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HP Recommended

I have purchased two Quad-Core CPU's for my WX8600 WorkStation HP and wonder if i can purchase a new heatsink for both cpu's from my local Frys Electronics store that are NOT the HP manufactured Heatsinks.

9 REPLIES 9
HP Recommended

There are a few things to go over:

 

First, you want to have the latest BIOS installed for that workstation.... there is a recent important update for it (and the xw6600), version 1.46 from October of 2012.

 

Second, are those two quad core Xeon processors in the HP-approved list found in the HP QuickSpecs document for the xw8600 (attached)?  HP did guarantee that you could add in a second duplicate processor to what came with your original build of the xw8600, but we have found here that you generally can upgrade from what came with the box to one or two of any of the processors on the QuickSpec listing.  This is not "supported" but has worked well for many of us.  However, If the processors are not on that list in the QuickSpecs they won't work, because there is a part of BIOS called the microcode that contains the approved list.

 

Third, what is the max TDP for the new processors?  If they each run at 120 Watts or greater then you'll have to deal with some wiring issues.  The xw8600 motherboard can detect when a processor of greater than 80 Watts is in place and then it wants to see a "performance" heatsink/fans combo present.  You can read up on that here if you search under "double tall" and "performance heatsink".  The basic idea is that the hotter processors need better cooling than the standard single tall provides (which work fine for up to and including 80 Watt processors).  There is a way to spoof the motherboard, discussed below.

 

The HP heatsink base dimensions for the socket LGA 771 processors (all xw6400/8400/6600/8600 workstations) are identical, as would be the aftermarket socket LGA 771 heatsink/fans because they're all built to Intel specifications.  LGA 771 and PLGA 771 processors both fit LGA 771 sockets perfectly, by the way.

 

The wiring on the fan plug ends for the xw6400/8400 are a bit different from the xw6600/8600.  Both of these types of single talls have identical 5 pin plug ends, and for the older ones there is a ground jumper wire from pin 1 to pin 5 positions.  For the newer single tall xw6600/8600 heatsinks there is no jumper wire..... the fifth pin position is an empty socket.  Thus, you can take one of the older types and cut out the jumper wire to make it equivalent to what the wiring is in the newer (6600/8600) workstatons.  I have done this, and also the reverse of using the newer type in an older workstation (added in the ground jumper wire for that).  The older type seem to have better cooling than the newer ones, in my experience, if they have their part number end in -001 or -002 as posted here previously.

 

The problem with using an aftermarket socket LGA 771 heatsink/fan is that things above the standardized base may not physically fit in the space you have available in the xw8600.  You'll have to experiment.

 

Regarding the wiring if you get a set of greater than or equal to 120 Watt quad cores, and find a high performance aftermarket heatsink/fan(s) combo that physically fits...... you can spoof the motherboard into thinking that it has the higher performance "double tall" by adding in a jumper wire from the third pin position over to the 5th pin position.  The motherboard wants to see RPM sense data coming from that 5th pin circuit in addition to coming from the 3rd pin position if it has a 120 Watt (or greater) processor installed.  That is how the stock double tall is wired (it provides the RPM sense from the second fan's #3 wire via that 5th pin).  The normal wiring for these fans is like other PWM fans..... ground, 12vDC, RPM sense, PWM control, and the 5th pin for these HP heatsink fans allows special motherboard control.  I have read references to prior failed attempts to use aftermarket socket 771 heatsink/fans in the xw6400 because the individual did not know the deal about the ground jumper wire to the 5th pin.  I get my HP-equivalent 5-socket fan plug blanks from Mouser.com, and can provide a part number if you need that.

 

A final issue..... HP picks source fans that have PWM control, and most of us run these workstations with the BIOS fan speed PWM control set to the lowest value.  Getting aftermarket PWM fans to be balanced with the other HP PWM fans inside of these workstations is a bit of a chore, but can be done.  HP buys ones that would run quite fast without PWM control, and then throttles them heavily at this lowest BIOS setting.  Thus, an aftermarket quiet PWM fan likely will be throttled too much at the lowest setting.  So, do you start replacing all the HP PWM fans in the whole case to get things balanced?

