Generations of intel xeon processors. How to build an inexpensive gaming computer based on the Intel Xenon E5450 processor

It's hard to imagine a concept more closely related to Intel than "processor." Having once had a hand in the emergence of this class of devices on the mass market, Intel is now spending no less effort on their constant improvement. As a result of these titanic efforts, there is a regular change of generations of processors: everyone probably knows about “tick-tock”. Let's, however, take a picture and take a look at the entire processor lineup - on what principle is it built? Let's start with Intel Xeon server processors.

The Intel Xeon line dates back to the Pentium II. Historically, they were built on the same microarchitectures as desktop processors with the addition of server-specific features such as multiprocessing support, larger caches, support for an extended instruction set, etc. If we talk about current Xeons from a platform point of view, we get a rather interesting picture.

However, if you think about it, the situation when three families of Xeons are so scattered across Intel’s technology line does not seem strange. Server processors are much more complex than desktop processors; the development and implementation of those very specific features takes a long time, and the more there are, the longer. That’s why the simplest E3s “jumped” the furthest; We will begin our analysis of Xeon by family with them.

Intel Xeon E3

Intel Xeon E5

Those wishing to receive productive system more compact, I advise you to pay attention to the E5-26xx series, suitable for almost any task - it’s not for nothing that Intel calls it mainstream. A special feature of this series is two QPI lines for two processors; Thus, the two sockets of the system exchange data at speeds twice as high as standard.

Changes compared to the previous generation are shown in red.

Intel Xeon E7

To change or not to change?

The server processor segment, unlike mobile or consumer ones, is conservative and predictable. This is unlikely to upset anyone, because for professionals, reliability, compatibility and performance are important, and not spectacular functionality. Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly movement here too. Therefore, with some frequency (less often than we would like, but still) on the Intel blog we publish reviews of the current situation with Xeon processors - a kind of instant cross-section of the entire line. Well, two interesting news prompted us to do this review right now.

A short preface for those who are interested in the topic, but have not previously followed the development of the Intel Xeon line. Xeon (correctly read “Zion”) - server processors using Intel Core technologies and following the Core update strategy (the same one that used to be “tick-tock”, and now “tick-tock”), albeit with some delay . That is, Intel Core i3/i7 Kaby Lake appears first, and after a while Intel Xeon E3/E7 Kaby Lake appears. The more complex the processors, the greater the generational difference. Let's say Intel Xeon E3v6 (Kaby Lake) appeared 8 months after Intel Core i3 v7 (Kaby Lake) - right now, and this is the first news. But Intel Xeon E5v6 does not yet exist in nature and it will not appear soon, because the current current generation is the fourth, which is Broadwell. Confused about the numbers? Generations Core and Xeon differ by one, since the first “Zion” was made on Sandy Bridge cores, that is, the second generation Core.

Having familiarized ourselves with the arithmetic of the model range of Intel Xeon processors, let’s move on to their comparative consideration.

Intel Xeon E3

Typical configuration Intel Xeon E5 v6

Xeon E3v6 is the third stage in the Intel processor upgrade cycle, the optimization stage. This means that functionally and hardware-wise it is almost no different from its predecessor; There are some “file modifications” taking place in order to more fully utilize the available resource. Let's look at what has changed during the current iteration of the cycle, which took a total of 2 years.

Intel Xeon E5

Quite often when choosing a single-processor server or workstation The question arises which processor to use - server Xeon or regular Core ix. Considering that these processors are built on the same cores, the choice quite often falls on desktop processors, which usually have a lower cost with similar performance. Why then does Intel release Xeon E3 processors? Let's figure it out.

Specifications

Availability of integrated graphics. At first glance, the Core i5 has an advantage, but all server motherboards have an integrated graphics card that doesn't require a graphics chip in the processor, and workstations typically don't use integrated graphics due to their relatively low performance.

ECC support. High speed and large amounts of RAM increase the likelihood of software errors. Typically, such errors are invisible, but despite this, they can lead to data changes or system crashes. If such errors are not dangerous for desktop computers due to their rare occurrence, then they are unacceptable in servers that operate around the clock for several years. To correct them, ECC (error-correcting code) technology is used, the efficiency of which is 99.988%.

