Last week I decided to clean my computer, which involved a full dissambly and assembly. In the meantime I got an used 4U rackmount case that I got for cheap that I intended to use to test the format since I don't like standard consumer Towers, but usually have to rely on them anyways since I don't have enough disposable money for solid, robust functional containers.
As I got a CM Hyper 212 EVO, I knew that chances were that it wouldn't fit since it is a tower heatsink and a 4U case is borderline for it, but I didn't mind running without a top cover, or trying to make a taller cover that I could stack on top of the rack. Googling results about a Hyper 212 EVO in a 4U rack proved inconclusive, so I had to try myself.
After positioning the Motherboard, I figured out that it would never fit since it was using smaller case standoffs than what was required for a CM Hyper 212 EVO (It requires to install a taller backplate on the back of the Motherboard than what is usual), and if using taller standoffs then the I/O Shield and expansion slots would not fit, so I decided to go back to the older Tower. I didn't tried to screw it or anything, noticed quickly that the thing was being supported by the CM backplate so I didn't flexed it or brute force it at all.
Point it, after assembling it again in the old Tower, the computer properly POSTed once. I got into the BIOS Setup, noticing that the settings had been resetted (Except UEFI Boot entries, since those are NVRAM), then after configuring some options so that I could boot as usual, I did a save and reset, then the computer never POSTed again.
At first, whenever I turned the computer on, the Keyboard Numpad light turned on, then after a while off then on again, as if it was on an endless POST loop. As I have experienced some difficulty getting this Motherboard out of a cold boot I left it several minutes doing that cycle, expecting it to eventually boot (I recall a time where it took a whole 2 minutes before coming to life). However, the Motherboard didn't beeped at all.
First step was to try to clear BIOS settings, as I expected than that was related since that was the last thing I touched. I tried with both the Clear CMOS button on the Back Panel of the Motherboard, and also shorting the JBT1 solder pads (It doesn't have a Jumper, you're supposed to use a screwdriver of something). No changes. Left it an entire day disconnected from the wall and without the CR2025 battery. No changes.
When I began to test the Motherboard on a table, I ended up reinstalling the Processor and testing with a single DIMM. Socket pins seems all good. No changes.
I noticed that the Motherboard did made noise if I removed all RAM modules, so the Motherboard was not entirely dead. This made me to look around for other possible culprits, and that is where I found the JBR1 BIOS Recovery Jumper. If I switched it to Recover mode, the Motherboard actually beeped with a whole 6 short beeps.
Looking around for AMI Aptio 4 BIOS Beep Codes I didn't found anything for 6 short beeps, but in some older versions it seems to point out for a Gate A20 failure, which seems a bit... extreme. Somehow it points out to a major chip (Super I/O or Chipset) not working as expected.
Looking for alternatives, I noticed that there is a Jumper, the JBR1, that manages the Supermicro BIOS Recovery Mode (Dual Boot Block). I made an USB Flash Drive with a SUPER.ROM file, but since Supermicro doesn't provide an archive of BIOS versions, the SUPER.ROM was based on the latest BIOS (3.3 I think) instead of the 2.x that I previously had. I don't know if this may cause conflicts due to the typical two steps flashing procedure thanks to Intel ME.
The Motherboard does read the USB Flash Drive since it has a light and I see it on for a few seconds, then the Motherboard makes two short beeps as if entering recovery mode. However, I never get to see anything on screen, nor I see further reads to the Flash Drive, and the Motherboard doesn't reacts again (At least it isn't in the endless loop phase). I tried touching the up and down arrows and Enter in case that the BIOS VBIOS is corrupted and the Xeon IGP is not going online, but either it is not working, or I didn't got a good key combination to flash blind.
I have pretty much exhausted my options, and getting a Motherboard replacement would actually force me to either downgrade or to spend a ton of money on another X10SAT (Even used X10SAT are expensive as hell...). I'm a bit surprised that I somehow managed to kill the Motherboard. Since it is my main and only computer I have been disconnected from the online world since about a week already, and I'm not sure if I can expect a miracle revival, or repair of sorts...
