Supero H8DCE User Manual
SUPER
H8DCE
®
USER’S MANUAL
Revision 1.1b
The information in this User’s Manual has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate.
The vendor assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document,
makes no commitment to update or to keep current the information in this manual, or to notify any
person or organization of the updates. Please Note: For the most up-to-date version of this
manual, please see our web site at www.supermicro.com.
Super Micro Computer, Inc. ("Supermicro") reserves the right to make changes to the product
described in this manual at any time and without notice. This product, including software, if any,
and documentation may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or
reduced to any medium or machine without prior written consent.
IN NO EVENT WILL SUPERMICRO BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
SPECULATIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO
USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, SUPERMICRO SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA STORED OR USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE
COSTS OF REPAIRING, REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA.
Any disputes arising between manufacturer and customer shall be governed by the laws of Santa
Clara County in the State of California, USA. The State of California, County of Santa Clara shall
be the exclusive venue for the resolution of any such disputes. Super Micro's total liability for
all claims will not exceed the price paid for the hardware product.
FCC Statement: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference with radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely
to cause harmful interference, in which case you will be required to correct the interference at your
own expense.
California Best Management Practices Regulations for Perchlorate Materials: This Perchlorate
warning applies only to products containing CR (Manganese Dioxide) Lithium coin cells. “Perchlorate
Material-special handling may apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”
WARNING: Handling of lead solder materials used in this
product may expose you to lead, a chemical known to
the State of California to cause birth defects and other
reproductive harm.
Manual Revision 1.1b
Release Date: March 20, 2008
Unless you request and receive written permission from Super Micro Computer, Inc., you may not
copy any part of this document.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies
referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark
holders.
Copyright © 2008 by Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Preface
About This Manual
This manual is written for system integrators, PC technicians and
knowledgeable PC users. It provides information for the installation and use of the
H8DCE serverboard. The H8DCE is based on the nVidia® nForce Pro 2200/2050
chipset and supports single or dual AMD Opteron 200 series type processors in 940-
pin microPGA ZIF sockets and up to 32 GB of DDR266 or 16 GB of DDR400/333
registered ECC SDRAM.
Please refer to the serverboard specifi cations pages on our web site for updates on
supported processors. This product is intended to be professionally installed.
Preface
Manual Organization
Chapter 1 includes a checklist of what should be included in your serverboard
box, describes the features, specifi cations and performance of the serverboard and
provides detailed information about the chipset.
Chapter 2 begins with instructions on handling static-sensitive devices. Read this
chapter when installing the processor(s) and memory modules and when installing
the serverboard in a chassis. Also refer to this chapter to connect the fl oppy and
hard disk drives, the parallel and serial ports, the mouse and keyboard and the
twisted wires for the power and reset buttons and the system LEDs.
If you encounter any problems, see Chapter 3, which describes troubleshooting
procedures for the video, the memory and the setup confi guration stored in CMOS.
For quick reference, a general FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section is pro-
vided. Instructions are also included for contacting technical support. In addition,
you can visit our web site for more detailed information.
Chapter 4 includes an introduction to BIOS and provides detailed information on
running the CMOS Setup utility.
