SuperMicro X5DA8 mobo

[dml]

Just wondering what users have experienced, good or bad, using the Toaster with the SuperMicro X5DA8 mobo. Anyone using a 64-bit PCI-X slot with the Toaster? If so, anything unusual happen?

Matt Drabick

[PIZAZZ]

No problems here to speak of.

Make sure and cross your 3rd and 4th toes just be safe though.

Jef

[Jim Capillo]

Originally posted by dml
Just wondering what users have experienced, good or bad, using the Toaster with the SuperMicro X5DA8 mobo. Anyone using a 64-bit PCI-X slot with the Toaster? If so, anything unusual happen?

Matt Drabick

Works great here..... :D

[jerm]

We have one inhouse, works great, no problems.

[dml]

Is the Toaster in a 64-bit PCI-X slot?

Also, have you tried using 64-bit FireWire cards on the same mobo?

Matt Drabick

[jerm]

toaster in 32 bit slot

no on the firewire

[dml]

Any reason not to put the Toaster card in a 64-bit slot. . . ?

Here's the deal with the SuperMicro X5DA8 mobo . . . only two 32-bit slots and three 64-bit slots. One of the 32-bit slots is next to the AGP slot, which I assume share resources and you don't want to use with a Toaster system. So, that leaves one 32-bit slot and three 64-bit slots. No problem if you only need to plug in the Toaster card. But what if you also need to install a FireWire card? Yes, 64-bit FireWire cards do exist but are more expensive than 32-bit FireWire cards. So, it is easier to install the Toaster card in a 64-bit slot and put an inexpensive 32-bit FireWire card into the 32-bit slot.

Again, any reason(s) not to install a Toaster card in a 64-bit slot?

Matt Drabick

[rbartlett]

PCI-X-100 slot, should be OK, but not the PCI-X-133 - that shares a contention bus with the onboard SCSI.

The bus reduces to the lowest common denominator - so will erode your ablility to put other fast kit in and get fast responses.

Can't remember if you'll slow down the gig-ethernet port by going into the slower PCI-X slots.

X5DAL-TG2 might suit you better if you don't need the slots. It uses cheaper unbuffered dual channel RAM, only needs a high watt P4 PSU, not a Xeon-SuperMicro version and fits many ATX cases instead of needing EATX.

The I-Will DP533 is somewhere in-between the X5DP8 and the X5DAL series. It has onboard firewire and onboard U320 SCSI.

All 3 have a good VT following, as listed if you search for the mobo names on the various forums.

[Matt Drabick]

Which part of the West Midlands are you from? Anywhere near the Lake District?

Thanks for the feedback. I have been having a few minor "issues" lately with Toaster systems built with the X5DA8 mobo and using one of the 64-bit PCI-X slots as noted in my previous posting. Probably a matter of learning a new mobo. . . . I did discover that putting a 64-bit FireWire card in the 133MHz PCI-X channel "lost" my SCSI array. I like this mobo very much but wish it had one more 32-bit slot to install both the Toaster and and a 32-bit FireWire card into.

I will research the other mobos per your suggestion.

Matt Drabick,
DigiTek Systems
Raleigh, NC

[rbartlett]

Ten minutes drive from Stratford Upon Avon, Bill Shakespeare country.
2 hours drive from the Peak District.
3 hours drive from the heart of the Lake District.

Have you proven that the furthest PCI32 slot is shared by the AGP port? This is a pretty funky chipset. I haven't read a E7505 manual too closely. The other way to spot the sharing of IRQ is to see if the BIOS showdown has the same assignment for your firewire card to that of the AGP.

The bandwidth of DV on firewire is probably not a problem to share with a graphics card. Remembering that GF4 cards also come in PCI variants that don't differ too much in performance to their AGP8x counterparts. There is a lot of hype about the bandwidth requirements between host and gfx card. The gfx card having most of the high bandwidth resources on it and that is where they stay.

PCI Express should sort all this balancing out next year. Hopefully without too much of a premium. End of AGP and contention PCI buses. For a couple of years there will just be a PCI port or two for legacy adapters (like VT 3!).

One good thing about these new forums is that I can thank Bob for what he says below.

Bob means PCI Express later on. It'll be more cartridge based like the internal ROM/Coprocessor modules of the Atari 400/800 1970's 8bit computers. I try to balance knowledge with a good engineering toolkit by not being too geekie. I don't actually like PCs but am realistic. Well I wasn't aware of much of what follows on further down this post. There may still be hope ;)

[Bobt]

All I know is I want to meet you one day. You have the
largest base of knowledge I know of. I have no idea how
you do it. I consider myself a tech junkie but you make me seem
like a tech sissy :D
Anyway hats off to you Richard for bringing waht you know to
the table.

Bob

[bradl]

I am contemplating an upgrade to my system or more likely building a complete new one. I currently have a SuperMicro P4DC6+ dual 2.2 Xeon.

Three Questions:

1. If I had to choose a Mobo today what should it be (X5DA8?)?

2. Is there something out on the horizon that would be worth waiting 3 to 6 months for? 6 to 12 months?

3. What about 64 bit CPU/Mobo/OS. Is that worth waiting for or will it even be compatible with current VT or LW.

Thanks,

[Bobt]

Yes there is. the 1Ghz FSB with the Prescott core.
Xeon should get this as well. Also the new PCI spec
(serial but cant remember the name) Its the new PCI
bus of the future and coming next year. Its the one that
will make HD a no brainer.
But hey can you make enough money now so that
upgrade comes when you want it?
Upgradeing for PC's is a way of life and I see no end to
it until things like LW can render everything in realtime.
Thats a couple of Ghz away..

Bob

[bradl]

I had heard about 800MHz FSB coming very soon but 1GHz sounds even better. I wonder how long after it is available before one board really stands out as the great for VT? I guess it will be all the buzz around here... I know eventually Newtek will develop an HD board.

It looks like Prescott will be 32bit initially, then maybe 64bit (Yamhill).