;) The PC-DL is a standard ATX motherboard so most any case will do. Just be sure to have adequate air flow throughout and you should not have any problems.


Time for your first boot. :up: When you turn your new rig on for the first time it should boot at 16x100=1.6GHz. While this is nice... it's just not going to do. ;) First thing you are going to want to do is make sure both processors are showing up and that your memory is showing up in the correct quantity and that it passes the BIOS test.

And after it does, turn off the machine and it is time to do a little Jumper Shuffle. This following configuration is how all PC-DL motherboards are shipped from the factor...
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X10.jpg
This is the "auto" setting for FSB and will never again be used. ;)

In order to boot at 133MHz, you need to change the jumpers to this...
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/X11.jpg
This setting will give you the option of booting at between 133MHz and 165MHz. Some people may actually be happy here, but as long as you bought the D1 stepping Xeons I told you to buy, you can go a lot further. :D

Assuming you did, you will now want to go into the BIOS and change your multiplier to 15x. You will also want to make sure the FSB is at 133MHz and the memory setting is at 133MHz. Timings are up to you and your memory. If you are running BH-5, BH-6, CH-5, or the new TwinMOS I mentioned above then you should choose "2-2-2-5" right from the start.

And also feel free to change all your other BIOS setting now too. If you want to turn off the boot screen, or get rid of SATA, or whatever... feel free to do it now(but do NOT change away from the setting I mentioned above).

After you happy with the BIOS, save the configuration and reboot. Once you see the boot screen again and your the memory test completes, shut down your computer.

It is time for 200MHz FSB. Change the jumper one last time to this...
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/x12.jpg
Now reboot. If everything works like it should, you should boot at 15x200=3.0GHz. :D If it does not, move the jumper back to it's 133MHz setting, go back into the BIOS, change your multiplier to 14x, and try again. If this doesn't work either, move the jumper back to it's 133MHz setting, go back into the BIOS, change your memory settings to "auto", and try again. If this doesn't work, take a break... come back fresh... and check your work again. If nothing looks wrong and you still are not having any luck, post on the forum and someone will help you out ASAP. ;)

SOFTWARE:
To keep track of your speeds, temperatures, and memory in Windows, there are a few utilities you will want to download.

CPU-Z: Tracks overall cpu MHz and memory speeds/settings.
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

ClockGen: Adjust cpu MHz and memory speed in Windows.
http://www.cpuid.com/clockgen.php
(The Asus PC-DL uses version CG-ICS952618)

Tweak 865/875/848: Adjust memory parameters in Windows.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24924

Motherboard Monitor: Monitor temperatures and voltages.
http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Jeff]

CONTRIBUTORS and SOURCES:
** ctechnet.com for various technical information
** fr0stedflakes (AMS Mercury 460w, non-conductive heatsink compound)
** 2cpu.com for various information
** Datamine.tk for various information
** serlv (eWiz 550w Sparkle)

Without 2cpu.com and ctechnet.com, I wouldn't have even gotten into dual Xeons so I must give both of them a big :up:.

[Rodzilla]

:up: Nice guide! Stuck!

[Rodzilla]

<INSERT GUM PICTURE>

Phew! Good thing you mentioned that... I almost took a picture of the gum I've been chewing for the last 20 min... :lol:

[cjc_75]

Awsome guide =D Thanks!

It looks like you used some of my questions in our PM's =D

While I'm here... what's your normal loaded NB temp? Im assuming the Motherboard Monitor "case" temp is referring to that....there is 0% chance my case temp is 49C-52C.

[Jeff]

Actually that's the VRM temperature. Or at least that is what it's supposed to be. ;) The actual VRM is a little warmer due to the temperature sensor NOT being exactly under any of the VRM voltage regulators. Just make sure you have air moving around the VRM and chipset heatsinks and you should be ok.

BTW, 49C-52C is what my VRMs run when running in a computer case.

[Jeff]

@Rodzilla... since I added a lot of pictures, you may want to put a (56k BEWARE) tag in the title. ;)

How's it look? Any blatent errors on my part? I have to admit, this is taking way more time than I thought it would... probably because I have no attention span anymore. :lol: (those with little ones running, screaming, and playing all around them will understand) ;)

[matt9669]

The only part that looks potentially erroneous is the 15x200 = 3.0GHz at the end, unless the LV 1.6 Xeons are downwardly multiplier adjustable, which I did not notice in your writeup . . .

Otherwise it looks fantastic - the perfect guide for anyone looking to do processor-intensive work on a budget. If I were into CAD work (like my bro) this is what I'd do, hands down.

Great read! :toast:

[Jeff]

I'll add that the Xeons have 12x thru 16x available. Thanks. :toast:

[frostedflakes]

All 603/604 Xeons are half-locked, meaning downward multis are available. In the case of the 1.6GHz LVs, this means you have 12-16x to work with.

Nice guide; I have some suggestions, though. ;)

For the heatsinks, acmemicro.com sells retail IWTs for $9/ea. I ordered a pair for my dually, and it came to ~$30 after shipping. Some may prefer the convenience of ordering from an online store instead of waiting for a deal on eBay.

As a recommended power supply for those on a budget, you may want to add the AMS Mercury 460w (http://www.directron.com/pp4306.html). Should be ~$60 after shipping. Should be fine for an overclocked cruncher, but I don't know how well it would do with more hard drives or a high-end video card. Has plenty of amperage on the +12v rail, but the +3.3v and +5v are only rated at 24A each.

Also, for the VRM heatsink, do not use a conductive paste, such as Arctic Silver 3/5. If it were to bleed out and short the legs of the MOSFETs, it would most certainly destroy the motherboard, and might even take the CPUs with it.

Keep up the good work!

[matt9669]

I'm submitting your guide for the frontpage news! Let me know it that's no OK and I'll withdraw the submission, no problem.

[Tube]

great guide, Jeff. The greatest part of this setup is that it does not require ECC memory or a special PSU. This way I would've been able to take replacemen parts mostly. I really wish I wasn't on a budget these months, otherwise I would have ordered one of these already. money and time are such limiting factors though :)

[Rodzilla]

Do the TwinMOS sticks you mention in your guide have the 2 dimples in the IC's?

[Jeff]

Yep... :devil:

I just tested two sets yesterday on a PC-DL and both went to 230MHz FSB with 3.1v at 2-2-2-6. :) Wish I still had at least one benching rig but with the sickness that is D2OL... I just couldn't justify it's existance. :lol: ;)

[LuCkY!]

very nice guide ;)
can u make some benchs at 3.0ghz? i know its not a desktop, but just to compare to my overclocked rig

[Rodzilla]

very nice guide ;)
can u make some benchs at 3.0ghz? i know its not a desktop, but just to compare to my overclocked rig

:eek: But then you have to stop D2OL!!! :lol:

[mcnbns]

Would a PSU like this cut the mustard with 2x3.0GHz Xeons and an overclocked 9800 Pro? http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=13569&vpn=EG495P-VE&manufacture=ENERMAX

I'm really considering Xeons for my next upgrade after reading this guide... they look like fun. :)

[frostedflakes]

That will more than cut the mustard. :up:

Jeff, you may want to add that refurbished PC-DLs can occasionally be found at dumpinggoods.com for ~$136 shipped. I ordered one, and was surprised to find almost all the retail accessories there. The only components I was missing were the I/O shield and thermal plates (for mounting IWTs). I called up ASUS and they were kind enough to send the parts out to me at no charge.

But not all people have good luck with refurbished parts, so buy at your own risk. You'll either get a great deal, or spend just as much as a new board would've been after costs associated with an RMA and/or replacing the missing accessories. :stick:

EDIT: I think NewEgg gets refurb'd PC-DLs also, but they are a bit more expensive (~$150).

[chipmonk010]

great guide jeff! thanks to this guide im building my own dual xeon setup! very well done :toast: ....i woouldnt get to comfortable at the top there, this guide is gonna stur up some competition :D

[Jeff]

Jeff, you may want to add that refurbished PC-DLs can occasionally be found at dumpinggoods.com for ~$136 shipped. I ordered one, and was surprised to find almost all the retail accessories there. The only components I was missing were the I/O shield and thermal plates (for mounting IWTs). I called up ASUS and they were kind enough to send the parts out to me at no charge.

Good information. I didn't even think about refurbs for these. So Asus just sent you the plates... wow... that's pretty darn good of them. :up:


i woouldnt get to comfortable at the top there, this guide is gonna stur up some competition :D

I hope you're right. I know I'm getting knocked down one by the great Mr. DDTUNG, but I'd like to be sitting in 5th place in a few months. :stick: :D So... who's going to step up to the challenge? :lol: ;)

[[XC] serlv]

Man, don't friggin' tempt me! My power bill is already unbelieveable.

5th?!! On the team? :hehe:

[[XC] serlv]

Would a PSU like this cut the mustard with 2x3.0GHz Xeons and an overclocked 9800 Pro? http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=13569&vpn=EG495P-VE&manufacture=ENERMAX



I thought we did not want PSU's with split 12v rails...

[Jeff]

I think this is up for a little debate to be honest. Split rails should be alright but in my opinion they limit you and they are a bit hard to monitor since the PC-DL does NOT measure both +12v rails. A single, MASSIVE +12v rail is, in my opinion, the better way to go. (and that goes for uber-overclocking rigs too btw)

[Jeff]

Man, don't friggin' tempt me! My power bill is already unbelieveable.

5th?!! On the team? :hehe:

Tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, TEMPT!!!

There... :stick:



:lol: ;)

[[XC] serlv]

Tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, tempt, TEMPT!!!

There... :stick:



:lol: ;)

That is pretty tempting... :)

[frostedflakes]

I used that AMS 460w with dual +12v rails and it seemed to work well. Allowed me to take my SL6XKs all the way to 3206MHz (229x14) Prime95 stable.

[chipmonk010]

hey check this psu out! http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=270303

made for xeons and mps 33a on the 12v rail for for 82 bucks!!
i think i may be getting this one...
:toast:

[Jeff]

I used that AMS 460w with dual +12v rails and it seemed to work well. Allowed me to take my SL6XKs all the way to 3206MHz (229x14) Prime95 stable.

I may just be thinking too much or not thinking enough. :lol: Basically it boils down to "seemed to work well." Whatever works... works. :up:

[Jeff]

Ok... I'm going to run a single +12v rail 18A power supply in my Xeon rig for a week or so(or until it dies).

After thinking a bit longer about this I have a feeling all the things I've read about having a huge +12v rail for these Xeons may just be a bit too alarmist. Seeing as a rig with two 1.6GHz LV Xeons overclocked to 3.2GHz only pulls ~250w from the wall... I am no longer thinking that you need to have an uber +12v rail.

250w from the wall... that doesn't take into account the power supplies inefficiency... And that draw includes the power needed for the video card, memory, fans, motherboard, and hard drive.

If that 250w was TOTALLY from the +12v rail then that is still only 21A of current. :confused:

Yeah... I think anything in the 18A to 20A range should be fine for pure crunchers. If you start adding loads of hard drives and optical drives then that is where you are going to want a beefier power supply.

I still don't really like the split rails... but after trying to think about it for a bit... I guess they aren't too bad really. :shrug:

[shadowing]

How much power does a PC take if ran 24/7? If it's that high...enough to make a HUGE electric bill... AHHH!!!

I am tempted still. And does the Xeon's usually overclock this well?

