Zombie Mods - The I9 Steambox

[Karumu]

you should do like a lichtenburg figure side panel mod it would look awesome with the 480 lightning

[ALXAndy]

Don't worry about the side panel

 

I'm looking into that mirrored stuff that goes see through with light. If not then it will be a tinted acrylic side panel

 

But yeah, brain is definitely working on that one matey

 

Today I need to make a small acrylic plate for the thinner drive to sit on so they are the same height when mounted. Unless the CPU arrives (I'm losing hope as the days pass tbh) I'm going to be stuck some time soon..

 

Still, at least Dell came out this morning and fitted my laptop with a brand new motherboard (so cpu and gpu are spanking new) and a keyboard. My laptop looks brand new

[ALXAndy]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

 

[Karumu]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

 

-snip-

THAT'S A BIG PACKAGE YOU HAVE THERE SIR

[LukaP]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

 

 

oh what is this?

[ALXAndy]

I bring very sad news to today's, and, what could be the last update.

 

I fitted the CPU to the board and fired it up. It boots after three power cycles (automatic, typical of a Dell) and then lets me into CMOS. Once I get there no matter what I do the system will not boot afterwards. So basically I tried three different types of ram and eventually fitted it to my Area 51 and still the same.

 

So basically it's a non runner. I don't know what's causing it but there appears to be bent pins in the CPU socket. I tried to straighten them but still it did the same thing.

 

Then, after about an hour the power supply died and won't power on.

 

So basically that's pretty much it, game over. I feel like shit and if I continue on pissing with it I will end up making myself sick.

 

So that's it guys. Sorry about that, but the tappeth run dry I'm afraid.

[LukaP]

I bring very sad news to today's, and, what could be the last update.

 

I fitted the CPU to the board and fired it up. It boots after three power cycles (automatic, typical of a Dell) and then lets me into CMOS. Once I get there no matter what I do the system will not boot afterwards. So basically I tried three different types of ram and eventually fitted it to my Area 51 and still the same.

 

So basically it's a non runner. I don't know what's causing it but there appears to be bent pins in the CPU socket. I tried to straighten them but still it did the same thing.

 

Then, after about an hour the power supply died and won't power on.

 

So basically that's pretty much it, game over. I feel like shit and if I continue on pissing with it I will end up making myself sick.

 

So that's it guys. Sorry about that, but the tappeth run dry I'm afraid.

oh mate, thats bad. have you thought of just putting in a normal cpu? this is just too awesome of a build to go to waste

[Jack.EXE]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Aw27]

I bring very sad news to today's, and, what could be the last update.

 

I fitted the CPU to the board and fired it up. It boots after three power cycles (automatic, typical of a Dell) and then lets me into CMOS. Once I get there no matter what I do the system will not boot afterwards. So basically I tried three different types of ram and eventually fitted it to my Area 51 and still the same.

 

So basically it's a non runner. I don't know what's causing it but there appears to be bent pins in the CPU socket. I tried to straighten them but still it did the same thing.

 

Then, after about an hour the power supply died and won't power on.

 

So basically that's pretty much it, game over. I feel like shit and if I continue on pissing with it I will end up making myself sick.

 

So that's it guys. Sorry about that, but the tappeth run dry I'm afraid.

It may be over but you've gained a lot of recognition on the forums from this and your other build and this just makes me more excited for your next build if you were doing something of this caliber on a tight budget. Maybe look around for a few more tips and don't give up yet though.

[ALXAndy]

Holy crap lol.

 

I just plugged a different kettle lead into the PSU. Nothing. Then I tried both kettle leads in another PSU - dead. Indicating blown fuse.

 

So I have a professional power breaker fitted to a kettle lead so I tried that. PSU literally blew up with a big blue spark pmsl.

 

Ah well, at least I got a laugh out of it.

[alpenwasser]

Well crikey, that's a bummer.

But hey, blowing stuff up is always a nice bonus, so there's at least that.

[Karumu]

wow dude! such a bummer! dont even know what to say

[dragosudeki]

RIP - The i9 Steambox....
If we are lucky, maybe this build will eventually be revived and therefore ironically go well with Zombie Mods!!

[Akolyte]

Dat build... its really good! I was like i9 wtf! then I saw it and I'm so jelly!!!

[ALXAndy]

Good morning every one. I hope the sun is shining wherever you are

 

I've been deep in thought this morning. I packed everything up last night in order to put it away. TBH I took some crazy risks with this project really and it should be no surprise that something went wrong. I don't often take risks but I guess for once I was relying on my luck and it didn't happen.

 

Instead of being really upset I actually took a lot of positives from it. I guess I must be in a positive frame of mind right now which is unusual for me I must say.