 

Overall I'd personally stick with HP heatsinks and their fans.  If I was going to use a set of the 120 Watt quad cores and not hammer the workstation with sustained high workloads I'd try the spoofing technique using the RPM-sense jumper wire mentioned above, and initially watch temps using HWMonitor from cpuid.com (opt out of the freebies during that install).  Plus, I'd boost the BIOS fan speed for the periods of higher workload, as needed.  In contrast, if you really want to push the new quad cores frequently and especially if they're the 150 watt ones (X5482 and X5492) then I'd advise getting the HP double tall performance heatsink/fans from eBay (go to the xw8600 section, part numbers 446359-001 or 446359-002).  Then you'll know they'll fit, and perform.  Expect to pay about $75.00 each, and to need to wait a while to get that price.

 

Please post back with updates for this project..... it will help others quite a bit to know what you discover.

 

Scott

HP Recommended

Scott, can you provide the mouser.com part number for the fan socket blank that you referred to ?

 

HP Recommended

Here you go..... the writing refers to the tab sticking up from the motherboard header.  In the usual case of PWM fan plugs that tab is 3 pins wide.  For example, HP uses this normal usual PWM fan plug end on its fans for the processor heatsink on the xw4600, and the memory fan for both the xw6400 and the xw6600, and the chipset fan for the xw6600.  That is the top parts bag scanned in.

 

Then, there are the case fans with a 4-pin wide tab sticking up from the motherboard header.  This is for the generally brown fan plug ends for the front case fan header, and the two rear case fan headers for the xw6400 and the xw6600.

 

Finally, there is the unusual HP processor 5-pin fan plug for the PWM fan leads from the processor heatsink fans on the xw6400/xw8400 (which have a pin 1 to pin 5 ground jumper) and for the xw6600/xw8600 single-tall heatsink/fans with the 5th pin socket empty (no ground jumper).  When you get into the double-tall heatsinks/2 fans for the xw8600 then the wiring gets creative as I have posted about both related to spoofing the motherboard and to actually giving the motherboard the signals it wants to see to allow high max-TDP processors to run.

 

The plugs from Mouser I got are all the same white, excellent quality.  You need to push down the little tab from its locking position, and it will be bent flat as a result of your doing this to get the metal end of the lead disengaged from the original plug end.  You can very carefully elevate that up a bit to a more normal position for sliding the metal end back into your new Mouser plug end so it locks into place as it seats.  Works fine.... the female plug ends are pretty easy to work with.  The male plug ends.... that is another story, but you don't need to deal with those for your fan plug end projects.

 

Mouser HP type fan plug ends.jpg

 

 

The 3 Mouser PWM plug ends.jpg

HP Recommended

Scott, I found these on the mouser site, but it was not clear whether that part number includes the metal inserts for the connector that actaully contact the pins on the header or whether the need to be ordered separately. Would be great if you could clarify on this point.

Trevor

HP Recommended

Trevor,

 

Those white plastic plug ends do not include the metal ends that are crimped onto the fan wire and then slip into the rear end of the plug ends and lock in place.  Those metal parts can be bought independently, but I never have bought them.  Rather, I use those that already were on the ends of the fans I'm converting, or I harvest them and some of the wire from a dead fan, and solder together.

 

If you look closely at the face of the plastic where the metal end locks in place you can see a thin (a little over 1/32")metal tab sticking up slightly from the rest of the metal surface (which is about 3/32" wide overall).  That sticks up just enought to lock the whole metal end into the plastic plug end.  You need to get a strong thin point against that, towards its rear wire end, and press gently down enough to release the tab from its locked position while you're pulling the wire.  It will then slide out.  Don't force it... or you'll bend the tab to the point it cannot be salvaged.  To prep for sliding the metal end back in I use a thin scalpel blade to slide under that tab and slightly bend it back up to where it will snap into a locked position when it is slid back into place.  If the rest of the metal got crushed down a bit you can expand that also.  You get 1 or maybe 2 tries before the metal will break, so be patient and go slow.  I'd practice on some spare fan plugs because they all seem to use the same metal end inside.

