Z420 Different Revisions?

[Niarfe]

Hello All

Question

Are there two different revisions of the Z420 workstation like with the Z400?

I've two different pdf for this product and one lists Sandy Bridge E5 Xeons with 1600 Mhz memory and another listing Ivy Bridge E5 V2 Xeons with 1866 Mhz memory?

How can one identify one from the other?  

Is it the same motherboard and just a BIOS revision that opened up compatibility with these processors and memory?

[SDH · Accepted solution]

Yes, there are two versions.... the original "Version 1" and the "Version 2".  The original can run the Sandy Bridge Xeon processors that HP certified for it.  The Version 2 can run both those Sandy Bridge and the newer Ivy Bridge "v2" processors.  A nice little article on the differences between those two generations of processors is linked below.  Again, assuming you have a later version Z420 you generally can only the Sandy and Ivy Brige processors listed by HP can due to built-in BIOS microcode limitations (there are a few rare exceptions):

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405317,00.asp

A trick that works for most HP workstations is to search, for example, for "Z420 Spare Parts" in Google.

At the top of the results you'll see the HP page for that, and note under the Z420's Processors section that there are 700000 series part number processors with IB (Ivy Bridge) in front as available processors.  Note also down at the Miscellaneous section at the bottom are a couple of 700000 part number motherboards.  Those are the later Version 2 ones.  The -001 comes pre-set for W7 installs; the higher number for W8.

I don't have the BIOS boot block date for easy differentiation between Version 1 versus Version 2 for the Z420, but that is the best way to tell if you have one.  The boot block dates for the Z620 and Z820 are 12/28/11 for the original and 3/6/13 for the Version 2 motherboards.  Look in your BIOS under the first tab for that.... Your Z420 may not have those exact dates but should be close, and you'll know from that.

Thus, if you focus on QuickSpecs and HP literature from the early 2013 era you'll start seeing the Ivy Bridge processors being referred to.

You can look at the Intel "Ark" site under the HP approved v2 processors to see if there is only 1 sSpec code, and if so you can be sure that you are buying an identical used eBay processor to upgrade to if you go that route.  Search eBay under the sSpec code once you find that at the ark site.... it will be linked at bottom left of the front page for each processor you search for.

I've upgraded processors into the Z400/Z600 workstations but not yet a ZX20 workstation.  Same process I am sure, just more expensive.

[Niarfe]

Thank You! Exactly the info I needed!

I actually have a Z400 too and plan upgrades for that too (probably to discuss on another thread). But I might stumble upon a z420 soon.. Depends on how much I can get it for... I had some questions about it and wanted a way to identify which version of z420 I'll be looking at..

[SDH]

Happy to help......

Z400.... the version 2 has 6 instead of 4 memory slots, and a later Boot Block Date.  I have posted recently on the fastest unlisted dual-QPI hexacore processor that runs in the Z400 version 2 (the excellent X5690) and a cheaper virtually-as-fast single-QPI hexacore processor (W3690, sSpec code SLBW2) that also runs and is listed in the latest v54 (3/8/13) HP QuickSpecs for the later version 2 Z400.  Both run hot at 130W max TDP, but most of the Z400s I have seen come with the bigger higher capacity "Performance" heatsink/fan.  It has 92x92x25mm fan versus 80x80 on the "Mainstream" heatsink/fan for the ZX00 series..

The more expensive X5690 has not been proven to run in the Z600 version 2 two-processor workstation, but it is certified by HP for the Z800.  It can run in a two-processor box because it has dual-QPI links.  It has been proven to run in the single-processor Z400 version 2 workstation.  I don't know if a W3690 could run in a Z600 as a single processor, but I'd not be surprised.

The X5690 is a rare example of a processor that was never listed in any of the QuickSpecs for the HP Z400 that can actually run in it (assuming it is a version 2) just fine.  The ZX00 and ZX20 QuickSpecs never have been clear about what version of the workstations they are referring to.  You have to figure that out yourself by looking at the list of processors.

The X5690 is not a cheap processor, so the W3690 is probably a better choice.

[Niarfe]

Thanks again, 

I'm pretty sure my cpu heatsink is the one with 92mm fans.. But it only has one..  Will open a new thread for my current z400 now.. Have a couple of questions regarding upgrades...

[SDH]

Read my post above.... it has been edited.  All Z400 and Z420 workstations have only one socket so by definition they only have one heatsink/fan.

If your processor came from HP as one with a max TDP of 130W then it already is sitting under one of the larger "Performance" heatsinks with the larger fan.  Just measure the fan.....

[Wunderbar]

So BIOS update will not get us Xeon V2 support for older revision motherboards?

[SDH]

You are correct..... the same Z400 BIOS update will work for both a version 1 or a version 2 workstation, but it will not change a version 1 to a version 2.  Different hardware on those two motherboards.  For a Z400 v1 it will always have 4 memory slots, but the v2 always has 6 memory slots.  You also can look at the boot block date in BIOS.  Those different dates are posted about here in the forum.

Same idea for the Z420 BIOS updates.... they don't change the version of the workstation.  The v1 and v2 of the Z420 both have 8 memory slots so you really do need to see the BIOS boot block date for those......

Learn how to update BIOS from within BIOS.... it is the safest way to go by far.

[shakenfr]

hello,

I have a Z420 with 3/6/13 bootblock and FMB-1101 motherboard. Can I consider that E5-2697v2 will work with my Z420?

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/fr/fr/ark/products/75283/intel-xeon-processor-e5-2697-v2-30m-cache...

regards

bruno

[SDH]

I just checked on eBay for "Z420 E5-2697 v2" and there is one there showing the BIOS System Info page.  So, yes it can be done and below is the screen shot.  You'll be able to see that when a moderator releases it.  Those are running about $300.00 USD now used on eBay from good US sellers, and get a single processor Passmark average score of 17224.  Hopefully you found a cast off one from a server upgrade for free.  Note that the guy is running 16GB memory sticks.