 

I'm not sure what's going to happen now. Obviously I've put a lot of time into this. I can't really say it's cost me a lot of money as aside from the CPU the entire project stands me in around £60. Not much really when you consider I've got a completely custom and unique case.

 

Now normally I would be sitting here thinking of throwing money at this, but I really can't. That would derail the entire philosophy behind this project.

 

The fact is that the project as it stands right now just won't happen. MATX X58 boards were scarce even when they were fully available. Now? haha, there's one that will run Xeons and you wouldn't get any change out of £200. It's just insane what X58 boards command now. Stupid, even.

 

I need to be real here. The box was being built to run Photoshop, Sketchup and now defunct OSes and software for them*. As such it doesn't need to be stratospherically powerful it just needs to have a punch and be very quiet.

 

Which leaves the door wide open.

 

Will the Zombie rise from the dead and walk this earth once more?

 

You'll just have to wait and see. My lips, right now, are sealed

 

Until next time, ladies and gentlemen.. Remember - if you don't take risks in this life you'll be safe but your soul will forever wonder.

 

*. Basically many years ago now (10) I was an integral part of an emulator that ran gambling machine code. Since the dawn of Windows Vista the sound has been broken, and, the authors have now retired. The only way to run this software is via Windows XP which has hardware accelerated sound... 

[alpenwasser]

The fact is that the project as it stands right now just won't happen. MATX X58 boards were scarce even when they were fully available. Now? haha, there's one that will run Xeons and you wouldn't get any change out of £200. It's just insane what X58 boards command now. Stupid, even.

It's not just the boards, quite a few of the LGA1366 CPUs have held their

value rather well, especially the hexacores. The only ones I've been able to

find for really good prices (aside from engineering samples, which I don't

really consider to be representative of platform prices) are the server pull

Xeons which are being dumped from server farms being upgraded (that's how I

got my 5630s). But the i7 970 and up are still pretty damn pricey for the most

part.

Just goes to show how good that platform actually was/is IMHO.

Looking forward to your next project, whenever that may be.

[Homicidium]

It's not just the boards, quite a few of the LGA1366 CPUs have held their

value rather well, especially the hexacores. The only ones I've been able to

find for really good prices (aside from engineering samples, which I don't

really consider to be representative of platform prices) are the server pull

Xeons which are being dumped from server farms being upgraded (that's how I

got my 5630s). But the i7 970 and up are still pretty damn pricey for the most

part.

Just goes to show how good that platform actually was/is IMHO.

Looking forward to your next project, whenever that may be.

 

It's almost stupid, how expensive the old Core 2 Extreme still are, they retail for well over 800+$ at PCPartPicker, and I would've never thought that they're still worth this much, but I guess it has to do with nostalgia?

 

To OP: Keep your head up, man! Even though it didn't worked out, it was still a freaking cool project independent from it's success or rather it's failure. Either way, if you decide to maybe restart this project, even without the i9, I'm sure everybody would be happy about it.

[ALXAndy]

It's not just the boards, quite a few of the LGA1366 CPUs have held their

value rather well, especially the hexacores. The only ones I've been able to

find for really good prices (aside from engineering samples, which I don't

really consider to be representative of platform prices) are the server pull

Xeons which are being dumped from server farms being upgraded (that's how I

got my 5630s). But the i7 970 and up are still pretty damn pricey for the most

part.

Just goes to show how good that platform actually was/is IMHO.

Looking forward to your next project, whenever that may be.

 

Well I'm going to keep mine. Maybe one day I'll end up with a board to put it in

 

It's almost stupid, how expensive the old Core 2 Extreme still are, they retail for well over 800+$ at PCPartPicker, and I would've never thought that they're still worth this much, but I guess it has to do with nostalgia?

 

No not really man. You'd be amazed just how powerful these hex cores are when they are used properly with software. It's only really been lately that more consumer software (not pro tools for editing etc) have become mainstream. Cinebench R15 uses a CPU to the absolute maximum. And when it does Westmere really stands up and shows its head and shoulders.

 

Intel ended up in a battle with, well, itself. It was competing against itself to push technology. Sadly it didn't push software developers like AMD have. IE - "hey, use the fucking stuff we're giving to you properly". So instead of AMD playing the piss the highest game they just went ahead and developed a platform, then played the waiting game whilst Intel made itself look rather silly.

 

Now? well the dust is settling and games are starting to munch up cores. As such the spoils of Intel's mad romp to beat itself are showing through.

 

That is why I invested in the Xeon and took a risk. Because I've seen what it can do.

 

Intel have won the war. They need another avenue now. Just continually bashing out desktop parts is not going to pay their bills so they've moved into the mobile market, AMD have picked up the scraps and got the console contracts and as such are pushing PC gaming forward with ideas like Mantle and HSA.