This one would be a sad birthday...
As I got a CM Hyper 212 EVO, I knew that chances were that it wouldn't fit since it is a tower heatsink and a 4U case is borderline for it, but I didn't mind running without a top cover, or trying to make a taller cover that I could stack on top of the rack. Googling results about a Hyper 212 EVO in a 4U rack proved inconclusive, so I had to try myself.
After positioning the Motherboard, I figured out that it would never fit since it was using smaller case standoffs than what was required for a CM Hyper 212 EVO (It requires to install a taller backplate on the back of the Motherboard than what is usual), and if using taller standoffs then the I/O Shield and expansion slots would not fit, so I decided to go back to the older Tower. I didn't tried to screw it or anything, noticed quickly that the thing was being supported by the CM backplate so I didn't flexed it or brute force it at all.
Point it, after assembling it again in the old Tower, the computer properly POSTed once. I got into the BIOS Setup, noticing that the settings had been resetted (Except UEFI Boot entries, since those are NVRAM), then after configuring some options so that I could boot as usual, I did a save and reset, then the computer never POSTed again.
At first, whenever I turned the computer on, the Keyboard Numpad light turned on, then after a while off then on again, as if it was on an endless POST loop. As I have experienced some difficulty getting this Motherboard out of a cold boot I left it several minutes doing that cycle, expecting it to eventually boot (I recall a time where it took a whole 2 minutes before coming to life). However, the Motherboard didn't beeped at all.
First step was to try to clear BIOS settings, as I expected than that was related since that was the last thing I touched. I tried with both the Clear CMOS button on the Back Panel of the Motherboard, and also shorting the JBT1 solder pads (It doesn't have a Jumper, you're supposed to use a screwdriver of something). No changes. Left it an entire day disconnected from the wall and without the CR2025 battery. No changes.
When I began to test the Motherboard on a table, I ended up reinstalling the Processor and testing with a single DIMM. Socket pins seems all good. No changes.
I noticed that the Motherboard did made noise if I removed all RAM modules, so the Motherboard was not entirely dead. This made me to look around for other possible culprits, and that is where I found the JBR1 BIOS Recovery Jumper. If I switched it to Recover mode, the Motherboard actually beeped with a whole 6 short beeps.
Looking around for AMI Aptio 4 BIOS Beep Codes I didn't found anything for 6 short beeps, but in some older versions it seems to point out for a Gate A20 failure, which seems a bit... extreme. Somehow it points out to a major chip (Super I/O or Chipset) not working as expected.
Looking for alternatives, I noticed that there is a Jumper, the JBR1, that manages the Supermicro BIOS Recovery Mode (Dual Boot Block). I made an USB Flash Drive with a SUPER.ROM file, but since Supermicro doesn't provide an archive of BIOS versions, the SUPER.ROM was based on the latest BIOS (3.3 I think) instead of the 2.x that I previously had. I don't know if this may cause conflicts due to the typical two steps flashing procedure thanks to Intel ME.
The Motherboard does read the USB Flash Drive since it has a light and I see it on for a few seconds, then the Motherboard makes two short beeps as if entering recovery mode. However, I never get to see anything on screen, nor I see further reads to the Flash Drive, and the Motherboard doesn't reacts again (At least it isn't in the endless loop phase). I tried touching the up and down arrows and Enter in case that the BIOS VBIOS is corrupted and the Xeon IGP is not going online, but either it is not working, or I didn't got a good key combination to flash blind.
I have pretty much exhausted my options, and getting a Motherboard replacement would actually force me to either downgrade or to spend a ton of money on another X10SAT (Even used X10SAT are expensive as hell...). I'm a bit surprised that I somehow managed to kill the Motherboard. Since it is my main and only computer I have been disconnected from the online world since about a week already, and I'm not sure if I can expect a miracle revival, or repair of sorts...
This one would be a sad birthday...