[frostedflakes]

I believe the second +12v rail on my AMS was almost exclusively dedicated to providing current for the CPUs. IIRC, the wires for the second rail only went to the aux 8-pin connector. Everything else (mobo, molexes, S-ATA power) were on a single +12v.

So I wouldn't be worried at all about these dual +12v supplies not being able to give the CPUs enough amperage, and I think my Xeons at 3.2GHz can attest to that fact. :)

EDIT: A member on the 2CPU.com forums used a Kill-A-Watt meter to test the power consumption of his dual Xeons on the AC side. Here's the thread:

http://forums.2cpu.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59278&highlight=power+usage

At stock volts, 2.7-2.8GHz is a good bet. 3.2GHz is somewhat typical for the D1 1.6GHz LVs at 1.6v. You're almost guaranteed 3.0GHz, and some of the better chips will do 3.3GHz. It also depends on how much your board undervolts. PC-DLs are notorious for undervolting. During load my Vcore with the 1.6v VID mod would drop to ~1.54v. I've heard of people's PC-DLs going as low as 1.52v. With the full 1.6v, the chips probably could've done 3.3GHz+. This is all with aircooling. WC'g/TEC/(dare I say it) phase should yield even better results, but kind of negates the whole budget factor of the 1.6LVs. If you're going to spend insane money on cooling, you might as well buy some higher-end Xeons, which should be capable of well into 3GHz.

For the C1s, 2.4-2.5GHz is about all they're good for with stock volts. With the 1.6v mod, expect 2.6-2.7GHz.

[Rodzilla]

an A64 pulls about 230Watts from the wall... really close to the Xeons.

[chipmonk010]

I believe the second +12v rail on my AMS was almost exclusively dedicated to providing current for the CPUs. IIRC, the wires for the second rail only went to the aux 8-pin connector. Everything else (mobo, molexes, S-ATA power) were on a single +12v.

So I wouldn't be worried at all about these dual +12v supplies not being able to give the CPUs enough amperage, and I think my Xeons at 3.2GHz can attest to that fact. :)

just curious what in ur rig? like how many HDs, optical, what kinda video? just to give an idea of how much power ur using up

[frostedflakes]

Nothing special other than the Xeons. 6.4gb hard drive, 52x CD-ROM, GF4 MX420, 512mb PC3200, three mid-speed 80mm case fans. The biggest power consumers besides the Xeons were probably the beastly 60x60x38mm fans on my IWTs, lol.

[chipmonk010]

hmm maybe u dont need a ton of wattage....that being said ill probably still go w like a 460watt just to be safe. id rather spend a lil more n do it right the first time. lol i learned this the hard way to many times already :cool:

[frostedflakes]

Wattage doesn't matter - it's where the wattage goes that makes a difference.

I could buy a 700w power supply with 100A on the +3.3v rail... but if it's only rated for 5A on the +12v, it's useless.

So try to get out of the higher wattage = more power mentality. It all depends on how the power is distributed among the rails. In the case of the AMS and Enermax power supplies, it's right were you want it to be for a dually: on the +12v rails.

That 460w Enermax should work fine, I'd definitely get it. Especially if overclocking, you don't want to skimp on the PSU. :)

[mcnbns]

I was looking at the pin mods here http://www.ctechnet.com/hardware/Asus/PC-DL/xeon604_vcore_uwire_mod.htm and it doesn't seem like there's a way to give the 1.3V (130nm) CPUs more than 1.6V with the pin mod. Is there a way to get them to run at 1.625V (to make up for the undervolting of the PC-DL)? If there is, would the extra voltage harm the CPUs?

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I figure someone else might be able to use this info, too. Thanks for any help. :)

Oh, BTW, I got that pin mod link from one of the auctions on those 1.3V 1.6GHz Xeons from that eBay seller you linked to, Jeff.

[frostedflakes]

The PC-DL only supports VID settings up to 1.6v. However, you can give the Vcore mod a shot. I believe the voltage regulator on the board will allow a 10% overvolt of the VID pins setting, so that means you could take the Vcore as high as 1.76v (minus w/e your board undervolts). Then you could do the Vdroop mod to compensate for the voltage drop during load. The mod requires soldering to the board, and is a bit more complicated than the Vdimm mod, so if you don't feel comfortable doing this, you might want to ask a friend or someone at an TV/electronics repair shop to do it for you.

You'd definitely want some better cooling than IWTs if you went this route, though. My Xeons would top out at ~56*C at 1.54v actual fully loaded (four instances of P95 max FPU stress). Good watercooling could probably handle 1.6-1.76v. Higher than 1.65-1.7v is really starting to get up there for the Prestonia/Northwood cores, especially considering the speed gains would be minimal. You'd probably be shaving quite a few years off your processors with that much voltage, especially since they will more than likely be running 100% 24/7. It just wouldn't be worth it IMHO.

EDIT: Also came by some SuperMicro heatsinks for $5.99/ea that you guys may be interested in. Don't know how they compared performance-wise to the IWTs, but I've read they're a little quieter. Also am not sure about PC-DL compability. They look like they'd fit.

http://store.yahoo.com/svcompucycle/fan-0042-cf.html

[[XC] moddolicous]

Jeff, have you ever tried to do a VAGP mod. That will make it easier for you to reach high FSB's.

[shadowing]

I think I'll attempt an Opteron soon. Let's see which one is faster :)

[frostedflakes]

Opterons will probably blow the Xeons away. Unfortunately, though, they are hella expensive. :(

[chipmonk010]

Opterons will probably blow the Xeons away. Unfortunately, though, they are hella expensive. :(

yeah but they dont have HT, do u think that will effect it?
btw u might be interesting in this thread:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=50973
new dual opteron board from abit in the same style as the pc-dl no need for registered ram! looks pretty cool.

it will also be interesting to see how the new dual core smithfield cores turn out, since once intel releases the hyper threading version of the smithfield chips it will have 4 virtual cpus just like the xeon, plus since the two cores are on one chip it should be faster then xeons. some cool stuff on the horizon......better start saving up :D

[frostedflakes]

I completely forgot about HyperThreading. :)

That would probably level out the playing field pretty well.

BTW very interesting link on the Abit board. And since it uses the nForce4 chipset, should overclock well.

[shadowing]

I dunno. How much does the cheapest Opteron cost? If I can, I'll try to obtain one, or go Xeon.

[chipmonk010]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=property&DEPA=1

looks like the cheapest opteron is $155 but its only 1.4ghz seems a lil slow....but amd cpus are supposed to be faster clock for clock then intel so i dono. i have no idea how opterons oc....if at all but that abit board would be the best bet if u wanna try it. probly really expensive tho, might as well go 1.6 lv xeon if ur on a budget(not that they are cheap lol)

do u think ht really matters? i dont really know how it works other then u have two virtual cpus in one, does it just split the power of the one cpu into two so it can better manage multi-tasking? if thats the case then it wouldnt really make much difference when it comes to folding or games or other single process apps.

shadowing if u do get opterons keep us posted id be very interested :D

:toast:

[frostedflakes]

AMDs are faster clock per clock than Intel, but HT does offer a nice performance boost that probably makes up for this.

I am no engineer, so I couldn't even begin to explain how HT works. But from what I've read, it offers around a 20% increase in folding output. So yes, I'd say it's worth it.

[shadowing]

Wait until summer... I think i MAY have it ready by then. But I'll keep ya posted on this subject if I do build it. Or there's the fact I might not be able to. Depends of my budget. ;)

[chipmonk010]

AMDs are faster clock per clock than Intel, but HT does offer a nice performance boost that probably makes up for this.

I am no engineer, so I couldn't even begin to explain how HT works. But from what I've read, it offers around a 20% increase in folding output. So yes, I'd say it's worth it.

thanks i wasnt sure about that, so in that case unless opterons oc like crazy its probly gonna cost a :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: load to get the same or better performence as the lv xeons.

EDIT:
Wait until summer... I think i can have it ready by then. But I'll keep ya posted on this subject if I do build it.

cool man it would be neat to see how the two compare, looking forward to seeing what u can put together

[Jeff]

I have a hunch that the HT Xeons will wipe the floor with the Opterons in D2OL... especially if you factor in cost. But it's really only a educated guess until someone comes around and proves that statement wrong or right. ;)

100% overclocks on air are a thing of beauty. :up:

[shadowing]

That is if you love fan noise ;) I think the Opterons beat the Xeons. I read some reviews on it and it appears the Opteron owned them. There is also the fact that the Opterons distribute load better and etc.

[frostedflakes]

I wouldn't say that. Don't underestimate the Opterons. ;)

An Athlon64 is basically an Opteron in a different socket, and they are running circles around the Intels right now (at least the P4s; Dothan shows promise, but Intel seems to have no plans of officially introducing it to the desktop market) in most tasks.

Xeons by far offer the best price/performance, though.

[Rodzilla]

yeah but they dont have HT, do u think that will effect it?
btw u might be interesting in this thread:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=50973
new dual opteron board from abit in the same style as the pc-dl no need for registered ram! looks pretty cool.

it will also be interesting to see how the new dual core smithfield cores turn out, since once intel releases the hyper threading version of the smithfield chips it will have 4 virtual cpus just like the xeon, plus since the two cores are on one chip it should be faster then xeons. some cool stuff on the horizon......better start saving up :D

The thing you have to remember is Windows XP only supports 2 processors (As does NT and 2000)

So having dual core CPU's based off of the Northwood or Prescott chips will be a waist. I don't think 2003 server even supports 4 chips...

When Intel releases its dual core chips they will be based off of the P4M core. They require fewer watts to run and generate FAR less heat than the Northwoods and Prescotts...

Imagine how hot a dual core Prescott would be :( You would almost have to run it with water cooling.

The thing about the Opterons is they have Hyper Transport... the integrated memory controller on the chip makes up for the lack up HT. D2OL isn't optimized for HT... But it can take advantage of Hyper Transport tech.

On the dual Xeon rigs you need to run 4 agents to max out your CPU... on Opterons you will only need 2. This will cut the amount of system resources needed to run the Agents in HALF!!!!!! D2OL on the Xeons is a total hog! It's got to be using at least 260MB of RAM... and all the memory bandwidth being eaten up by 4 Agents has got to hurt!

It's a well known fact that AMD owns everyone when it comes to crunching. You need half the resources and 1/3 less cash.

So in a normal rig (Non server class) AMD is the cats meow...

In the dual CPU class... that's up in the air... I don't know what kind of performance the Opterons are capable of... And it's a fact that there just isn't the deals available for the Opterons like the Xeons... and there is still the fact that the Opterons would require 1/2 the system resources to run balls to the wall.

So it's interesting... IMO the resources needed to run the Opterons is a BIG plus! You eat up a good chuck of your Xeon cost savings by having to get extra RAM.

[chipmonk010]

So having dual core CPU's based off of the Northwood or Prescott chips will be a waist. I don't think 2003 server even supports 4 chips...


so windows only recagnizes dual xeons as 2 cpus even tho they have HT? they are just considered to have 2 virtual cpus because of how ht works? i ask because i thought windows saw dual xeons as four cpus so i assumed that dual cores w/ ht would be the same, unless u mean dual, dual core cpus lol (that would be awsome btw)

pretty cool stuff, id like to see some dual opterons in action. sounds like they could probably blow xeons away. im sure someone around here will go xtreme n get a dual opteron rig one of these days :D

:toast:

[frostedflakes]

Windows XP only supports two physical CPUs, but I don't think there's any limit to the number of logical CPUs you can use.

