Z840 - 40 minutes to boot Windows 10?!?!

[SDH]

You mention the value of having a "hot spare", and with purchase of a new/used Z800 motherboard off eBay and a bit of work you could have that if you still have your original Z800.

Swapping out the motherboard on these is actually quite easy......

[wmc]

I never got a chance to discuss weather it was a repair, replacement or return for refund - I just got an RMA and pre-paid return label with instructions. So I followed the instructions.  I just assumed they would send a replacement once the faulty unit arrived at the return location.  Instead, the day after I dropped the unit off at the shippers, I got a refund notice first from my CC, then from HP.  It seemed clear that at that point HP was done with that order.

The note tucked in with the unit regarding non-support for units ordered without graphics cards may have been the reason replacement was not an option, I don't know.  I quickly skimmed the note, sent it back with the unit and the other docs that came with it, so I don't have or remember any details regarding the form that non-support would take, so this may have just been SOP for faulty unit deliveries.

I think the price increase was likely due to processor or memory price changes - seems those are commodities like gold where prices fluctuate frequently.  Whatever the reason, the deed is done, and hopefully I'll have the next unit before the end of the month.

[Ro808]

This sheds a new light on the case as I understand you ordered a BTO system wIthout graphic card?
It doesn't matter anymore, but the videocard you installed
(and or the lack of drivers with dedicated bios) may have caused the error you encoutered during the installation proces. I wonder if this was Tesla or Quadro card and did you mount it in the lower or upper pci-express slot?

[wmc]

It was a Quadro M4000 mounted in slot 2 per the Avid Technologies recommended configuration for z840.   And it came "on-line", drivers loaded properly during OS install.  It was a UEFI machine as well, so not sure how GFX BIOS would have caused the continuing, seeming random problems culminating with a CPU0 L2 CACHE /MCA failure message from POST.

I believe slot 2 is the one HP would have used had I ordered the M 4000 with the machine.  Also, I doubt seriously that HP created a machine that could not take a GFX card mounted in any of the PCIe slots that met the card manufacturer's "system requirements".  Kinda defeats the entire purpose of standardized buses.

[Ro808]

Interesting, are you working with ProTools? I am a music and audio geek myself 🙂

With regards  to the graphic card, I guess you are right. Based on your description, It is highly unlikely this would have caused the error. The issue could therefore be narrowed down to either a faulty memory module(slot), processor(socket) or in the worst case, the system board.

Anyway, I assume that your new Z840 will operate flawlessly.