Serverworks LE Chipsets

[LordOfAll]

Does anyone here have any experience or knowledge about these chipsets? I need to build a server, which I haven't done in a while. I went to look for setups and the pickin' are mighty slim. It boils down to the LE chipset or the 840 and I would like to stay away from Rambus due to price. Can anyone point me to any reviews of this chipset?

TIA

 

[Ben]

Unless you can find a Supermicro PIIDME. It's an i840 board but it uses SDRAM (one feature of the i840 that is rarely taken advantage of). They are hard to find though because Supermicro had problems with them (out of their control). As long as you use RAM from their list of recommendation they are great boards.

I've been using one for 6 months now. When I first got it I was cussing it out but now that I have RAM from the list it has been a great board. More stable than the P2B-DS I used to have. I'm using the NEC PC133 from Mushkin.

I bought it because it was the only board that fit my needs:

Dual CPU capable of 100MHz or 133MHz bus
AGP Pro port (4X capable)
2 64-bit PCI slots
no ISA
4 PCI slots
uses SDRAM (only certain brands/types)
no onboard SCSI
UDMA66(I don't use any IDE devices but the support is there if I need it)
and I sent Supermicro some e-mail and they said that the board will run a Pentium 3 1GHz CPU.

I wish they didn't have problems with certain RAM types because I think this would have been a very good board. There are no other boards out there that have all these features.

Anyway, I am also interested in a review of the Serverworks chipset because I would like to know how they stack up to the competition. Although with no AGP port their kinda limited to server situations, no workstations.

Ben

 

[Ben]

That's strange. I just checked the Supermicro web site and the picture they show for the PIIDME is different from before, and different from my board. Maybe they redesigned the board and are going to re-release it!

 

[Radboy]

Looked into the 820 & 840 boards w/ SDRAM sppt. Correct me if I'm wrong. In order to use SDRAM w/ 820/840, u gotta use a 'memory translator hub', cuz both the 820 & 840 were (originally) designed for Rambu$. I thot there was Intel deal for all 8x0 boards w/ SDRAM option. Deal -> send Intel ur SDRAM, they send Rambus in return. Maybe this was just for 820, cuz guy I'm thinking of, has an 820. He was kinda stoked about free Rambus.

Heard nothing but good about SW_LE chipset - stable & more developed than 840 - but more expensive, I think. Not sure. The Asus CUR-DLS looks sweet. Checked it out? But, like Ben says, no AGP blows. Cheapest CUR-DLS at Pricewatch is $670. is I see no clear dual solution. Heard Via has come a long way, but I'm still chicken of their (new) dual solution.

CUR-DLS

Supermicro also makes a SW_LE mobo: 370DLE. $450 at P/W.

How much does Ben's mobo go for?

Have u seen this? Good forum what they talk SMP.

 

[Ben]

I just tried to find some but I can't. They're all gone.

Hopefully Supermicro will start making them again.

BTW, the 820 used an MTH which served the purpose you described, a bandaid.

The 840 uses a MCH(Memory Controller Hub) which was designed from the start for SDRAM. Unfortunately this had problems too. There was an issue when using ECC SDRAM that was well known. There was also some stability issues unless newer SDRAM was used.

Thanks for the links.

Ben

 

[LordOfAll]

The reason motherboards with the MTH are gone is that Intel found that under certain conditions it would corrupt data. They have recalled all those boards. So anything with an MTH is out. supermicro makes a serverset III LE board with onboard scsi 160 for about $480. The Asus looks nice but for $200 more I don't know about it. Anyone have an opinion one way or the other.

At least no one has said serverworks chipsets suck yet.

 

[CBuxton]

I've used the SuperMicro 370DL3 in a couple of servers with no problems whatsoever...in fact, it is a VERY fast and VERY stable platform. Just make sure you get REGISTERED ECC PC133 memory. I found it at www.mwave.com under corsair PC133 memory. Drop dual 933's, 512mb, Adaptec 3200 64-bit RAID card, and some Seagate Cheetahs and you'll have an EXCELLENT machine for a pretty reasonable cost.

Also, don't worry about the lack of an AGP slot. You don't need it in a server. Just get a video card that is on the HCL and you'll be good to go. If you MUST have AGP, then get the SuperMicro 370DE6. It uses the ServerWorks HE-SL chipset instead of the ServerWorks LE

 

[Ben]

I just found this at Net Express



<< The new ServerWorks boards are now out from ASUS, SuperMicro and Tyan. They have been performing great. They support PC133 memory and a 133MHz FSB. The LE and HE based board have been released. They support up to 8GB of PC133 SDRAM and generally include on board SCSI, Ethernet and sometimes video (ASUS). For dual processor use the Pentium III Coppermine. For Quad use the Xeon 700Mhz CPUs. Keep in mind these are for servers not workstations and lack AGP support. The WS version should be out in December with AGP support for workstations >>



Coming from Net Express, I'd say it's a good chipset.

 

[Fun Guy]

Talked to a Tyan guy who said that the HE chipset board they made (chipset by Serverworks) was the best performing board he had seen in quite a while. He was talking about their Thunder 2500. I would think that going with Serverworks would be an OK move.

 

[Radboy]

There it is - the WS, with AGP, for workstations .. that'll be me.

 

[CBuxton]

SuperMicro has a board out that has AGP...the 370DE6: Board Specs
It uses the ServerWorks HE-SL chipset. Check it out!

 

[Radboy]

That's it.

Couldn't find it on CNET's shopper.com

Found *one* place that had it on Pricewatch:

See here.

$627 is steep.

 

[Ben]

That's a nice board. I've never seen it before.

I like the butt-load of 64-bit PCI slots. And the DUAL channel U160 SCSI. That's probably why it's so expensive.

The only thing I don't like is that it only supports Registered ECC PC100 or PC133. Most people don't have ECC memory. That adds to the cost. In addition, ECC memory is more expensive.

 

[Radboy]

btw, sent email to outfit offering the board, to see if it was in stock. They replied back today:

Not for another 2-3 weeks.

Thanks
Jason

 

[Thorn]

$627 is NOT steep. Not for a server... especially with that board's features (64bit PCI etc). I've seen much worse. Check out AMI's server mobo pricing sometime.

 

[Radboy]

With onboard AGP, the board seems aimed more at the workstation market (than servers). Was comparing to Tyan Tiger 100 ($150, BX, SMP). I guess it's all relative, but for me $627 is steep, especially when adding cost of (couple sticks of) ECC RAM .. that would be ~$1G for board w/ 2 sticks (128MB) of RAM. Ouch.

Don't need/want onboard SCSI. Have Tekram U2W - maybe U3W if I had a slot for it. Only want/need one 64-bit slot. Don't need onboard ethernet.

I know it's apples &amp; oranges, &amp; I know serious servers/workstations can get much wor$e. Was simply looking for something that would let me get my SMP feet wet w/out emptying the piggy. Unfortunately (for me) this isn't it.

Maybe down the road someone will offer a 'stripped' version of SW w/ AGP for those wanting to wade into SMP land (W2K, Linux, BeOS) on the cheap.