Here is a repost of the 1.6GHz LV Xeon guide as requested by IronBits.

DISCLAIMER: Only use the information posted here as a loose outline. If you attempt to do anything mentioned in this thead, you are accepting full responsibility for your actions. If you can not accept this, please do not read any further!

Since I have been asked a few times through private messaging, I figure I will post the information for everyone to see here.

PROCESSOR:

Processor Type: Intel Xeon
Package: 604-pin FC-PGA2/mPGA
Stock Processor Speed: 1.60GHz
Core Voltage: 1.3v
Stock Multiplier: 16x (12x - 16x available)
Bus Speed: 400MHz
L2 Cache Size: 512Kb
Core Stepping: D1
sSpec: SL6XK

eBay is the best place for low voltage processors right now. LapCompute is selling pairs for ~$100 plus $17 shipping and insurance, here is the link to his auctions: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlapcompute

Addendum (April 2, 2005): These processors are now only available once in a while on eBay and through various forums with typical costs in the $150-$200 range. While this is still an decent deal... it's definitely not as good as it used to be.

PROCESSOR ALTERNATIVE:
The next best thing to the D1 stepping 1.6GHz LV Xeon CPU is the C1 stepping 1.6GHz LV Xeon CPU. Note the difference in sSpec...
D1 = SL6XK
D1 = QQV2 (Pre-release SL6XK chips, just as good as "normal" D1s)
C1 = SL6GV

C1 CPUs are still a great deal at ~$100/pr since they will run 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz on average. One thing to note is I have had a few of these C1s NOT run 200MHz FSB, even after increasing core and memory voltage. A good base setting for C1 CPUs after increasing core voltage to 1.6v is 165x16=2640MHz. If you get brave and want to go for 200MHz just remember that this is not guaranteed to work.

C1 Xeons can sometimes be found on eBay and various forums. Good luck in your LV Xeon hunt.


PROCESSOR HEAT SINKS:
The standard heat sink for Intel Xeon processors is the Intel Wind Tunnel(IWT). IWTs are great stock heatsinks and adequate for running Xeons at up to 3.2GHz. The only negative I have heard from people is in regards to noise level. Personally I am used to fan noise and actually like hearing it. (no, I am not kidding) BUT, I do admit when CPU temperatures rise, the fans can get a bit noisy. Simple solutions range from the "+7v mod" to installing a quieter fan. I think most people here have done a little "fan modding" so I will not discuss this any further. (if you need help just start a thread in the forum and someone will be glad to assist you)

IWTs can be found on eBay for downright CHEAP. They are offered in waves with a price range of $25/pr to $40/pr delivered. $40/pr is a great price in my book so if you get lucky and get a pair for $25 then consider yourself very lucky. :up:

Addendum (April 2, 2005): These will NOT fit NCCH-DL motherboards!


MOTHERBOARD:
No doubt the perfect motherboard for a cheap Xeon cruncher is the Asus PC-DL. It uses normal DDR memory and does NOT require an expensive EPS server power supply.

eBay and BizRate.com are the best places to look for one. Use BizRate.com to find the cheapest online prices and to see who has them instock. The price has ranged from $185 to $220 over the past few months. Here is the link to start comparing...
eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/asus-pc-dl
BizRate.com:
http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/p...-11331551.html


ALTERNATIVE MOTHERBOARD:
The Asus NCCH-DL is also a very good board for crunchers. It is ~$30 to $50 more than the PC-DL but has a few added features like seperate VRMs for each processor and an adjustable Vdimm of 2.5v to 2.8v. Core voltage is still NOT adjustable so the "u-wire" method mentioned later in this guide will also apply to the NCCH-DL. Here are a couple links to start your search for this motherboard...
eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/asus-ncch-dl
BizRate.com:
http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/s...168102377.html

Addendum (April 2, 2005): The stock Intel Wind Tunnel heatsinks mentioned above will NOT fit the NCCH-DL motherboard!


POWER SUPPLY:
The Asus PC-DL does NOT require a server level power supply which is usually referred to as an EPS power supply. It can use an ATX supply with it's standard 20/4 pin power connectors or it can use a proper EPS supply which has 24/8 pin motherboard connectors instead. Personally, I like using EPS supplies for Xeon rigs but if you have a great ATX supply then why bother upgrading. Here is a picture of how the 20/4 pin connectors are attached when using an ATX power supply:

WARNING: Most PC-DL motherboards do not have a clip to lock in an ATX's 20/4 pin power connectors. If using an ATX supply you should exercise caution when working around a live motherboard since pulling the power connectors out(or partially out) can result in damage to the system.

Dual Xeon systems need a great deal of +12v current when overclocked so make sure your power supply has at least 20A on this rail... preferably you should get one that is capable of 25A to 30A or more if you are going to be overclocking in the 3.0GHz or higher range.

Here are a few power supplies that should perform nicely:
Sparkle/Fortron Source 550w EPS(single +12v rail): $101.50 + shipping
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-478&depa=0
(MONSTER power supply for the money... 36A on the +12v rail!)

Sparkle/Fortron Source 550w EPS(single +12v rail): $89.61 + shipping
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=PS-SP550PG#
(MONSTER power supply for the money... 36A on the +12v rail!)

SPI/Fortron Source 550w EPS(single +12v rail): $70.00 + shipping
http://www.excaliberpc.com/product_i...4184536273cc23
(This has been sold out for months... don't know if they are ever going to carry these again. )

OCZ 420w EPS: $86.99 + shipping
http://www.directron.com/ocz420adj.html
Only buy this one for dedicated crunchers... you shouldn't have a lot of hard drives, optical drives, or a top of the line graphics card in a rig using this power supply. There has already been one OCZ 420w power supply die here at XS.org so this may not be a good one for our use. Buyer-beware!

OCZ 520w EPS: $133.50 shipped
http://www.directron.com/ocz520adj.html
(if you like having adjustable pots... get this, otherwise consider the Sparkle/Fortron Source listed above)

AMD Mercury 460w: $55 plus shipping
http://www.directron.com/pp4306.html
Only buy this for a dedicated cruncher since a bare-bone video card and a single hard drive is about all it is good for... other than being CHEAP!

MEMORY:
Like I said before you need standard DDR on the Asus PC-DL. I recommend at least PC3200 just in case you want to try and run 200MHz FSB. Currently TwinMOS PC3200 is being talked about a lot here at XS.org since most people report getting the new Winbond UTT chips. It seems more people are having luck with 256Mb sticks than 512Mb sticks. As always, your milage may vary so buyer beware.

If you are only going to run D2OL on your Xeon monster, then you will need two 256Mb sticks of memory. With 4 instances of D2OL you will have ~100Mb-150Mb of memory free so you can still use this computer for other, basic tasks. If you are going to be using this computer daily, two 512Mb sticks of memory should be considered a minimum.

For those wanting to take a chance with TwinMOS, here are the NewEgg.com links:
TwinMOS 256MB DDR PC-3200: $34 + shipping (per stick)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...218-404&depa=0
TwinMOS 512MB DDR PC-3200: $55 + shipping (per stick)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...218-405&depa=0
(prices as of April 2, 2005)

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