[rescue] [Semi-OT] 700MHz Xeons in a Proliant 6400R?

[Curtis H. Wilbar Jr.]

Patrick Giagnocavo wrote:
> Marc Gutschner wrote:
>> Hi!
>>
>> Forgive me if this is more than Semi-OT but after my SO's cat 
>> literally p***ed my E4k to a painful death, I need another SMP toy to 
>> play with. So, I have this noisy and heavy Proliant 6400R lying 
>> around that currently features a quadriga of 500 MHz P3-Xeons and a 
>> stack of 700 MHz P3-Xeons in the cupboard.
>>
>> Does anyone out there happen to know if a 6400R can be convinced to 
>> accept the "not officially supported" 700 MHz CPUs by twiddeling with 
>> some switches?
>>
>
> I would put the latest BIOS (RomPAQ?) on it and then make sure the 
> front side bus speed (100Mhz or 133Mhz) is the same between the 500s 
> and 700s.

Actually I'd start by trying w/o updating the BIOS.  There have been
several Compaq models that as they upgraded the BIOS, they put a
cpu check in that wasn't there.  Compaq doesn't like you putting in
something they didn't intend in there.

I have a ProLiant 1600.... tops out at 2xP3-600 Katmai.... even though
it is a BX and I should be able to take it to 2x(fastest 100mhz Tualatin
P3 at 100mhz meant for dual cpu operation) with the right slot1 to
socket 370 converters.

Alas, due to the inability to expand it further.... the system is in the
make on offer pile.... as I have so many systems, without being able
to expand (w/o BIOS hacking) to Tualatin, it isn't going to get used
here.  I added the LCD display, it has a RAID card, and I have all the
drive brackets to fill the 5? 6? slots.

I have a ProLiant 1600R that is currently dual PII, I have to test that
sometime to see if it's older BIOS will let me exceed the processors
supported by the BIOS...  if not, it's in the make an offer pile too....


>
> It may work - worst that can happen is that it beeps at you.
>
I would worst that should happen is it beeps at you.  It is always
possible (not likely) that something worse could happen.

I'd be interested to hear if this works.  I have a 2xP3 Xeon box
that I upgraded to the fastest proc supported (with 2M cache
each).  It's not a compaq, but a Dell.  I did not try going beyond
the rated mhz becase I saw the voltage changed.

That is something else to keep in mind with your Compaq, if would
even work, you may need newer voltage regulator modules (assuming
they are modular on that box).

-- Curt

> --Patrick
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