Appendix A provides BIOS Error Beep Code
Appendix B lists BIOS POST Checkpoint Codes
iii
H8DCE User’s Manual
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
1-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 1-1
Checklist .......................................................................................................... 1-1
1-2 Contacting Supermicro .................................................................................... 1-2
1-3 Serverboard Details ........................................................................................ 1-4
H8DCE Layout ................................................................................................ 1-4
H8DCE Quick Reference ............................................................................... 1-5
1-4 Chipset Overview ........................................................................................... 1-9
2200 Media and Communications Processor ................................................. 1-9
2050 Media and Communications Processor ................................................. 1-9
HyperTransport Technology ............................................................................ 1-9
1-5 PC Health Monitoring .................................................................................... 1-10
1-6 Power Confi guration Settings ....................................................................... 1-10
1-7 Power Supply ................................................................................................ 1-12
1-8 Super I/O ....................................................................................................... 1-12
Chapter 2 Installation
2-1 Static-Sensitive Devices .................................................................................. 2-1
Precautions ..................................................................................................... 2-1
Unpacking ....................................................................................................... 2-1
Installation Procedures .................................................................................. 2-1
2-2 Processor and Heatsink Installation ............................................................... 2-2
Installing the CPU Backplates ....................................................................... 2-2
Installing the Processor (install to the CPU#1 socket fi rst) ........................... 2-2
Installing the Heatsink Retention Modules .................................................... 2-3
Installing the Heatsink ..................................................................................... 2-3
2-3 Mounting the Serverboard into a Chassis ...................................................... 2-4
2-5 I/O Port and Control Panel Connections ........................................................ 2-7
Front Control Panel ......................................................................................... 2-7
2-6 Connecting Cables ......................................................................................... 2-8
2-7 Jumper Settings ............................................................................................ 2-16
Explanation of Jumpers ................................................................................ 2-16
2-8 Onboard Indicators ........................................................................................ 2-19
2-9 Floppy, IDE, Parallel Port and SATA Drive Connections .............................. 2-20
2-10 Enabling SATA RAID ..................................................................................... 2-23
Serial ATA (SATA) ......................................................................................... 2-23
Installing the OS/SATA Driver ....................................................................... 2-23
iv
Table of Contents
Building a Driver Diskette ............................................................................. 2-23
Enabling SATA RAID in the BIOS ................................................................. 2-24
Using the nVidia RAID Utility ........................................................................ 2-24
Installing the OS and Drivers ........................................................................ 2-24
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
3-1 Troubleshooting Procedures ........................................................................... 3-1
Before Power On ............................................................................................ 3-1
No Power ........................................................................................................ 3-1
Memory Errors ............................................................................................... 3-2
Losing the System’s Setup Confi guration ....................................................... 3-2
3-2 Technical Support Procedures ........................................................................ 3-2
No Video ......................................................................................................... 3-2
3-3 Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................... 3-3
3-4 Returning Merchandise for Service ................................................................ 3-4
Chapter 4 BIOS
4-1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 4-1
4-2 Main Menu ...................................................................................................... 4-2
4-3 Advanced Settings Menu ................................................................................ 4-2
4-4 PCI/PnP Menu ..............................................................................................4-11
4-5 Boot Menu ..................................................................................................... 4-13
4-6 Security Menu ............................................................................................... 4-14
4-7 Chipset Menu ................................................................................................ 4-15
4-8 Power Menu .................................................................................................. 4-18
4-9 Exit Menu ...................................................................................................... 4-19
Appendix A BIOS Error Beep Codes
Appendix B BIOS POST Checkpoint Codes
v
H8DCE User’s Manual
Notes
vi
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 1
Introduction
1-1 Overview
Checklist
Congratulations on purchasing your computer serverboard from an acknowledged
leader in the industry. Our boards are designed with the utmost attention to detail
to provide you with the highest standards in quality and performance.
Please check that the following items have all been included with your serverboard.
If anything listed here is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
Included with retail box only
One (1) H8DCE serverboard
One (1) IDE cable (CBL-036)
One (1) fl oppy cable (CBL-022)
One (1) USB 2.0 port cable (CBL-083)
Eight (8) SATA cables (CBL-044)
Two (2) CPU backplates (BKT-0004)
Two (2) heatsink retention modules with four (4) screws (BKT-0005)
One (1) I/O shield for chassis (CSE-PT53)
One (1) CD containing drivers and utilities
1-1
H8DCE User’s Manual
1-2 Contacting Supermicro
Headquarters
Address: Super Micro Computer, Inc.
980 Rock Ave.
San Jose, CA 95131 U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (408) 503-8000
Fax: +1 (408) 503-8008
Email: marketing@supermicro.com (General Information)
support@supermicro.com (Technical Support)
Web Site: www.supermicro.com
Europe
Address: Super Micro Computer, B.V.
