Intel C202, C204, C206 Xeon E3 Bromolow Motherboards Thread

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ChiefAJ

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Apr 7, 2011
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By the way, while searching & filtering w/ pci-e slots quantity : how do i distinguish deal breaker mobos (all native pci-e slots) from the ones using pci-e switches ?
The accurate way is to download the board manual and check the layout diagram. I checked out a couple of the Supermicro (X9SCM/X9SCL) and Tyan (S5512/S5510) manuals and I didn't see a switch on the diagram.

The quick (and unreliable) way is to just add up the lane count. You'll see that a few have 2 x8 and 2 x4 lanes (note: lane size, not slots size). Anything less than around 24 lanes should be alright.

I should clarify my earlier statement as I didn't check all board manuals - it doesn't appear that any boards are using a PCIE switch given the lane count.
 

XZed

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Feb 3, 2011
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Your "option 2" is correct.

The number of lanes that will be used is the smaller of the number of lanes supported by the socket or the number of lanes supported by the card. The physical size of the socket does not matter - only the number of lanes actually wired in it.

The transfer rate per lane will be the smaller of the transfer rate supported by the socket or the transfer rate supported by the card.
Thank you to confirm to confirm...so obvious but was dreaming :)...

The accurate way is to download the board manual and check the layout diagram. I checked out a couple of the Supermicro (X9SCM/X9SCL) and Tyan (S5512/S5510) manuals and I didn't see a switch on the diagram.

The quick (and unreliable) way is to just add up the lane count. You'll see that a few have 2 x8 and 2 x4 lanes (note: lane size, not slots size). Anything less than around 24 lanes should be alright.

I should clarify my earlier statement as I didn't check all board manuals - it doesn't appear that any boards are using a PCIE switch given the lane count.
Thank you for this "quick how-to" :) and for clarifying your previous statement :).
 

Patrick

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XZed

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b. Asus P8B-E, P8B-WA - 4 x16 slots as x16/-/x4/x4 or x8/x8/x4/x4
To complete my previous question, i also suppose it's obvious that lanes are dispatched independently from what is plugged in ?

I ask it regarding to the fact that if i plug a controller card to the second x16 slot, gfx x16 card bandwidth will be reduced to x8 so ?

By the way, i remember having read some benchs stating that no differences are "visible" when gfx card runs @ x16 or @ x8... your advices ?

Thank you
 

ChiefAJ

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I ask it regarding to the fact that if i plug a controller card to the second x16 slot, gfx x16 card bandwidth will be reduced to x8 so ?
The Asus page doesn't spell it out but this is likely the case. Two of the x16 slots on the Asus P8B-E/4L and P8B-WS will be sharing lanes. If both are occupied the bandwith of each will reduce to x8, otherwise if only the first is used it will be able to utilise the full x16 bandwith.

By the way, i remember having read some benchs stating that no differences are "visible" when gfx card runs @ x16 or @ x8... your advices ?
Same here, but I can't remember where.
 
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XZed

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Thank you ChiefAJ :).

While comparing Asus mobos, i saw that Asus website specifies pci-e slots of P8B-M as being Gen1 :confused: ??

I hope it's a mistake...
 

XZed

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The Asus page doesn't spell it out but this is likely the case. Two of the x16 slots on the Asus P8B-E/4L and P8B-WS will be sharing lanes. If both are occupied the bandwith of each will reduce to x8, otherwise if only the first is used it will be able to utilise the full x16 bandwith.

Same here, but I can't remember where.
I found this but admit being completely disappointed :confused:

Isn't it "exagered" ??

http://hardwareforall.com/hwdb/x16.html

http://hardwareforall.com/tt/nvidia2.html

In fact, as already said, i'm facing w/ the problem : needing x16 slot for a graphic and don't want to chose ones eletrically cabled x8 in order to keep performance...

But after reading that, i'im completely disappointed (i was thinking that replacing my actuam pci-e gen1 x16 slot w/ pci-e gen2 x16 slot will improve graphic performance.

THank you
 

ChiefAJ

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In fact, as already said, i'm facing w/ the problem : needing x16 slot for a graphic and don't want to chose ones eletrically cabled x8 in order to keep performance...
It is early days and we've only seen one C206 board so far. Might be worth waiting.

