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Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 3rd 06, 04:33 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

Is there a way...??

I have a Proliant 2500 Tower Case Model with the CPU/Memory module for two
Slot 1 Pentium II 333MHz CPUs. It also has 1.5GB of memory and a five drive
RAID and a two drive mirror. It all works fine under Win2K Server. (I
Think I would like to make a Linux Server out of it, for self training
purposes... and maybe something useful too.)

I also have two of the original Celeron 466MHz PPGA processors that are SMP
capable; and two MSI 6905 Master Slocket adapters that are SMP capable.
(The Celerons have a 66MHz FSB like the P II 333s).

I removed the P IIs and put one Celeron/Slocket into the Proliant to see if
it would boot. I got video and IBIT with the memory test running all the
way to completion (much faster too). Then IBIT got to the CPU and decided
that it was a "not supported CPU type" and halted. This in spite of the
fact that it was obviously running. I think it is likely that I could
install and run these CPUs with no problem, if only the BIOS IBIT would let
me past the CPU check.

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check? Is
the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have to read
out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I had to hack it
myself)?

John Dean
in Seattle



  #2  
Old April 3rd 06, 05:46 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check? Is
the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have to read
out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I had to hack it
myself)?


Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum
  #3  
Old April 4th 06, 02:58 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?


"msg" wrote in message
...
John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check?
Is the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have to
read out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I had to
hack it myself)?


Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum


Thanks... I went to Google Groups and read that thread. There is a
difference in my objective from that other thread. The Celeron PPGA
processor IS a P II; and it runs at 66MHz FSB. The 466 version has a
multiplier of nine. The only difference is in the cache. The P II comes
with 512K on the processor card, external to the CPU chip and running at
half the core speed. The Celeron PPGA has only 256K of cache, but it is
on-chip and runs at full core speed. In every main board I know of, the
Celeron PPGA and the P II run on the same chipset. That is why the
PowerLeap upgrades were possible.

But I gather that there is no prior experience of hacking the BIOS to get
around the POST CPU check?

Does anyone have any info on what are the minimum tools needed to read out
the BIOS and disassemble it? Is the BIOS in flash memory so it would be
easy to reload after modification?

Thanks

John Dean


  #4  
Old April 4th 06, 05:42 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
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Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?


"msg" wrote in message
...
John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check?
Is the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have to
read out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I had to
hack it myself)?


Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum


Sorry.... arithmetic error. Should not do it in my head when tired. The
multiplier is seven, not nine. The fastest Celeron PPGA they made was, I
believe, a 533 which is eight X 66 (probably... did it in my head again).

Also the Celeron is the same as the P II series that ran at 100MHz FSB...
350, 400, 450,....600; not the original 66MHz P IIs that were in the series
233, 266, (300?), 333. But I think that was a process change, not a design
change. The core voltage went down a bit. But the MSI 6905s have their own
VRM onboard and they drop the voltage to the right value.

John Dean


  #5  
Old April 4th 06, 03:50 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

i have not heard of getting those Celerons working in proliant servers.

If you really need the upgrade, look for an old PL1600. It has a 100Mhz bus,
and should support upto 550mhz PIII processors. Those things have to be just
about free on eBay now ... or, get the guts from a 1600 and put it in the
2500 case? the are basicall the same.

- LC

"John Dean" wrote in message
...

"msg" wrote in message
...
John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check?
Is the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have
to read out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I
had to hack it myself)?


Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum


Sorry.... arithmetic error. Should not do it in my head when tired. The
multiplier is seven, not nine. The fastest Celeron PPGA they made was, I
believe, a 533 which is eight X 66 (probably... did it in my head again).

Also the Celeron is the same as the P II series that ran at 100MHz FSB...
350, 400, 450,....600; not the original 66MHz P IIs that were in the
series 233, 266, (300?), 333. But I think that was a process change, not
a design change. The core voltage went down a bit. But the MSI 6905s
have their own VRM onboard and they drop the voltage to the right value.

John Dean



  #6  
Old April 5th 06, 02:55 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

Thanks... sounds like excellant advice.

John Dean

"Nut Cracker" wrote in message
...
i have not heard of getting those Celerons working in proliant servers.

If you really need the upgrade, look for an old PL1600. It has a 100Mhz
bus, and should support upto 550mhz PIII processors. Those things have to
be just about free on eBay now ... or, get the guts from a 1600 and put it
in the 2500 case? the are basicall the same.

- LC

"John Dean" wrote in message
...

"msg" wrote in message
...
John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check?
Is the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have
to read out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I
had to hack it myself)?

Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum


Sorry.... arithmetic error. Should not do it in my head when tired. The
multiplier is seven, not nine. The fastest Celeron PPGA they made was, I
believe, a 533 which is eight X 66 (probably... did it in my head
again).

Also the Celeron is the same as the P II series that ran at 100MHz FSB...
350, 400, 450,....600; not the original 66MHz P IIs that were in the
series 233, 266, (300?), 333. But I think that was a process change, not
a design change. The core voltage went down a bit. But the MSI 6905s
have their own VRM onboard and they drop the voltage to the right value.

John Dean





  #7  
Old April 5th 06, 03:51 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

I looked in eBay and a company in Canada is selling a lot of PL1600 parts.
They have PL 1600 processor boards. I see the processor board has two CPU
card slots and four SIMM sockets. My PL2500 processor board has four memory
module sockets, two CPU card slots and a memory expansion card slot. The
memory in the PL2500 is EDO ECC 66MHz and (I think) 3.3V. The memory
reference I found for the PL1600 says the memory is PC100 Registered ECC.

