Arima HDAMA and HDAMB Motherboard BIOS Fixes

Discussion in 'BIOS Mods' started by tqhoang, Jul 7, 2010.

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  1. fstlouis

    fstlouis MDL Novice

    Oct 23, 2010
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    Opteron 252 request

    Would it be possible to have an updated BIOS for an Opteron 252 on an HDAMA-G? This would be to install WHS-Vail (2k8 based). I don't have onboard sata.

    Thanks

    powernow-k8: Found 2 AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 252 processors (2 cpu cores) (version 2.20.00)
    powernow-k8: 0 : fid 0x12 (2600 MHz), vid 0x6
    powernow-k8: 1 : fid 0x10 (2400 MHz), vid 0x8
    powernow-k8: 2 : fid 0xe (2200 MHz), vid 0xa
    powernow-k8: 3 : fid 0xc (2000 MHz), vid 0xc
    powernow-k8: 4 : fid 0xa (1800 MHz), vid 0xe
    powernow-k8: 5 : fid 0x2 (1000 MHz), vid 0x12
    powernow-k8: 0 : fid 0x12 (2600 MHz), vid 0x6
    powernow-k8: 1 : fid 0x10 (2400 MHz), vid 0x8
    powernow-k8: 2 : fid 0xe (2200 MHz), vid 0xa
    powernow-k8: 3 : fid 0xc (2000 MHz), vid 0xc
    powernow-k8: 4 : fid 0xa (1800 MHz), vid 0xe
    powernow-k8: 5 : fid 0x2 (1000 MHz), vid 0x12​
     
  2. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    Ok, I will try to get to it sometime this weekend.

    Can you at least make sure Linux does not freeze with the PowerNow activated? Just let it run for up to 24hrs if possible. Just do some simple things like web browse and that should be enough to get the CPU's to throttle.

    Reason I ask is that a lot of the users with the Opteron 250 E4 model are having freezing problems with Windows and Linux.
     
  3. fstlouis

    fstlouis MDL Novice

    Oct 23, 2010
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    I have been running Fedora 13 with cpuspeed enabled for quite a while now. No freeze ups have been experienced. CPU is currently scaled down to 1ghz

    sudo /etc/init.d/cpuspeed status
    Frequency scaling enabled using ondemand governor

    cat /proc/cpuinfo
    processor : 0
    vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
    cpu family : 15
    model : 37
    model name : AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 252
    stepping : 1
    cpu MHz : 1000.000
    cache size : 1024 KB
    fpu : yes
    fpu_exception : yes
    cpuid level : 1
    wp : yes
    flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm 3dnowext 3dnow rep_good extd_apicid pni lahf_lm
    bogomips : 2004.88
    TLB size : 1024 4K pages
    clflush size : 64
    cache_alignment : 64
    address sizes : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
    power management: ts fid vid ttp

    processor : 1
    vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
    cpu family : 15
    model : 37
    model name : AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 252
    stepping : 1
    cpu MHz : 1000.000
    cache size : 1024 KB
    fpu : yes
    fpu_exception : yes
    cpuid level : 1
    wp : yes
    flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm 3dnowext 3dnow rep_good extd_apicid pni lahf_lm
    bogomips : 2004.88
    TLB size : 1024 4K pages
    clflush size : 64
    cache_alignment : 64
    address sizes : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
    power management: ts fid vid ttp
     
  4. ljcomp

    ljcomp MDL Novice

    Oct 4, 2010
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    tghoang,
    yes.

    From a feedback point of view the server is still up and running. Very nearly 48hrs now and counting.

    LJ
     
  5. ljcomp

    ljcomp MDL Novice

    Oct 4, 2010
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    What would be the benefit of that change ?
    The server is still running stable nearly 72 hrs now.
    Have to say I am very impressed with your support so far tghoang.

    LJ
     
  6. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    Sorry, I was mixing feedback. If the PLL=4usec is ok for you, then stick with it. The other user notginger is still having trouble said he got a lockup within 20min of using the same BIOS.

    Thanks for the kind words...I see it as a challenge and I'm curious. BTW, you can just call me "TQ" for short.

