EVGA SR-3 and Xeon CPUs

[Bert]

I received a good offer, $500+ tax, on this motherboard and I had a xeon CPU and pulled the trigger on this motherboard to be used as workstation. Does anyone have any experience on this platform?

I am hoping that this will be a cost effective replacement of my current dual 2690V4 on an intel server motherboard with workstation friendly BIOS and features. On the other hand, I am not sure if Skylake will provide any major advantage over Broadwell. One particular thing, I am hoping to observe is longer turbo speeds due to higher power envelope from motherboard and water cooling. Any comments on this?

 

[BlueFox]

The motherboard is really best paired with a Xeon W-3175X and overclocked hard. If you're using a lower end CPU, I don't think you'll really benefit anywhere as much or see a large difference over the previous generation.

 

[SDletmk]

If I should just make my own thread for this, tell me to, but I figured this forum is the one of the few places on the internet I'd be able to get info from people experienced with this board.
I recently bought an EVGA SR-3 listed as broken. From what the seller told me (that the board was receiving no power) and from what I read online, it seemed as if the problem was the CMOS battery, which I've since replaced. The board does now turn on, but the postcode doesn't light up. All the RAM LEDs light up white despite me only having a stick installed in DIMM socket 3. I'm using the CPU the seller sold me with the board - a Xeon W-3235.

What's going wrong here? I would figure I would at least get some post codes, but I'm not feeling any heat from the CPU. The CPU fan I put on the heatsink (Noctua 3647 installed for testing) is blowing. The power supply I've got on it is a 1500W Be Quiet with 2/4 of the board's EPS connectors plugged in. The GPU is a PCIE x1 GT 610 I use for testing output. I've tried a couple different sticks of DDR4 - is this board very picky with its confirmed working list? I do have a Xeon 4110 CPU I could slot in for a test, but I'm not sure if those work with this board in the first place.

I may have installed the CPU incorrectly in a way it doesn't contact the pins properly, but I've taken it off and on a couple times now.
I appreciate any help people can give, and if I shouldn't have posted this here, tell me and I'll make my own thread.

 

[RolloZ170]

I recently bought an EVGA SR-3 listed as broken. From what the seller told me (that the board was receiving no power) and from what I read online, it seemed as if the problem was the CMOS battery, which I've since replaced

there can be dozens (an)other reasons, CMOS battery low because broken laying around.

The board does now turn on, but the postcode doesn't light up.

chipset(PCH) dead, VRM for PCH dead. BIOS chip content corrupted (bec. old worn out chip, update failed)

I've tried a couple different sticks of DDR4 - is this board very picky with its confirmed working list?

you should get POST codes even without RAM.

I may have installed the CPU incorrectly in a way it doesn't contact the pins properly,

screw 3&4 one turn per stroke until the leafspring touch the cooler surface (life up completely)
1.2Nm torque driver should click if you have no experience(max. 1.38)

 

[SDletmk]

there can be dozens (an)other reasons, CMOS battery low because broken laying around.

chipset(PCH) dead, VRM for PCH dead. BIOS chip content corrupted (bec. old worn out chip, update failed)

you should get POST codes even without RAM.

screw 3&4 one turn per stroke until the leafspring touch the cooler surface (life up completely)
1.2Nm torque driver should click if you have no experience(max. 1.38)

According to the seller, the system was working up until it wouldn't start and had no power - thus, I assumed the CMOS was dead.
I'll take off the heatsink/CPU and test it again - I figure I should at least get a 00 display in that case, provided the previous user didn't turn off the post codes in all of the BIOSes. If I get a 00 code with nothing installed, then next I'll try the Silver. I read in the EVGA forums that a user with an X299 board had similar symptoms to mine and the answer was that the CPU was dead.

 

[RolloZ170]

According to the seller, the system was working up until it wouldn't start and had no power - thus, I assumed the CMOS was dead.

if the content of BIOS is corrupted you get the same behave.

I read in the EVGA forums that a user with an X299 board had similar symptoms to mine and the answer was that the CPU was dead.

there are dozens of reasons producing that symptoms.
if the CPU gets no power, if the PCH gets not power or is dead(the CPU gets no x86 code to execute) and many more.
the second before the defect any system worked fine.

 

[SDletmk]

if the content of BIOS is corrupted you get the same behave.

there are dozens of reasons producing that symptoms.
if the CPU gets no power, if the PCH gets not power or is dead(the CPU gets no x86 code to execute) and many more.
the second before the defect any system worked fine.

Well, I tried it with two different CPUs and no CPU at all with no success. The BIOS flash via the internal USB seemed like it took, but it displayed one of the "reserved" codes afterwards instead of 00 like the manual said it should, so maybe it didn't. It seems like it still could be a power issue - maybe it doesn't think my Be Quiet is providing enough 5V power? One of the LEDs next to the code display is red, but of course it's so far under the chipset heatsink that I can't read what it is and the manual's not clear on which it could be as well.
I suppose I could try flashing the other two BIOSes on the system as a next step.
I just wish I knew what was wrong with it - if the PCH is dead, I'd just have to give up, but then I'd at least stop wasting my time on it.

 

[RolloZ170]

but it displayed one of the "reserved" codes afterwards instead of 00 like the manual said it should,

00 is reset value. if you get other than there is life now...x86 code)

 

[RolloZ170]

It seems like it still could be a power issue - maybe it doesn't think my Be Quiet is providing enough 5V power?

there was a incompatibility called BeQuiet BUG, but if you get a POST code other than 00 you have life in there.
BIOS chip can still be worn out.

