Tim Nelson Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Hi, Does anybody have recommendations for a good dual xeon mobo? I'm not extremely techy, so I often have trouble deciding what is good on a board & bad. 1) 533 FSB is fine with me. 2) I need to be able to use sata drives. 3) Undecided whether I need PCI-X or not. I already have a quadro fx 1100 AGP that I want to swap to my new machine. Then I would just by a cheaper Geforce for my old cpu. Would save a lot of money. 4) Firewire would be a plus. 5) Ram capacity is not really an issue. I don't think I would ever use more than 4 gigs. 6) Last but not least, I would like to try to stay under $400 for the board. I've heard that Tyan makes a good dual xeon board. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isagreg Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I have Asus PC-DL. Everything you want is there, very fast (may be because of faster memory), but noooooisy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 What is it thats noisy on it? Looking at the pictures I've seen for it, there doesn't appear to be any on-board fans. Is the noise you're talking about coming from the cpu fans, power supply? Looks like a good board to me. And good prices too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltaire_ira Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I have Asus PC-DL. Everything you want is there, very fast (may be because of faster memory), but noooooisy... yep, Asus PC-DL has everything, I'm using one right now and its noisy! im having trouble with its onboard promise raid controller.data corruption is frequent using 2 SATA's in raid config.but overall, its good.but if you have the budget, go for an intel mobo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I too have been looking at this board as my dual athlon recently cooked itself. I have been wondering if 800fsb chips will work on this board even though its a 533fsb. The 800 chips are much less expensive. Additionally, every 800fsb board I have seen has been much more expensive and has no AGP slot - I'd like to reuse as many parts as I can from old machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isagreg Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 RE: "What is it thats noisy on it? Looking at the pictures I've seen for it, there doesn't appear to be any on-board fans. Is the noise you're talking about coming from the cpu fans, power supply?" System: Asus PC-DL Dual Xeon 3.06Ghz 533FSB with default coolers (as far as I know the board has a problem/doesn't support 800FSB Xeons) 2GB (4x512) DDR 333 Quadro FX 1100 AGP 1x 36Gb WD Raptor 10K RPM SATA 1X 200Gb WD 7200 RPM SATA DVD-ROM CDR/RW 550W Antec Truepower 550EPS WinXP Pro SP1 The computer is really fast - I tested it with dual 3.2 Gz Xeons on 7505 board and mine won and I think because of the faster memory (PC2700 vs PC 2100) But... when it is rendering it sounds like vacuum cleaner. The problem is it's impossible to replace the default coolers on CPUs because of the design of the board (Xeons come with 60mm fans, but there are less noisier coolers with 80mm fans for Xeons but they won't fit on this board). When the computer idles you still hear it but it's regular "computer" noise. The CPU fans are at 3000-3500 RPM. But once you hit "render" in couple of minutes the fans go 6500-7000 RPM and they're LOUD. The good thing though Xeons are cool: 30-37 degrees idle, 54-57 after 5-6 hour rendering. Hope it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltaire_ira Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 RE: "What is it thats noisy on it? Looking at the pictures I've seen for it, there doesn't appear to be any on-board fans. Is the noise you're talking about coming from the cpu fans, power supply?" System: Asus PC-DL Dual Xeon 3.06Ghz 533FSB with default coolers (as far as I know the board has a problem/doesn't support 800FSB Xeons) 2GB (4x512) DDR 333 Quadro FX 1100 AGP 1x 36Gb WD Raptor 10K RPM SATA 1X 200Gb WD 7200 RPM SATA DVD-ROM CDR/RW 550W Antec Truepower 550EPS WinXP Pro SP1 The computer is really fast - I tested it with dual 3.2 Gz Xeons on 7505 board and mine won and I think because of the faster memory (PC2700 vs PC 2100) But... when it is rendering it sounds like vacuum cleaner. The problem is it's impossible to replace the default coolers on CPUs because of the design of the board (Xeons come with 60mm fans, but there are less noisier coolers with 80mm fans for Xeons but they won't fit on this board). When the computer idles you still hear it but it's regular "computer" noise. The CPU fans are at 3000-3500 RPM. But once you hit "render" in couple of minutes the fans go 6500-7000 RPM and they're LOUD. The good thing though Xeons are cool: 30-37 degrees idle, 54-57 after 5-6 hour rendering. Hope it helps. anyone