Thermal design power (TDP). Essentially, the processor's power consumption at maximum load. Xeons typically have a smaller thermal envelope and smarter power-saving algorithms, which ultimately results in lower electricity bills and more efficient cooling.

L3 cache. Cache memory is a kind of layer between the processor and RAM, which has a very high speed. The larger the cache size, the faster the processor works, since even very fast RAM works much slower than cache memory. Xeon processors typically have larger cache sizes, making them preferable for resource-intensive applications.

Frequency / Frequency in Turbo mode Boost. Everything is simple here - the higher the frequency, the faster the processor works, all other things being equal. The base frequency, that is, the frequency at which the processors operate under full load, is the same, but in Turbo Boost mode, that is, when working with applications not designed for multi-core processors,Xeon is faster.

Intel TSX-NI support. Intel Transactional Synchronization Extensions New Instructions (Intel TSX-NI) is an add-on to the processor cache system that optimizes the execution environment of multi-threaded applications, but, of course, only if these applications use TSX-NI programming interfaces. TSX-NI instruction sets allow you to more efficiently implement work with Big Data and databases - in cases where multiple threads access the same data and thread blocking situations arise. Speculative data access, which is implemented in TSX, allows you to build such applications more efficiently and more dynamically scale performance when increasing the number of concurrently executed threads by resolving conflicts when accessing shared data.

The advantages of older Xeon processors include even larger L3 capacity, up to 45 MB, more cores, up to 18, and more supported RAM, up to 768 GB per processor. At the same time, consumption does not exceed 160 W. At first glance, this is very great value, however, considering that the performance of such processors is several times higher than the performance of the same Xeon E3-1220 V3 with a TDP of 80 W, the savings become obvious. It should also be noted that none of the Core family processors support multiprocessing, that is, it is possible to install no more than one processor in one computer. Most applications for servers and workstations scale well across cores, threads and physical processors, so installing two processors will give an almost twofold increase in performance.

Owners of personal computers are of little interest, because crystals this segment a completely different task related to mathematical calculations and working with databases. The unrealistically inflated cost and its own platform, in addition, completely relieve the potential buyer from thinking about purchasing and installing processors from the corporate segment.

Actually the manufacturer computer equipment just not interested in regular users installed server solutions for themselves, because this would undermine the company’s policy and suspend sales of new equipment. In this article, the reader will get acquainted with one interesting representative of the corporate segment, which can compete with expensive crystals. We will talk about the XEON E5450 processor. Review, characteristics, description and user reviews will help the reader to better know the representative of the corporate segment.

Specifications

The processor is designed to be installed in a slot that is reserved manufacturer Intel for multiprocessor platforms. For the XEON E5450, the performance characteristics are slightly different from the Pentium 4 crystals and their analogs intended for installation in socket 775. Four cores, implemented separately on one platform (like the Core Quad), operate at a frequency of 3 GHz. The bus operating frequency corresponds to 1333 MHz.

The only indicator that stands out is the size of the processor memory cache, which is 12 megabytes (for the second level). Support for a 64-bit platform, 80 Watt heat dissipation and support for all instructions necessary for server operation complete the general idea of ​​the XEON E5450 crystal.

Processor Features

The reader has already noticed several fundamental differences between the representative of the server platform and processors intended for installation in a personal computer. A crystal with four cores operates at a frequency of 3 GHz, while a home representative, even in the top version, is limited to a threshold of 2.9 GHz. The bus performance indicator is also interesting - 1333 MHz for most personal computer users is achieved only by overclocking. And then in most cases the frequency threshold is 1066 MHz.

The heat dissipation, which does not exceed 100 Watts, is also pleasing. Naturally, the user may want to overclock the XEON E5450. The enthusiast’s surprise will know no bounds when he passes the psychological barrier without any problems and stops at 4.1 GHz. True, before overclocking, you need to solve the problem with cooling, since the crystal has a temperature limit (70 degrees Celsius), after which automatic protection is triggered and the server processor turns off.