Could I just swap processor boards? (Does the PL1600 processor board mount
into my PL2500 processor cage?) If so, can I temporarily continue using the
P II 333 CPUs with their 66MHz FSB... just so I could be sure it all works
before upgrading CPUs?

Will the EDO memory still work as long as the FSB is set to 66MHz? Does the
PL1600 processor board have a slot for a memory expansion card? If so, will
my PL2500 memory expansion card work?

I guess the underlying question is: Which parts must I swap out, as a
minimum, to change my box to a PL1600?

Thanks
John Dean


"Nut Cracker" wrote in message
...
i have not heard of getting those Celerons working in proliant servers.

If you really need the upgrade, look for an old PL1600. It has a 100Mhz
bus, and should support upto 550mhz PIII processors. Those things have to
be just about free on eBay now ... or, get the guts from a 1600 and put it
in the 2500 case? the are basicall the same.

- LC

"John Dean" wrote in message
...

"msg" wrote in message
...
John Dean wrote:

Is there a BIOS patch for Celerons? Or, one for ignoring the CPU check?
Is the BIOS in flash memory, and if so what tools would I need to have
to read out a copy of it for modification and reinsertion (assuming I
had to hack it myself)?

Please see previous posts in this newsgroup in PL 3000 BIOS tweaks.

Michael Grigoni
Cybertheque Museum


Sorry.... arithmetic error. Should not do it in my head when tired. The
multiplier is seven, not nine. The fastest Celeron PPGA they made was, I
believe, a 533 which is eight X 66 (probably... did it in my head
again).

Also the Celeron is the same as the P II series that ran at 100MHz FSB...
350, 400, 450,....600; not the original 66MHz P IIs that were in the
series 233, 266, (300?), 333. But I think that was a process change, not
a design change. The core voltage went down a bit. But the MSI 6905s
have their own VRM onboard and they drop the voltage to the right value.

John Dean





  #8  
Old April 5th 06, 10:38 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?


"John Dean" wrote in message
...
I looked in eBay and a company in Canada is selling a lot of PL1600 parts.
They have PL 1600 processor boards. I see the processor board has two CPU
card slots and four SIMM sockets. My PL2500 processor board has four memory
module sockets, two CPU card slots and a memory expansion card slot. The
memory in the PL2500 is EDO ECC 66MHz and (I think) 3.3V. The memory
reference I found for the PL1600 says the memory is PC100 Registered ECC.

Could I just swap processor boards? (Does the PL1600 processor board
mount into my PL2500 processor cage?) If so, can I temporarily continue
using the P II 333 CPUs with their 66MHz FSB... just so I could be sure it
all works before upgrading CPUs?

Will the EDO memory still work as long as the FSB is set to 66MHz? Does
the PL1600 processor board have a slot for a memory expansion card? If
so, will my PL2500 memory expansion card work?

I guess the underlying question is: Which parts must I swap out, as a
minimum, to change my box to a PL1600?

Thanks
John Dean


No, you cant just swap processor boards. You would also need the I/O board
and 3rd little board that connects the processor board to the I/O board.
Might also have power connector requirements as well.

1600 has 4 memory slots. no expansion. wont run EDO, has to be PC100 Reg ECC
SDRAM.

You actually have one of the more rare 2500's out there. Most people chose
not to get the PII upgrade kit, or they got the PII OD socket 8 processor
upgrades, which were slightly better than the slot1 PII 333 upgrades, since
the L2 cache was on-chip and ran at full processor speed, rather than the
1/2 speed of the Slot1's.

I would suggest undertaking the conversion ONLY if you approaching this from
a hobbyist point of view. If you need a performance machine that needs to be
up and running fast, just get a newer box. If this is for fun, be prepared
for an occasional frustration along the way.

- LC




  #9  
Old April 6th 06, 03:02 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?


NuTCrAcKeR wrote:
"John Dean" wrote in message
...


Your 2500 has dual PII333's, but it is (I believe) capable of
supporting 4G of memory.

A 1600 can have as high as dual PIII600's...but can only support a
maximum of 1G of memory.

Now, the boost in processor speed can't be denied...but I wonder if
Linux might PREFER to have the extra memory? WHich of the two machines
would DEFINITELY make a better Linux Server? I'm really not sure.

However, it does seem likely that you may have an easier time finding
some PC66 512M sticks, than you would have swapping out guts or buying
a different machine.

But I am often wrong.

Jeffrey Alsip

  #10  
Old April 6th 06, 05:21 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Proliant 2500 CPU Upgrade?

The 333Myz processor can cache only 3GB of physical memory. Even still, I
dont know that the 2500 kit allows for up to 3GB of Ram. It would be EDO at
best.

- LC

"Jeffrey Alsip" wrote in message
ps.com...

NuTCrAcKeR wrote:
"John Dean" wrote in message
...


Your 2500 has dual PII333's, but it is (I believe) capable of
supporting 4G of memory.

A 1600 can have as high as dual PIII600's...but can only support a
maximum of 1G of memory.

Now, the boost in processor speed can't be denied...but I wonder if
Linux might PREFER to have the extra memory? WHich of the two machines
would DEFINITELY make a better Linux Server? I'm really not sure.

However, it does seem likely that you may have an easier time finding
some PC66 512M sticks, than you would have swapping out guts or buying
a different machine.

But I am often wrong.

Jeffrey Alsip



 




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