 

I have seen some very cheap plastic plug ends that are worthless and don't have the usual 1/32" thin guide-slot molded inside the plug hole, at the motherboard face of the plug.  The thin metal locking tab projection is meant to slide inside that thin guide slot so it gets perfectly centered in the plug hole, cannot rotate in the hole, and thus maintains a firm connection against the motherboard header pins.  This is a fine point, but nice to know.  The ones from Mouser have that intended thin guide-slot molded into the plastic.

 

If I'm putting a 3-wire non-PMW fan onto the front HP motherboard 4-pin header I'll often load the 4th hole in the plug with a cut off metal fan wire end so all 4 of the plug holes are fully engaged with the the motherboard header pins, just for stongest attachment.

 

If I'm going to create a xw6400/xw8400 type of heatsink/fan from a xw6600/xw8600 version I'll get a short fan wire stub with the metal end attached and solder the bare wire end onto the pin 1 metal end and insert the "ground jumper" metal end into the pin 5 plug end hole.  The fans and mount spacing on those are the same; it just is a bit of wiring difference at the plug end.  Use a light touch on the solder or the metal end won't fit back in.

HP Recommended
So in theory regarding pin three and five would i be able to add a wire connecting from pin socket 3 to five? Please let me know.. Im in the same boat i just happen to come across two regular high performance heatsinks from a xw8200 which are not double tall. I have everything else put together. Thanks in advance .. You guys totally rock!
HP Recommended

What processors are you thinking of using, or using for this project?  If they do not require the double tall double fan heatsink I'd use your original HP heatsinks.

 

It is pretty easy to find out what socket is used in a xw8200 versus a xw8600, and that is based on the family of processors that are used for each workstation.  If they are not the same then the heatsink base will almost certainly not fit.  There are issues related to spacing of the screws and height above the socket to the heatsink contact area for the different socket types.  Plus, the HP motherboards may have specific parts close to the sockets that mandate a non-standard offset that is built into their heatsinks but not others.  Don't risk your workstation with an incorrect heatsink.

 

HP motherboard to heatsink relationships are carefully calibrated, and the fan response to the motherboard's directives is a complex process.  I could easily shift heatsinks around a lot, and I don't.  That might tell you how highly I think of the HP heatsink/fan/motherboard control system.  The max I have done is the spoof you refer to, and that is only for a single step up in the processor family max TDP, not two.  For the xw8600 processors if you gather the max tdp values you'll see there are the low, medium and high groups.  

 

I'll do the spoof to use a low max tdp heatsink/fan with a medium processor, but not do that for the high max tdp processor group.  Our use of these workstations is that we are not pushing them hard at all, so my approach has worked well for us for years.

HP Recommended

I have a xw8600 mother board with two x5460's 12mb . but the heatsinks i aquired are the xw8200. they have four pins not five like the mother board. 🙂

HP Recommended

The low/medium/high Max TDP processors for the xw8600 are 80W, 120W, and 150W.  Your two processors are 120W ones.  The double tall double fan heatsink was not released until the xw8600 came out.  Those were not available for the xw8400 to my knowledge, but I have retrofitted them in previously.

 

The xw8600 is programmed to demand those higher "Performance" heatsinks if the motherboard sees a processor of 120W and above.  My past experience is that the single tall heatsink/single fan cooling system of the xw6400/xw8400 series had higher cooling capabilities than the single tall single fan cooler for the xw6600/xw8600.  Thus, for you I'd do the wiring spoof and ideally run one of the earlier (-001 or -002) versions of the xw8400/xw6400 heatsinks (single tall).  The -003 only has 2 instead of 3 heatpipes.  Or, just run the later generation single tall single fan ones with the wiring spoof.  Many of the later xw6400/8400 heatsinks have exactly the same fan as those on the xw6600/8600, except without the ground jumper from socket 1 to 5.  If you are doing the wiring spoof you don't need the 1 to 5 jumper, just the 3 to 5.

 

Don't do real-time jet engine design and you'll be fine.  It is easy to monitor heat of the cores wth the free HWMonitor from cpuid.com.

 

The sockets for the 8600 are the same as for the 8400 (and the 6600 and 6400) as LGA771, but the xw8200 is very different (PPGA604).  Don't try to use those heatsinks from the 8200 in the xw8600.

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