Comparison with analogues

Naturally, all users eagerly want to compare the server crystal with some well-known product. For example, XEON E5450 vs Core Quad Q6800. At the very least, all users of the platform do not consider the Q6800 processor to be a performance standard that fits well into the price-quality criterion. However, IT experts recommend that enthusiasts raise the bar much higher and look for an Intel Core I5 ​​representative for comparison.

Yes, the last generation server processor will easily outperform not only all multi-core AMD representatives, but also its older Core I3 brothers in performance. It is this feature of the crystal that attracts many users who have long wanted to increase the performance of their computer, but do not have enough money to switch to a new platform.

Professional use

The Intel XEON E5450 crystal will be useful primarily for experts in the field of video processing and creating 3D models. Processing power is enough to perform the most complex tasks. If we compare with other processors on the socket 775 platform, the performance gain can be assessed as follows:

• the Pentium 4 platform with one core is 20 times slower;
• the dual-core Dual Core representative is 15 times inferior;
• a Core 2 Duo crystal with a core frequency of more than 2.6 GHz is 10 times slower than the XEON E5450;
• a Core Quad representative with 4 cores is 5 times inferior to a server representative.

Performance measurements were carried out by experts using applications for processing and encoding video in FullHD format. Well-known Sony programs Vegas and Pinnacle Studio. There is no doubt that there will not be much difference in performance when processing 3D objects.

Potential in gaming applications

Many enthusiasts believe that gaming will not be a stumbling block for the XEON E5450 processor. After all, the server crystal has proven itself worthy in working with resource-intensive applications. This is true, but there are a few things that fans of dynamic modern toys should pay attention to. Firstly, for quick exchange With information from the application and the processor, it is necessary to ensure that the RAM operates at the same frequency as the crystal (1333 MHz). Weak point a video adapter may also appear in the system, the potential of which is simply not enough for full-fledged work the entire system.

For a gaming computer based on a server processor, experts have established minimum requirements for video adapters: Geforce GTX 580 and Radeon HD 5970. Graphics accelerators with lower performance will slow down the operation of the entire system. Don't forget about the hard drive. It's time to build on the base solid state hard drives SSD.

Real numbers

Naturally, all users, especially fans of resource-intensive modern games, want to see the performance of the XEON E5450 crystal in action. For comparison, enthusiasts created two identical platforms: 4 GB of Hynix 1333 MHz RAM, MSI G41M-P26 motherboard, Kingston HyperX 120Gb SSD and Gainward GTX 580 video adapter. The platforms differed only in processors. The server crystal was assigned to a Core Quad Q6800. In gaming applications GTA5, FarCry4, Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, Fallout 4, system performance has increased almost 3 times (from 20-25 FPS to 60-70 frames per second).

Such indicators prompted enthusiasts to think about comparison server solution for the socket 771 platform with a more powerful new generation processor - 2500K. The results turned out to be stunning - the XEON E5450 was only 5-7% behind the representative of the line! The weak point in the system, as practice has shown, is the amount of RAM - 4 GB is clearly not enough for resource-intensive games.

Physical differences between platforms

The XEON E5450 processor, designed for installation in socket 771, has some differences from the Intel Pentium 4, intended for installation in socket 775. Firstly, we are talking about two contacts that the manufacturer swapped in order to prevent interchangeability of processors. The problem can be resolved in several ways: the legs on the motherboard are soldered or a special adapter is used to change the socket.

The second trouble is the lack of additional slots on the server processor for installation in socket 775. The problem is also solved in two ways: sawing through the slots on the processor or breaking off the limiters on the motherboard. The second method is safer.

Platform compatibility at the software level

Before you start looking for a XEON E5450 processor on domestic market, you need to understand whether it is compatible with motherboard available to the user. The fact is that Intel, when releasing chips, created some restrictions that apply not only base frequencies work, but also heat generation. All motherboards based on P and G series chips, as well as nForce 7 series platforms, support the server processor at the hardware level.

Not all motherboards can “know” what kind of processor the Intel XEON E5450 is, even if this crystal is supported by the chip at the hardware level. The problem is that some motherboard manufacturers have their own limit that they use to maintain the temperature in the system. Thus, manufacturers Foxconn, MSI and Gigabyte have limited the installation of processors with four cores operating at frequencies above 2.66 GHz at the BIOS firmware level. Accordingly, before purchasing, users are advised to read the specifications of the motherboard on the manufacturer’s official website.