[Rodzilla]

Windows XP only supports two physical CPUs, but I don't think there's any limit to the number of logical CPUs you can use.

Correct... the dual core chips would be 2 physical and 2 logical... So maybe it would work... Hmmmmmm

I mean dual Xeons are 2 physical and 2 logical and they work...

[shadowing]

So all in all, OPTERON kicks XEON!!! :) The only thing I wonder now is if the Abit mobo for it will support good bios overclocking. If it does, I might actually get it over the summer, or somewhere this year. But, remember MAYBE.

[Z3r0]

What would be the advantages of using these Xeons over say a Amd 64 as a regular desktop machine?

[caLume]

Windows XP only supports two physical CPUs, but I don't think there's any limit to the number of logical CPUs you can use.

windows xp pro:

2 physical, 2 logical.

:)

[matt9669]

XP Pro will run four logical CPU's for two HT Xeons, you'll note that while XP Home is only listed for 1P operation, MS supports 2 logical (or more, in theory) CPU's so that your average Joe at Best Buy won't lose HT support on his Home-based P4 system ;) As far as I know, MS hasn't said if they will treat dual core CPU's as one or two physical CPU's, but there's no technical reason hindering them.

As for Opteron vs. Xeon - I'd suspect without HT dual Opterons would mop up, but how efficiently the Xeons process four instances and if that would make the total output higher, I wouldn't know without benches.


I have a hunch that the HT Xeons will wipe the floor with the Opterons in D2OL... especially if you factor in cost.
Price/performance there's no way Opterons could compete with these LV Xeons - they make fantastic budget computing farms, whatever the application. If cost and potentially higher D2OL performance w/ HT weren't factors I'd want the Opterons - run a 64bit OS, NUMA aware, with like 8GB of RAM :slobber:

[matt9669]

I am no engineer, so I couldn't even begin to explain how HT works.
Hmm, would this be article-worthy? :idea:

[Jeff]

Guys... I've crunched AMD Durons, XPs, XP-ms, A64s and now these Xeons. Believe it or not A64s and XP-ms crunch D2OL at almost the same rate per MHz. :shrug: Different DC projects perform differently on each platform. Some LOVE Intel... Some LOVE AMD. D2OL is one that performs favorably with these Xeons(why else would I convert an AMD farm?). Even if a dual Opteron will produce ~320 candidates per day, why in God's name would you even think about buying 2 ~$700 processors unless you have extra disposible monies...
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-428&depa=0

And as far as extra resources... 512Mb is the minimum for a Xeon cruncher with 4 instances of D2OL running and 1Gb is the minimum for a machine that you want to be your daily computer. That's not an extreme amount of memory by any standard. I see guys running 2Gb just for games. If you had 2Gb in one of these machines I don't even think it'd notice 4 instances of D2OL even running.

I guess my point is the Xeons ARE the best bang for buck in regards to money, production, and electrical usage. What more do you need when crunching I ask? :D

[[XC] serlv]

I used that AMS 460w with dual +12v rails and it seemed to work well. Allowed me to take my SL6XKs all the way to 3206MHz (229x14) Prime95 stable.

That is cool to know. If it works for you, great. More options are good to have.

I just realized there is another option, The TTGI. I use this 550 watt (http://store.4linkcomm.com/sufltttttibl.html) PSU in my MSI K8N Neo2/3500+ rig, and it has a pretty strong 12V rail - 30A. Just a real good overall PSU. Plus, I love the additional cooling; 14cm fan, yowza!

[frostedflakes]

TTGIs are great, I wouldn't hesitate to use that in a dually. Just be careful, some of the older model TTGI/SuperFlowers were pretty weak on the +12v. I used to own a 450w unit with <20A on the +12v (18A or 19A, something like that). Was fine for an AthlonXP, but I doubt it would be up to dual overclocked Xeons. :)

Directron has good prices on TTGI/SuperFlower PSUs, and occasionally they'll run some pretty good deals on them.

[cjc_75]

I have one odd question, what orientation are your cpu fans in? Mine are coming straight out of the hsf ( vertical if you lay the case on its side) "sucking" off the heat. I read somewhere that the IWT's could be set in 3 different positions, I just went with what the PC_DL user guide said.

Has anyone tested the other configs?

[Jeff]

TTGIs are great, I wouldn't hesitate to use that in a dually. Just be careful, some of the older model TTGI/SuperFlowers were pretty weak on the +12v. I used to own a 450w unit with <20A on the +12v (18A or 19A, something like that). Was fine for an AthlonXP, but I doubt it would be up to dual overclocked Xeons. :)

Directron has good prices on TTGI/SuperFlower PSUs, and occasionally they'll run some pretty good deals on them.

Funny you should mention a 450w SuperFlower from Directron... I have one and it's rated at 18A on the +12v line. I just started testing it with a 2x3.0GHz Xeon setup this week and so far it's doing fine. The +12v rail is solid, the power supply isn't running hot, and my Xeons are running at the same speed they were when I used a beefier EPS supply. I'm going to keep letting it run as long as everything stays this way. :shrug:

[Jeff]

I have one odd question, what orientation are your cpu fans in? Mine are coming straight out of the hsf ( vertical if you lay the case on its side) "sucking" off the heat. I read somewhere that the IWT's could be set in 3 different positions, I just went with what the PC_DL user guide said.

Has anyone tested the other configs?

I found the IWT liked to have air blowing on them instead... but a couple people at 2cpu.com say they get better results sucking the air off. I'd flip the fans around and see if that helps at all. For me it was 2c-3c difference.

[RADCOM]

Thank you Jeff an excellent guide. I have two of these:-
sSpec Number
SL6VP
Processor Frequency
3.06 GHz CPUID String
0F29h
Package Type
604 pin PPGA Core Voltage
1.525
Bus Speed
533 MHz Thermal Guideline
85.0W
Core Stepping
D1 Thermal Spec
73°C
L2 Cache Size
512 KB Manufacturing Technology
0.13 micron
L2 Cache Speed
3.06 GHz Bus/Core Ratio
23
I am thinking about the Asus NCCH-DL motherboard and I have several questions:- Will the Tagan 480W be sufficient (28A 12v rail) ?
How overclockable are these processors without voltage mods?
Although t
These are the mppga type however I have the stock xeon coolers, should I add extra fans i.e. two per processor or Is it worth watercooling them?
I have just bought some Bh5 memory from ebay are tight timings good for this board.
Many thanks for any advice as I'm a newish to overclocking let alone xtreme overclocking :)

[frostedflakes]

Funny you should mention a 450w SuperFlower from Directron... I have one and it's rated at 18A on the +12v line. I just started testing it with a 2x3.0GHz Xeon setup this week and so far it's doing fine. The +12v rail is solid, the power supply isn't running hot, and my Xeons are running at the same speed they were when I used a beefier EPS supply. I'm going to keep letting it run as long as everything stays this way. :shrug:

As long as the rails are solid, more power to ya! :up:

Would probably be acceptable if all you're running are the Xeons (i.e. no high-end video card, RAID arrays, etc.). But much more and you'd probably be about to the limit of what that power supply is designed for. Then again, you can run 25A through a +12v rated at 18A, just like you can run a processor rated for 1.6GHz at 3.2GHz. ;) It will usually create excess stress on the component, though, resulting in premature failure. But for a power supply, this could mean that it dies after 35k hours, and not 50k hours as per the manufacturer's MTBF. Not a big deal, as that's still a four year life span running 24/7. :toast:

... or it could fail next week. Are you feeling lucky? :p:

[Jeff]

... or it could fail next week. Are you feeling lucky? :p:

:lol: For a bit longer I do... I don't think I'll leave it this way for "35k hours". ;)

:toast:

[Z3r0]

Would this Psu work on these duallies?

http://www.ultraproducts.com/product_info.php?cPath=38_57&products_id=247

[Rodzilla]

That would work/look great!!! :up:

[bachus_anonym]

I've been away from this part of the forums for few days and when I wander back I find such a great guide!!!

Excellent write.... :thumbsup: Makes me wanna sign up for couple of those matched Xeons you're talking about in other thread... :)

I'm building two new setups at the moment ( need to get Big_Deel off my back for a while :lol: ) but maybe I find some extra resources for Dual Xeon ;) I'll let you know, Jeff....

[[XC] serlv]

Build on, bro! There is more than Big Deel back there. Maybe a speck in the distance now, but, as they say, "Objects in rear view mirror my be bigger than they appear"

nudge, nudge!

[Rodzilla]

Build on, bro! There is more than Big Deel back there. Maybe a speck in the distance now, but, as they say, "Objects in rear view mirror my be bigger than they appear"

nudge, nudge!

bachus... Thems fighten woids! :D LET'S GET IT ON!!!!!

[chipmonk010]

ATTENTION JEFF! (and everyone else)

an easier and safer way of doing the vdim mod has been found!! if u look at jeffs pic of the vdim mod u will see 3 solder pads in a row. the one to the far right is where u measure the vdim voltage and the middle pad is directly connected to pin 6 of the vr!! so basically instead of having to solder to the tiny leg of the vr u can just sold a lead to the middle solder pad > to ur pot > to ground n be set! found this over at 2cpu.com and multiple people have tried it successfully! i will be doing it this way! :D

thread here (http://forums.2cpu.com/showthread.php?threadid=40755&perpage=30&highlight=pcdl&pagenumber=328)

cheers hope this helps everyone out a bit!
:toast:

[Jeff]

Yep, I saw that over there tonight after work and verified that pin6 and the middle pad are definitely electrically equal. Will make it a hell of a lot easier for some people. :up:

[chipmonk010]

yes, i was so releaved...lol ive don this type mod before but 200dollar mb eh i was a little worried. i too checked it myself they are directly connected and electrically equal.

[bachus_anonym]

Build on, bro! There is more than Big Deel back there. Maybe a speck in the distance now, but, as they say, "Objects in rear view mirror my be bigger than they appear"

nudge, nudge!

I don't want to crap on Jeff's great thread....

But yeah, I know.... There're are quite a few of great new assets to our D2OL Team, including you ( Serlv ) and Windforce already ripping thru the stats. So now there's even more motivation to shift up to a higher gear ( > 1000 candidates ) :D as there are already three powerfull farms that are outproducing mine or more-less with same output ( Big_Deel or Windforce ).

End of OT ;)

[Jeff]

Just don't crap on me and I'm fine. ;)

[matt9669]

Hey Jeff, was looking at alternate HSF's for the Xeons (I'm not usually picky about fan noise, but living in a dorm means I have to sleep with these things), got an email from Dynatron about these heatsinks (http://www.dynatron-corp.com/products/cpucooler/cpucooler_model.asp?id=89):


Dear Matt,

My name is Karen from Dynatron Corporation. Thanks for sending inquiry to us.

H66 model is no problem to fit on the ASUS PC-DL motherboard. Would you like to purchase 2pcs of H66?

The price of H66 is $20 per pcs. Payment method: visa card or master card.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any question. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Karen Ko
Dynatron Corporation
Should be a bit better cooling and substantially less noise than IWT's - if peeps are interested, I could do a bulk order w/ Dynatron to go with the 1.6/2.4 Xeon orders. Also, you can put in your guide the cheapest way to get these is direct from Dynatron, shipping is @ cost as I understand it so a pair would be > $50, maybe $45 shipped.

