Pair of 1.6 GHz Xeons

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: mikeg
Ok people for those of you who think you can get a cheap Dual Xeon and oc it to 2.6+ Gigs and have a value system this is not for you. First the mobo will cost you almost double the CPU cost. Second if you don't have the right type of PS you will just be waisting your time. Get a good PS for the system it really makes a difference on the PC-DL. Third this mobo is so picky about what memory it will take make sure you have memory that will work with it. Yes they say it will run PC3200 if you run the FSB at 200 but also remember that the PC-DL mobo undervolts the memory at about 2.45-2.50v. 4th The HS & fans are not as easy to find as for other cpus. Just giving people a little more info before they take the plung and invest on these CPUs. For those of you waiting for the NCCH-DL that would be a waist with these CPUs because it will make that much of a difference even if you do have the PCI-X. Just my thoughts on the subject. BTW I do have 2 pair of these CPUs and after the trouble I went though I think it was a good deal but only if you are ready to put in the work to get all the stuff to work properly
Mike

Informative post, albiet a bit negative. You said nothing that wasn't correct...but some things that could use a bit of clarification.

Here's the BEST Asus PC-DL thread on the net right now

Including the fact that you don't have to run your PC3200 at it's default 200MHz. Then again, any halfway decent geek worth his salt knows this already!!!! PC3200 runs at an official SUPPORTED maximum of 200MHz. It'll run anywhere from 0 to 200 MHz w/o any issues.

Here's the best Asus NCCH-DL t...d on the net right now

It's got a lot more than just PCI-X slots! Most notably, it's got much better VRMs than the PC-DL; meaning that this is one MOFO of an overclocker!! Read the threads.



That said, these "cheapo Xeons" are a very inexpensive way of getting into the SMP Fold. That's why I bought them. They are guaranteed to do nothing, overclock-wise. BUT, they are "guaranteed" to do at least 2.6GHz w/stock cooling and cheap ram. Check the threads. There are a LOT of happy people out there.

Think about it. 2 x Cheapo Xeons $120. PC-DL $200. EPS PS $120. Most folks buying this combo already have PC3200 memory at home, along w/a video card, HD, and such.. Essentially, for less than $500, you can have a DUALLIE, 2.6GHz rig that'll stomp most any desktop out there these days.

You can't go wrong.

Is this a rig to be built by the complete neophyte? NO. That would be a grave error. Overclocking is not for the n00b, nor someone who's only got one rig for everything. No. This is for those of us who like to experiment w/PC parts and see what we can do w/them.

Just wanted to clarify.

 

[MaskedAvenger]

For those that want to modify the stock Intel heatsinks with quieter & better fans, Directron is selling the Thermaltake Silent Cat (32 CFM at 21 db) 80mm fans $11 for 2 and Akasa aluminum 60mm to 80mm fan adapters for $4 each. While I don't know what the stock fan stats are, I would bet that they either don't have the CFM power (Panaflo 60x10 12 CFM at 24 db) or make 4 times as much noise (Global Win 60x25 38 CFM at 47 db)!


If you really need more CFM, get the Silent Cat 90mm fan $13 for 2. It comes with a 80mm to 90mm fan adapter included, and puts out 52CFM at 21 db. You'll have two fan adapters connected to each other, but that will be one cool heatsink!

PS: What type of power supply is required? What is the highest value one out there (lowest cost/ medium to high quality power supply)? Any stand out's in the value shopper power supply arena that would power the PC-DL? Lastly, a PC-DL system with the twin oc'd 1.6 xeons would be great for SETI as well, right?

 

[Buzzman151]

has anyone read anything about using a scsi card w/ the PC-DL board? I know some boards have 'issues' on running scsi when there is a sata controll onboard.


Thanks!

 

[MaskedAvenger]

After viewing the 2cpu.com forums, I bought a Tagan 480 watt EPS12 power supply for $78 (plus $6 tax in Cal) with free ground shipping. Its the quietest power supply mentioned (compared to a Fortron and Enermax units) that did not void all of its waste heat into the case (Silentx). From what I read, the PC-DL likes alot of power, and using 20-24 & 4-8 pin converters to make a normal ATX power supply work with the ASUS mb would not have worked well.