Search for a ready-made solution

Having received introductory data regarding the performance of the Intel XEON E5450 server processor, the user will certainly begin to study offers on the domestic market, and after some time will be disappointed by the lack of new crystals in retail sales. Yes, the platform is obsolete and has long been discontinued, so the secondary market will help you find the right solution. The cost of such a processor ranges from 2-4 thousand rubles.

A new crystal can be purchased at foreign online auctions. The cost of such processors is not much different from offers on Russian market, however, foreigners offer their goods with minor modifications. The server processor is already bored out for socket 775 and has a corresponding adapter.

Cooling system

There is no need to think that the XEON E5450 crystal, which is undemanding in terms of power supply, does not need a decent cooler. The fact is that an economical processor is not only sensitive to overheating, but is also capable of shutting down the entire computer if the operating temperature is exceeded. After all, this is a server processor, and it is responsible for the safety of data and its own safety, so the user should think about purchasing a decent cooling system.

Experts in the field of IT technology recommend taking a closer look at inexpensive solutions from Intel. All versions of BOX 4 come with a decent cooler, which is designed to cool crystals with a heat output of up to 125 Watts. This solution will be quite sufficient even for overclocking the crystal to 4 GHz.

In conclusion

The XEON E5450 server solution is not only an alternative to upgrading your computer by moving to a new platform. Here it’s more about saving the user’s money, because he is offered unusual solution, which, along with improving computer performance, can save a large amount of money. Yes, the transition is not easy and requires physical intervention in the operation of the processor. But it’s worth it to enjoy the comfortable operation of the system in the next few years, without thinking about possible modernization, which requires significant financial costs.

True, many potential buyers still have to go through great job, before creating the platform of your dreams. A regular trip to the store is not enough here. First you need to make sure that your motherboard's processor is supported. After that, solving the installation problem, and improving the remaining components of the computer plays an important role here.

For enthusiasts and fans of overclocking, this Skylake processor has become not only a way to bypass Intel's overclocking restrictions, but also a real opportunity to get a powerful quad-core Core i7 at the price of a Core i3. In this article we will look at another profitable option purchasing iron in China.

On AliExpress, Taobao and Ebay you will find many Xeon server chips of the Sandy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-EP generations, which went on sale in 2012 and 2013. At one time, these were some of the most high-tech and productive solutions, which is why such processors were quite expensive. For example, the retail price of the 8-core Xeon E5-2670, which will be discussed below, when ordering a batch of 1,000 pieces was $1,550. Now this model can be purchased for just a few thousand rubles, which is not surprising considering its age.

The presence of six and eight cores in outdated Xeon models attracts computer enthusiasts, and simply all those who want to save as much as possible when assembling a system unit. In terms of price, some Sandy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-EP chips are comparable to modern dual-core ones Pentium processors and Core i3 generations of Skylake and Kaby Lake, and in terms of performance in multi-threaded applications - with quad-core Core i7. Sounds tempting, right? But, as in any adventure related to the purchase of iron in China, it cannot be done without pitfalls. Therefore, we decided to study this issue in more detail by assembling a productive and inexpensive gaming computer.

⇡ Selection and purchase

The most attractively priced Sandy Bridge-EP models for the LGA2011 platform and Chinese motherboards on the X79 Express chipset are the Xeon E5-1620, E5-1650, E5-2650, E5-2660, E5-2665, E5-2670, E5- 2680 and E5-2690. Finding these chips for sale on sites such as Taobao and AliExpress is not difficult. The most popular options from this list are the 6-core Xeon E5-1650 and 8-core Xeon E5-2670. The first model has an unlocked multiplier. Statistics show that this processor, using high-quality air cooling, can easily be overclocked to 4.3-4.5 GHz. The Xeon E5-2670 does not have this advantage, but under load all eight cores of the chip operate at a frequency of 3 GHz, which is also not bad. Other server processors no longer look so attractive in the price-performance coordinate system. The Xeon E5-1620 has only four cores, the E5-2650 (~2,000 RUR), E5-2660 (~3,000 RUR) and E5-2665 (~3,500 RUR) chips run on low frequencies, and E5-2680 (~7,500 rubles) will have to be paid extra.