[frostedflakes]

Have you used one of these before? Because I'm looking at the specs, and on paper they don't seem any more appealing that the IWTs as far as noise goes. 4300RPM and nearly 40dBA. Plus they use an uncommon fan size, which would make finding a different fan or adapter that much more difficult.

IMHO, if you're gonna spend more than ~$20-30 on Xeon heatsinks, either go all the way and get some Swiftechs, CoolerMasters, or watercooling. Just my $0.02, though. :)

[Rodzilla]

Hey Jeff, was looking at alternate HSF's for the Xeons (I'm not usually picky about fan noise, but living in a dorm means I have to sleep with these things), got an email from Dynatron about these heatsinks (http://www.dynatron-corp.com/products/cpucooler/cpucooler_model.asp?id=89):


Should be a bit better cooling and substantially less noise than IWT's - if peeps are interested, I could do a bulk order w/ Dynatron to go with the 1.6/2.4 Xeon orders. Also, you can put in your guide the cheapest way to get these is direct from Dynatron, shipping is @ cost as I understand it so a pair would be > $50, maybe $45 shipped.

I don't like the fact that it's for 2U server application... As soon as it's tagged 2U the price gets jacked up... The fan is a 70mill... it would be a pain to find a replacement/upgrade... If they could hold 80mm fans they would be sweet! <-- e-mail and ask?

[Rodzilla]

Have you used one of these before? Because I'm looking at the specs, and on paper they don't seem any more appealing that the IWTs as far as noise goes. 4300RPM and nearly 40dBA. Plus they use an uncommon fan size, which would make finding a different fan or adapter that much more difficult.

IMHO, if you're gonna spend more than ~$20-30 on Xeon heatsinks, either go all the way and get some Swiftechs, CoolerMasters, or watercooling. Just my $0.02, though. :)

If only I didn't have to spell check my damn post! I so would have not gotten out posted... damn that paste in Kindergarten... it was sooo good!

And who’s idea was it to make markers that smelled like different fruits... Blast!

[matt9669]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Swifty sinks won't fit on the PC-DL - if they do, I'd gladly pay for those. :D

38dBA is fairly good as far as CPU HSF's go, dunno what the IWT's are rated at but I figured it higher from the way it was described - plus, the noise signature on 60mm fans tends to be subjectively worse.

But realistically, it's only $10-20 difference from a pair of IWT's, so even if the improvement is marginal, not a real bother. By the time I need to replace one of these CPU fans I highly doubt I'll be using the setup anymore ;)

But, just my :2cents:

EDIT - they look big enough to hold an 80mm with a bit of metal hacking . . .

[smokey]

Other than the passive cooling solutions, 1U Heatsinks seem to provide slim choices. Coolermaster has the E1U-N61SS-03... any other contenders? Specifically, for this type of application (24/7, high-load) the HSF would need to be solid copper, accomodate two/four CPU configurations and not need a massive amount of air moving over them from the case fans (e.g. a passive solution). CM seems to have the only viable candidate...

[Rodzilla]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Swifty sinks won't fit on the PC-DL - if they do, I'd gladly pay for those. :D

38dBA is fairly good as far as CPU HSF's go, dunno what the IWT's are rated at but I figured it higher from the way it was described - plus, the noise signature on 60mm fans tends to be subjectively worse.

But realistically, it's only $10-20 difference from a pair of IWT's, so even if the improvement is marginal, not a real bother. By the time I need to replace one of these CPU fans I highly doubt I'll be using the setup anymore ;)

But, just my :2cents:

EDIT - they look big enough to hold an 80mm with a bit of metal hacking . . .

The Swifty will fit! :up:

[matt9669]

The Swifty will fit! :up:
I was looking on Swifty's site and thinking the same thing . . .

Well then, problem solved! :YIPPIE:

[Rodzilla]

Just be clear... This is what you want...
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx603-V.asp

the 604-V has the same exact °C/Watts ratio as the 603-V when paired with the same exact fan... So I firmly believe that these 2 HS are the same... except for the retention brackets...
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx604-V.asp

[shadowing]

Hey, are there any for opterons? And is it a general good idea to overclock after you burn-in the CPU, or before?

[Rodzilla]

Hey, are there any for opterons? And is it a general good idea to overclock after you burn-in the CPU, or before?

http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx6400-V.asp

[[XC] serlv]

Just be clear... This is what you want...
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx603-V.asp

the 604-V has the same exact °C/Watts ratio as the 603-V when paired with the same exact fan... So I firmly believe that these 2 HS are the same... except for the retention brackets...
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx604-V.asp


So, the MCX603-V is the one we want for the D1 1.6gHz LV Xeons?

Will any 80mm fit on it? I'm thinking of the Panaflo FBA08A12H 80x25mm, 3pin, 39.6cfm, 32dBA. Or will I be needing more CFM at 3.0 to 3.3 gHz?

Also, will this setup will work on the NCCH-DL?

Let me know, cause I want to order my cooling, so as to get this show on the road.

Cheers,
Scott

[Rodzilla]

So, the MCX603-V is the one we want for the D1 1.6gHz LV Xeons?

Will any 80mm fit on it? I'm thinking of the Panaflo FBA08A12H 80x25mm, 3pin, 39.6cfm, 32dBA. Or will I be needing more CFM at 3.0 to 3.3 gHz?

Also, will this setup will work on the NCCH-DL?

Let me know, cause I want to order my cooling, so as to get this show on the road.

Cheers,
Scott

Isn't the NCCH-DL a 604 socket board?

The fan you mentioned should work just fine. You can easily change the fan if it starts to run a little above what you would like.

[chipmonk010]

quick question guys,

has anyone run 4 dims in the pc-dl? does it hinder ocing? just wondering if i can upgrade to a gig in the future by just throwing another 2 sticks in or if i have to get 2x512 n replace them. the manual says its fine but ive heard it hurts ocing to run four in some boards.

thanks
:toast:

[Rodzilla]

Both the PC-DL and the NCCH-DL are 604 ZIF sockets...

The MCX603-V will work on both boards.
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx603-V.asp

The MCX603-V and MCX604-V are the same exact heatsink... The only difference is the mounting hardware...

You can purchase new hardware kits to upgdate the MCX603-V to a MCX604-V

I'm thinking that the MCX604-V may also work on the NCCH-DL... Not sure on that one.

[Rodzilla]

It's official now!

I've been chatting with Gabe from Swiftech.

The MCX603-V and the 604-V are the same exact HS. They just come with different mounting brackets.

The MCX603-V will work on both boards.

The MCX604-V will work on the NCCH-DL but not the PC-DL.

So get your self's a MCX603-V and call it a day! :D

[matt9669]

Thanks for clearing that up, I was a bit confused myself!

[Rodzilla]

@Jeff... will the new Volt mod method for VDIMM be added in the guide?

[Jeff]

Yeah... work has picked up a bit though so I'm not sure when. :rolleyes:

And good work verifying what heatsink will/will not work with the PC-DL. Maybe you can :stick: Gabe into donating a couple of them for our next XS.org D2OL Challenge! :lol: ;)

[FDM]

I just got my PC-DL today, are there any other mods suggested to run over 200fsb aside from the ones listed in Jeff's article?

[Rodzilla]

I don't think so! :up:

[chipmonk010]

I just got my PC-DL today, are there any other mods suggested to run over 200fsb aside from the ones listed in Jeff's article?

there was a guy over at 2cpu.com who was working on a vdd mod but i dono if he worked it out yet, i cant remember now but there may be another vcore mod described over there.....its worth checking out

http://forums.2cpu.com/showthread.php?threadid=40755&highlight=pcdl

the thread is 329 pages long lol....might wanna grab a coffee first

[FDM]

thanks, book marked it, I will attempt to read at least part of it when I finish writing the couple of papers I need to finish.

Also, anyone who watercools dual cpu rigs: do you run the blocks in parallel or series?

[chipmonk010]

yeah im curious about that myself^ ive seen it in series but i would think paralell would be better, wouldnt it?

[Rodzilla]

5. Connecting the water-block(s) to the cooling circuit: Carefully identify the direction of the flow in your circuit. For the MCW6000 to operate properly, the fitting located at the center of the water-block MUST BE USED AS THE INLET. In multi-processor environments, connect the two blocks in series: For example: pump discharge to inlet of processor 1, discharge of processor 1 to inlet of processor 2, and discharge of processor 2 to radiator.

Source: http://www.swiftnets.com/products/installation_guide_h20-80-r2.pdf Page 25 of 38

[chipmonk010]

thanks rod, interesting they say to do it series....

[Rodzilla]

I would have guessed parallel... but I'm not all knowing... :D

[matt9669]

It has to do with how powerful your pump is - if it can sustain good flow rates when used in parallel, the temp of the second processor will be lower. However, if the pump can't push enough volume, you're better off overall in series.

Water flow is fairly analogous to electrical connections: when connected in parallel, the flow rate is ~1/2 of that in series. Of course, there's less flow resistance through one block in parallel than two in series . . .

If you know you have a pump that performs above average and don't have a massive rad/long tubing lengths, I'd say parallel. If the water has to go longer distances and has a long trip through the rad, serial would probably bring lower overall temps.

[[XC] serlv]

w00t!! Just ordered 2 Swiftech MCX603-V's. The mobo is sitting here. Now I'm just waiting on the fricking CPU's and the PSU ( entered one of the #'s wrong, but fixed that today ).

I'm anxious to get this moving forward!

[shadowing]

And owning all those people in the world. :) XS is moving higher and higher.

[EyeOfThierry]

Hi Jeff,

Question, If we apply the new bios hack by FinalZero http://www.datamine.tk/ to the PC-DL board, all of these mods will no longer be necessary, right? That is, we'll be able to set the vCore, vDDR through the bios? That's what they claim at least...

Have you had the chance to try it? What do you think about the hack anyway? I'm trying to build a video-editing machine. Very new to all this mod'ing and bios changing. I don't mind going in and doing the changes you suggest, or I suppose the bios update to the FZ one. Only thing with the bios update is I'm a bit afraid that it will screw the board up somehow since it's probably not throughly tested. And then leave me completely lost!

Thanks,
-t-

[chipmonk010]

Hi Jeff,

Question, If we apply the new bios hack by FinalZero http://www.datamine.tk/ to the PC-DL board, all of these mods will no longer be necessary, right? That is, we'll be able to set the vCore, vDDR through the bios? That's what they claim at least...

Have you had the chance to try it? What do you think about the hack anyway? I'm trying to build a video-editing machine. Very new to all this mod'ing and bios changing. I don't mind going in and doing the changes you suggest, or I suppose the bios update to the FZ one. Only thing with the bios update is I'm a bit afraid that it will screw the board up somehow since it's probably not throughly tested. And then leave me completely lost!

Thanks,
-t-

http://www.datamine.tk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=243&PN=1


WARNING: These are all very very very experimental, some barely work, others not at all. It is recommened that you have some form of backup BIOS chip for recovery (or a 'RD1 Bios Savior').

id say its probably not a good idea... form the looks of that

[Rodzilla]

http://www.datamine.tk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=243&PN=1



id say its probably not a good idea... form the looks of that

The BIOS is from a NCCH-DL mobo... I would be careful...

Site doesn’t seem too be all that impressive enough to attract reliable modders...

[Jeff]

Vddr is NOT adjustable through that BIOS and will never be through any BIOS. ;) The board's hardware isn't capable of it so it's impossible. I mentioned that earlier in one of their threads and P4N came back a while later confirmed it wasn't changing.