Het Sterrenbeeld 28, 5215 ML
's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 73-6400390
Fax: +31 (0) 73-6416525
Email: sales@supermicro.nl (General Information)
support@supermicro.nl (Technical Support)
rma@supermicro.nl (Customer Support)
Asia-Pacifi c
Address: Super Micro Computer, Inc.
4F, No. 232-1, Liancheng Rd.
Chung-Ho 235, Taipei County
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel: +886-(2) 8226-3990
Fax: +886-(2) 8226-3991
Web Site: www.supermicro.com.tw
Technical Support:
Email: support@supermicro.com.tw
Tel: 886-2-8228-1366, ext.132 or 139
1-2
Figure 1-1. H8DCE Image
Chapter 1: Introduction
1-3
H8DCE User’s Manual
1-3 Serverboard Details
H8DCE Layout
Figure 1-2. H8DCE Serverboard Layout
(not drawn to scale)
J3
J5
Parallel
JLAN1/2
Mic
Kybd/
Mouse
USB0/1/2/3
COM1
COM2
Line In/Out
CD1
AUX1
J26
FAN6 FAN5
JPAC
FAN8 (CPU2 Fan)
CPU2 DIMM 2A
CPU2 DIMM 2B
CPU2 DIMM 1A
CPU2 DIMM 1B
x4 PCI-Express #7
x16 PCI Express #6
PCI 33 MHz #5
x16 PCI-Express #4
PCI 33 MHz #3
PCI 33 MHz #2
x4 PCI-Express #1
CPU2
JWOL
ATX Power
JI
JI2C1
Battery
J1B1
2
C2
USB4/5
PW3
nForce Pro 2200
JBT1
M-SATA1
USB6/7
M-SATA0
SMB_PW
CPU1 DIMM 1B
CPU1 DIMM 1A
CPU1 DIMM 2B
CPU1 DIMM 2A
CPU1
FAN7 (CPU1 Fan)
nFAN1
C
2
S-SATA1
SATAI
S-SATA0
BIOS
S-SATA3
S-SATA2
nForce Pro 2050
M-SATA3
JWOR
JOH
M-SATA2
JL1
Winbond
Super I/O
JWD
JPW1
D25
SPKR
FAN1
FAN2
FAN3
FAN4
JAR
JF1
IDE#2
J3P
IDE#1
JFDD1
JF2
Notes:
Jumpers not indicated are for test purposes only.
1-4
Chapter 1: Introduction
H8DCE Quick Reference
Jumpers Description Default Setting
JBT1 CMOS Clear See Section 2-7
2
C1/2 I2C to PCI Enable/Disable Closed (Enabled)
JI
JPAC Audio Enable/Disable Pins 1-2 (Enabled)
JWD Watch Dog Pins 1-2 (Reset)
Connectors Description
AUX1 Auxiliary Connection for Audio
CD1 Audio Out for CD
COM1, COM2 COM1/COM2 Serial Ports
FAN 1-8 System Fan Headers
IDE#1/IDE#2 IDE#1/IDE#2 Connectors
J1B1 24-Pin ATX Power Connector
J3 PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Ports
J3P 3rd Power Supply Alarm Reset Header
J26 Audio Header
JAR Power Supply Fail Alarm Reset
JF1 Front Control Panel Connector
JF2 Onboard Speaker/Keylock/Power LED
JFDD1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector
JL1 Chassis Intrusion Header
JLAN1/2 Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) Ports
JOH Overheat Warning Header
JPW1 8-Pin Processor Power Connector
JWOL Wake-On-LAN Header
JWOR Wake-On-Ring Header
M-SATA0-3 Master Serial ATA Ports
nFAN1 Fan Header for nVidia 2200 Chipset Heatsink
Printer Parallel (Printer) Port
PW3 4-pin Auxiliary Power Connector
SATAI
SMB_PW System Management Bus Header
SPKR Onboard Speaker (Buzzer)
S-SATA0-3 Slave Serial ATA Ports
USB0/1/2/3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) Ports 0/1/2/3
USB4/5 USB4/5 Headers
USB6/7 USB6/7 Headers
2
C SATA I2C Header
Indicators Description
D25 Power On LED
1-5
H8DCE User’s Manual
Serverboard Features
CPU
• Single or dual AMD Opteron 200 series 64-bit processors in 940-pin microPGA
ZIF sockets
Memory
• Eight dual/single channel DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of registered ECC
DDR266 or up to 16 GB of registered ECC DDR400/333 SDRAM
Note: Memory capacities are halved for single CPU systems. Refer to Section 2-4 before installing.
