Trouble with ES Xeon

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azaroth666

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Nov 3, 2016
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Hello All, I just Found this forum and i am so happy about it. I recently decided to assemble a computer with an ES Xeon (2630 v4) and the whole thing has been a mess. Two dud MSI boards and i settle on an asus x99 a-ii. (ill have all the parts listen below.) with everything connected to the board and with the newest BIOS (1201) it works fine, i get into the bios no problem but when i restart it hangs on asus Q-code 19 ("Pre-Memory PCH Initialization is started.") Once i power down, take out the battery, and reset it works fine again, at that point i can install windows 10 up util it restarts. i thought it was the ram but someone on another forum said it may be default settings with the boar. and advice would be most helpful, and if worse comes to worse i get another ES xeon that will run on the boar. No matter what i do with the ram i still cant get it to properly reboot. ive tried 2 GPU and 2 PSU. Could it be the RAM or more likely the CPU...Or motherboard.....
Build List:
Nzxt h440
Asus X99 a-ii
Xeon 2630 v4 ES
Corasiar vengeance 2666 ram
Corsair 750 PSU
Reference 980 ti
corsair h110 i GTX
 

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Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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Sorry to hear that, and have no real idea either, but lets start with the basics.
Which CPU revision did you get?
Have you tried setting memory to the lowest speed possible? 2666 is definitely not a Xeon supported speed - especially not on a 2630. That one should run at 2133.
 
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azaroth666

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Nov 3, 2016
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Ran the RAM just now at 800 MHz and it still will not reboot properly. Markings on the spu are as follows:
Intel confidential
QHVK 2.10
L508D477 e4
35515237N00684
 

Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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QHVK seems to qs which should be working quite good :/

Is the Ram on the compatibility list? have you tried single module ?
And I dont think its a speed problem per se so run it at 1866/2133 b/c thats what the cpu expects.

What other GPUs have you tested?
 

azaroth666

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Nov 3, 2016
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I have tried the 980 ti in this board and in an old working 1155 board, and I tried and old 680 lightning in the X99 that works. Is there a good chance it's the RAM? If so what one should I look I to trying. I was looking at the Asus QVL and I'll be honest it's super confusing.
 

Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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You never really know what the problem is until you found it;)
But it might be it - do you have another ddr4 module you could try?

Maybe some other Asus user here can provide an input re working modules - I am not sure how consumer HW and server requirements work out (i.e. I dont think that non-ecc memory is officially supported on a Xeon cpu, but on the other hand I have not seen ECC support on the Asus' spec sheet but somehow some ppl get it to run on Asus boards;))
 

azaroth666

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Sadly I don't have other ram but I'm willing to buy new RAM to see if that's the problem. Other than corsair who should I look to.
 

William

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Do your RAM kits show up on the memory supported list ?

X99-A II - Support

Sorry, I saw some one asked that question before.
If your memory is not on that list there is a good chance its the kits. Also, check the supported CPU list to see if your processor is listed. I know its an ES chip and that could be the problem also. New boards and old versions of ES chips sometimes do not mix well.

The Xeon 2630 v4 ES does not show up on the CPU QVL list, its very possible that is an issue also.
 
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William

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May 7, 2015
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That CPU does not show up on the supported list. Email ASUS and ask them.
Motherboard manufactures do not "have" to support every version of CPU's that are released.

Does the exact RAM kit show up on the RAM QVS ?
 

azaroth666

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So even if it gets into the BIOS, can adjust everything, install windows up until the first reboot it still may be the CPU is the problem?
 

William

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Its very possible and also the RAM might do the same thing.

If your RAM kit does not show up, your CPU does not, its a crap shoot.
 

azaroth666

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It seems like they both work on boot after the battery is taken out. That's why it's so confusing. New RAM isn't that expensive, and I took a gamble on the Xeon cause it was cheap so I don't mind trying a different one that has been shown to work on that boad. If a new Xeon is the case then what should I look to? Main use will be video editing and renderimg, unity 3D.
 

William

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Ahh I was just looking at Unity last night. I would love to have time to explore the MMO aspects of it. But sadly I am a noob when it comes to these things.

You would end up paying more, but look for a ES QS chip, one as close to release as possible.
That motherboard is really used for gamers ?
This is possibly why it does not support all the Xeon versions as most would use an i7 for that.

I can remember many times trying to use RAM kits and had bad results, kits that I didn't check the QVL for. Often they might work but not get to the right speed. It also has something to do with the actual DRAM modules used on the sticks, MB manufactures have to have support for all the different ones. Not all DDR4 kits are the same and might use different spec's, same with DDR3.

I remember one time I purchased a set of 4-ADATA 16GB DDR3 sticks for a project using a Gigabyte board. The system would boot just fine but on the desktop it felt like slow motion and bench scores were very low. I asked Gigabyte about that, response was sorry we have no plans on providing support for that capacity of memory sticks for the board used.

In the BIOS they literally have to put code in for every manufacture type of RAM and CPU's, it's what they have to do for Qualification.

Remember back in the Socket 775 days ?
There was a huge number or processors for that socket, they didn't have enough space in the BIOS for everything. They would drop all ES support and still didn't have enough space. So they would go with versions of BIOS's for these processors and another for different ones.

So now they have V3 and V4 plus all the different ES versions, I am sure they might be running out of space and only put in ones that the board is designed for.
 

Rand__

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I'd still say its Ram or some Bios issue that windows is causing.
Have you tried rebooting with another OS installed? Or from a live cd?
 

azaroth666

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Good god, here I thought I had ruled out the board being an issue. I have heard people say ASRock will run anything, others say they are shit. Down to changing the board, ram, or CPU.
 

William

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All though I have had good results with ASRock using ES chips, same with ASUS and Supermicro, it is a crap shoot.

Do you have another set of DDR4 sticks you could try ?
 

azaroth666

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Nov 3, 2016
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What if I ran a Linux distro off a USB key, would that give me a little room to trouble shoot better?