with asus pc-dl dual xeons kindly confirm me on this one: my idle temp is around 42 - 45 degrees using the default coolers since i inverted the fans to a blow-in configuration. initially the temp would be around 52 - 55 degrees idle and 65 degrees on rendering following the manual's installation of the fans...the fans are in a blow-out configuration. since i inverted them, the fans are blowing in, my rendering temp is around 55 degrees maximum. are your fans blowing in or out and what are your temp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcahunak Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 PC-DL ($190+-) is fine, thats true, and it could also be run at 800 fsb (un official) and more. however the newer one from ASUS (NCCH-DL) has more SATA connectors, and officially supports the 800FSB new xeons ($330) The Iwill DH800 is also a great popular pick that officially supports the newer 800fsb Nocona xeons. All 3 boards are based on intel 875 chipset which limits memory to 4gb. All 3 are great boards. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippu Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 yep asus pc-dl deluxe and yes it rocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lester_Masterson Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Aus PC-DL Just make sure that when updating BIOS, use the alt+F2 funcftion, or you "pooch" the board. Learned the hard way I don't believe the board is the reason it is so noisy however. I believe the Xeon chips run hot, and the Intel fans are nasty. I have dual 2.6Ghz in an Antec case, and they sound like an F16 on takeoff when under strain. Check out http://www.endpcnoise.com. This is not an endorsement, and I've never purchsed anything from them, but it might be worth a look Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Asus PC-DL... I don't believe the board is the reason it is so noisy however. I believe the Xeon chips run hot, and the Intel fans are nasty. I have dual 2.6Ghz in an Antec case, and they sound like an F16 on takeoff when under strain. When a render is done and the fans power down, my husband says from somewhere in the house, "The plane has landed and is taxiing down the runway." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 When a render is done and the fans power down, my husband says from somewhere in the house, "The plane has landed and is taxiing down the runway." Haha, wow I'm really looking forward to that. Especially since I have concrete floors and an all metal desk. This room is an echo chamber - people can always tell I'm in my office when I am talking to them on the phone. I'm planning on getting a Lian LI case though, which supposedly is good for keeping the noise down, although I don't know how much difference the case would really make. http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-112-040&depa=0&manufactory=BROWSE Also, I heard that RAM is backwords compatible, and that I should get the cheaper PC3200 even the the PC-DL only supports PC2700. The new NCCH-DL looks pretty nice, although I think the PC-DL will get me what I need, and for a lot less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Haha, wow I'm really looking forward to that. Especially since I have concrete floors and an all metal desk. This room is an echo chamber - people can always tell I'm in my office when I am talking to them on the phone. Start saving those egg cartons. I have two systems about 3 feet apart running the dual xeons. You get used to it. Plus I always know when the big crunching is done from anywhere in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isagreg Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 RE: "I don't believe the board is the reason it is so noisy however. I believe the Xeon chips run hot, and the Intel fans are nasty." That's absolutly right, the default coolers are crap (they cool OK though). You just CANNOT replace the coolers. Anything else but default coolers WILL NOT fit. I got this board 6 months ago and I love it - very fast, very stable, zero problems. RE: "I'm planning on getting a Lian LI case though, which supposedly is good for keeping the noise down, although I don't know how much difference the case would really make." I got Lian Li-70 all alluminum with 4 fans (2 intake 2 exhaust). Nice, large, roomy case, but it doesn't help with noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 A friend of mine just mentioned that the pc-dl also supports dual channel ddr, which I was totally clueless about as well. So I switched memory just in time & got 2 sticks of 1gb dual channel ddr for about 370 I think. Saved me about a hundred bucks from what I was originally going to order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Hello, I assembled my computer using AMD. The first motherboard was MSI..... Don't