[alpenwasser]

It's almost stupid, how expensive the old Core 2 Extreme still are, they retail for well over 800+$ at PCPartPicker, and I would've never thought that they're still worth this much, but I guess it has to do with nostalgia?

 

I'm not that familiar with PCP, do they use retailer prices? If so, that's not all

that unusual though, old platforms often don't really drop in prices at retailers.

They just leave them in there hoping somebody accidentally purchases one it seems

to me.

As a concrete example, I bought my X5680s on eBay for about 900 USD per piece IIRC

(new in sealed box, retail version) in the fall of 2012. At that time, that CPU was

still being sold at my usual retailer for somewhere between 1700 and 2000 USD, and

until they dropped it from their catalogue the price didn't go down.

I was mostly referring to eBay (or similar platforms) prices above. The C2E is more

reasonably priced there (not all of them, but you can find some decent deals), while

the offers I've been able to find for an i7 970 will still run you a few hundred bucks

(leaving out the occasional really great deal).

 

Well I'm going to keep mine. Maybe one day I'll end up with a board to put it in

And if not, it will at least be a memento of a pretty damn awesome era in

personal computing (at least IMHO).

 

No not really man. You'd be amazed just how powerful these hex cores are when they are used properly with software. It's only really been lately that more consumer software (not pro tools for editing etc) have become mainstream. Cinebench R15 uses a CPU to the absolute maximum. And when it does Westmere really stands up and shows its head and shoulders.

 

Core 2 Extreme ain't hexacore Westmere though.

But yes, if you give a hexacore Westmere something that actually utilizes the cores

properly, it is still pretty damn kickass (hurray BOINC! ).

Leaving aside hardware failures, I'm pretty confident that HELIOS will last me for

quite a few years more, despite being based on four-ish year old tech by now (well,

except the GPU, obviously).

[flibberdipper]

Aww, this stinks. I was hoping for a good update. And PhotoBucket isn't working.

[ALXAndy]

Don't worry too much guys. My mind is working as we speak. I just spotted something really funny....

 

 

Blue Lightning series. Yup, big blue bolt of lightning out the back with a huge bang lmao.

[brownninja97]

Im just in completely awe as to how amazing it is. Also its the first big build log ive seen in a zalman case and im a die hard zalman fanboy

[ALXAndy]

Im just in completely awe as to how amazing it is. Also its the first big build log ive seen in a zalman case and im a die hard zalman fanboy

 

Thanks man. It's the first Zalman product I've ever used apart from a pair of passive 3d glasses that were pretty terrible. Whilst it is very thin it's more than acceptable tbh. I like how they have put those bulges in the side panels as it leaves lots of room for hiding wires.

[ALXAndy]

Hmmm. Well I've been doing some research this morning and I think I know why it doesn't work.

 

Basically a Xeon has two QPI links. In the 980x the second QPI link is disabled. In the Xeon the second QPI link is active. This is the *only* difference between the two chips.

 

So, how do Xeons run on regular X58 boards? well the answer to that is simple - those boards have a bios that disables the second QPI link on the CPU 'soft mod'. There was, at one point, a hard mod for a specific EVGA board. EVGA soon released a bios but people were hard modding their boards to disable the second QPI link.

 

So in theory the same mod (though obviously not the same logically) could be performed on any board, because there is a circuit for the QPI link and it's usually on show on the board itself. You just short a connection.

 

Now I'm not saying that there's any hope tbh. If the Alienware board had a removable BIOS chip then I could possibly hack the bios itself (I've done this before many years ago). However that's not going to happen really.

 

What I am wondering is if the CPU itself could be shorted in any way or form to disable QPI link 2.

[brownninja97]

Hmmm. Well I've been doing some research this morning and I think I know why it doesn't work.

 

Basically a Xeon has two QPI links. In the 980x the second QPI link is disabled. In the Xeon the second QPI link is active. This is the *only* difference between the two chips.

 

So, how do Xeons run on regular X58 boards? well the answer to that is simple - those boards have a bios that disables the second QPI link on the CPU 'soft mod'. There was, at one point, a hard mod for a specific EVGA board. EVGA soon released a bios but people were hard modding their boards to disable the second QPI link.

 

So in theory the same mod (though obviously not the same logically) could be performed on any board, because there is a circuit for the QPI link and it's usually on show on the board itself. You just short a connection.

 

Now I'm not saying that there's any hope tbh. If the Alienware board had a removable BIOS chip then I could possibly hack the bios itself (I've done this before many years ago). However that's not going to happen really.

 

What I am wondering is if the CPU itself could be shorted in any way or form to disable QPI link 2.

Hit it with a hammer, you are in the UK so you understand jeremy clarkson logic, trust me im an engineer, in tf2.