Z600 CPU support and motherboard revisions

[AVIs56]

Good day! Reread all the posts about the version of HP Z600 Mb, but could not understand exactly what version of my Mb. On Mb 2 CPUs are installed: Intel Xeon E5606, 2.13 GHz/8M/4.80. Will two Intel Xeon x5675 processors be able to run on this Mb? Photo site Mb attached. I ask for help from specialists. Thank you!

[DGroves]

many of the z600 posts tell you to check the bios boot block date, which part of the check the Bios boot block date, and if 2010 indicates a revision 2 motherboard is confusing you?

rev 1 boards are 55xx cpu's only

rev 2 boards are 55xx/56xx xeon compatable

check the latest HP "quickspecs"  for the list of supported cpu's

Read the reply by "SDH" from this link:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/Qestion-about-Z600...

[SDH]

I agree with myself, and DGroves.

1.  I'll assume that you have that motherboard up and running and can look into BIOS and see your boot block date.  The exact boot block date of the v1 versus the better later v2 motherboards has been posted in this forum many times.  So, you already know your answer if you have put out that effort.

2.  You hopefully know that the 55xx processors can run in the v1 and v2 ZX00 motherboards but only the 56xx ones can run in the v2 ZX00 motherboards.  That is, only the ones that are on the "white list" HP provides in the later QuickSpecs for the ZX00 workstations.  You have shown that your Z600 runs E5606, so you have a v2 just based on that.  Now, please don't be offended, but that is what we call a "dog-slow" processor.  The good news is that there is much room for improvement and that your hardware has never ever been stressed..  Pay close attention to upgrading your BIOS at this time, and how to do it correctly.

3.  The latest QuickSpecs plus the latest two BIOS versions equals the way to know what processor(s) your version 2 motherboard can run.  If you have an old BIOS running currently that does not include one of the latest microcode white lists then your version 2 motherboard may not be able to run the latest HP-certified 56xx processor(s).  So, choose one of the latest two BIOS updaters and learn how to run it from within BIOS and install that.  I've personally settled in on the latest version rather than one back, having bled already on the one in between they dumped which is no longer available.  Then go get one or two of the processors you want from the latest QuickSpecs.  I would only pick one or two X5675s or one or two X5672s.  For our software I'd only pick one or two X5672s (faster, but fewer cores).

4.  I would load all 6 memory slots with identical HP branded 1333MHz memory.  We go 6 x 4GB sticks.  Others need more.  Some would be fine with 6 x 2GB sticks.  Best is all equal, all filled.

More cores does not necessarily equal better.  For us faster is better, without doubt, so I use 2 x X5672 for my personal test Z600, and advise that for most.  Some have core envy, however, and must have more cores at all cost.  Finally, some really do need the extra cores for their software and need to run slower processors to get that benefit.

[AVIs56 · Accepted solution]

Thank you very much for your help, respect SDH and DGroves. Your advice really helped.