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  1. #1
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    1u motherboard for Intel Conroe / Core 2 Duo

    Has anyone found a 1u motherboard that will take a Conroe / Core 2 Duo cpu without hardare mods? Most seem to have a) audio, b) heat sinks on chipset, c) usb ports that could prove to be too high for 1u use. I know you can mod them, but ideally...

    1) One that fits within 1u case without mod.
    2) Dual 1GB ethernet ports
    3) Takes 8gb of RAM
    4) Something Intel G965 chipset based?

    Thank you.

  2. #2
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    no server chipset nor 1U optimized board for Conroe yet!

    G965 is a "desktop" chipset, you won't see PCI-X support for it. SM does have G965 based "workstation" board - PDSBA, but you need a 2U to house it.
    C.W. LEE, Apaq Digital Systems
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  3. #3
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    Why would you want a Core 2 for server use? That's plain stupid.

    Get a Xeon Woodcrest. It's based on the Core 2 "Conroe" and is much more suitable for server use.

    Perry

  4. #4
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    audio? nothing a hacksaw cant fix.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by perry753
    Why would you want a Core 2 for server use? That's plain stupid.

    Get a Xeon Woodcrest. It's based on the Core 2 "Conroe" and is much more suitable for server use.

    Perry
    It would also be plain stupid to pay the premium for Woodcrests when such a configuration isn't necessary. For a load balanced web server setup we are looking at going with many Core 2 Duo systems instead of Woodcrests as the cost will be much lower, giving us more overall flexibility, as with the nature of that you don't really need server grade equipment, as the load balancing can easily compensate for any outages, etc. Saying the idea is stupid without knowing the use/application is simply nonsense...
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  6. #6
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    It looks like Intel brainwashing department (responsible for increasing profits through branding and cool names like Xeon) intends to phase out the Desktop CPU as server options that the wonderful E7230 chipset supports.

    Story:
    http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?...me=0&endtime=0

  7. #7
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    hahahah Take it easy, StephenRS. Just giving my thought man.
    Last edited by perry753; 08-07-2006 at 01:02 PM.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by StephenRS
    It looks like Intel brainwashing department (responsible for increasing profits through branding and cool names like Xeon) intends to phase out the Desktop CPU as server options that the wonderful E7230 chipset supports.

    Story:
    http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?...me=0&endtime=0
    But, the Xeon 3000 series is probably the same thing (same price and spec) as Core 2 duo CPU...

    I think Intel wants to increase their server market statistically

  9. #9
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    it's confirmed that Supermicro PDSMI series won't accept Conroe. i just sticked a E6300 core2 duo on it, and it won't POST at all!

    however, for a low-end solution, I found that putting Conroe on the rather cheap Intel D946GZIS desktop board (picture) is very doable in 1U chassis. granted it's a "desktop" board, and no passive cooling can be arranged, but at such low heat output (65w max), passive cooling is not really important. Conroe will do just fine with a good active blower type of HSF such as Dynatron D35G/D33G! after all, we've been using active mini blower to cool the older P4 northwood chips and Athlon64 s754 for years with good success. again, for a budget 1U with low-cost, yet high Conroe performance, this could be a sound solution.

    one good thing about the Intel D946GZIS board is that the 3x stacked audio "tower" is not as tall as the one you would find on other desktop boards, and I DON'T have to cut off any of the audio ports at all in order to fit the supermicro SC811 chassis I've tried!

    CentOS 4.2 x86_64 installs smoothly on the D946GZIS providing that you must turn off ACPI by "linux acpi=off" at install boot prompt. it identifies the core2 duo chip just fine ("cat /proc/cpuinfo"), loads the SMP kernel, and also sees the on-board Intel ICH7 SATA ports, Intel NIC, Intel video (VESA driver) just fine too!
    Last edited by cwl@apaqdigital; 08-09-2006 at 10:32 PM.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwl@apaqdigital

    however, for a low-end solution, I found that putting Conroe on the rather cheap Intel D946GZIS desktop board (picture) is very doable in 1U chassis. granted it's a "desktop" board, and no passive cooling can be arranged, but at such low heat output (65w max), passive cooling is not really important. Conroe will do just fine with a good active blower type of HSF such as Dynatron D35G/D33G! after all, we've been using active mini blower to cool the older P4 northwood chips and Athlon64 s754 for years with good success. again, for a budget 1U with low-cost, yet high Conroe performance, this could be a sound solution.
    Good to hear it fits, but I eliminated those because of the very low ram limits. The 945G chipsets max out at 3.4gb under linux... and the board you mention has only two DIMM sockets.

    I went through that issue back when the Presler was first released... the e7230 chipset solves this (8gb supported and confirmed allows all of it).

    Glad it worked for you.

    Hopefully it will prove true that the new low-end Xeon won't cost more, but I suspect with 'server only' use it isn't going to be discounted like the mainstream desktop stuff.