Chipset
• nVidia nForce Pro 2200/2050
Expansion Slots
• Two (2) PCI-Express x16
• Two (2) PCI-Express x4 (can support x8 cards)
• Three (3) 32-bit, 33 MHz PCI (5V)
BIOS
• 4 Mb Firmware Hub AMIBIOS
• APM 1.2, DMI 2.3, PCI 2.2, ACPI 1.0 (ACPI 2.0 is BIOS supported), SMBIOS
2.3, Plug and Play (PnP)
®
Flash ROM
PC Health Monitoring
• Onboard voltage monitors for two CPU cores, Hyper Transport (1.2V), two
memory banks (2.5V), nVidia 2200/2050 chipset (1.5V)
• Fan status monitor with fi rmware/software on/off and speed control
• Watch Dog, NMI
• Environmental temperature monitoring via BIOS
• Power-up mode control for recovery from AC power loss
• System resource alert (via included utility program)
• Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) fan connectors
• Auto-switching voltage regulator for the CPU core
• Thermal Monitor 2 (TM2) support
1-6
Chapter 1: Introduction
ACPI Features
• Microsoft OnNow
• Slow blinking LED for suspend state indicator
• BIOS support for USB keyboard
• Main switch override mechanism
• Internal/external modem ring-on
• Suspend to RAM (STR)
Onboard I/O
• On-chip SATA controller supporting eight (8) SATA ports (RAID 0, 1 and 0+1)
• Two (2) UltraDMA133 IDE ports
• One (1) fl oppy port interface (up to 2.88 MB)
• Two (2) Fast UART 16550 compatible serial ports
• On-chip (nVidia 2200/2050) Ethernet controller supports two Gigabit LAN ports
• PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard ports
• Up to eight (8) USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 ports/headers
Other
• Wake-on-Ring (JWOR)
• Wake-on-LAN (JWOL)
• AC97 Audio CODEC
• Power On Indicator (D25)
• Chassis intrusion detection
CD Utilities
• BIOS fl ash upgrade utility
Dimensions
• Extended ATX form factor, 12" x 13.05" (305 x 332 mm)
1-7
H8DCE User’s Manual
VRM
Opter on
AMD
TM
Processor (2)
DDR400/333/266
DIMM 2A
DIMM 2B
DIMM 1A
DIMM 1B
VRM
Slot #4: PCI-E x16
Slot #1: PCI-E x4
LAN#2
SATA Ports (4)
16 x 16 HT link (1 GHz)
2050 2200
Opter on
TM
16 x 16 HT link (1 GHz)
AMD
Processor (1)
128-bit data + 16-bit ECC
DDR400/333/266
DIMM 2A
DIMM 2B
DIMM 1A
DIMM 1B
Slot #6: PCI-E x16
Slot #7: PCI-E x4
PCI slots (3)
LAN#1
SATA Ports (4)
AC97
IDE
USB Ports (8)
LPC I/O FWH
Kybd/
Mouse
FDD
Parallel
Port
COM
Ports
Figure 1-3. nVidia nForce Pro 2200/2050 Chipset:
System Block Diagram
Note: This is a general block diagram and may not exactly represent
the features on your serverboard. See the previous pages for the
actual specifi cations of your serverboard.
