Intel S2600CP2 - not sure how to troubleshoot

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ETx

New Member
May 20, 2016
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Hello,

I've recently purchased an Intel S2600CP2 Motherboard w/ Dual E5-2670's and 128 GB of RAM for the purpose of learning - specifically about home servers and VMs.

I've installed the RAM, connected a power supply, installed a couple CPU coolers, and hooked up a monitor to the VGA out on the board. When I power on the board a few of the LEDs on the board light up. Looking at the technical specification for the motherboard - the code is 'B7h - DXE Configuration Reset' (Appendix E: Table 156: POST Progress Code).

The only other references I can find to the B7h code in the motherboard technical specification are in:
  • Appendix E: Table 156: POST Progress Code (DXE Configuration Reset).
  • Appendix E: Table 157: MRC Progress Code (Train DDR3 Ranks).
  • Appendix C: Table 146: Integrated BMC Sensors (Processor 4 DIMM Aggregate Thermal Margin 2)
I'm really not sure how to troubleshoot this morning forward.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

 

s2600gl

Member
Apr 1, 2016
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Finland
A few questions to get the ball rolling:

- When you received the board, was the CPU:s and memory installed already or did you install it yourself ?
- If the CPU:s weren't installed, was the CPU socket protected with the plastic covers or were they exposed ?
- If the sockets weren't protected, was there any evidence of bent pins or thermal paste on the pins ?

Judging by the picture it looks like the MB is on a table, have you tried with the MB properly secured to a tray in a case (funky stuff can happen when the MB flex because of poor support)? When you installed the RAM, was the MB properly supported (it takes some force to seat the RAM) ?

Have you tried booting with minimal setup (1 CPU, 1 stick of RAM) ?

Do you have the possibility to test the CPU:s and RAM in an another MB ?

Was this MB sourced from Natex.us by any chance (there were a few who received these DOA, if my memory serves me correct) ?

Sorry for throwing all these questions at you, but they might help narrow down potential faults.

Oh, and by the way, WELCOME to STH.
 

ETx

New Member
May 20, 2016
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Hey thank you very much for the reply!

Responses to you questions in red, below.

I feel rather silly now because after trying the minimal setup you suggested, I reconnected everything and the boot sequence proceeds further than before. 100% think this is because I didn't have all of the case fans connected earlier. Now, with 5/7 case fans plugged in, the motherboard flashes a number of POST codes before erroring. The new error code is:
  • 92h DXE PCI BUS Begin
When searching for 92h in the technical product specification:
  • Processor 3 VRD temperature
I don't necessarily know what these error codes are related since it doesn't seem like they are. However, if it is a cooling issue, it seems like I just need to track down whatever Processor 3 refers to and correct that. I have a video recorded of the LED sequence when booting, just not sure how to post it. Or if it will really be of any help.

ETx

A few questions to get the ball rolling:

- When you received the board, was the CPU:s and memory installed already or did you install it yourself ?
- the CPUs were installed, but the memory was not.
- If the CPU:s weren't installed, was the CPU socket protected with the plastic covers or were they exposed ?
- If the sockets weren't protected, was there any evidence of bent pins or thermal paste on the pins ?

Judging by the picture it looks like the MB is on a table, have you tried with the MB properly secured to a tray in a case (funky stuff can happen when the MB flex because of poor support)? When you installed the RAM, was the MB properly supported (it takes some force to seat the RAM) ?

- the board was setup on a table at the time the photo was taken. I had left it out to make adding/removing hardware easier if anything went wrong. At the time the front panel of the case was connected to the board - some searching online earlier found a few threads where the setup was not responsive unless powered on using the front panel power button. Later that evening the board was installed in the case with no change.
Have you tried booting with minimal setup (1 CPU, 1 stick of RAM) ?
-tried this after reading your response. Previously the CPU fans would turn on and then board would display the error. After pulling processor 2 out and leaving just 1 stick of RAM, the result was no response.