  11. #11
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    then try Intel DG965RY , G965 chipset, 4x DDR2-800 DIMMs (8-Gig Max), and with the audio output tower low enough that you don't have to rid off in order to fit 1U, and it comes 1x Gb NIC too!

    again, these intel boards capable of core2 duo are "desktop" grade motherboards, therefore you can't use passive cooling, and no high-end server features such as PCI-X slots, IPMI...etc. however, for budget 1U servers, which are definatly in high-demand, it's a very attractive solution.

    imagine this: for under $1k, you can put Conroe E6400 (2.13G), 2G DDR2, 2x 80G, 2x Gb NICs in a 14" mini 1U, and outguns older dual Xeon Irwindale 3G a great deal, and use less than half of power! (a 260watt power supply is more than enough to run this mini 1U Conroe server). for about $100 extra, you can get E6600 (2.4Ghz).
    Last edited by cwl@apaqdigital; 08-12-2006 at 11:01 AM.
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  12. #12
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    supermicro just announced PDSMI+ 1U optimized server board for Core2 Duo chip:
    http://www.supermicro.com/products/m...000/PDSMi+.cfm
    it's based on the new Intel 3000 chipset.

    however, the real availability of PDSMI+ is unknown, and nothing yet from Tyan....
    C.W. LEE, Apaq Digital Systems
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by StephenRS
    Look here you damn nube, I know about the marketed 'server options'... I will counter your word "stupid" with "brainwashed".

    You have no idea what my application is - all I told you was my needs regarding the physical size of a motherboard.
    I love it!

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwl@apaqdigital
    supermicro just announced PDSMI+ 1U optimized server board for Core2 Duo chip:
    http://www.supermicro.com/products/m...000/PDSMi+.cfm
    it's based on the new Intel 3000 chipset.

    It is looking more and more like the "Xeon 3000" solution isn't going to be as overpriced as I suspected.

    However, I think this is a mistake for Intel to spend $ marketing and stocking basically identical CPU (Core 2 Duo desktop == Xeon 3000) just so they can say they have a larger share of the server market.

    Ultimatly someone has to pay a price for this duplicate product line.

  15. #15
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    AMD is doing the same thing! Operon 1000 series = Athlon64 X2 AM2.

    Opteron 1212 AM2 (2x 2.0G/1M l2) is identical to A64-X2 4000 AM2 (2x 2.0G/1M L2) in every aspect, but the 1212 costs more than twice the X2-4000! I'm not sure anyone in the right mind should buy the 1212 chips.....

    on the Intel side, you don't have to use Xeon 3000 series CPU on PDSMI+! you can just use the core2 duo chip.

    last time I heard, supermicro is receiving the PDSMI+/PDSME+ board tomorrow from oversea plants.
    Last edited by cwl@apaqdigital; 08-24-2006 at 12:40 PM.
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  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwl@apaqdigital
    on the Intel side, you don't have to use Xeon 3000 series CPU on PDSMI+! you can just use the core2 duo chip.
    You have any website to point to that can shed light on this claim?

  17. #17
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    strangely, supermicro removed the Core2 Duo referrence from PDSMI + product page! I assumed SM has been 'pressured' by Intel.....

    anyway, I've qty2 coming in on Monday, and I will test Conroe on it, and report back.
    C.W. LEE, Apaq Digital Systems
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  18. #18
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    received 2x SM PDSMI+ today, and surely it does run Core2 Duo Conroe chips nicely.

    presumably, PDSME+/PDSM4+ should have no problem to accommodate Conroe's.
    C.W. LEE, Apaq Digital Systems
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  19. #19
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    How does Conroe compare to Demsey or Woodcrest? Is there any such comparison/benchmark?
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by FHDave
    How does Conroe compare to Demsey or Woodcrest? Is there any such comparison/benchmark?
    the 4mb cache conroe's are pretty much single cpu woodcrest's, very nice chips, and there is no doubt they will make great servers.
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  21. #21
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    well, Intel doesn't want you to use Conroe on server platforms. that's why you won't see core2 duo in major OEMs such as Dell/HP/IBM..... instead, Intel want you to use "Xeon 3000" series, then charges you extra for the name "Xeon".

    AMD is pretty much "guilty as charged" too! X2-4000 AM2 = Opteron 1212 AM2! so, AMD just discontinued X2-4000 AM2 so that there is no "conflict of interest" with Operon 1212, then AMD can charge you twice the dollars for the name "Opteron"!

    front side bus is a major difference between non-dualable Conroe/Xeon 3000 (1066mhz) and dualable Woodcrest (1333mhz).
    Last edited by cwl@apaqdigital; 08-29-2006 at 01:34 AM.
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  22. #22
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    Yes, I understand that. However, I just find it interesting that nobody out there is doing the benchmark/comparison between the two CPUs.
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  23. #23
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    I will "imagine" single Woodcrest will beat out Conroe because of it's 25% faster front side bus.

    anyway, hopefully we will soon see some benchmarks putting Xeon 3000 series (basically equals Conroe; ETA mid-Sept) against Xeon 5100 series.
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  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwl@apaqdigital
    then try Intel DG965RY , G965 chipset, 4x DDR2-800 DIMMs (8-Gig Max), and with the audio output tower low enough that you don't have to rid off in order to fit 1U, and it comes 1x Gb NIC too!
    Does anyone have any experience with this DG965RY board?

    We bought a few to test a 1u setup like the one quoted above, but have not had any luck installing CentOS on it.

    I tried CentOS 4.2 x86_64 as well as 4.4 and tried all variants of "linux acpi=off" that I could find.

    I am downloading FC5 x86_64 now to try that.

    Has anyone had any luck getting CentOS installed on this board?

    Are there major differences between the Intel D946GZIS and DG965RY ?

  25. #25
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    It appears that the DG965RY uses the G965 chipset and the D946GZIS uses the older (more stable) D964 chipset.

    It also seems that CentOS doesn't support the G965 chipset just yet.

    Darn.

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