The same trading platforms are full of Xeon processors of the Ivy Bridge-EP generation. The 10-core Xeon E5-2660 V2, Xeon E5-2670 V2 and Xeon E-2680 V2 seem to be interesting options - they are also compatible with the LGA2011 platform. An engineer Xeon E5-2680 V2, operating with all ten cores loaded at a frequency of 3100 MHz, costs an average of 8,000 rubles. A serial modification of this processor will cost significantly more.

As a result, our choice fell on the Xeon E5-2670 model (~4,000 rubles) with C1 stepping, since this chip costs less than the Xeon E5-1650 (~6,000 rubles), but without overclocking it turns out to be faster in all resource-intensive tasks, using multithreading. Specifications of these processors are shown in the table. For clarity, let's add the Core i7-3970X to the comparison Extreme Edition- the flagship chip among desktop solutions for the LGA2011 platform - and the Core i7-7700, since many sellers on TaoBao and AliExpress like to compare 8-core Xeons with 8-thread Core chips of the sixth and seventh generations.

It is important to understand that Sandy Bridge in 2017 is already considered an obsolete architecture. After its release in 2012, Intel introduced Ivy Bridge, Haswell, Broadwell and Skylake solutions, and when comparing a Sandy Bridge processor with a Skylake or Kaby Lake chip at the same frequency, a modern CPU will be faster by an average of 30%, and this is a noticeable increase. Plus, don’t forget that platforms evolve along with central processors.

As you can see, it is very similar to the server Xeon E5-1650. But desktop six-core Intel processors (don’t forget about the existence of the Core i7-3960X), also designed for the LGA2011 platform, have higher clock speeds and more third-level cache: 15 versus 12 MB. In addition, it is worth noting that processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture do not support the AVX2 vector instruction set.

On sale you can find Xeon with both C1 and C2 stepping - new version corrects errors in technology implementation virtualization VT-d. C2 stepping does not provide any other advantages, but such versions of Xeon cost 800-1,000 rubles more. We have the C1 model at our disposal. This is not an engineering sample, there are full markings on the cover. The FPO (Finished Process Order) number 3135C087 indicates that the processor was manufactured in week 35 of 2011.

Within the framework of this article, we consider the option of purchasing not only a central processor, but also a motherboard with a set of RAM. The fact is that it is not easy to find a cheap motherboard based on the X79 Express chipset from a well-known manufacturer on Avito and other flea markets. There are options, but for a “worn” board of the GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD3 level they are asking 13-15 thousand rubles. People are not shy about offering crazier options. Fortunately, enterprising Chinese quickly figured out how they could organize sales of old Xeons, and at the same time earn extra money. Therefore, simultaneously with server CPUs Sandy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-EP generations are being traded inexpensive boards little-known or completely unknown manufacturers. It is this combination - Xeon, “some kind of X79 motherboard”, DDR3 registered ECC memory - that is the most advantageous offer to date. Chinese boards work smoothly with regular modules RAM, but register memory kits on AliExpress and Taobao are cheaper and allow you to save additional money. In addition, sellers sell packages that immediately include one or another Xeon Sandy Bridge-EP, a motherboard and RAM (almost always register memory).

As with any product purchased abroad, there are pitfalls. Purchase computer equipment abroad is always a risk, and even more so in the case of such platforms as AliExpress and Taobao. Firstly, we contact unverified sellers, and the presence of a rating system only helps partly. Although sellers promise 100% performance of the hardware, no one is immune from deception, defects, or substitution. Secondly, there is no official warranty for such components, and the seller’s warranty, even if provided, will not be easy to use. Thirdly, after sending, there comes a tedious wait for the order, during which you can only hope that the Russian and Chinese post offices will not lose or break the parcel. In most cases, everything works out, but, as Forrest Gump said, shit happens.

It is more profitable to rent a processor, board and memory from Taobao platform- this is a kind of AliExpress for our own people (for the Chinese). Nobody bothers you to use the services of third-party “purchasing” services. The cost of Chinese motherboards for the LGA2011 platform, which we will talk about later, on AliExpress is noticeably inflated for unknown reasons. But the prices for the processor and RAM are quite tolerable.