    Also I just checked CPU-Z and my "Bus Speed" stays ~200MHz and "HT Link" stays ~800MHz when both my Opteron 280's do the PowerNow scaling (Core Speed, Core Voltage, Multiplier). It could just be a glitch with CPU-Z.
     
  7. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    notginger - Can you please try RMclock and put it in the "Registered DIMM" mode? That's supposed to increase a few different timers.

    Perhaps my values for PLL lock time and/or voltage stabilization time were still borderline for you motherboard.
     
  8. ljcomp

    ljcomp MDL Novice

    Oct 4, 2010
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    TQ
    I was lucky to find someone interested enough to help with this, the server is still stable nearly 4 days now.
    Looks like I am counting in daysnow, not hours as before.

    I was thinking this was a hardware issue, and I had waisted time and money on the server.
    This was going to be 1 of 3 servers but was beginning to think they were not up to the job. The cost of these are attractive but only if they are reliable.

    I am now feeling more positive about them again.

    LJ
     
  9. ljcomp

    ljcomp MDL Novice

    Oct 4, 2010
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    TQ
    Thats what I have at this time.
    However I have to report the server failed at 19:45 on the 26th, about 20mins before I arrived back home, perhaps it hates me. LOL. Spent 4 days away and it ran great. it had been running perfectly for 4 days and 11 ish hours.
    I am back home now, so I am able to change bios or whatever is suggested.

    LJ
     
  10. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    Ok, instead of going a little longer, I'm going to make a BIOS with PLL=10usec to see if that fixes it for you and notginger...standby.
     
  11. mateuszd

    mateuszd MDL Member

    Mar 22, 2010
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    Hello everyone and Thqoang :)
    Thanks again Thqoang, as far as I remember I was the first to get it running on Windows 2k8 R2.
    I haven't followed this topic since I got my server running. Just want to share my experince with it.
    First of all, I see I am not the only one who had problems with it freezing at random times, I had the same symptoms... I spent a few nights (nights!) waking up every hour to see if it's hanged and many various BIOS tweaks did not work, it kept doing it.
    Then I realised that my system was a going a bit weird when opening/browsing folders on my sata connected hdds including the system one. I bought a simple SATAtoATA adapter for £3 from ebay and connected my Windows HDD to it, after that it stopped freezing :).
    Could some one try this method themself (tjcomp)?
    I am pretty sure it must be something SATA controller related, another example is that when I had roaming user profiles share on one of my SATA connected HDDs, the Server service on the server used to hang making me having to reboot it (twice a day sometimes), it would not save changes to user's roaming profile. After moving the file share to a partition on the HDD that I connected using the SATAtoATA(IDE), the problem went away and this service has not frozen till today.

    Hope this helps users having system freezes like I had, maybe it's not BIOS related.
    P.S: I am still afraid of flashing the new PowerNow BIOS in, just do not want to have any more problems with it o_O

    Also I think this server is very power hungry. Would PowerNow decrease it's power usage a bit? My electricity bills have gone up a lot since April!

    I'm subscribing to this topic. :rolleyes:

    Good Luck.
    Mateusz
     
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  12. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    All - Do you think we should go back to the SI v5.4.0.3? That was the last official RAID one from Silicon Image. Perhaps their v5.5.0.0 has tweaks meant only for non-RAID (aka SATALink)?

    Yes, PowerNow would lower your noise, heat and electricity bill...by how much though is very subjective depending on your usage.
     
  13. zac123

    zac123 MDL Novice

    Oct 29, 2010
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    thanks for this thread. subscribed.
     
  14. mateuszd

    mateuszd MDL Member

    Mar 22, 2010
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    I will go for the PowerNow bios soon... I must lower the power usage! o_O
     
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  15. mateuszd

    mateuszd MDL Member

    Mar 22, 2010
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    EDIT: Oh no, I haven't got the AcpiTbls.rw file from the original bios, can I use one from my SLIC enabled BIOS to add slic to your powernow enabled bios?
    I have the 2.18B + SLIC + no PowerNow
     
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  16. tqhoang

    tqhoang MDL BIOS Modder

    Apr 29, 2008
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    I have no idea...you probably should flash the BIOS, then re-create your RW file. I assume Windows will still boot, but just might complain about not being geniune (like crazy).