1-8
Chapter 1: Introduction
1-4 Chipset Overview
The H8DCE serverboard is based on the nVidia nForce Pro 2200/2050 chipset.
The two main components of this chipset (the 2200 and the 2050) both function
as Media and Communications Processors (MCPs). Controllers for the system
memory are integrated directly into the AMD Opteron processors.
2200 Media and Communications Processor
This MCP is a single-chip, high-performance HyperTransport peripheral control-
ler. The 2200 includes a 20-lane PCI Express interface, an AMD Opteron 16-bit
Hyper Transport interface link, a four-port Serial ATA interface, a dual ATA133 bus
master interface, a USB 2.0 interface and support for 32-bit PCI slots. This hub
connects directly to CPU#1 and the 2050 MCP. The GLAN#1 connects directly
to the 2200 MCP.
2050 Media and Communications Processor
The 2050 is pin-to-pin compatible with the 2200. It includes a PCI Express interface
with 20 lanes, an AMD Opteron 16-bit Hyper Transport interface link, and a four-port
Serial ATA interface. The GLAN#2 connects directly to the 2050 MCP.
HyperTransport Technology
HyperTransport technology is a high-speed, low latency point to point link that was
designed to increase the communication speed by a factor of up to 48x between
integrated circuits. This is done partly by reducing the number of buses in the
chipset to reduce bottlenecks and by enabling a more effi cient use of memory in
multi-processor systems. The end result is a signifi cant increase in bandwidth
within the chipset.
1-9
H8DCE User’s Manual
1-5 PC Health Monitoring
This section describes the PC health monitoring features of the H8DCE. The
serverboard has an onboard System Hardware Monitor chip that supports PC
health monitoring.
Onboard Voltage Monitors for two CPU cores, Hyper Transport
(1.2V), two memory banks (2.5V), nVidia 2200/2050 chipset (1.5V)
The onboard voltage monitor will scan these voltages continuously. Once a voltage
becomes unstable, it will give a warning or send an error message to the screen.
Users can adjust the voltage thresholds to defi ne the sensitivity of the voltage moni-
tor. Real time readings of these voltage levels are all displayed in BIOS.
Fan Status Monitor with Firmware/Software Speed Control
The PC health monitor can check the RPM status of the cooling fans. The onboard
fans are controlled by thermal management via BIOS.
CPU Overheat/Fan Fail LED and Control
This feature is available when the user enables the CPU overheat/Fan Fail warning
function in the BIOS. This allows the user to defi ne an overheat temperature. When
this temperature is exceeded or when a fan failure occurs, then, the Overheat/Fan
Fail warning LED is triggered.
Auto-Switching Voltage Regulator for the CPU Core
The 3-phase-switching voltage regulator for the CPU core can support up to 80A and
auto-sense voltage IDs ranging from 0.875 V to 1.6V. This will allow the regulator
to run cooler and thus make the system more stable.
1-6 Power Confi guration Settings
This section describes the features of your serverboard that deal with power and
power settings.
Microsoft OnNow
The OnNow design initiative is a comprehensive, system-wide approach to system
and device power control. OnNow is a term for a PC that is always on but appears
to be off and responds immediately to user or other requests.
1-10
Chapter 1: Introduction
Slow Blinking LED for Suspend-State Indicator
When the CPU goes into a suspend state, the chassis power LED will start blinking
to indicate that the CPU is in suspend mode. When the user presses any key, the
CPU will wake-up and the LED will automatically stop blinking and remain on.
BIOS Support for USB Keyboard
If a USB keyboard is the only keyboard in the system, it will function like a normal
keyboard during system boot-up.
Main Switch Override Mechanism
When an ATX power supply is used, the power button can function as a system
suspend button. When the user depresses the power button, the system will enter
a SoftOff state. The monitor will be suspended and the hard drive will spin down.