Do you have the possibility to test the CPU:s and RAM in an another MB ?
-No, I jumped straight from reading about home servers/ virtual machines to buying this hardware. Haha. The only other computer at home is my desktop (LGA1155)

Was this MB sourced from Natex.us by any chance (there were a few who received these DOA, if my memory serves me correct) ?
- the board, CPU and memory is from natex.us

Sorry for throwing all these questions at you, but they might help narrow down potential faults.

Oh, and by the way, WELCOME to STH.
 

s2600gl

Member
Apr 1, 2016
33
11
8
50
Finland
Hmm... don't think the case fans should play any part that early in the boot process.

I reread your original post and discovered that I had misunderstood one thing. I was under the impression that you got all the way through the DXE Phase (stopping just before INT19). But in fact you never got past the MRC (there's a B7h too).

But here's the $64000 question: Have you by any chance cleared the CMOS ?

Imagine this scenario:

-Natex sources the MB from location X (where it has happily worked with a certain combination of CPU/memory/PCIE devices), the CPU:s from location Y and the memory from location Z.
- These parts are then put together (your current configuration), which is presumably totally different from the original configuration
- The CMOS is not cleared and the MB is powered up
- The MB gets the heebie-jeebies as nothing is according to the stored settings and starts throwing errors
- The memory hiccup might have sorted itself after you unplugged and reseated the RAM
- Now it seems to get stuck at PCI initialization (perhaps it missing a PCIe card that used to be there)

Plausible ? I don't know, but if you haven't cleared the CMOS, it sure is worth giving that a try.
 

Ramos

Member
Mar 2, 2016
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What s2600gl said, clear the CMOS. Also use the other jumper resets one by one, the password reset, the this and and that reset.

I had 2 of these rigs. For me the CMOS clearing was neccesary for every reboot I wanted a POST for, until I hooked up a power button for the "power on" pins. You can just short those two power pins to turn the motherboard on when its idle on turned on PSU.

And remember to wait for long enough between these reboots. The CMOS reset needs to have the green light next to the blinking blue police light to turn OFF before its actually done rebooting and clearing the CMOS.

Do you have 2x EPS 8-pin cables for both CPUs hooked up?

Mine would not run with a CPU mounted and no power to the 2nd CPU. If your PSU have just 1 EPS cable, then unmount the CPU2 until you have bought an EPS 8pin 2-to-1 splitter on Amazon.

Remember to hook up the CPU fans.

Good luck with it, and hang in there. I spent 14-21 days getting mine sorted out and ordered parts etc but both became running boards with full memory and CPUs.

Edit: I forgot, COOL THE DAMN VGA PORT. Mine wouldn't run for shit and barely made it into the BIOS until I got some air over the board as well. I ran my board on a wooden table too till they worked (bar the power button wire from a case)

If you get a POST, make an USB key and instantly update the BIOS! Intel have updated the BIOS as late as early May 2016 so literally 3 weeks ago! It takes a while cause its like 4-in-1 and your board will sound like Mario Bros but it works and is Yes-yes-yes-yes-finish easy. I hope you get there.
 

ETx

New Member
May 20, 2016
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Hey, sorry for the late reply - was away on vacation.

Tried clearing the CMOS and it seems to have done the trick. Immediately updated the BIOS afterwards and it seems to be working. The really strange part about this was that I worked on it for a few hours yesterday with no result, and then when I powered on the machine this morning the monitor started displaying items. Weird. I must have done something wrong during the clearing process yesterday.

I've installed ESXi 6.0 so now it's on to struggling through learning about VMs!

Thank you guys for the help!

ETx
 

rampage666

Member
Nov 18, 2016
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Well, seems I got the same problem here with S2600CP4
Code B7h DXE Configuration Reset
Clear the COMS doesn't help
 

raceman

New Member
Sep 3, 2020
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Anyone monitoring this thread?

I have a S2600CP2J motherboard the won't post and just beeps at me.

I can figure out whats the problem.

Is anyone available to answer a couple of fo questions?