Upgrade xw8400 with new CPU and heatsink

[ginger88]

Hi:  A couple years ago I upgraded the CPU on my xw8400 workstation ( to a Intel Xeon SLAEJ E5345 Quad Core  Processor).  I am now considering adding a second CPU, and looking for advice.

Is the SLAEJ still the (or a) recommended upgrade?  If anyone has had success with a  CPUs for this workstation, please let me know.

Will a heatsink be required if I add a second CPU?  (The second CPU and heatsink locations on the motherboard are empty.)  (What would happen if I added a second CPU without a heatsink?)

Is the Heatsink part 398293-002 still the recommended upgrade?

If anyone has recommedations or suggestions, I would appreciate them, including on where to buy used parts.  (I bought the  earlier SLAEJ CPU from an ebay vendor.  The prices are higher now.)

Thank you.

P.S.  In searching this forum I found a similar question asked on 3-3-2018.  The poster asked if he or she could  upgrade a CPU.  The response went in a differnet direction, and the poster's question about a CPU upgrade was not answered:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/upgrade-for-xw8400...

[DGroves]

first of all workstation questions should be posted in the workstation forum as they stand a better chance of getting a usefull reply

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/bd-p/Business-PC-W...

as to adding a sec CPU, matching the cpu's spec code is recomended but not required if using the latest bios, also the latest  s-spec is recomended if you can't get a matching one for the existing cpu

seeing as how your first cpu required a heatsink why would you think the second would be any diffrent?

i recomend you download and read/save the user/service manual

https://jp.ext.hp.com/lib/doc/manual/workstation/xw8400/364898-001.pdf

for the high end high wattage cpu's like the 3.0 ghz x5365 (150 watt) you require the double tall heatsinks  500022-001 446359-002

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-xw8600-Performance-CPU-Heatsink-Fan-NEW-500022-001-446359-002/3920864404...

trying to use the normal heat sinks on 150 watt cpu's can cause problems

your current cpu is a 80 watt cpu and the std heatsinks are fine with it

last the xw8400 link you listed was posted in the correct forum so why did you post your request here in this forum?

you might want to consider upgrading the cpu's  from 2 quad core to 2 dual core as the dual core's clock higher and unless you have software that uses all 8 cores, you may find the faster clocked 4 core system will perform much better

as a useful upgrade, i would install a Dell H310/H200 SATA/SAS card, doing so will upgrade your SATA bus to 6GBps speeds

[ginger88]

Hi:  Thanks for your response.  I don't follow some of your suggestions:

*  You wrote:  "as to adding a sec CPU, matching the cpu's spec code is recomended but not required ..."

If it is not required that the second CPU match my existing Intel Xeon SLAEJ (earlier I was told that two CPUs needed to match), can I re-use my original CPU (a dual core SLABN) as the second CPU?

*  Regarding your comment:  " if using the latest bios ..."  I'm using BIOS version -- 2.38 Rev. A, 8 Dec 2010.  Is that the latest?

*  You wrote:  " the latest  s-spec is recomended if you can't get a matching one for the existing cpu."  I don't follow -- what are you suggesting about the s-spec?

*  "your current cpu is a 80 watt cpu and the std heatsinks are fine with it."  What is a "standard" heatsink?  One that is "single" tall?  Can you recommend a specific standard heatsink?

*  You wrote:  "consider upgrading the cpu's  from 2 quad core to 2 dual core as the dual core's clock higher and unless you have software that uses all 8 cores, you may find the faster clocked 4 core system will perform much better."

When I "upgraded" to a quad core SLAEJ two years ago, it was on a recommendation I received on this forum.  It sounds like you don't necessarily recommend quad cores over dual cores.  (I only have a single quad core CPU.  I don't know if any software I have uses 4 cores.)  Do you recommend "downgrading" to my original SLABN dual core?

* You wrote:  "i would install a Dell H310/H200 SATA/SAS card, doing so will upgrade your SATA bus to 6 GBps speeds."  Will you please explain -- how will this improve performance?  If you were to make one change to improve performance, would you upgrade this card, or add a second CPU?

Again, thanks for suggestions.

P.S.  Twice you commented on where I posted (here versus in a workstation forum).  This forum is labelled "Desktop Hardware and Upgrade Questions."   I was asking about upgrading desktop hardware -- so this sounded like a good place to post. 