Depressing the power button again will cause the whole system to wake-up. Dur-
ing the SoftOff state, the ATX power supply provides power to keep the required
circuitry in the system alive. In case the system malfunctions and you want to turn
off the power, just depress and hold the power button for 4 seconds. The power
will turn off and no power will be provided to the serverboard.
Wake-On-LAN (JWOL)
Wake-On-LAN is defi ned as the ability of a management application to remotely
power up a computer that is powered off. Remote PC setup, up-dates and access
tracking can occur after hours and on weekends so that daily LAN traffi c is kept
to a minimum and users are not interrupted. The serverboard has a 3-pin header
(JWOL) to connect to the 3-pin header on a Network Interface Card (NIC) that has
WOL capability. Wake-On-LAN must be enabled in BIOS. Note that Wake-On-LAN
can only be used with an ATX 2.01 (or above) compliant power supply.
Wake-On-Ring Header (JWOR)
Wake-up events can be triggered by a device such as the external modem ringing
when the system is in the SoftOff state. Note that external modem ring-on can only
be used with an ATX 2.01 (or above) compliant power supply.
1-11
H8DCE User’s Manual
1-7 Power Supply
As with all computer products, a stable power source is necessary for proper and
reliable operation. It is even more important for processors that have high CPU
clock rates of 1 GHz and faster.
The H8DCE accommodates 12V ATX power supplies. Although most power sup-
plies generally meet the specifi cations required by the CPU, some are inadequate.
A 2 amp current supply on a 5V Standby rail is strongly recommended.
It is strongly recommended that you use a high quality power supply that meets
12V ATX power supply Specifi cation 1.1 or above. Additionally, in areas where
noisy power transmission is present, you may choose to install a line fi lter to shield
the computer from noise. It is recommended that you also install a power surge
protector to help avoid problems caused by power surges.
Warning: To prevent the possibility of explosion, do not use the wrong type of
onboard CMOS battery or install it upside down.
1-8 Super I/O
The disk drive adapter functions of the Super I/O chip include a fl oppy disk drive
controller that is compatible with industry standard 82077/765, a data separator,
write pre-compensation circuitry, decode logic, data rate selection, a clock genera-
tor, drive interface control logic and interrupt and DMA logic. The wide range of
functions integrated onto the Super I/O greatly reduces the number of components
required for interfacing with fl oppy disk drives. The Super I/O supports two 360
K, 720 K, 1.2 M, 1.44 M or 2.88 M disk drives and data transfer rates of 250 Kb/s,
500 Kb/s or 1 Mb/s.
It also provides two high-speed, 16550 compatible serial communication ports
(UARTs), one of which supports serial infrared communication. Each UART in-
cludes a 16-byte send/receive FIFO, a programmable baud rate generator, complete
modem control capability and a processor interrupt system. Both UARTs provide
legacy speed with baud rate of up to 115.2 Kbps as well as an advanced speed
with baud rates of 250 K, 500 K, or 1 Mb/s, which support higher speed modems.
The Super I/O provides functions that comply with ACPI (Advanced Confi guration
and Power Interface), which includes support of legacy and ACPI power manage-
ment through a SMI or SCI function pin. It also features auto power management
to reduce power consumption.
The IRQs, DMAs and I/O space resources of the Super I/O can be fl exibly adjusted
to meet ISA PnP requirements, which support ACPI and APM (Advanced Power
Management).
1-12
Chapter 2: Installation
Chapter 2
Installation
2-1 Static-Sensitive Devices
Electric Static Discharge (ESD) can damage electronic com ponents. To prevent
damage to your system board, it is important to handle it very carefully. The following
measures are generally suffi cient to protect your equipment from ESD.
Precautions
• Use a grounded wrist strap designed to prevent static discharge.
• Touch a grounded metal object before removing the board from the antistatic
bag.
• Handle the board by its edges only; do not touch its components, peripheral
chips, memory modules or gold contacts.
• When handling chips or modules, avoid touching their pins.
• Put the serverboard and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not in
use.