 

[RolloZ170]

but it displayed one of the "reserved" codes afterwards instead of 00 like the manual said it should,

the code is confidential or do you want to share ?

 

[SDletmk]

the code is confidential or do you want to share ?

I don't remember off the top of my head - I think it was a number followed by a letter, and I think it was listed in the manual as "reserved for future AMI codes"
I was expecting to get 00 because I had nothing except the flash USB and the ATX 24pin installed in the board when I flashed the BIOS.
I'll try flashing it again and attempt future testing with a different PSU as well.

 

[RolloZ170]

I was expecting to get 00 because I had nothing except the flash USB and the ATX 24pin installed in the board when I flashed the BIOS.

interesting.
without CPU only PCH can set POST codes. the POST code display is Port80, connected to PCH chipset.

 

[SDletmk]

interesting.
without CPU only PCH can set POST codes. the POST code display is Port80, connected to PCH chipset.

From the manual:
"The flash process may take up to 6 minutes. When finished, the motherboard will automatically reboot. If you have not installed a CPU and at least one 8-pin CPU power connector, the POST LED will stop at “00”. If this occurs, turn off the motherboard and power supply and install any remaining hardware components before attempting to boot again."

Which is why I'm confused. I'll attempt the BIOS flash again when I get back to it and write down the code it displays. Alternatively, is it saying that there should be at least one 8-pin installed? It's rather unclear, so all I had was the 24pin.

 

[RolloZ170]

Alternatively, is it saying that there should be at least one 8-pin installed?

that is what they saying.

 

[RolloZ170]

According to the seller, the system was working up until it wouldn't start and had no power

bought a Dell Optiplex 7010 plus motherboard recently, seller states "refurb. open box, may have manuf. warranty".
once arrived it was dead. i could dump the BIOS content and found the Service Tag, which is very unusual for a refurbished motherboard.
because i used a parcel forwarder i could'nt return the board, so i contacted Dell for support, they told me the board was replaced because defective and comes out of the system registered to the us government.

 

[SDletmk]

bought a Dell Optiplex 7010 plus motherboard recently, seller states "refurb. open box, may have manuf. warranty".
once arrived it was dead. i could dump the BIOS content and found the Service Tag, which is very unusual for a refurbished motherboard.
because i used a parcel forwarder i could'nt return the board, so i contacted Dell for support, they told me the board was replaced because defective and comes out of the system registered to the us government.

To be honest, I only paid $100 for the board, the CPU, and the Bykski that came attached to them, so even if the board is dead, I'm mounting it on my wall like a painting and being happy enough with the other parts. My next goal is testing the board with a different PSU that isn't a Be Quiet, then attempting another BIOS update if that does not work, this time with the different PSU and recording the error code if it isn't 00. For that case, should I have the CPU on with the EPS plugged in or should I have neither or just the EPS? When I've done non-booted BIOS flashes on other manufacturers' boards, I thought I always did it with no CPU and nothing but ATX power.

 

[RolloZ170]

For that case, should I have the CPU on with the EPS plugged in or should I have neither or just the EPS?

there is no power to the BIOS without the 24pin. i could not imagen any scenario why the EPS should not plugged.

 

[Wasmachineman_NL]

To be honest, I only paid $100 for the board, the CPU, and the Bykski that came attached to them, so even if the board is dead, I'm mounting it on my wall like a painting and being happy enough with the other parts. My next goal is testing the board with a different PSU that isn't a Be Quiet, then attempting another BIOS update if that does not work, this time with the different PSU and recording the error code if it isn't 00. For that case, should I have the CPU on with the EPS plugged in or should I have neither or just the EPS? When I've done non-booted BIOS flashes on other manufacturers' boards, I thought I always did it with no CPU and nothing but ATX power.

even if it's dead $100 is a steal for a SR-3

 

[SDletmk]

the code is confidential or do you want to share ?

Code was E6, which according to the manual is "Reserved for future AMI progress codes" but according to searching online on other board manufacturers it may refer to it not having the CPU. The problem is, in this recent test, the CPU was installed. I also tested it with a power supply from MSI that I had handy - no change from how it reacted to the Be Quiet unit. Could this mean that the CPU is dead, or is it something else? I'm not even getting a 00 code when the CPU isn't installed, so I'm not sure, and I'm also not sure if the Silver 4110 I have is compatible with the board for testing.

 

[RolloZ170]

Code was E6, which according to the manual is "Reserved for future AMI progress codes" but according to searching online on other board manufacturers it may refer to it not having the CPU

weird


EVGA Motherboard POST Code Search
Code:
E6
Info:
Reserved for future AMI progress codes
Detail:

• 01 - System is entering S1 sleep state
• 02 - System is entering S2 sleep state
• 03 - System is entering S3 sleep state
• 04 - System is entering S4 sleep state
• 05 - System is entering S5 sleep state
• 10 - System is waking up from the S1 sleep state
• 20 - System is waking up from the S2 sleep state
• 30 - System is waking up from the S3 sleep state
• 40 - System is waking up from the S4 sleep state
• AC - System has transitioned into ACPI mode. Interrupt controller is in APIC mode
• AA - System has transitioned into ACPI mode. Interrupt controller is in APIC mode