I sympathise with you, though. I would like a board with 3 or 4 full x8 slots but there isn't one. I could pay a bit more, change platform, and go for an X8ST3-F but realistically the X9SCM-F or S5510GM3NR will be more than sufficient for my needs.
 

dpante1s

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Apr 12, 2011
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Hi Patrick,

do you think that it is likely that the desktop P67 chipset will support the Intel Xeon E3 processors (except ECC-RAM etc.) and could be used for this although the support is not listed on the mainboard producers' website??
 

Patrick

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Hi Patrick,

do you think that it is likely that the desktop P67 chipset will support the Intel Xeon E3 processors (except ECC-RAM etc.) and could be used for this although the support is not listed on the mainboard producers' website??
My sense is that there is a very good chance since these things worked in the ASUS P8H67-M so there is precedent. If they do work in the P67 it would be awesome to effectively have a lower cost Core i7 range in the Xeon E3-1230 and E3-1240.
 

dpante1s

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Apr 12, 2011
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Have the Intel Xeon CPUs been listed in a CPU compability list for the Asus P8H67-M? If not I wonder how the bios can identify the CPU... Or did only CPU-Z recognize it right but in BIOS was only something like "unknown CPU"??
 

nitrobass24

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Have the Intel Xeon CPUs been listed in a CPU compability list for the Asus P8H67-M? If not I wonder how the bios can identify the CPU... Or did only CPU-Z recognize it right but in BIOS was only something like "unknown CPU"??
For a certain CPU to work in any mobo, the BIOS must have the associated CPU microcode so it can recognize the chip.

That said typically Asus is pretty good about leaving cpu microcode in their BIOSs, even microcode from ES chips so they usually have very good compatibility.

But i guess we wont know until someone tries it. :)
 

ubiquityman

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Mar 18, 2011
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I'm not expecting any of the combinations to work, but I'm wondering about:
P67 Mobo + Xeon E3 + ECC RAM (does this support ECC?)
C206 Mobo + 2600k + ECC RAM (does this support ECC?)

Based on all current information, I'm guessing that the scenarios above would run, but without ECC support.

Perhaps this is contrary to Intel product direction, but I would love to see the "Extreme" desktop products support ECC. I think a person buys the "Extreme" products because cost is not a huge issue and they want "everything plus the kitchen sink". Lacking ECC support is a hole in the product feature set, especially compared with AMD. My system is dated, but I have one of the last desktop processors (QX6700) + chipsets (X38) that supported ECC and had unlocked multipliers.

My open letter to to Intel would be to request a true, Extreme processor with both unlocked clock and ECC support. Call it an Extreme desktop processor, and Extreme Xeon processor, or Xtreon, I don't care, but I believe there is a market for everything including the kitchen sink. I'm not a big gamer, but I can imagine the frustration of a unstable system, even if just gaming.
 

dpante1s

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Apr 12, 2011
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My sense is that there is a very good chance since these things worked in the ASUS P8H67-M so there is precedent. If they do work in the P67 it would be awesome to effectively have a lower cost Core i7 range in the Xeon E3-1230 and E3-1240.
Didn't you review a P67 Supermicro board?? Maybe you could try one of your Xeon E3 CPUs you reviewed in that board?!?
 

Patrick

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Didn't you review a P67 Supermicro board?? Maybe you could try one of your Xeon E3 CPUs you reviewed in that board?!?
I did, and I have four ASUS boards online right now all churning on stuff. I am somewhat worried about recommending a P67 solution since in theory it could be disabled with a BIOS update.
 

dpante1s

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Apr 12, 2011
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Not for "official" review or recommendation... I just would like to know about the success of running an Intel Xeon E3 in a P67 board before buying it at a price of 269 $ (Intel Xeon E3 1230 here in Europe cheapest price) for my Asrock P67 board... Maybe it could be an advantage having an Asrock board as Asrock belongs to Asus and as nitrobass24 wrote before Asus BIOSes are mostly very comfortable for running CPUs not included in CPU support list...
 

odditory

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Dec 23, 2010
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If you really want to run an Xeon E3 on a workstation board and take advantage of IGP then it seems like the Asus P8B WS - as previously mentioned in the thread - might be the only game for a while.