Many sellers sell goods both individually and as a set. In the second case, it’s simply more convenient - the package will contain everything you need and upon receipt you can immediately begin assembling the PC.

As a result, we purchased a kit that included a Xeon E5-2670, 16 GB of DDR3-1600 registered RAM and an mATX motherboard based on the X79 Express. This set cost, taking into account all additional expenses, 14,000 rubles. And this is noticeably cheaper than options with modern Pentium G4560 or Core i3-6100. All components arrived safe and sound - the seller did not spare any packaging material.

⇡ Motherboard and RAM

In fact, deciding on a motherboard for the Xeon Sandy Bridge-EP is more difficult than deciding on the processor itself. As mentioned above, getting a model with an X79 chipset from a well-known manufacturer is very problematic and expensive. Among the Chinese offers there are several inexpensive models, but all of them are not without drawbacks and require optimization. Formally, Chinese motherboards for the LGA2011 platform are divided into two types. Although the “X79” marking is used in the name of the devices, in most cases server devices are used Intel chipsets C602/C604.

The first and, perhaps, the most popular option is motherboards of the ATX form factor produced by HUANAN, as well as its clones. Original boards are marked X79; the manufacturer's name is printed on the PCB or heatsink. Clones are designated as X79Z - on such motherboards you can find a PCI slot (the original HUANAN does not have it). It is better to take boards of new versions: 2.46 and 2.47 for X79 and 2.4b for X79Z. We recommend avoiding old modifications, such as v150, 2.43 and rev 2.01. Firstly, there are no improved BIOS versions for them - this means that you will not be able to adjust the rotation speed of even PWM fans, and you will not be able to run the RAM at an effective frequency of 1866 MHz. Secondly, these boards are not suitable for overclocking the Xeon E5-1650.

HUANAN and clones are the most expensive options. Some models have an M.2 slot, but it works in SATA mode 3 Gbps, so practically useless. But they are all equipped with two SATA 6 Gb/s connectors, so for assembling a PC with using SSD quite suitable. Additionally, most have an internal USB 3.0 connector.

The second type includes motherboards for the LGA2011 platform, made in the mATX form factor. They are cheaper, but have fewer ports on the I/O panel, as well as denser component wiring. The most popular models belonging to the second type are marked G218a. Among them there are versions v1.0, v1.1a (this is the board that was purchased in the end) and v 1.1b. In addition, you can find boards marked MS-7777. They do not support registered ECC memory, do not have an internal USB 3.0 connector, even internal USB 2.0 is not all working. And these motherboards are equipped with only three expansion slots. Another option is boards labeled YW-X79-E. They have support for DDR3 ECC REG memory. These devices are less common than others, and therefore their capabilities have not been fully studied by enthusiasts.

As a result, you need to choose among motherboards whose power converter is equipped with a metal radiator. For assembly in a case, it is better that the board has an internal USB 3.0 connector. Plus, register memory is now relatively inexpensive. In general, we are looking towards models 2.46/2.47, 2.4b and v1.1a. We chose the G218a, preferring its more compact form factor. This motherboard also costs 1,000-2,000 rubles less than its ATX counterparts.

The chipset (after all, we are dealing with a microcircuit produced using a 65-nm process technology) in all Chinese motherboards is cooled by a small aluminum radiator. In a case with mediocre air circulation, the chip most likely will not last long.

The markings of the connectors on the PCB are similar to those that MSI uses in its solutions.

The seller included a simple cooler along with the processor, motherboard and memory. Also in the box we found instructions in English, a disk with drivers, a pair of SATA cables, a plug for the I/O panel on the case and an adapter for mounting the cooler.

Please note that the LGA2011 processor socket in the G218A-V1.1a and other “Chinese” devices is designed slightly differently than in serial motherboards famous brands. It does not have mounting threaded holes at the edges, but four holes are drilled in the PCB, the distances between which correspond to the LGA1366 standard. This fastening system was used. It turns out that any coolers whose mounts are designed for use on LGA1366 platforms are compatible with Chinese motherboards. If such support is not provided, then the cooling system must be selected from among models that are attached using a crossbar with two eyes at the ends. For example, Deepcool Gammaxx S40 is suitable. Just use the adapter included in the kit. First we install it, then we hook the cooler to the lugs, as if we were installing a cooling system for an AMD processor.