 

[w0ss]

Ok I bought these and an asus PC-DL. I have powered it up and cannot figure out where the overclocking stuff is. I was hoping to get 200MHZ FSB out of this but the highest I can go is 132 and ddr266. Any hints?
Thanks,
Will

 

[superHARD]

Originally posted by: MaskedAvenger
and using 20-24 & 4-8 pin converters to make a normal ATX power supply work with the ASUS mb would not have worked well.

Why not?

will a Antec True power 430 work?

 

[w0ss]

I and many others are using a standard ATX power supply fine. Although I do have a EPS12v on order just waiting for it to arrive.

 

[remagavon]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: mikeg
Ok people for those of you who think you can get a cheap Dual Xeon and oc it to 2.6+ Gigs and have a value system this is not for you. First the mobo will cost you almost double the CPU cost. Second if you don't have the right type of PS you will just be waisting your time. Get a good PS for the system it really makes a difference on the PC-DL. Third this mobo is so picky about what memory it will take make sure you have memory that will work with it. Yes they say it will run PC3200 if you run the FSB at 200 but also remember that the PC-DL mobo undervolts the memory at about 2.45-2.50v. 4th The HS & fans are not as easy to find as for other cpus. Just giving people a little more info before they take the plung and invest on these CPUs. For those of you waiting for the NCCH-DL that would be a waist with these CPUs because it will make that much of a difference even if you do have the PCI-X. Just my thoughts on the subject. BTW I do have 2 pair of these CPUs and after the trouble I went though I think it was a good deal but only if you are ready to put in the work to get all the stuff to work properly
Mike

Informative post, albiet a bit negative. You said nothing that wasn't correct...but some things that could use a bit of clarification.

Here's the BEST Asus PC-DL thread on the net right now

Including the fact that you don't have to run your PC3200 at it's default 200MHz. Then again, any halfway decent geek worth his salt knows this already!!!! PC3200 runs at an official SUPPORTED maximum of 200MHz. It'll run anywhere from 0 to 200 MHz w/o any issues.

Here's the best Asus NCCH-DL t...d on the net right now

It's got a lot more than just PCI-X slots! Most notably, it's got much better VRMs than the PC-DL; meaning that this is one MOFO of an overclocker!! Read the threads.



That said, these "cheapo Xeons" are a very inexpensive way of getting into the SMP Fold. That's why I bought them. They are guaranteed to do nothing, overclock-wise. BUT, they are "guaranteed" to do at least 2.6GHz w/stock cooling and cheap ram. Check the threads. There are a LOT of happy people out there.

Think about it. 2 x Cheapo Xeons $120. PC-DL $200. EPS PS $120. Most folks buying this combo already have PC3200 memory at home, along w/a video card, HD, and such.. Essentially, for less than $500, you can have a DUALLIE, 2.6GHz rig that'll stomp most any desktop out there these days.

You can't go wrong.

Is this a rig to be built by the complete neophyte? NO. That would be a grave error. Overclocking is not for the n00b, nor someone who's only got one rig for everything. No. This is for those of us who like to experiment w/PC parts and see what we can do w/them.

Just wanted to clarify.

Well put. Stop making me want to order these you bastard!

(I dropped over a grand on a dual 2.4 xeon 2 yrs ago with RDRAM and miss being able to have a million things open and not slow me down at all. I never closed anything when I played a game etc and writing a term paper with 30+ IE windows open didn't make it chug. And this is with 512mb of ram )

This is a very good deal, especially if the pc-dl can use a standard ATX psu without issue.

 

[superHARD]

Originally posted by: w0ss
I and many others are using a standard ATX power supply fine. Although I do have a EPS12v on order just waiting for it to arrive.

But you need two adapters?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: w0ss
I and many others are using a standard ATX power supply fine. Although I do have a EPS12v on order just waiting for it to arrive.

But you need two adapters?

Go to newegg.com and search Thermaltake A2169

That is BOTH cables. They will allow a HIGH power reg. atx power supply to work in xeon motherboards.