PPS.  You wrote:  "seeing as how your first cpu required a heatsink why would you think the second would be any diffrent?"  I didn't indicate a second CPU would be different.  I asked a question about what would happen if I didn't use a heatsink.  I have not received an answer.  My guess is the computer would overheat, but I don't know.

[DGroves]

all i can say is that you really need to download and READ the HP user and service manual that i previous linked to,

you also should try using google  (or the search engine of your choice) to locate answers to your questions as doing so will increase you understanding of how various  parts of your computer work, and this searching skill can be used for any other sublject matter you might have a interest in

in reguards to:

 "If it is not required that the second CPU match my existing Intel Xeon SLAEJ (earlier I was told that two CPUs needed to match),"

i don't know how to make this more clear, the statement is rather simple and direct in it's meaning

at some point during the Bios updates for the xw8400 HP removed the requirement that the spec codes must match

 I'm using BIOS version -- 2.38 Rev. A, 8 Dec 2010.  Is that the latest?

don't know (or care, i don't have 8400 any more) you can check the HP site and see what's posted as quickly as i could

" the latest  s-spec is recomended if you can't get a matching one for the existing cpu."  I don't follow -- what are you suggesting about the s-spec?

later spec releases fix bugs/add enhancements to the cpu microcode if you can't match the existing cpu spec when buying a second cpu, allways go for a later spec revision not a older one..........  the previous sentence i wrote was almost the same as this one so i don't understand why you had a issue understanding it?  anyways i hope you now understand what i wrote

"your current cpu is a 80 watt cpu and the std heatsinks are fine with it."  What is a "standard" heatsink?  One that is "single" tall?  Can you recommend a specific standard heatsink?

Huh?...... what's not clear? i would think that the sentence  "your current cpu is a 80 watt cpu and the std heatsinks are fine with it. "  i think it's self explanatory,.. more so since i linked to a site that showed a picture of the  high performance heatsinks and listed said part numbers. along with the wattage of the high performance cpu's  (were you even reading what wrote or just  glancing at parts of the sentences???)

When I "upgraded" to a quad core SLAEJ two years ago, it was on a recommendation I received on this forum.  It sounds like you don't necessarily recommend quad cores over dual cores.  (I only have a single quad core CPU.  I don't know if any software I have uses 4 cores.)  Do you recommend "downgrading" to my original SLABN dual core?

again,.... did you full read the sentence?? if you have a 2.66 ghz quad core, i question  the need to add another quad core

since only sepcific software is written to make use of it i suguested you instead buy two dual core cpu's which will still give you 4 cores, but at a higher/faster CPU speed (3.06),.. many programs will use up to 4 cores, but as i said very few know how to use 8 cores well and doing this is not a downgrade, since you will still end up with 4 cpu coresbut they will be faster than your current  four cpre cpu

You wrote:  "i would install a Dell H310/H200 SATA/SAS card, doing so will upgrade your SATA bus to 6 GBps speeds."  Will you please explain -- how will this improve performance?  If you were to make one change to improve performance, would you upgrade this card, or add a second CPU?

what "I" would do is not revelant....what you wish to do is up to you since your needs are diffrent than my needs

if you can't afford to buy both, you must decide which is more important to you based on your computing needs

a SATA 6 card will load/save and make windows seem more responsive, a faster cpu will run the software application faster

Twice you commented on where I posted (here versus in a workstation forum).  This forum is labelled "Desktop Hardware and Upgrade Questions."   I was asking about upgrading desktop hardware -- so this sounded like a good place to post. 

you do not have a desktop system,...you have a HP xw8400 WORKSTATION, again this seems obvious to me (and most other people) and since you have a HP workstation , your questions about the HP workstation should be posted in the HP workstation forum where other HP workstation users can help answer you HP workstation related questions,

i'm not trying to be rude, but rather hammer home a point, and that's that you do not have a desktop or consumer computer but a WORKSTATION COMPUTER

PPS.  You wrote:  "seeing as how your first cpu required a heatsink why would you think the second would be any diffrent?"  I didn't indicate a second CPU would be different.  I asked a question about what would happen if I didn't use a heatsink.  I have not received an answer.  My guess is the computer would overheat, but I don't know.

your serious that you don't know what would happen if you ran the second cpu without a heatsink/fan!!!!!????