The device has four DIMM slots, which means that Xeon Sandy Bridge-EP processors with a 4-channel DDR3 controller will be able to fully realize its capabilities. The v1.1a model supports ECC register memory.

The poor layout of some components immediately catches your eye. The internal USB 3.0 connector is inconveniently routed. And installing a long video card equipped with a dual-slot cooling system will lead to overlap of the PCI Express x1 closest to it and two SATA 3 Gb/s connectors.

By the way, the G218a has a total of six connectors for connecting drives. SATA 6 Gb/s ports are indicated in red, and 3 Gb/s ports are indicated in blue. Also on the PCB there are connectors for connecting case mini-jacks, COM and three USB 2.0 bundles at once.

The board received only three connectors for connecting fans. Two of them are four-pin. We will tell you more about setting the rotation speed of the turntables below.

The power subsystem has seven phases. Its elements are cooled by a small asymmetrical aluminum radiator. A screw mount is used, and a small layer of thermal paste is applied between the power converter and the heatsink. In the circuit, each channel has one inductor and a pair of M3004D transistors manufactured by UBIQ Semiconductor. The power subsystem is controlled by the ISL6366 PWM controller. I note that the G218a design uses exclusively solid-state capacitors.

Under load, the converter heats up noticeably, but the temperature does not go beyond 100 degrees Celsius. Ineffective cooling is... Therefore, when choosing options without additional cooling power subsystems were eliminated.

Please note that the RAM also gets noticeably warm. This problem affects all register modules. The forums report that kits without radiators have lower temperatures. In any case, cooling the components of a future system based on Xeon and X79 boards must be approached with all responsibility.

The I/O panel of the G218a is frankly scanty. There are a pair of USB 3.0 Type A ports. There are four more of the same connectors, but USB 2.0. From the markings we see that there should have been optical S/PDIF, but the space for soldering this connector is empty.

A simple Realtek RTL8111E controller is responsible for the network. A similar version of this gigabit chip is RTL8111H - . The audio path is based on a six-channel Realtek ALC662. In modern budget motherboards for Skylake processors and Kaby Lake, better chips are used - Realtek ALC887 or Realtek ALC892.

Controllers G218A-V1.1a- gallery

BIOS version G218a does not have many settings. All Chinese motherboards use similar firmware. Yes, you have to deal with the good old interface blue without mouse support and the inability to update from a flash drive without creating a bootable DOS partition.

Apito Setup Utility- gallery

There is no way to regulate the voltage of the processor and RAM. At all. There is no access to manual timing control for RAM modules. From useful functions: setting the RAM frequency divider, CPU multiplier and Smart Fan - controlling the speed of fans connected to the four-pin connectors depending on changes in processor temperature.

There are plenty of Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix RAM kits on sale. Sets with ECC register memory for the LGA2011 platform are still cheap and cost significantly less than regular RAM. But they are also noticeably slower. If you already have a set of regular DDR3 memory, then use it. If you buy register strips in China, then you can actually buy a two-channel DDR3-1600L kit with a capacity of 16 GB for 3,000 rubles. Taking into account the fact that we are assembling a computer based on a fairly old platform, it makes sense to buy to capacity, namely, purchase four modules of 8 GB each. In my case, the seller sold the “board - processor - memory” kit only together with the Samsung M393B1K70DH0-YK0 set, consisting of two strips total capacity 16 GB. The letter “L” in the name of the RAM standard means that the kit operates at a voltage reduced to 1.35 V.

Practice shows that most Registered RAM DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1600, purchased in China, “starts up” at an effective frequency of 1866 MHz. Since we cannot change the timings in the BIOS, when the operating speed increases, most kits start with delays of 12-12-12-32.

⇡ Overclocking and tuning

Along with the motherboard, processor and RAM, the seller included a simple cooler - just with fasteners for the LGA1366 socket. The fan does not have PWM, so it rotates at a frequency of about 2400 rpm all the time. In this mode, the cooler’s operation is audible: from 30 centimeters, the measuring device recorded an acoustic pressure of 42 dB.