recommend them, they are too noisy. I also have a XEON computer with MSI board.... it is noisy too. I blame the motherboard, fan, and CPU manufacturers. Take a look at my recommendation for noise abatement suppression procedures to prevent personal injury while working on a modern 3D Workstation. I think it is the only solution unless you use a water cooled system. See You Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 Haha, you gotta love the noise right? I have an MSI board with dual athlons right now. Its been pretty solid except for when I tried to flash the bios. As far as noise, I have nothing to compare it to, so I guess I'll find out soon when I get my new box put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Tim, I have been a noise victim for the last 5 years. I refused to have another noisy machine. On this one I bought a Lian Li $250.00 case with no Power Supply that was supposed to be less noisy. It is true, it is less noisy, but it is almost 10 degrees hotter. I have it without the covers. I have played with various fans / coolers. They are all the same.....! I am tempted to put a water cool system..... However, I afraid......! Go with Intel this time.... I have these Opterons 250. They are fast but I suspect the Xeon 3.6 are faster..... This based on articles..... The problem with the AMD is that the motherboard manufacturers have not catch up to the chipset trend.... So far there is no DUAL Opteron motherboard with PCI Express..... I still don't believe on the savings people claim on the AMD.... Yes, there is a little bit of savings.... 3 or 4% of the total cost of building a unit with AMD vs INTEL. My machine is fast...... but I have concerns about the chipset! I already started buying the parts for a dual Xeon 3.6. That's exactly what I did last time, I ended up building two units. One with AMD one with Xeon. The AMD was faster but the XEON never frozed or crashed on me.... The AMD's did.... These Opterons look to be stable.... I am very impressed with Tyan.... They are as good as Supermicro... Their tech support is great. The MSI is a piece of junk.... It is fast but the space for the fans is small. As a result of their clustered layout you have to use their fans at 6,000 RPM's..... That's noisy.... Sayonara Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcahunak Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Pricey, but very quite: http://www.orbitmicro.com/products/accessories/cpu%20fans/E3W-NPTXC-01.htm for the PC-DL http://www.orbitmicro.com/products/accessories/cpu%20fans/E3W-NPTXS-04.htm for the NCCH-DL. And, here are the reviews http://www.ctechnet.com/hardware/Coolermaster/Cooler/coolermaster_e3w-nptxc-01.htm and http://www.ctechnet.com/hardware/Coolermaster/Cooler/coolermaster_e3w-nptxs-04.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 Those look very nice! I'll have to see if I can tolerate the stock fans before I shell out another 80 bucks. But its nice to know that there is something that works with the pc-dl board. I was under the assumption that there wasn't anything I could do about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dec Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Hi, Y invert the fans? dont we have to follow instructions?hehe Fans are noisy, sounds like the cpu is going to fly. Comp Specs: Asus PC-DL Dual Xeon 3.06 fsb 533 2gig ram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltaire_ira Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Hi, Y invert the fans? dont we have to follow instructions?hehe Fans are noisy, sounds like the cpu is going to fly. Comp Specs: Asus PC-DL Dual Xeon 3.06 fsb 533 2gig ram yup, i followed the instructions to the letter...and i observed that the fans are blowing out, sucking ait from the cpu out to the casing and my temp would rise from 52 idle - 67 rendering degrees...that crashed my hard disks since the system restarted due to high temp....but then i inverted them to blow into the cpu and my temp drop down dramatically even when rendering..so i'm trying to confirm this, are your xeon fans blowing in or sucking air from the cpu? just put your hand over the cpu and feel the air..if you feel it then its blowing out or sucking air, if not then its blowing in. Asus PC-DL Dual Xeon 2.4 1 gig ram 360 gig HDD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcahunak Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Those look very nice! I'll have to see if I can tolerate the stock fans before I shell out another 80 bucks. But its nice to know that there is something that works with the pc-dl board. I was under the assumption that there wasn't anything I could do about it.There are some other options in the middle (price wise) but really, if you want to invest in something good that will give you good cooling and completely quite than the cooler master are your bet. There is a nice option of putting a $1.5 60mm to 80mm fan adapter (with slight modofication) to replace the original 60mm jets http://www.datamine.tk/overclocking/cooling/air.