 

[w0ss]

I am useing no adapter at all. Standard atx plugged into the 24 pin connector and 4 pin plugged into the 8 pin connector. This is not supported by asus nor recommended but in a pinch will work.

Note: as I haven't figured out how to OC this I am running at stock speeds. I dunno if a standard cable could run a dual xeon 3.2GHz

 

[superHARD]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: w0ss
I and many others are using a standard ATX power supply fine. Although I do have a EPS12v on order just waiting for it to arrive.

But you need two adapters?

Go to newegg.com and search Thermaltake A2169

That is BOTH cables. They will allow a HIGH power reg. atx power supply to work in xeon motherboards.

Their all sold out

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: w0ss
I and many others are using a standard ATX power supply fine. Although I do have a EPS12v on order just waiting for it to arrive.

But you need two adapters?

Go to newegg.com and search Thermaltake A2169

That is BOTH cables. They will allow a HIGH power reg. atx power supply to work in xeon motherboards.

Their all sold out

Yea here is the other place I found, but was hopeing newegg would get them back in stock before tomorrow.



$7.95 plus shipping for a2169 cables

 

[superHARD]

Yeah shipping is $5.85

 

[Aso]

Ok you all tempted me into purchasing a set now I need help figuring out what to get for heatsinks. I like the Swiftech ones but at $100 for a pair thats kind of spendy.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Aso
Ok you all tempted me into purchasing a set now I need help figuring out what to get for heatsinks. I like the Swiftech ones but at $100 for a pair thats kind of spendy.

Myself, and MichaelD, like most are using the Intel Windtunnels with the copper fins. They go for around $15-20 each shipped. The factory fans are kinda loud though, but with a adapter you can put on some 80mm ones.

 

[Aso]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Myself, and MichaelD, like most are using the Intel Windtunnels with the copper fins. They go for around $15-20 each shipped. The factory fans are kinda loud though, but with a adapter you can put on some 80mm ones.

Where would one go about finding these? I think I am going to go with Asus PC-DL board also.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Aso

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Myself, and MichaelD, like most are using the Intel Windtunnels with the copper fins. They go for around $15-20 each shipped. The factory fans are kinda loud though, but with a adapter you can put on some 80mm ones.

Where would one go about finding these? I think I am going to go with Asus PC-DL board also.

EBay is everyone's friend. Search on "Xeon Heatsink" and you'll get about three pages' worth.

I gain nothing here, but I bought mine from a seller named Blueznet; he told me that he had around a hundred of them. :Q

He even took extra pics and emailed them to me so I was sure of what I was buying. Very good service. He said he was shipping them yesterday via USPS. I have no reason to doubt him.

Anyway, I have heard (not literally HEARD them,. but heard from people) that yes, the stock Intel Wind Tunnels (IWT's) are loud. We'll see what happens. As you're finding out, Xeon HS's are difficult at best to find. Those Swiftechs just seem like a ripoff to me.

Coolermaster makes some SNAZZY fanless, heatpipe HS's but they are $42+ EXPENSIVE shipping from Orbitmicro.com, the only etailer that has them right now. I'll worry about quiet cooling down the line...I can always rig something up. I just wanted to have SOME kind of HS to put on there.

From what I've read over at 2CPU (and Marlin1975 has read all the threads too) the IWTs are really good heatsinks, it's just the fans are loud.

Good luck!!! I hope we all hit 3.2GHz!!!

 

[remagavon]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: Aso

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Myself, and MichaelD, like most are using the Intel Windtunnels with the copper fins. They go for around $15-20 each shipped. The factory fans are kinda loud though, but with a adapter you can put on some 80mm ones.

Where would one go about finding these? I think I am going to go with Asus PC-DL board also.

EBay is everyone's friend. Search on "Xeon Heatsink" and you'll get about three pages' worth.

I gain nothing here, but I bought mine from a seller named Blueznet; he told me that he had around a hundred of them. :Q

He even took extra pics and emailed them to me so I was sure of what I was buying. Very good service. He said he was shipping them yesterday via USPS. I have no reason to doubt him.