• For grounding purposes, make sure your computer chassis provides excellent
conductivity between the power supply, the case, the mounting fasteners and
the serverboard.
• Use only the correct type of CMOS onboard battery as specifi ed by the manufac-
turer. Do not install the CMOS onboard battery upside down, which may result
in a possible explosion.
Unpacking
The serverboard is shipped in antistatic packaging to avoid static damage. When
unpacking the board, make sure the person handling it is static protected.
Installation Procedures
Follow the procedures as listed below to install the serverboard into a chassis:
1. Install the processor(s) and the heatsink(s).
2. Install the serverboard in the chassis.
3. Install the memory and add-on cards.
4. Finally, connect the cables and install the drivers.
2-1
H8DCE User's Manual
2-2 Processor and Heatsink Installation
Exercise extreme caution when handling and installing the processor.
!
Installing the CPU Backplates
Two CPU backplates (BKT-0004) are included in the retail box. The backplates
prevent the CPU area of the serverboard from bending and provide a base for at-
taching the heatsink retention modules. To install, begin by peeling off the release
paper to expose the adhesive. On the underside of the serverboard, locate the two
holes on either side of the CPU socket. Attach the adhesive side of the backplate
to the board by inserting the standoffs into the two holes and applying light pressure
so that the backplate sticks to the underside of the board. Repeat for the second
CPU socket. See Figure 2-1.
Always connect the power cord last and always remove it before
adding, removing or changing any hardware components.
Installing the Processor (install to the CPU#1 socket fi rst)
1. Lift the lever on CPU socket #1 until
it points straight up.
2. Use your thumb and your index fi n-
ger to hold the CPU. Locate pin 1 on
the CPU socket and pin 1 on the CPU.
Both are marked with a triangle.
3. Align pin 1 of the CPU with pin 1
of the socket. Once aligned, carefully
place the CPU into the socket. Do not
drop the CPU on the socket, move the
CPU horizontally or vertically or rub the
CPU against the socket or against any
pins of the socket, which may damage
the CPU and/or the socket.
Triangles
2-2
4. With the CPU inserted into the
socket, inspect the four corners of the
CPU to make sure that it is properly
installed and fl ush with the socket.
5. Gently press the CPU socket lever
down until it locks in the plastic tab.
For a dual-processor system, repeat
these steps to install another CPU into
the CPU#2 socket.
Installing the Heatsink Retention Modules
Chapter 2: Installation
Two heatsink retention modules (BKT-0005) and four screws are included in the
retail box. Once installed, these are used to help attach the heatsinks to the CPUs.
To install, position the module so that the CPU backplate standoffs insert through the
holes on the heatsink retention module and the four feet on the module contact the
serverboard. Secure the retention module to the backplate with two of the screws
provided. See Figure 2-1. Repeat for the second CPU socket. Note: BKT-0005
is included for use with non-proprietary heatsinks only. When installing proprietary
heatsinks, only BKT-0004 (CPU backplate) is needed. The BKT-0005 retention
module was designed to provide compatibility with clip-and-cam type heatsinks
from third parties.
Figure 2-1. CPU Backplate/Heatsink Retention Module Installation
Installing the Heatsink
We recommend the use of active type heatsinks (except for 1U systems). Use the
Fan7 header for the CPU1 fan and the Fan8 header for the CPU2 fan due to fan
monitoring and wiring considerations. To install the heatsinks, please follow the
installation instructions included with your heatsink package (not included).
2-3
H8DCE User's Manual
2-3 Mounting the Serverboard into a Chassis
All serverboards and motherboards have standard mounting holes to fi t different
types of chassis. Make sure that the locations of all the mounting holes for both
the serverboard and the chassis match. Although a chassis may have both plastic
and metal mounting fasteners, metal ones are highly recommended because they
ground the serverboard to the chassis. Make sure that the metal standoffs click in
or are screwed in tightly.