Vcore... don't really know if the BIOS changes that... I have a feeling it doesn't to be honest. If the hardware could support that then I think Asus would have included it somewhere along the way.

I honestly haven't been keeping up with what they are doing with the PC-DL BIOS over at 2cpu.com. It's a neat attempt... but I wouldn't buy a PC-DL just because of it. ;)

[vapb400]

I'm really interested in getting one of these beasts. The PC-DL has no problem running stabily at 200FSB? I noticed some of your rigs were reset a few hours ago, was that a stability issue? Expect 1-2 of these from me in the next month or so :)

[shadowing]

Who wouldn't? I'm interested in it. But too bad, I'll go Opteron. Those two chipset solutions are :slobber:.

16 SATA II!!!!

[Jeff]

I'm really interested in getting one of these beasts. The PC-DL has no problem running stabily at 200FSB? I noticed some of your rigs were reset a few hours ago, was that a stability issue? Expect 1-2 of these from me in the next month or so :)

Yeah, stability of my hand to NOT turn off their power strip. :lol:

No stability problems here except when I try getting a few more GHz than I know is stable. I keep hoping for "burn-in" to help the chips go farther. ;)

[Rodzilla]

I'm really interested in getting one of these beasts. The PC-DL has no problem running stabily at 200FSB? I noticed some of your rigs were reset a few hours ago, was that a stability issue? Expect 1-2 of these from me in the next month or so :)

Will those be crunching for the D2OL team???? :D

[sky]

preface to make me unwanted in here ;)

i haven't (ever) been in one of the folding forums i think and might not happen in here again, but this dual xeon thread caught my eye and immediately an idea pops up in my mind.
i'm admin at my workplace and besides that i am doing a good deal of graphics and lately some 3d-modelling and animating there now - which will probably be increasing over time percentagewise... doing this on a p3 933 - and a sketchy 640x480 testrender (not even tuning all the bling bling up to high or better) takes ~10mins to render. so has anyone in here ever done 3d-work with a monster like this? i'm asking because these 2x3.0 ghz just sound too tempting to get - and at $110 (which is even less in euro, about the price of a new xpm2600) it is a steal. so if these things are as powerful as they seem to be, i might build one such "render-slave" for the office - and maybe add one for my personal collection along the way :)
i found some numbers via a google search, but those were a pair of 3.06 ghz, 1mb, fsb 133 (???) xeons. how would these 1.6'ers at 3.0 ghz with 200mhz fsb and only 512k do? does anyone have a bench or numbers to show regarding this? if so please post (pm me?)

btw if this post is considered offtopic - as it has nothing to do with folding and would probably be more suited in the general intel forum, just tell me and i'll remove it.

[Tube]

Will those be crunching for the D2OL team???? :D

I think its safe to assume that there will be a couple of xeon crunchers showing up as new d2ol nodes soon enough :) :banana: :banana4:

[Rodzilla]

preface to make me unwanted in here ;)

i haven't (ever) been in one of the folding forums i think and might not happen in here again, but this dual xeon thread caught my eye and immediately an idea pops up in my mind.
i'm admin at my workplace and besides that i am doing a good deal of graphics and lately some 3d-modelling and animating there now - which will probably be increasing over time percentagewise... doing this on a p3 933 - and a sketchy 640x480 testrender (not even tuning all the bling bling up to high or better) takes ~10mins to render. so has anyone in here ever done 3d-work with a monster like this? i'm asking because these 2x3.0 ghz just sound too tempting to get - and at $110 (which is even less in euro, about the price of a new xpm2600) it is a steal. so if these things are as powerful as they seem to be, i might build one such "render-slave" for the office - and maybe add one for my personal collection along the way :)
i found some numbers via a google search, but those were a pair of 3.06 ghz, 1mb, fsb 133 (???) xeons. how would these 1.6'ers at 3.0 ghz with 200mhz fsb and only 512k do? does anyone have a bench or numbers to show regarding this? if so please post (pm me?)

btw if this post is considered offtopic - as it has nothing to do with folding and would probably be more suited in the general intel forum, just tell me and i'll remove it.

This is the 3rd or 1000000th time I have heard a cry for benchmarks...

I want to see some too!!! :stick: :D

Sky... your post was fine! Everyone is welcome here! One of the biggest things I liked about this thread is that I knew it would get a lot of attention! Nothing like this to get some new faces in here... maybe even get them to fire up a client or 2... or 30! :up:

[STEvil]

on a side note, how well do P3 933's do at this? I picked up a pair of them (slot 1 chips) and need to find a motherboard for 'em now.

[[XC] moddolicous]

preface to make me unwanted in here ;)

i haven't (ever) been in one of the folding forums i think and might not happen in here again, but this dual xeon thread caught my eye and immediately an idea pops up in my mind.
i'm admin at my workplace and besides that i am doing a good deal of graphics and lately some 3d-modelling and animating there now - which will probably be increasing over time percentagewise... doing this on a p3 933 - and a sketchy 640x480 testrender (not even tuning all the bling bling up to high or better) takes ~10mins to render. so has anyone in here ever done 3d-work with a monster like this? i'm asking because these 2x3.0 ghz just sound too tempting to get - and at $110 (which is even less in euro, about the price of a new xpm2600) it is a steal. so if these things are as powerful as they seem to be, i might build one such "render-slave" for the office - and maybe add one for my personal collection along the way :)
i found some numbers via a google search, but those were a pair of 3.06 ghz, 1mb, fsb 133 (???) xeons. how would these 1.6'ers at 3.0 ghz with 200mhz fsb and only 512k do? does anyone have a bench or numbers to show regarding this? if so please post (pm me?)

btw if this post is considered offtopic - as it has nothing to do with folding and would probably be more suited in the general intel forum, just tell me and i'll remove it.

They should do alot better than your current P3. They should do very good. If your using it for work though they mite not let you mod the motherboard, but you can check. I think this is definetly an area where opterons are not what you are looking for.

[sky]

hey, i'm admin :D... there's no one to stop me ;)...
and well i'd expect a dual 3ghz rig to beat my p3 933 in anything (maybe except bootup times, lol). but where would it be compared to a current (give or take a few months) technology single-cpu system, like maybe p4 3.2g, a64 3200, axp @2.6ghz. on some of the cg- & renderforums i frequent, people are using dual xeons, but they can't tell how much more (or less) performance this solution offers to anything else - after all they only have one system. so i'd think people around here, who are likely to have more than one current tech system know a bit about that.
oh and i'm totally neglecting the difference in pricing between current tech and dual xeon, because if that is taken into account, the duallie probably beats most anything - besides an amd xpm processor-based system.

btw thanks to you rodzilla and all the others for bearing with me here :)

[Plum Ugly]

Well,I've read yer posts and I got a couple 1.6's I'm gonna try on a PD-DL MB. Will be interesting to see how high it'll go.

[[XC] serlv]

So, Plum, want to join us with a few machines? Its a good program!

Check it out, here (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43195).

[Plum Ugly]

Well I might try one on a stock twin amd and see what its like.

[[XC] serlv]

That sounds good, Plum! People here have been wondering how a dual Opteron would work. Wondering how many candidates it would put out compared to a dual Xeon. Let us know ( if and ) when you do. It would be good to know this info.

Cheers,
scott

[Jeff]

:welcome: to the boards Plum Ugly! :toast:

FaD Gorilla huh? ;) (nice avatar)

[chipmonk010]

hey jeff how hot should i let these xeons get at load? right now im folding away n i leveled out at 49c and 51c on the cpus i would think thats fine but this is my first intel sys n my iwt hsf are not exactly installed they way they're ment to since they dont fit with the fan blowing from the side i have the fans blowing down from the top. so far going very nicely by the way :D running 200 x 15, the twinmos mem is at 2 2 2 5 @ 3.2v hehe i like this mem already. thanks for all the help :toast:

[Jeff]

I think all my Xeons are running 55c-60c full-load. ;) Anything more than that and stability seems to go down.

15x200 is such a nice round number isn't it? :lol: :up:

[chipmonk010]

I think all my Xeons are running 55c-60c full-load. ;) Anything more than that and stability seems to go down.

sweet im in the clear, i may have to push these puppies a little further...


15x200 is such a nice round number isn't it? :lol: :up:

yes indeed it is, chugging along nice n smooth, i really like this setup, may have to drop my 6800 gfx card just for kicks :D

[[XC] moddolicous]

where do u guys get your Asus PCDL. I am interested since my dad needs a new comp, I might just make it one of these. I know zipzoomfly has them. Is there anywhere else? And also what PSU? I cant fins one with the 8 pin connector thing.

[chipmonk010]

where do u guys get your Asus PCDL. I am interested since my dad needs a new comp, I might just make it one of these. I know zipzoomfly has them. Is there anywhere else? And also what PSU? I cant fins one with the 8 pin connector thing.

i got mine from zip zoom fly

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductList.jsp?ThirdCategoryCode=011423
its the only place that i have seen them, but i havent looked that hard lol

[[XC] serlv]

where do u guys get your Asus PC-DL?

Go to pricewatch.com > type "Asus PC-DL" ( w/o the quotes ) into the search area, hit enter. check out the entries. I used ewiz.com for my board ( not a PC-DL, but a similar Asus ). their are other places listed also, you may have to scroll down some. Any of these places should be checked on by going to resellerratings.com and seeing if they are listed favorably.

Or you can go to google and type in "Asus PC-DL" into the search area and follow the links.

PSU's? Ya want roughly 450W or better, strong 12V rail ( about 28A or better ), preferably a 24 pin connector.



I use a Sparkle FSP550-60PLG . It has the 24 pin and 8 pin connector w 36A on 12V rail


PSU's >>> Fortron/Sparkle makes solid, No B.S. PSUs. They aren't fancy, but good value for the $. See also Enermax, PCP&C, OCZ, Zippy/Emacs, Seasonic. Do a search on the forums, there are tons of PSU threads.

Hope this helps.


Scott

[[XC] moddolicous]

thanks serlv. Do I have to have the 8pin mobo connector or not. Where did u get that PSU. It sounds good for what I need.

[[XC] serlv]

YW :)

Don't know whether you need the 8 pin connector, but with that Sparkle 550, you'll have it.

I did the homework, and depending how you enter the search terms, for that PSU, into the pricewatch.com search entry line, you will get a link to ewiz.com. I paid $88 w free shipping, which is by far the cheapest on the 'net. If you were to go straight to ewiz and look it up it will cost ya $87.95 plus $9 or $10. So, you must enter through pricewatch. Everywhere else, I looked, was at least $93 or $94, plus shipping.

$88 is a great price for this very stout PSU. This PSU is almost exactly what the doctor ordered, for our purposes here. Certinly you can find others, but, for me, it fits the bill.

[Rodzilla]

Well I might try one on a stock twin amd and see what its like.

The Mighty Ugly one!!!! :welcome: to the forums! :welcome: to the team??? :stick: :stick:

[Plum Ugly]

Thanks Rodzilla ,I've added a couple more to the 1200 twin. A 1700@2200 and a 3000 amd.
I do have a question . How does this do on a red hat linux setup? What I mean is, in the tweak section I didn't see any thing on what OS's runs best or if it run better on amd or intel.Nor did I see anything on how the system's setup makes a difference

[Rodzilla]

There are little to no Linux boxes here on the team so I can't answer the Linux question... That and I know nothing about Linux :(

As for Intel or AMD... D2OL seems to like the high end AMDs... as for A-XP or P4 w/HT the P4 owns.

