Help with my dual machine please!

Boz

n00b
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
3
Hi guys, this is my first post on hardocp forum, so I would like to say hello to everyone first.

Ok, now, I'm having incredible problems with making my new dual xeon machine to work properly. I'm just out of ideas. Let me explain my situation and if you could help out I would really appreciate it.

List of things I bought:
2 x Xeon 3.6Ghz EMT64
ASUS NCCH-DL
4Gb DDR400 OCZ Performance
WD Raptor 74Gb
Seagate 300Gb NCQ 7200.8
X800XT PE AGP
Lian Li V1200B case
Thermaltake 680W PSU
NEC 16x DVD-R/RW
ASUS 16x DVD-ROM

Now this is what happened. First of all I'm extremely pissed that ASUS has their boards on the market with freakin' BETA bios that doesn't work right. I flashed it to 1.03 version and it started working properly. Now on to the problem.

This thermaltake PSU booted the machine with only one CPU working, since I tried to plug in 4-pin connector to 8-pin 12V connector and it actually happend exactly what I expected. Only one CPU was recognized, not enough power. Then I ordered 4-pin 12V to 8-pin 12V convertor adapter from Thermaltake too, to be still able to use this power supply. While I waited I went and picked up at local store a Vantec 520 black aluminum EPS12 PSU with proper connectors. When I plugged in that PSU everything booted fine, so I decided what a heck I'll put in the rest of the components and the X800XT PE and try to use the system while I waited for this above mentioned convertor. After a while the incredible noise from Intel stock cooling solution was getting on my nerves so after writing in several forums I decided to go with these.
I was so happy when they arrived because I thought "hey @ 28dBA they should be very quiet). I replaced the stock fans with these, used Arctic Silver Ceramic and while still using Vantec 520W booted the machine. At first glance in BIOS everything looks good, so I continue booting Windows. I install CS:S just to see how this video card works and after an hour of playing the whole system just reboots. I go into the BIOS and I see horrible things. CPU1 @ 70C, CPU2 around 60C and 3.3V voltage is at 0.

So I say damn, this power supply is probably not enough. So I start thinking what to do next. In the meantime I get the 4-pin to 8-pin converter from Thermaltake and all happy go ahead and replace the PSU using the 680W Thermaltake.

I boot the system, check the voltages and everything seems good, so I proceed to Windows. First thing I noticed in Windows is that it looked like power management was off although it wasn't. I installed new ATI drivers and go ahead went to restart. BAM, the system shuts completely down and I can't even turn it on with the hardware button. I was like WTF! After 10 minutes, I try to turn it on again and it boots. After 15 minutes, the system shuts down again. So I thought damn, this power supply is totally messed up. I apply for RMA with newegg and all pissed I order a $250 Enermax 600W PSU and pay overnight shipping. Next day, PSU arrives and I'm like if this sh!t doesn't work, I really have no idea what the problem is. I plug it in with default cables 24pin and 8pin 12V to the motherboard, hit the on button and fook it only powers the system for a split second and then goes off. I can't turn it on again. At this point I'm furious. I spent over $6000 buying stupid things just to make this thing work and still nothing. Btw, I have no idea if I'm using this Enermax properly. By default you see 24pin cable with one pin/cable missing (very strange) and one small separate pin cable that goes beside it. You get 2 adapters (one 24-20pin adapter and another 24pin but with a female plug for that one small cable). I guess that's for opterons, but if you would look at newegg you can see the photos. Now I'm just about without ideas.

In all this crap taking out PSUs and getting them back in, I powered the system without the power cable attached to the X800XT PE and since that moment I can't get the graphics card to post anything anymore. Tried it in my other computer and nothing, it's like it's dead. Did I mess it up? Probably. Btw, at this point none of the fans RPM shows up in bios, like they are dead, however they still work. The CPU temperatures on idle go all the way to 55C. Well at this moment, I decide to put in some old AGP card and use the Vantec 520W PSU again. Again, it boots up correctly, but after a while the system shuts down. When I was just about so pissed that I wanted to RMA Refund everything and order the dual Xeon configuration from some online store, I decide to put the old stock coolers back into the machine. Btw, I bought a new ASUS NCCH-DL motherboard because I thought I fu*ked up the motherboard with all these PSU adventures. With older video card inside and Vantec 520W the system boots up but now I can see everything fine. Fans show up in BIOS, temperatures are fine (~40-43 on idle) and voltage is great. I boot the system up and everything works great. The system doesn't shut down or anything. Now I ordered another X800XT PE and hopefully will work with this setup now.

Now I'm asking you what the hell is going on? I want to buy a great worry free power supply because I'm afraid that Vantec 520W is not enough for this setup and also I need like crazy new cooling solution for this machine because now, with old stock coolers back it's so loud that it's unbearable. I'm returning the TT PSU and Enermax PSU for a refund and was thinking about PC Power & Cooling 510 XE PSU but I'm just afraid that it won't work again. I'm also totally idea about the CPU cooling solution that will actually work.