1. Check the compatibility of the serverboard ports and the I/O shield
The H8DCE serverboard requires a chassis that can support extended ATX boards
of 12" x 13.05" in size. Make sure that the I/O ports on the serverboard align with
their respective holes in the I/O shield at the rear of the chassis.
2. Mounting the serverboard onto the mainboard tray in the chassis
Carefully mount the serverboard onto the mainboard tray by aligning the serverboard
mounting holes with the raised metal standoffs in the tray. Insert screws into all
the mounting holes in the serverboard that line up with the standoffs. Then use a
screwdriver to secure the serverboard to the mainboard tray - tighten until just snug
(if too tight you might strip the threads). Metal screws provide an electrical contact
to the serverboard ground to provide a continuous ground for the system.
2-4 Installing Memory
CAUTION
Exercise extreme care when installing or removing memory modules
to prevent any possible damage.
1. Insert each memory module vertically into its slot, paying attention to the notch
along the bottom of the module to prevent inserting the module incorrectly (see
Figure 2-2). See support information below.
2. Gently press down on the memory module until it snaps into place.
Note: each processor has its own built-in memory controller, so the CPU2 DIMMs
cannot be addressed if only a single CPU is installed. 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB,
1 GB, 2 GB* and 4 GB* memory modules are supported. It is highly recommended
that you remove the power cord from the system before installing or changing any
memory modules.
*With Opteron 246 C-stepping CPUs and above.
2-4
Chapter 2: Installation
Support
The H8DCE supports single or dual-channel, registered ECC DDR400/333/266
SDRAM.
Both interleaved and non-interleaved memory are supported, so you may populate
any number of DIMM slots (see note on previous page and charts on following
page). The CPU2 DIMM slots can only be accessed when two CPUs are installed
(however, the CPU2 DIMM slots are not required to be populated when two CPUs
are installed).
Populating two adjacent slots at a time with memory modules of the same size and
type will result in interleaved (128-bit) memory, which is faster than non-interleaved
(64-bit) memory.
Optimizing memory performance
If two processors are installed, it is better to stagger pairs of DIMMs across both
sets of CPU DIMM slots, e.g. fi rst populate CPU1 slots 1A and 1B, then CPU2 slots
1A, and 1B, then the next two CPU1 slots, etc. This balances the load over both
CPUs to optimize performance.
Maximum memory (two CPUs): 32 GB for DDR266 and 16 GB for DDR400/333.
If only one CPU is installed, maximum supported memory is halved (16 GB for
DDR266 and 8 GB for DDR400/333).
Figure 2-2. Side and Top Views of DDR Installation
To Install:
Insert module vertically
and press down until it
snaps into place. The
release tabs should
close - if they do not
you should close them
yourself.
Note the notch in the slot and on the bottom of the DIMM.
These prevent the DIMM from being installed incorrectly.
To Remove:
Use your thumbs to
gently push each release tab outward to
release the DIMM from
the slot.
2-5
H8DCE User's Manual
Populating Memory Banks for 128-bit Operation
CPU1
DIMM1A
XX
XX XX
XX XX
XX XXXX
XXXX
XXXXXX
XXXX XX
XXXXXXXX
CPU1
DIMM1B
CPU1
DIMM2A
XX
XXXX
XX XX
XXXXXX
CPU1
DIMM2B
CPU2
DIMM1A
CPU2
DIMM1B
CPU2
DIMM2A
CPU2
DIMM2B
Notes: X indicates a populated DIMM slot. If adding at least four DIMMs (with two CPUs
installed), the confi gurations with DIMMs spread over both CPUs (and not like the confi guration in row 5) will result in optimized performance. Note that the fi rst two DIMMs
must be installed in the CPU1 memory slots.
Populating Memory Banks for 64-bit Operation
CPU1
DIMM1A
X
XX
XX
X X
CPU1
DIMM1B
CPU1
DIMM2A
X
XX
XX
CPU1
DIMM2B
CPU2
DIMM1A
CPU2
DIMM1B
CPU2
DIMM2A
CPU2
DIMM2B
2-6
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