Anyway, I have heard (not literally HEARD them,. but heard from people) that yes, the stock Intel Wind Tunnels (IWT's) are loud. We'll see what happens. As you're finding out, Xeon HS's are difficult at best to find. Those Swiftechs just seem like a ripoff to me.

Coolermaster makes some SNAZZY fanless, heatpipe HS's but they are $42+ EXPENSIVE shipping from Orbitmicro.com, the only etailer that has them right now. I'll worry about quiet cooling down the line...I can always rig something up. I just wanted to have SOME kind of HS to put on there.

From what I've read over at 2CPU (and Marlin1975 has read all the threads too) the IWTs are really good heatsinks, it's just the fans are loud.

Good luck!!! I hope we all hit 3.2GHz!!!

FYI the 'rigging something up' does work well, I actually made a duct-tape fan adapter and hooked 2x 80mm fans onto my xeons and it was quiet and still very cool (though I did run stock @ 2.4ghz), IIRC temps were about 39-43c, not bad in the slightest The xeons heatsinks are very robust and the intel papers actually describe them as passive (when there is a GOOD amt of airflow I'm sure such as in a rackmount case). Good luck!

 

[TheMisterC]

Originally posted by: MaskedAvenger
After viewing the 2cpu.com forums, I bought a Tagan 480 watt EPS12 power supply for $78 (plus $6 tax in Cal) with free ground shipping. Its the quietest power supply mentioned (compared to a Fortron and Enermax units) that did not void all of its waste heat into the case (Silentx). From what I read, the PC-DL likes alot of power, and using 20-24 & 4-8 pin converters to make a normal ATX power supply work with the ASUS mb would not have worked well.

Where did you find the Tagan at that price?

--MrC

 

[MaskedAvenger]

Ajump.com

superHARD: I searched 2CPU.com's forum for "PC-DL power supplies" and read a bunch of the threads. The PC-DL is power hungry and choosey about its power supplies, and seeing as how these 1.6's are low power models to begin with, I thought it best to get a high quality PSU. I'm sure some people could use less well suited power supplies, I don't know if they are OC'ing their Xeons to the extent I will be. I actually have the adapters already (they came in a Coolmax 400B I bought recently), but I want to make sure that my first dualie has no birth defects.

w0ss: You need to change a jumper on the PC-DL to get it to OC past 132. You can choose 100-132 (default), 133-165 or even 200-233 (which only works with CPU's that have a lower default max multiplier). However, since the 1.6's we're buying are low voltage, you will need to increase voltage to the processor with a simple (at least it sounds that way) u-wire mod (see here Advanced PC-DL Oc'ing) to get it to run at higher FSB's.

 

[TechSerf]

These are great overclockers. I have a pair in an Asus PC-DL using the jumper mod running at 16x150 mhz bus speed (2.4ghz). This is using Kingston 512mb (2x256mb) PC2700 CAS 2.5 ValueRam, a Sparkle 550w EPS12v PS and stock Intel HS/fans. It has been running fine for two weeks at this speed (originally ran it at 16x133mhz bus for a week) running Folding@Home while being used for general PC tasks. I plan on trying to increase the speed in 5mhz increments over the next few weeks hoping for 16x165mhz (2.64ghz). I don't plan on resorting to any permanent mods btw, 2.6 would be enough for me.

The whole thing, not counting what I had lying around, cost me around $500.00, a great value in my opinion. It crunches WU's like mad!

One note the Intel windtunnels are not really loud per se (to me anyway), they seem more "buzzy" and "whiney", like a constant hum in the background. For this price I can live with this one negative.

Good luck all!

 

[w0ss]

Mine are running stable at 133x15 at boot and then use clockgen to set it to 166x15 for a total of 2.5GHz pretty sweet. I have kingston pc3200 valueram right now and it needs 2.6V to get any higher. I was hoping for 16x200 but maybe another day.

 

[imported_waldo]

Just so you all know. they are on ebay for $10 cheaper by the same company!

Cheers

 

[MaskedAvenger]

But you need to pay $8 shipping minimum, so the real difference is $2. Still, $2 is $2