I know this post is sooooo big, but I'm really out of idea and I decided to post on one of the most respected forums on the web because I thought if anybody would know it would be you guys.

Thank you so much.

Best,
Boz (hard forum noob)
 
most of it is just the PSU. Your trying to use a non-eps 12v server motherboard by using a connector, which is bad. Didnt you realise after got that EPS PSU that that was the problem all along? you tried to connect the wrong type of PSU to the motherboard. connector or not its the wrong psu so i wouldnt go near it, plus that psu sounds dodgy as hell. STOP BUYING NON EPS-12V PSU'S AND JUST USE THE/AN EPS 12V INSTEAD. STOP USING CONVERTERS AND JUST BUY THE RIGHT KIND...now thats said.

The temp related thing sounds like it could be a BIOS side problem, try flashing to a slightly earlier release. BUT, the Nocona, being poorly designed/built so it probably just overheated, just use the stock ones. You bought server cpu's so you get server noise :). You need mega airflow on those cpus cause they're just P4 prescotts with larger caches. I'd invest in something beefy and loud for those cpu's, they're always going to overheat cause they're just so badly designed. A tornado on those heatsinks you bought should do the job.

Sounds like you killed the gfx card cause you insist on using the wrong type of PSU and probably just tweaked something the wrong way. Whats the air-flow in your case like btw?

I aint tryin to be negative but it seems you didnt research or know enough about the topic in the beginning. It all stems from your obsession with non-eps 12v power supplies. You don't need a 680w power supply, you'd get by with a 480w if it was good qual. That vantec seems good enough but if you want a better qual one just buy an Antec 550w EPS. Just make sure you use the right type of psu, cant stress this enough.
 
yeah get the right kind of PSU and you might not have had these problems.

and Xeons have no more cache than a regular presscot

This is all the PSU you will ever need.

and i cant believe the video card died from not having power once. it just wont boot when it's like that. gotta be something else did you punch it or something?
 
FunkStar said:
most of it is just the PSU. Your trying to use a non-eps 12v server motherboard by using a connector, which is bad. Didnt you realise after got that EPS PSU that that was the problem all along? you tried to connect the wrong type of PSU to the motherboard. connector or not its the wrong psu so i wouldnt go near it, plus that psu sounds dodgy as hell. STOP BUYING NON EPS-12V PSU'S AND JUST USE THE/AN EPS 12V INSTEAD. STOP USING CONVERTERS AND JUST BUY THE RIGHT KIND...now thats said.

The temp related thing sounds like it could be a BIOS side problem, try flashing to a slightly earlier release. BUT, the Nocona, being poorly designed/built so it probably just overheated, just use the stock ones. You bought server cpu's so you get server noise :). You need mega airflow on those cpus cause they're just P4 prescotts with larger caches. I'd invest in something beefy and loud for those cpu's, they're always going to overheat cause they're just so badly designed. A tornado on those heatsinks you bought should do the job.

Sounds like you killed the gfx card cause you insist on using the wrong type of PSU and probably just tweaked something the wrong way. Whats the air-flow in your case like btw?

I aint tryin to be negative but it seems you didnt research or know enough about the topic in the beginning. It all stems from your obsession with non-eps 12v power supplies. You don't need a 680w power supply, you'd get by with a 480w if it was good qual. That vantec seems good enough but if you want a better qual one just buy an Antec 550w EPS. Just make sure you use the right type of psu, cant stress this enough.

Thank you for your response but I have to say that I knew about everything and ENERMAX power supply carries FULL EPS12 compliant standard + GES. Second, I did make a mistake with TT PSU, but Enermax should've work. The airflow in my case is great, the case is Lian Li V1200B and it's awesome in every way.

Now tell me if you know where I can buy best passive coolers for Nocona Xeons? I heard a few good things about Cooler Master ones, but I'm not sure which one to buy.

THanks.
 
Are you SURE it's not heat? I'm runng dual 2.4 @ 3.4 xeons. the stock intel fans are loud as hell. I replaced them with these http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-615&depa=0 and they are temperature rpm variable. Now the PC is totally silent and just as stable. I'm running this http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-982&depa=0 as the power supply. all crammed inide of a enlight 7237 desktop case with 3 u320 scsi drives. All of those power supplies should have been fine. Are you certain there's no shorts to the motherboard and that everything else is working ok? try running only one CPU?

also check your ram.
 
For a modern-day duallie, the PSU is probably the hardest thing to get just right. Nearly every name out there has EPS12V PSUs, but not necessarily what you really want. IMHO, (listing alphabetically) Antec, Enhance, PC Power & Cooling and Tagan are the PSUs that you should look at. Again, IMHO, you shouldn't pu55y-foot around getting a quality PSU that make noise - PCP&C makes one of the very best EPS12V PSUs and it sounds like a jet. I've heard no-one ever complain about the PCP&C PSU being unreliable, just expensive and noisy... ;)
 
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