Setup... D2OL salivates over tight timings! If you can't manage tight timings then high memory bandwidth / High FSB seems to do just as well if not better. (High FSB on Intel and Tight timings on AMD)

[Plum Ugly]

Thanks,I may have to setup one to find out on the linux.

[vapb400]

Will those be crunching for the D2OL team???? :D
yes they will, along with a few other machines (1700+@ 2GHZ, 1GHz T-Bird@1.7GHz.) All those will be folding along with 2 2x1.6's. I may have one of the machines host files as well, dunno yet. Looking forward to finishing the circutry upgrade of my basement so I can get these going.

[shadowing]

Thanks,I may have to setup one to find out on the linux.

I'm not too much of a Linux person. But I'm trying to find out too. I'm going to ask a friend how to set it up. If it's successful, I'll let you know. :)

[Rodzilla]

yes they will, along with a few other machines (1700+@ 2GHZ, 1GHz T-Bird@1.7GHz.) All those will be folding along with 2 2x1.6's. I may have one of the machines host files as well, dunno yet. Looking forward to finishing the circutry upgrade of my basement so I can get these going.

:worship: Make me your D2OL slave!

That will be a very nice boost to the team! Thanks for the contribution! :up:

[smokey]

I'm not too much of a Linux person. But I'm trying to find out too. I'm going to ask a friend how to set it up. If it's successful, I'll let you know. :)

If you need any help, I'd be glad to help. Someone's got to expand the minds around here...
:p:

[matt9669]

On the PC-DL, is it obvious in the BIOS that the pin mod is working & set to 1.6V? Like, Vcore1 = 1.6, Vcore2 = 1.6 or similar?

[Jeff]

On the PC-DL you'll get ~1.55v when you do the 1.6v u-wire mod. And in the BIOS there is only one Vcore reading but you also have a small LED located between the S-ATA connectors and the BIOS chip that will light up if there is a voltage difference between the two Xeons. So if you have ~1.55v in the BIOS and that LED is NOT lit, then you are fine.

NOTE: I'm NOT talking about the large LED next to the 80pin hard drive connector. That's just a power LED. ;)

[chipmonk010]

On the PC-DL you'll get ~1.55v when you do the 1.6v u-wire mod. And in the BIOS there is only one Vcore reading but you also have a small LED located between the S-ATA connectors and the BIOS chip that will light up if there is a voltage difference between the two Xeons. So if you have ~1.55v in the BIOS and that LED is NOT lit, then you are fine.

NOTE: I'm NOT talking about the large LED next to the 80pin hard drive connector. That's just a power LED. ;)

i dono if u noticed jeff but on the new revision of the board that led is missing, its in the manual but not on my board, just thought id point it out
:toast:

[matt9669]

Well, you could always test them one at a time . . .

[Jeff]

i dono if u noticed jeff but on the new revision of the board that led is missing, its in the manual but not on my board, just thought id point it out
:toast:

It's there on the three new boards I just received. :confused: It basically looks like a surface mount capacitor... not a typical LED like you're used to. Very bright when it's lit btw.

I'll try and get a picture of it tonight after work if you don't find it by then.

[STEvil]

surface mount LED ;)

[Jeff]

surface mount LED ;)
:p:

[chipmonk010]

ohhh yeah i didnt thnik of that, nvm :D

[Redp5]

Well heatsinks arrived so i decided to see how far i could go with this weak 400 watt psu i have. Did the wire mod for vcore and followed the directions from Jeff's instructions and it booted right up at 15 X 200 no problem. loading xp now....then i will play and see what this thing can do....

Update....16x200 4 instances of D2OL....WOOT WOOT... :banana:

[[XC] moddolicous]

What heatsinks did u get

[Jeff]

Update....16x200 4 instances of D2OL....WOOT WOOT... :banana:

http://smly.org/smly/woot.gif

[Redp5]

I got the Cooler Master Heatpipe 01s.....I havn't loaded anthing to see what my temps are yet, but it is still cranking candidates..... :banana:

[Jeff]

Change the original message a little today:
* Added a couple warnings.
* Added a new D1 stepping to the list.
* Added u-wires required for 1.5v instead of 1.6v
* Added a picture and description of the alternative(and easier) Vddr mod.

BTW, I think you really only need 1.5v Vcore. I am testing right now and I have not noticed any poorer of an overclock going to this voltage. And things seem to run a few degrees cooler too so you may just want to try 1.5v first.

[shadowing]

I realized that lowering the voltage really helps your temps. But WOOT!!! 3.2 ghz!!! :)

[Redp5]

@Jeff...I think you lost the last picture that shows the 200 FSB Jumper....at least i dont see it. I havn't had a chance to tweak yet, so i may not need the vddr mod....

[Rodzilla]

@Jeff... put a link to the "Bulk order" thread after or before
eBay is the best place for low voltage processors right now. LapCompute is selling a pair for $99 plus shipping, here is link to his auctions: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlapcompute

?????

[matt9669]

The only reason I'd be against it is because Jeff's bulk orders are really meant for the XS D2OL team, and Jeff's Xeon guide is fairly popular outside of this site . . .

What you could do is put in "if you're a member of the XS D2OL team, see this thread" or the like. :banana:

[matt9669]

It basically looks like a surface mount capacitor... not a typical LED like you're used to. Very bright when it's lit btw.Thar she blows! ;)

[chipmonk010]

that led in tiny no wonder i didnt think i had one lol, i think my nf7-s has those, very very bright little guys

[lv_dicedealer]

Thanks Jeff for the awesome guide!

I have a question about the vddr mod though. When looing at the 3 solder pads as in the picture in the how-to guide, what does each pad do? (ie which is ground, which is the point to solder the other leg of the vr, and which is the location to measure voltage) I have read it, it just isnt sinking in for some reason....

Also, I have a 600w OCZ, will that cause any problems (not in relation to the vddr mod, just over all)?

I thank you again for all the info and help....

Gotta go to work now and make some money to buy another dualie set-up.

[Rodzilla]

I don't think the OCZ 600watt will cause any problems... :slobber: :slobber:

It will keep you from having a lot of problems if anything! :up:

It might just cure world hunger!

[chipmonk010]

Thanks Jeff for the awesome guide!

I have a question about the vddr mod though. When looing at the 3 solder pads as in the picture in the how-to guide, what does each pad do? (ie which is ground, which is the point to solder the other leg of the vr, and which is the location to measure voltage) I have read it, it just isnt sinking in for some reason....

Also, I have a 600w OCZ, will that cause any problems (not in relation to the vddr mod, just over all)?

I thank you again for all the info and help....

Gotta go to work now and make some money to buy another dualie set-up.


if u look at the first vdim mod pic u see the three solder pads the one on the far right is marked with a black do this is where u measure the vdim voltage with a multi meter. (to do this place the positive lead of the multimeter on the far right solder pad and the negative lead on one of the screws that holds the mb to the chassis) the pad in the middle is what u connect to on terminal on ur pot, connect the other terminal of the pot to ground( i use one of the screws that holds the MB to the chassis)

i dont know what the far left solder pad is or does but it is NOT and ground so dont mess with it or it could short something n kill the board

:toast:

i think ull really like that xeon rig i certainly love mine :D

[matt9669]

@Jeff - just got back from RadioShack (best I can do around here *sigh*) with the goods, if you'd like I can take some pics and do a mini-writeup on the Vddr mod - I know it's any easy one, but 1st timers might like to see some tips from an experienced hardware destroy . . . umm, modder ;)

Other items of note:

* My REV 1.05 PC-DL has a clip-lock across the entire ATX 2.0 socket - strange the 8pin EPS connector doesn't have the same . . .

* The Thermalright NB1/NB1C does fit, it's a bit snug w/ CPU2's HSF but for those who want something better than the passive heatsink, it works :)

* GOOF-OFF works great on the pink-stuff type TIM on the northbridge - of course, it's not even needed for the VRM HS, that pillow they call a thermal pad comes right off :D

* Do the SB/other VRM's (other than the ones above the AGP) warrant cooling? I'm sure a lot of us have spare little heatsinks for this sort of thing, if not they're EZ to come by.

* Is one of the DIMM socket pairs recommended (i.e. both blue or both black)? Didn't know if you'd had better luck in 1/3 or 2/4 . . .

That's all I could think of :D

[Jeff]

@Jeff - just got back from RadioShack (best I can do around here *sigh*) with the goods, if you'd like I can take some pics and do a mini-writeup on the Vddr mod - I know it's any easy one, but 1st timers might like to see some tips from an experienced hardware destroy . . . umm, modder ;)

Sounds good to me. The more simple we make it on everyone the better. http://smly.org/smly/cheers.gif


* My REV 1.05 PC-DL has a clip-lock across the entire ATX 2.0 socket - strange the 8pin EPS connector doesn't have the same . . .

Yeah, this was mentioned in a different thread but not here. The last 4 PC-DLs I've seen have had the new extended lip on that connector. Makes using 20pin power supplies a little safer.


* The Thermalright NB1/NB1C does fit, it's a bit snug w/ CPU2's HSF but for those who want something better than the passive heatsink, it works :)

Yep, I've used that and while it seems to work fine, I didn't notice any increase in overclock or stability so it's one of those, "do it if you want to" type things.


* GOOF-OFF works great on the pink-stuff type TIM on the northbridge - of course, it's not even needed for the VRM HS, that pillow they call a thermal pad comes right off :D

Can you even beleive that they used that gum on the VRM? It's an absolute JOKE! http://smly.org/smly/piss.gif


* Do the SB/other VRM's (other than the ones above the AGP) warrant cooling? I'm sure a lot of us have spare little heatsinks for this sort of thing, if not they're EZ to come by.

I did add a few extra heatsinks to the first couple boards I put to work, but not since. Again, "do it if you want to". ;)


* Is one of the DIMM socket pairs recommended (i.e. both blue or both black)? Didn't know if you'd had better luck in 1/3 or 2/4 . . .

I've only ever used the two blue sockets. :shrug: Never got the urge to try the other ones. Go ahead... give it a whirl.


That's all I could think of :D

That's it? ;)

[matt9669]

Sounds good to me. The more simple we make it on everyone the better. http://smly.org/smly/cheers.gifCool, I'll get to work on that when I can. Kinda busy at the moment (keep this on the d/l but talking to OPP, lol) . . .


Can you even beleive that they used that gum on the VRM? It's an absolute JOKE! http://smly.org/smly/piss.gifDude, the VRM's would be better off naked than with that thing - it just flopped off like a piece of foam!


That's it? ;)You know Jeff, I am a mod now . . . :devil:

[Plum Ugly]

A couple of questions.Where did you load the pic of the 1.5 u-wire? and does anyone have pics of the IWT's mounted?

[Jeff]

A couple of questions.Where did you load the pic of the 1.5 u-wire? and does anyone have pics of the IWT's mounted?
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/PCDL-16vcore.jpg
Just do the top two u-wires for 1.5v(~1.45v actual on the PC-DL).

And I've been meaning to get a picture of those IWTs mounted. If there isn't a picture posted here in the morning I'll try to snap and post one before work.

[Plum Ugly]

OK thanks! I got 8 sets of those IWT's with the link to ACMEmicro you gave and they have a plastic wind tunnel setup that doesn't look like it fits to well on a PC-DL mb.

