CPU compatibility, looks like I shot myself in the foot

[Fritz]

Have an old system I'm trying to squeeze a little more life out of. It's based on a Supermicro X9SCM-f MB. Currently running an E3 1220v1. Ordered a E3 1275v2 not knowing that the 12x5 chips have built in graphics and SM doesn't recommend them for their boards. With the E3 1275v2 installed I'm seeing 2 problems. 1. Windows Server 2012 R2 goes into a continuous boot loop. 2. BIOS reports the memory in non-ecc mode. I put the old E3 1220v1 back in and both problems disappear. I thought maybe disabling the on board graphics might solve these problem but I read that the enable / disable jumper only disables the vga plug and not the on board graphics (how stupid is that).

Anyways, before I give up I thought I'd check here and see if anyone has gotten this combo of CPU and MB working.

TIA

 

[PithyChats]

Have you updated the bios - that is, do you have the newest micro-code for the CPU?

I'd look to that before the onboard CPU graphics. Chances are the circuitry to even route the onboard CPU graphics to the VGA plug are not present. That is the case on many Dell servers - the actual graphics is provided by a Matrox or other chip.

 

[Fritz]

Yup, BIOS is v2.3a dated 1/6/2021 which is the latest. Specs call for v2 and higher to support v2 chips.

 

[RolloZ170]

Ordered a E3 1275v2 not knowing that the 12x5 chips have built in graphics and SM doesn't recommend them for their boards.

the CPUs with iGPU need additional voltage reg. on the motherboard to support.
even if there is no display connector for the iGPU some mboard supply the iGPU for video decoding etc.
it is possible your X9SCM-f does NOT provide the required voltage.

 

[Fritz]

I disabled the on board video thinking I could use ipmiview to get into the BIOS and see if the non-ecc memory issue cleared up but alas, with on board video disabled, KVM doesn't work. I also tried the CPU on a X9SCL-F and got the same results so I'm convinced a E312x5 cpu won't work on Supermicro MB's.

 

[RolloZ170]

I disabled the on board video thinking I could use ipmiview to get into the BIOS

this is the Video of BMC not CPU, but "Onboard"

 

[Fritz]

this is the Video of BMC not CPU, but "Onboard"

Yea, I know. KVM over ipmi still doesn't work. At least not on this board.

 

[Fritz]

Just put the E3 1275v2 in another system with an Asus Mini ITX industrial MB with on board graphics and it works flawlessly so what I'm guessing that ipmi has something to do with this incompatibility. Lesson learned, no E3 12x5 CPU's in server boards with ipmi.

 

[Markess]

Just put the E3 1275v2 in another system with an Asus Mini ITX industrial MB with on board graphics and it works flawlessly so what I'm guessing that ipmi has something to do with this incompatibility. Lesson learned, no E3 12x5 CPU's in server boards with ipmi.

I think its the motherboard/CPU, and not the IPMI. I had the non"-F" version of that board, which had the same Matrox graphics chip but no IPMI, and it wouldn't work with a 12x5 CPU either (ask me how I know ).

My Tyan S5512WGM2NR, which had IPMI and the same Chipset as the X9SCM-F, worked just fine with a 1225 v2 CPU though. Graphics were still via the chip on the motherboard, and the Xeon's IGPU was apparently ignored. Interestingly, CPU support on that Tyan board lists a number of 12x5 CPUs, but not the 1275v2. All the V1 CPUs (1225 through 1275), but for v2 only 1265L and 1225. Maybe Maybe 1245 v2 and 1275 v2 were odd ducks somehow?

 

[Fritz]

Hmmmm, must be something in the BIOS then. Before I tried it in the Asus board I was thinking that maybe I needed ECC ram since it's a Xeon but not so, runs just fine with non ECC.

I also discovered that the BIOS before version 2.3a had a bug in it that killed it after 2021. The X9SCL-F board had version 2.2 and it would not enter the BIOS until I used the efi shell to roll the day back to 1/1/2020. I wanted to update the BIOS but Supermicro lists the BIOS for the X9SCM under the X9SCL and it was rejected, something about an ID mismatch so I guess the SCL is useless.

 

[RolloZ170]

E3-1225 is reported working

FAQ Entry | Online Support | Support - Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

www.supermicro.com

 

[Fritz]

E3-1225 is reported working

FAQ Entry | Online Support | Support - Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

www.supermicro.com

It works but there's no way to use the on chip graphics. This must be why Supermicro says -

"Intel E3-12x5 series processors which have integrated graphics support are not recommended."

The MB I ended up putting the E3 1275v2 CPU in uses the Intel B75 Express Chipset. The X9SCM / SCL uses the Intel C204 PCH Chipset. Guess it is the chipset then. I'm also using a PCIe Video card but did verify that the CPU video also works.

 

[T_Minus]

To me this is something else going on... or a board revision issue?

I have numerous E3 v3 12x5 chip in SuperMicro boards (with ipmi for that matter) without issues

 

[Markess]

To me this is something else going on... or a board revision issue?

I have numerous E3 v3 12x5 chip in SuperMicro boards (with ipmi for that matter) without issues

I think its something specific to this Supermicro X9 board/series and Xeon 12x5 CPUs. I did a bit of research in the process of failing to get a E3-1225 v2 CPU to work with mine a couple years back. I got the CPU to work fine in another brand (Tyan) board with the same C204 chipset. Intel's documentation says the chipset supports CPUs with integrated graphics, so its not all C204 Chipsets. I got an i3 to work in the Supermicro X9, so its not every CPU with integrated graphics either.

Haswell (V3) is a different matter and I've not had any issues with Haswell Xeons with graphics (or Sky/Kaby Lake) Xeons in Supermicro X10/11 boards. I've even had no issues running non-ECC RAM in X10/11 which would cause the X9 to not start, not even beep, if I tried it in there. That X9 is just picky.