Anyone got the Z8 G4 Motherboard layout?

[MacWinGuy]

Hey,

I hope you can help me out.

I've been looking out for the schematics or motherboard layout for the Z8 G4.

Not that it is important, but I find it convenient to see all connection possibility's with the position of available ports and places for any jumpers.

After all such a picture is found for any manufacturer of motherboard like Asrock, Asus, MSI, Gigabyte et all.

But, the only thing I've found is just light overview pictures without details.

Hopefully SDH or anyone else can be of assistance?

Thanks!

[SDH]

It's there on the inside of the left side cover... now we just have to get DGroves to snap us a pic. He is the guru of all things 8 here.

[DGroves]

look at the service manual,  page 35 covers the front I/O connections

https://www.compeve.com/Documents/HP%20Z8%20G4/HP_z8_g4_service_guide_compeve.pdf

https://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/c05527763.pdf?ver=5

sorry, we currently do not support any clients using the newer "Z8" systems as we found the AMD threadripper based  systems better suited to our clients needs for high-end multi cpu platforms at this time

but I never know what the future may bring as newer HP systems like the Z8 G5 (and the older G4) are quite powerful in their own right

[SDH · Accepted solution]

Found one... the google knows!

Hopefully a better pic will come...

[MacWinGuy]

Sorry for a somewhat late reply (due to my darn health issues)... 🤕

and a BIG thanks to SDH and DGroves for trying to help me out.👏👍💪

Really guys, you try to help fellow users and I really want you to know how much I appreciate it!

Thanks!

In fact I have, several times, referred to the fantastic support and help I got from using this HP Forum (mainly because of the amazing input that can be found from SDH and DGroves in the Forum).

DGroves, thanks for the tip on the PIC about the front I/O connections. That one I actually had covered (!).  I found it pretty early in my search for Z8 intel. The challenge changed from getting the I/O Pro version to find the Oculink since the sellers I've contacted never had that. No use getting something that won't connect. No luck yet...

As some time has passed by I now think more about the possibility to obtain the fastest Xeon for Z8G4: 8280's but not at the asked price for... engineering samples... And with such an upgrade I probably should upgrade my ECC to better speed as well... 

That and a lot more are small fun projects that I hope to be well enough to try out and enjoy. We'll see...

- I hear you! Initially I was looking out for a Threadripper WS too. It was my first choice, but I'm no longer at a corp and as a enthusiast who wants to reconnect to the tech stuff I just had to give up that thought/quest.  I couldn't motivate the immense cost - so I settled for the Z8 G4 and thought I could have it as my project and upgrading it and relive the technical fun I had to stop having in the mid 90's. You might say that Life and Responsibility took over... 

I completely understand and concur that Threadripper is something for the users/customers of high-end multi CPU platforms. It is on its own level it seems and Xeon isn't matching the cores.

An observation is that the former Microsoft software engineer that has the YT channel "Daves garage" has done some testing of the Z8 Fury which he was impressed by and then with a Threadripper system and to my understanding he kept the latter. But trying how many Dooms it is possible to run on Proxmox perhaps isn't the benchmark I would use... But it was fun to see him trying to push the envelope.

SDH

Again, sorry for not getting back until now. I hope you understand my situation.

LOL, I never thought that the PIC from the inside of the case IS the actual overall picture... Never!

I took a PIC earlier but thought that was so old school and that there must be a better one in high-res with all the pins, connectors and  jumpers (for example the jumper for BIOS reset) and what have you. At least it should be found in the "HP Z8 G4 Maintenance and Service Guide"- where it IMO should be found. 

Anyway, I expected to find a diagram in some of all the HP documentation. They don't make it easy to get the information you're after.  That is my conclusion after being all over looking for intel about the schematics for the Z8 G4.

I thank you for your willingness to help me out and I sure appreciate it!

Something else...

On my lookout to get more from my system I encountered another helpful and very enthusiastic user (with a helmet)  that has a YT channel "RACERRRZ". He gave a tip about something called "HP Performance advisor". Never seen anything about it before... Maybe I'm blind? Tried it and... What a  fantastically helpful tool that even showed the PCI-lanes in use and more. Amazing that HP don't push for it since it even gives the ability to go into the BIOS settings.  

Anyways, thanks to you both from a very grateful user that tries to relive and evolve my old tech skills...

Thanks!!! 

[SDH]

Happy to help... glad you're feeling better. Yes, time takes its toll.

A thing DGroves taught us is that HP (as expected) actually has all the correct "offsets" from output from all the internal HP workstation calibrators, which lets them provide accurate results... and those are built into the HP Performance Advisor. So, when you really need accuracy in RPMs and temperatures and voltages etc. that is where to look.

RACERRRZ is a funny guy. Helmet and accent, and all.