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Tim, I made several mistakes on this last computer that sent me on last minute chase for components. The first mistake is that I changed at last minute from Xeons to Opterons. I didn't know anything about Opterons... I bought the wrong components. I was lucky the local vendor took them back. Make a plan and stick to it. The new Xeons and Opterons run hotter than the previous generations. As a result you will need better cooling... Meaning... More NOISE. I purchased a Lian Li case... it is good. It is the one with rubber pads on the inside of each lateral cover to reduce vibrations. I love the craftmanship and the casters. With the casters and the noise, if it had a horn, I could drive around any main suburban areas of a large cosmopolitan metropolitan city.... He He He MSI tried to place all the components of a Dual workstation motherboard on an ATX size. It is imposiible to put these many components on a small board. The result is that they have to use fans with a smaller footprint and run them at a higher RPM levels. NOISE NOISE NOISE Being the components so close to each other, there is not very good ventilation and proper heat dissipation. HEAT HEAT HEAT The Tyan motherboard is on an Extended ATX size. Layout is much better with lots of "corridor space" for proper ventilation. My case has 2 fans in the lower front, 4 in the back and the Power Supply has 2 more on a push pull configuration. Then the video card has 1 and the CPU's have 2 more. That is 11 fans, spinning, grinning the blades and making noise......! ! ! ! NOISE NOISE The case has an air filter on the bottom to keep the dirt out. This computer is less than two weeks old and it already has lint on the fan blades. Temperature is between 38 - 45 with the doors open.... when I close the panels, the temperature goes up 10 degrees C. The noise is much less than the MSI, but I am not putting up with it. I will send it to David Monthan AFB.... I think you are from Arizona......!!!!! Make sure you have adequate power, but even more important, that you have enough electrical circuit branches coming out of the Power Supply. I had to place 3 sets of power splitters. Here is a list of some of the shortcomming of this motherboard... Since I didn't planned well, I didn't notice these faults until the board was already assembled. Some of these problems have to do with the current chipset for the AMD line. 1. No PCI Express supported by the chipsets for AMD Opterons 2. No USB 2.0 support 3. The on board Front USB is not working 4. The electrical connectors on the motherboard do not support all the LED and Switches (bells and whistle features) on the Lian Li case. The Lian Li has some beautiful features and craftmanship. I love the way they mount the hard drives on the removable cage. You can assemble the drives outside with their wire harness and then slide the tray into the cabinet. Each Hard Drive is mounted on 4 rubber shock absoervers to reduce noise. The PCI slots have a very easy mechanism to fasten the PCB to the chasis. There is plenty of room for adequate ventilation. The case is very light and sturdy. No sharp edges.... I am not to sure about the black brush aluminum finish.... I can see too many fingerprints. I don't like the front door. I removed the door... no patience on this side to be opening and closing the door. Dream List....... I hope somebody will figure out a cabinet with cable trays to hide all the wire harness. I wish the wire harnness were longer so I din't have to use extenders. I replaced most of the flat wire ribbons for round ones. These round cables provide better ventilation. However, between the SSCI and the SATA raids I have a lot of cables and I simply don't know how to keep them away from the fans. I have tied most of the wires together so they don't have the spaghetti syndrome.... It still doesn't look elegant.... Good Luck Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dec Posted October 2, 2004 Share Posted October 2, 2004 Hi, My cpu fans are blowing outward, i followed the installation instructions. I have confirmed this with the supplier because the fans are not blowing in like on P4 cpus. I dont know y intel does this for xeon, but decided to stick with their instruction. CPU temp after intense rendering is at 49 and 46. so far so good. An advise from another xeon user is get a strong fan and install it on rear fan area to suck hot air out of your cpu and another fan on front to suck cool air in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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