[lv_dicedealer]

i dont know what the far left solder pad is or does but it is NOT and ground so dont mess with it or it could short something n kill the board


It really seems like it should be ground seeing as how some other folks were using conductive pens to link the two pads together and got a 0.8v increase in vddr. If it isnt a groung then Im really bummed, i soldered a spare fan header in those 3 spots (the pads are actually holes that go thru the mb), I was planning on making it look nice and tidy :(

[Jeff]

It really seems like it should be ground...

It's not a ground.

[matt9669]

Easy test - run the board, voltmeter high end to this point, low end to ground - run it for a while, stress it etc. see if there's any potential difference. I would also watch startup/shutdown, but if Jeff's right (I'm guessing 99% he is, lol) there should be a difference in potential at some point.

[Rodzilla]

It's not a ground.

Jeff seems pretty sure here... I wouldn't mess with it.

[matt9669]

Neither would I, but if you want to do the test I gave, feel free . . .

[chipmonk010]

its easy to test just use the ohm setting on ur multimeter, with the board OFF and unplugged and touch the solder pad in question with one lead and a mb mounting screw with the other lead. the result i got was either infinate ohms or some other ohm reading i forget now, but if it was a ground there would be a zero ohm reading between the two points and this is def not the case, i would not be surprized if bridging the two pads fried the board.

u can still make it neat tho, i soldered a wire to the underside of my board, through the pot n to a ground and it looks and works fine :D

[lv_dicedealer]

Thanks all... time to go unsolder :mad:
I am glad that I asked before I potentially friesd my board though.

Also, anybody know where to get those Coolermaster heatpipes? I am really wanting a quiet monster.

[Rodzilla]

Thanks all... time to go unsolder :mad:
I am glad that I asked before I potentially friesd my board though.

Also, anybody know where to get those Coolermaster heatpipes? I am really wanting a quiet monster.

I would try the Swiftech MCX603-V HS...

[lv_dicedealer]

The Coolermasters have no fans, not to mention I have used Swiftech product before (about 2yrs ago) and unless something has drastically changed I wont be using it again. Just my opinion..... You may like red cars, I do not.

[Rodzilla]

To each his own I always say!

The fan less coolermaster and the Swiftech with a low DB fan won't even be close. I think you would get much better cooling performance with the Swiftech and a low output fan. Them HS were designed to operate very well with low noise fans.

[Redp5]

Just for reference, i bought the coolermaster heatpipes and i have one 32 cfm fan blowing on both heatpipes and my 100% load is like 40c - 42c...this is not in a case and room temp is 21c ....as you say...your mileage may vary....

Whit....

[Rodzilla]

Just for reference, i bought the coolermaster heatpipes and i have one 32 cfm fan blowing on both heatpipes and my 100% load is like 40c - 42c...this is not in a case and room temp is 21c ....as you say...your mileage may vary....

Whit....

Can you tell us what the temps are without the fan?

[lv_dicedealer]

Can you use the 'Nocona' style heatsink mounting with the 1.6g LV Xeons on the PC-DL?

Which mounting method is better (as always these are opinions, I understand)?

[matt9669]

I'm a thru-the-mobo man meself, but either style will work on the PC-DL AFAIK - it includes the brackets for 603-style mounting. IMHO :devil: you get better clamping pressure/transportability with mobo mounting . . .

[Redp5]

@Rod......i can let you know when i get home from work later......i am at 3.2 ghz also....just to let you know.....

Whit...

UPDATE....I must be on the ragged edge with the fan blowing on the heatsinks...when i turn the fan off , it locks up really quick.... :(

[Rodzilla]

I'm a thru-the-mobo man meself, but either style will work on the PC-DL AFAIK - it includes the brackets for 603-style mounting. IMHO :devil: you get better clamping pressure/transportability with mobo mounting . . .

I agree agree and... agree! The swiftech 603 can be mounted to any Xeon Chip.

@Redp5... that's what I thought...

The swiftechs would do a lot better job cooling and be just as quiet with a low DB fan... I don't like passive cooling... especially when you are talking about a 100% OC.

[[XC] moddolicous]

I am definitely interested in building one of these, but I have a few questions.
1: Is Jeff going to have one of those xeon mass buying things again, or was that a one time thing?
2: Are the mods on the board easy, or do I have to be really good at soldering. I'm not an expert, but I have done a couple vmods here and there.
3: I plan to set this up as a daily use computer, so will I notice any decrease in productions?

[Rodzilla]

I am definitely interested in building one of these, but I have a few questions.
1: Is Jeff going to have one of those xeon mass buying things again, or was that a one time thing?
2: Are the mods on the board easy, or do I have to be really good at soldering. I'm not an expert, but I have done a couple vmods here and there.
3: I plan to set this up as a daily use computer, so will I notice any decrease in productions?

1: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=689494#post689494 there will be more orders.

2: The new method for the VDIMM mod makes it pretty simple and safe... do some practice runs on dead hardware or really old stuff.

3: If you use your PC D2OL is designed to get out of the way so you don't notice a slow down... But for normal browsing and word processing you won't take a noticeable production hit at all!

[Rodzilla]

w00t!! Just ordered 2 Swiftech MCX603-V's. The mobo is sitting here. Now I'm just waiting on the fricking CPU's and the PSU ( entered one of the #'s wrong, but fixed that today ).

I'm anxious to get this moving forward!

@Serlv...

Can we get some pics of these HS mounted? Please :D

[Jeff]

A couple of questions.Where did you load the pic of the 1.5 u-wire? and does anyone have pics of the IWT's mounted?

Finally got around to taking a picture of the IWT heatsinks mounted.
http://home.earthlink.net/~adventurevision/Xeons/x14.jpg

PU, if you received IWTs with clear covers instead of the black ones pictured above then I'd get into contact with AcmeMicro.com and tell them that they are not what you ordered and they will not work for your application. Also make them aware that their picture shows the black shroud and that there's a huge difference in the IWT pictured and the one you received.

I received two from them with clear covers and they will not work if you install them how you're supposed to. Mind you you can use a couple zip ties to hold the fans down... but these heatsinks are really only made for >2.4GHz Xeons. :(

I am removing the link to AcmeMicro right now. I should have placed a test order there instead of just listening to others when I listed that place. I still think the best place to find IWTs is eBay. :shrug:

Sorry if this has cause major problems. :( I feel very, VERY, VERY bad about listing AcmeMicro.com in this thread now. http://smly.org/smly/shoothead.gif

[Plum Ugly]

heck,thats ok.I'll figure something out with them.

[jarthel]

I called up ASUS and they were kind enough to send the parts out to me at no charge.

Can you tell me what number to call? How is the refurbed PC-DL doing? still doing okay? thanks for the reply.

[chipmonk010]

I am removing the link to AcmeMicro right now. I should have placed a test order there instead of just listening to others when I listed that place. I still think the best place to find IWTs is eBay. :shrug:

Sorry if this has cause major problems. :( I feel very, VERY, VERY bad about listing AcmeMicro.com in this thread now. http://smly.org/smly/shoothead.gif

i ended up with the clear ones, i zip tied em on n it works ok, i dont hit over 51c, but i would have rather gotten the black ones, oh well for 9 bucks a piece i cant really complain to much...dont worry about it jeff, not ur fault acmemicro doesnt know what there doing lol

[matt9669]

No worries Jeff, maybe you should post a link that does an eBay search for IWT or whatever you use to find these . . . and let peeps know what the difference is and what to look out for . . .

I took a lot of pics of the Vddr mod, hopefully I can get around to posting them and some tips etc. this weekend . . .

[Jeff]

AcmeMicro upped their price to $12 each btw. ;)

[matt9669]

AcmeMicro upped their price to $12 each btw. ;):brick:

[chipmonk010]

AcmeMicro upped their price to $12 each btw. ;)
well at least now shipping costs the same as one iwt rather then more.....lol

[IhatemyISP]

Will the IWT sold at the below link work for my rig when I get everything together?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6741897659

[[XC] moddolicous]

I think it should work, but i don't have a xeon set up yet. Did u really win that CPU for $4? Thats AMAZING if you did.

[IhatemyISP]

I think it should work, but i don't have a xeon set up yet. Did u really win that CPU for $4? Thats AMAZING if you did.
It's just the IWT that's in that auction.

I've emailed the user and he's quote me $23 for two of them, shipped to me. :banana:

I was thinking about getting a set of them off another guy, but I don't really need 5 of them, as this is going to be my only Xeon system.

[saaya]

wow, thats an amazing price! :toast:

[IhatemyISP]

wow, thats an amazing price! :toast:
Yea, I was quite happy with it. He shipped them out via Fedex Ground, so you can't beat it.

[FDM]

antec 'true' 480w PSU: not the best idea w/ a dual xeon and lots of other stuff running off it. my rails have seen as low as 3.15, 4.87, and 11.73 according to MBM5. Will be picking a new PS soon enough.

[IhatemyISP]

antec 'true' 480w PSU: not the best idea w/ a dual xeon and lots of other stuff running off it. my rails have seen as low as 3.15, 4.87, and 11.73 according to MBM5. Will be picking a new PS soon enough.
Ouch. From what I'm seeing that has 12V@22A, same as mine.

I won't be running a lot of of it, but I'm a little leary...

[ChelseaOilman]

hey check this psu out! http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=270303

made for xeons and mps 33a on the 12v rail for for 82 bucks!!
i think i may be getting this one...
:toast:
I've been using that Enermax EG465P-VE 460W Power Supply for 8 months now in the first PC-DL machine I built July/2004. That machine is running 2.66 MO Prestonia CPUs @ 3.4Ghz and it's been running 4 instances of F@H 24/7 since. I just purchased 5 more of them to build additional PC-DL and NCCH-DL machines. They seem to work fine for me, but my machines are for my Folding farm and don't have any additional power hungry hardware. They're going for $88 now.

Carl

[ChelseaOilman]

It really seems like it should be ground seeing as how some other folks were using conductive pens to link the two pads together and got a 0.8v increase in vddr. If it isnt a groung then Im really bummed, i soldered a spare fan header in those 3 spots (the pads are actually holes that go thru the mb), I was planning on making it look nice and tidy :(
I used conductive paint to join the two pads furthest from the memory slots on my two PC-DL boards. I didn't check the voltage before doing it, but I checked it just now and it's showing 2.584 volts.

Carl

[RocKer]

Well its final,i order me a couple xeon's to make 2 rigs,and i gone buy me some OCZPowerStream 420w to feed these baby's,or do i wait en save some $$ more to buy 2x520w,i think the 420w is more then ok.

I love my OCZ520w it dos'nt even get warm :rocker: .

And wat about the cases,can i take a normal midi-case,or is a mini atx case also ok,looking at cooling i think i will go wc,i have some good results with water and it's cool and quiet,so i am aim'n at 3.2ghz atleast;).

[Rodzilla]

Well its final,i order me a couple xeon's to make 2 rigs,and i gone buy me some OCZPowerStream 420w to feed these baby's,or do i wait en save some $$ more to buy 2x520w,i think the 420w is more then ok.

I love my OCZ520w it dos'nt even get warm :rocker: .

And wat about the cases,can i take a normal midi-case,or is a mini atx case also ok,looking at cooling i think i will go wc,i have some good results with water and it's cool and quiet,so i am aim'n at 3.2ghz atleast;).