i find it extremely unlikely that you don't know or grasp the concept of what a cpu heatsink does,  and  i know of no other way to put this (sorry if your ofended) but you would have to be an absolute air head not to realise that the first cpu with the  CPU COOLER/ AND FAN does just that cool the cpu... christ,....if it wasn't nessary why would the first cpu have it attached !! it's not like HP decided to attach a chunk of metal and fans because they wanted to waste money and thought it would look "totally rad "

[ginger88]

I am considering installing (reinstalling) the dual core  SLABN cpu I replaced earlier, to see if it would work along side the quad core SLAEJ that is currently installed.    DGroves stated that "Bios updates for the xw8400 HP removed the requirement that the spec codes must match."  It would be helpful to know whether that works, before deciding what type of new heatsink to use.   So I was wondering whether it was safe to install it temporarily without a heatsink, to see if it will boot.

Has anybody tried that?

[DGroves]

[edit].you need to go back and carefully re read what i wrote!!!!

i said that Two dual cores or two quad core cpu's......no longer have to have the same spec

NOWHERE DID I SAY THAT YOU CAN MIX AND MATCH DUAL AND QUAD CORES...........YOU CANOT DO THIS

[ginger88]

Today DGroves writei:   " ... carefully re read what i wrote!!!!     i said that Two dual cores or two quad core cpu's ...... no longer have to have the same spec".

On 11-17, DGroves wrote:  "as to adding a sec CPU, matching the cpu's spec code is recomended but not required if using the latest bios, also the latest  s-spec is recomended if you can't get a matching one for the existing cpu".

On 11-18, DGroves wrote:    "i don't know how to make this more clear, the statement is rather simple and direct in it's meaning at some point during the Bios updates for the xw8400 HP removed the requirement that the spec codes must match".

DGroves 11-17 and 11-18 posts did not distinguish mixing dual core and quad core CPUs. 

Why the ALL-CAP attitude and profanity?

[DGroves]

i'm not cussing you out, what i am doing is  pointing out that your questions, and your reply questions to my answers  are ones that show little or no understanding,  and i told you that this could be solved if you take the time to read the service manual for your system and also use google to find references to some of your questions for you to read so you can then learn how to post a  question that is pertinent.

your comment to me on cpu heatsinks is a example of one such question that really should not have been posted by you

and as i  toldyou in any of my previous postings nowhere did i say mixing two diffrent cpu types was allowed, all i said was that when MATCHING A EXISTING CPU, HP removed the requirement that the SPEC codes must match in later bios revisions and if unable to get the same spec, get a higher spec one not a older one. Trying to blame me for your misunderstanding of this is not my fault,

[SDH]

Ginger,

I got your PM.... and let me say that everything DGroves has told you is correct.  I will not post a lot, but here are some points for you:

1.  You already have one E5345 quad core.  The next two processors up the line for that workstation are the E5355 and the E5365 at 120W and 150W max TDP, respectively.  Those last two require the double tall double fan heatsinks, one each for each processor.  Those are hard to find and quite expensive.

2.  You already have one heatsink/fan which is matched to the 80W max TDP of your E5345.  You will need another heatsink/fan if you add another E5345.  Turns out that the standard smaller heatsink/fan that works for the xw6400/xw8400 works fine on a xw6600/xw8600.  So, you could buy one from a xw6600 or xw8600 and it would fit fine in your xw8400 over your second new E5345.

3.  There are different releases of one processor in some cases.  For the E5345 there actually are 3 releases, and each has its own sSpec code.  You only want to buy the latest release if you can, and ideally you want to match the sSpec codes even if that may not truly be required.  I only do that.  The SLAEJ sSpec code is the latest revision of the E5345.... so assuming you have a SLAEJ already then just go to eBay and get a second one by searching for SLAEJ, and filter for price and shipping lowest.  Only buy from reputable high ranked seller.  These are cheap.

4.  You can not mix a E5345 with another type of processor.... only another E5345, and my advice is only another SLAEJ if that is the version you already have.

5.  Post on the Business PCs, Workstations and Point of Sale Systems forum.....  HERE.  I won't be looking anywhere else for any added questions you might have.  Start a new thread if you wish starting with whatever new question you might have.

6.  DGroves is amazingly generous with his time here..... many post in the forum and don't even lift a finger before posting, expecting to be spoon fed answers that take the Pro's limited time up.  Sometimes it is best to just hire out the job once you know what to buy.  For example, my guess is that you're not quite ready to do a processor upgrade from beginning to end.  You can fry/ruin your motherboard if you don't know what you're doing......