At the same time, the efficiency of this cooling system is quite sufficient for the Xeon E5-2670. The processor frequency in LinX 0.7.0 drops to the standard 2.6 GHz. The BIOS provides settings to change the CPU power limit, but they do not work. In games and benchmarks operating frequency all eight cores are 3 GHz. afudos newbios.rom /gan .

I think there is no point in reminding once again that failed process BIOS firmware can lead to a “bricked” system. In this case, you will have to take up the programmer. Owners note that problems may arise with flashing HUANAN X79 rev2.47 motherboards. If you are unlucky, you will have to download this BIOS version using the programmer. But in the case of the G218a, the BIOS update went quickly and without any hiccups.

As already noted, the Xeon E5-2670 does not overclock. The multiplier can only be changed in the Xeon E5-1620 and E5-1650 models. You cannot manually adjust the voltage, but the processor changes it automatically in the range from 0.6 to 1.35 V. This is enough for the E5-1650 to accelerate to 4.3-4.5 GHz. Please note that high-quality cooling is necessary, since the TDP of the processor is 130 W. The multiplier is set in BIOS menu Advanced/CPU Power Management Configuration.

Eight-core Xeon E5-2665, E5-2670 and E5-2680 are still overclockable, but only using the SetFSB utility (we used version 2.3.178.134). Clock generator operating frequency realistically increase by 3-7 MHz what will give in total additionally 90-210 MHz ( what luck with the iron?) for all eight cores.

The utility does not support generators such as ICS932SQ420DGLF and ICS932SQ420DKL. Therefore, go to the Diagnosis tab, in the Clock Generator menu, select the most last point- PLL Diagnosis. Click on the Get FSB button. A table will appear at the bottom of the SetFSB screen. Select the parameter that intersects at row “00” and column “06”. In the Bin field, change the default 00011000 to the following set of zeros and ones:

• 00011001 - for setting 101.30 MHz on the bus.
• 00011010 - for setting 102.47 MHz on the bus.
• 00011011 - for setting 103.78 MHz on the bus.
• 00011100 - for setting 105.08 MHz on the bus.
• 00011101 - for setting 106.25 MHz on the bus.
• 00011110 - for setting 107.55 MHz on the bus.
• 00011111 - for setting 110.03 MHz on the bus.

For example, to set the bus frequency to 106.25 MHz, change the value 00011000 to 00011101 and press the Update key. When you change the FSB for the first time, the computer may freeze. We turn it off by holding down the Power key on the case, and then start the system again. If you've loaded, that means the board has overclocked via bus up to 106.25 MHz. If you don’t boot, turn off the power to the system unit, wait ten seconds, turn on the system again - the settings will be reset. We try to set a lower clock generator frequency in SetFSB: we perform all the same operations, but in the Bin field we indicate the set 00011100 (105.08 MHz). And so on until we find a stable combination for Xeon, motherboard and RAM.

Enthusiasts report that the bus frequency of Chinese motherboards is overclocked using SetFSB to 106.25 or even 107.55 MHz. We were less fortunate, as the system only worked stably at 103.77 MHz. As a result, the processor frequency increased to 3113 MHz, and the RAM worked in DDR3-1937 mode with a set of timings of 12-12-12-32.

This acceleration will last exactly as long as power is supplied. Power outages or disconnecting the system unit from the outlet will lead to resetting the clock generator settings. Then the overclocking procedure using SetFSB will have to be repeated.

Built-in PCI controller Express processors Sandy Bridge-EP supports the 3.0 standard. But sometimes the PEG ports of the motherboards into which the video card is installed operate in PCI Express 2.0 mode. In the case of NVIDIA video cards, this situation is corrected by a special patch. Just run it with administrator rights and reboot the system.

Some users have noted that overclocking an 8-core Xeon bus above 105 MHz causes PCI Express 3.0 mode to switch back to PCI Express 2.0 mode. But in general there is nothing wrong with PCI Express x16 2.0: the interface bandwidth is quite enough for video cards of the GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080 level.