My dual Xeon rig ate my OCZ 420 Powerstream... so be carefull :D
http://xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17812&stc=1

[[XC] serlv]

ChelseaOilman: Are you coming to join our team? We sure could use another insane crazed cruncher!

[matt9669]

My dual Xeon rig ate my OCZ 420 Powerstream... so be carefull :D
http://xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17812&stc=1What happened exactly Rod? I was thinking of replacing this +12V drooping Vantec 520W with the OCZ 420W, but maybe that's a bad idea :D

[IhatemyISP]

Can anyone confirm if the 8-pin AUX connector on the motherboard is required for it to operate?

[ChelseaOilman]

ChelseaOilman: Are you coming to join our team? We sure could use another insane crazed cruncher!
I've been doing F@H for 4 years now and I'm a mod over at the Folding-community.org forum so I don't see myself switching projects any time soon. I've considered changing teams though, but probably not before I reach 1,000,000 points on my present team.

Thanks for the "insane crazed cruncher" compliment. The guys at work just think I'm insane when I tell them how many computers I have at home. ;)

Carl

[Mr_Slinky]

what do you guys thing about these heat sinks... any good or not?
http://www.ctechnet.com/hardware/Coolermaster/Cooler/coolermaster_e3w-nptxc-01.htm

[charlie]

great read!!

[FDM]

Can anyone confirm if the 8-pin AUX connector on the motherboard is required for it to operate?

no its not required, im running with a 20pin/4pin psu right now.

on edit: a 4 or 8 pin is required though, it won't boot with NOTHING plugged into it.

[Redp5]

@Mrslinky....I have those and i have a single 92mm fan blowing on both and have 43c 39c 49c temps on 1.6lv's @ 3.2 ghz running 4 instances of d2ol...not in a case so your temps may vary...

Whit.. :)

[RocKer]

My dual Xeon rig ate my OCZ 420 Powerstream... so be carefull :D
http://xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17812&stc=1
What is "ate",is it like eating it up,so the xeon busted your OCZ420w :( right.

Then its maybe better to get the OCZ520w or something else in that same class,lets face it the are class those OCZ Powerstream.

And what about the case,is it ok to put them in an micro-atx case(maybe heat problems),or better a midi-case(better airflow),i'am still looking for some 2hands maxi towers,the are the best one's in regard of airflow,but its so big hè :D .

Q,are there mobo's like the PC-DL with video onboard.

[RocKer]

what do you guys thing about these heat sinks... any good or not?
http://www.ctechnet.com/hardware/Coolermaster/Cooler/coolermaster_e3w-nptxc-01.htm
That is freaking nice and quit,no fan's at 3400mhz,whats the price on those coolermaster heatpipes,and woot the do the same,temp wise,as wc,or is wc just plain better,i like to play with water y'no:).

[matt9669]

When you get a chance Rod, do tell us how the 420 bit the dust - seems like this would be a great PSU for a crunching rig (i.e. mobo and CPU's, 1HD, nothing else)

[Jeff]

I can tell you since it died while I had it.

Basically it worked for 1 or 2 weeks absolutely fine while powering a combination of DD's and Rod's Xeon rigs. Once all the parts for everybody's systems got here I put the OCZ in Rod's nice aluminum case and adjusted the +12v to ~12.10v under full-load. Once I did that, it stopped working fine. :( The voltage unloaded during startup would be around 12.2v and then under load it'd got to 12.10v for only a minute or two before dropping slowly and steadily to ~11.01v. :( For some reason it just couldn't hold up under load any longer. :(

Don't know if it was/is just the +12v VR that took a poop or if something else happened. At any rate it was worthless now. :(


I have an OCZ 420w power supply here I'm using and it's working fine after a few months. BUT I don't think I touched the +12v VR. Didn't OCZ have problems with their VRs in their DDR Boosters? Maybe there was a bad batch everyone got and these are also bad? Don't know but it's put a souring taste in my mouth about recommending these now... which sucks because they are a great deal for these Xeon rigs. :(

[ChelseaOilman]

This is just booting off a floppy with Memtest86 on it so I know I'll have to slow it down a little when I hook up the HD and install the OS, but it's pretty impressive what these 1.6 LV Xeons can do. I'm hoping for a stable 3.2Ghz under load.
http://home.comcast.net/~chelseaoilman/XEON/PC-DL.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~chelseaoilman/XEON/Boot_Screen.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~chelseaoilman/XEON/Memtest86.JPG
Memtest ran through 10 passes without errors, but I rebooted the machine so the picture shows it just starting. This is with a single Crucial DDR400 512MB stick and no VDIMM mod. I did use conductive paint between the 2 pads as mentioned earlier to get a 0.08 VDIMM increase.

Carl

[IhatemyISP]

no its not required, im running with a 20pin/4pin psu right now.

on edit: a 4 or 8 pin is required though, it won't boot with NOTHING plugged into it.
Should I align the 4-pin in the center of that AUX connector?

[Jeff]

Should I align the 4-pin in the center of that AUX connector?
Do you have the manual for the Asus PC-DL? If so, it shows a picture of how it's put in. I don't have a 4-pin plugged in right now or I'd take a picture of it for you.

BTW, I think it only goes in one way and I think it's the end towards the memory.

[FDM]

yes, Jeff is right. Plus it only fits 1 way.

edit: errrr. yeah. what jeff said. :D

[IhatemyISP]

Do you have the manual for the Asus PC-DL? If so, it shows a picture of how it's put in. I don't have a 4-pin plugged in right now or I'd take a picture of it for you.

BTW, I think it only goes in one way and I think it's the end towards the memory.
My manual does show exactly which side to put it on, but I'm guessing it doesn't matter. Either one side or the other.

[FDM]

if looking at the mobo how it would be mounted in the case, it will only fit on the right side.

[Mr_Slinky]

That is freaking nice and quit,no fan's at 3400mhz,whats the price on those coolermaster heatpipes,and woot the do the same,temp wise,as wc,or is wc just plain better,i like to play with water y'no:).

that is what i was asking you guys you can get them for 41 w/o fan from orbit micro http://store.orbitmicro.com/commerce/catalog/product.jsp?product_id=1030&czuid=1108142918500
or http://www.3dcool.com/Details.asp?cid=26&id=1337 but they dont currently have them in stock

[Plum Ugly]

Yeah,I tried to order a set from orbitmico. I want ta try them out.

I just got a set ordered.

[IhatemyISP]

I got mine up and running, but my HD's crapped out on me (go figure) so I'm running Knoppix while I wait on my income tax check so I can buy a new SATA drive...

Knoppix recognizes all 4 processors :D

[elec999]

Excellent guide, dual lv xeons seem to be the next best bang for the buck smp system, just like dual mps with mobile used to be, and still may be.
Just curious are there any vdrop mods for Xeons boards, PCDL.
Thanks

[IhatemyISP]

I've got mine up and running.

I've got it running 3087mhz(205x15) at ~1.6v and the TwinMOS ram running 2-2-2-5(1:1) @ ~3.37v. Been running Prime95 for several hours now, and all is looking well.

[Rodzilla]

I've got mine up and running.

I've got it running 3087mhz(205x15) at ~1.6v and the TwinMOS ram running 2-2-2-5(1:1) @ ~3.37v. Been running Prime95 for several hours now, and all is looking well.

I was wondering what happened to your production... you hadn't put up points in some time! http://stats.free-dc.org/new/userstats.php?proj=d2ol&name=IhatemyISP

Are you going to run D2OL on the Xeon rig you got from the D2OL bulk order?

[FDM]

Excellent guide, dual lv xeons seem to be the next best bang for the buck smp system, just like dual mps with mobile used to be, and still may be.
Just curious are there any vdrop mods for Xeons boards, PCDL.
Thanks

check this out:

http://www.datamine.tk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28&PN=1

[IhatemyISP]

I was wondering what happened to your production... you hadn't put up points in some time! http://stats.free-dc.org/new/userstats.php?proj=d2ol&name=IhatemyISP

Are you going to run D2OL on the Xeon rig you got from the D2OL bulk order?
My production there is from my old P4 system, that's DOA at the moment.

I'm just now getting my Xeon rig to the point where I'm comfortable stressing it under full load. I'm burning it in now to make sure it's stable as a rock, and then I'll crank D2OL back up.

I got my Xeons direct from Gabriel via eBay ;)

[Disposibleteen]

nice, that should be sweet

[Rodzilla]

My production there is from my old P4 system, that's DOA at the moment.

I'm just now getting my Xeon rig to the point where I'm comfortable stressing it under full load. I'm burning it in now to make sure it's stable as a rock, and then I'll crank D2OL back up.

I got my Xeons direct from Gabriel via eBay ;)

Ahhhhh I see. Let's see what them things can do!

[[XC] moddolicous]

I've got mine up and running.

I've got it running 3087mhz(205x15) at ~1.6v and the TwinMOS ram running 2-2-2-5(1:1) @ ~3.37v. Been running Prime95 for several hours now, and all is looking well.
What cooling?? That should put out around 300+ a day, right?

[IhatemyISP]

What cooling?? That should put out around 300+ a day, right?
Just the IWTs.

[Helheim]

What heat do these 1.6LVs put out at stock, in watts, and at around 1.5-1.6v @ 3Ghz?

I thinking about getting a couple peltiers and doing some water cooling :D

[Rodzilla]

What heat do these 1.6LVs put out at stock, in watts, and at around 1.5-1.6v @ 3Ghz?

I thinking about getting a couple peltiers and doing some water cooling :D

That will just be sick!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure about the usage in watts... it can't be that high at all.

[Helheim]

Ya the 2.0Ghz ones are 58watts but can't find anything for the 1.6Ghz ones. Probably around the same though.. Not sure how much extra it add though running them at higher voltage and ghz. I want to get a couple 169w pelts as I could run them off a mean well power supply I already have but couldn't do the 2x226w ones.

[matt9669]

Do it the EE way! :rotf:

Power (and heat output) increases linearly with frequency and with the square of the voltage. This means that you should multiply by the frequency difference (if you clocked a 3.0 at 2.0, that's 1.5) and multiply by the voltage difference squared (a 1.3V chip at 1.6V has 1.23 times the voltage or ~1.5 times the heat output).

[[XC] moddolicous]

What heat do these 1.6LVs put out at stock, in watts, and at around 1.5-1.6v @ 3Ghz?

I thinking about getting a couple peltiers and doing some water cooling :D
That should have some great results, but u might have to do the the real vcore mod. PM Jeff about it. I think u might have to put 1.7 or upwards to get these to 4ghz, but I think its possible.

[matt9669]

Agreed, you might need more than 1.6 (or the actual 1.55 the PC-DL puts out) but the Vdroop and Vcore mods exist, and peltier cooling should be able to handle it :up:

[F|apDro|`]

dE4 is modding his board completly 2morrow so ...

He wants ~4Ghz :/

[matt9669]

Pics! w00t!

Oh, and don't mind the title, Kazoo's messing with me right now. :D

[[XC] serlv]

use some of my Arctic Silver 5.

Is there a higher than normal chance of some electrical conductivity or something, messing things up? Or does Swiftech just prefer Ceramique? I've never used Ceramique before; is it roughly equivalent, in transferring heat, to AS 5?

I also have some Shin Etsu X23-7783D here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll use the Shin Etsu. If you have any opinions on this let me know. :)



what can I say, I get anal about these little details.... :D

[matt9669]

OPP swears by Ceramique, if that helps.