Z620 upgrade to E5-2640 V2 CPU?

[PeterMoreton]

I have a Z620 running an Intel E5-2603 1.8 ghz CPU and wish to upgrade to the Intel E5-2640 V2 2.0 ghz CPU which is listed as being supported on the Z620 Workstation,

However, when I install the E5-2640 processor, nothing works. No beep codes, no boot, not even any smoke!

The latest BIOS is installed.

Can someone tell me what is the issue here?

thanks

[Dan_WGBU]

Go into the BIOS F10 setup.  Look at the first page (System Information).  This page lists the BIOS boot block date. 

If the BIOS boot block date is 03/06/2013, the Z620 supports the E5-26xx V2 CPUs and the older versions (Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge).

If the BIOS boot block date is 12/20/2011, the Z620 supports only the E5-26xx "V1" CPUs (Sandy Bridge).  The system will probably not boot with a V2 CPU, and even if it does, the system will be very unstable. 

The Z620 boot block cannot be updated.  Updating the BIOS to the latest version from older versions does not update the boot block.  There are several threads in this forum about the boot block.  HP does not support updating the boot block, for security reasons. 

[swim_or_sink]

Same request here. I've got a z620 still under warranty with a motherboard that supports PCIe3 but can't install an ivy bridge CPU due to lack of BIOS software. A cost effective solution will be much appreciated.

edit: motherboard part nb: 619559-001 AS# 618264-001. What would be the correct part number for a motherboard that supports v2 CPU?

[SDH]

Sounds like you know you have an original "version 1" release of the motherboard by having looked at your boot block date and finding it to be from 2011 and not the 2013 "version 2" boot block date that shows you have that later release.  You can't just do a BIOS update to get a newer boot block date.  Also, if you upgrade to the newer type of motherboard you must use a processor that HP has specified in the newer QuickSpecs.  You can't just use any Ivy Bridge processor..... it generally has to be on the HP list.

It is not BIOS that is the issue in version 1 of the motherboard...... it is hardware.  The original motherboards are of an older type which does not support (in the Z620) the v2 processors.   Here is an interesting article, but it does have some typos and some old false info in it.  However, it is worth reading, and note the memory speed increase also.  Nothing that money can't fix.

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/creative-hardware/hp-adds-ivy-bridge-xeon-e5-v2-chips-with-u...

To go from the older processors (Sandy Bridge) to the newer (Ivy Bridge) processors you need the version 2 motherboard.  You still can run the older processors in that newer motherboard, but not vice versa.  If you search under "Z620 spare parts" HP has a listing of the older Patsburg (code name for the chipset used) as 619559-001 at the top of the miscellaneous section.  At the bottom of that section there is another motherboard listed as 708614-001.  Newer parts have the higher numbers.  I bet that is the one you want.  Remember that there are AS part numbers and SP part numbers, and they generally are not the same.  Some have posted in the past here the exact version 2 motherboard part number they found on their newer Z620 motherboards..... you'll need to dig.  Take a look in eBay for those two numbers......

[SDH]

Here are some added clarifications, for completeness:

1. I had thought that HP called the version 2 of the Z620 "revision 1" but a HP engineer clarified that for me... it is better to just call it version 2.  There also is a version 1 and a version 2 of the Z600, and there are two boot block dates for those motherboards also.  The boot block date in BIOS is the easiest way to see what version you have..... no need to dig into the workstation under a desk. Just boot into BIOS and look.

2. The Intel C602 chipset in the Z620 only has one sSpec code, and it is not a new version of that chipset that is the hardware reason that the earlier version 1 Z620 motherboards cannot run the Ivy Bridge processors.  In fact, there is a long post in this forum going into much detail about this, and one very creative poster finally pulling off a conversion of his version 1 motherboard so that it would run with the Ivy Bridge processors.  However, that required de-soldering, swapping out, and re-soldering of a specific chip on the motherboard.... not something that is low risk or reasonable for most of us.  And, not reasonable to expect HP to do either.

In contrast, the process of swapping in a new "version 2" motherboard is not bad at all.  But, there is the cost of that, then the cost of the Ivy Bridge processor, and perhaps the cost of the faster RAM to optimize use of the new motherboard and the new processor......

3. Regarding the Z600 going from version 1 to version 2..... that was due to one of its chipsets being updated to a new sSpec code version (which is significantly different from the Z620 hardware issue).  It sure sounds from the article I referenced in the post above that HP originally had planned to be able to use the Ivy Bridge (V2) processors in the version 1 Z620 motherboards, but I'd guess they tried and found some issues that they had not anticipated.

[swim_or_sink]

Thanks for taking the time to share some more information. I did indeed check the "boot block" and noticed the 2011 revision.

I have also been on partsurfer and missed the "functional equivalent" button that shows the 708614-001 (AS#618264-002 I think) IB motherboard. So at least I know where to look.

And I have come across the "soldering" trick, which required reprogramming the rom with the Intel 8.1 ME FM version (I presume). I don't even know how he extracted the image from the HP Softpack or some other source. Anyhow I am not going to go down that route.

I actually came from the PCIe 3 percpective but I think I confused myself a bit (or some erronous info). Anyhow I was convinced that the sandy bridge CPU that I have (ie 2620) only supported PCIe 2. I currently have a PCIe2 GPU but wanted to upgrade to a dual PCIe3 GPU setup (for some GPGPU computing) and make sure I don't hit a bottleneck. However when I looked up the CPU spec (http://ark.intel.com/products/64594) it clearly shows that it has PCIe 3 support. So I think I was barking at the wrong tree.

I believe even the first revision of the motherboard (AS#618264-001) the chipset supports PCIe3 so I think I am ready to go and actually don't need an IB CPU? The higher RAM spec is not that critical for me. 

I still have a shimmer of a doubt since when I run PC Wizard it shows PCIe version of 2.0 and link speed of 2.5GB/s, which I think may be due to my current GPU.

[SDH]

You have a good grasp of all the issues.  I've upgraded motherboards in these workstations, and it really is not bad at all.

Regarding your mention about the IME firmware upgrade..... that actually is done from the command line interface on even the original motherboard, and it has nothing to do with changing firmware in a fashion that gives one a different boot block date.  I wrote up a How-to on that.... the process is a bit fiddly, and some of the posts about that in this forum have said it can't be done, but it is meant to be done if one wants, and I've personally done it.  I don't use those IME upgrades.... I'm running in the legacy mode of BIOS, but I just wanted to see if I could do it, and you can see the version number you upgraded to from within BIOS easily.  HP has had a mess in its listing of the IME firmware versus software upgrading in its drivers update site for a long time.  Changes of names, versions, where they put the different parts, wrong placement of the SoftPaqs, etc.  It is unnecessarily confusing.

PCIe generation 1, 2, 3 issues:  In the xw6400 all PCIe slots were Generation 1.  In the xw6600 only the two video PCIe x16 slots are PCI Generation 2 (and all other PCIe slots  in the xw 6600 are Gen1).  There is a HP comparison PDF you can find discussing the differences between the Z600 and the Z620, and that has info on which slots are Generation 3... in the Z620 only.  In the Technical and Service manual there also is a block chart that shows the chipset and details the slots regarding this issue.  It should be pretty easy to find in the HP Z620 brochures.  I doubt you'd see much of a difference from a PCIe gen 2 to a PCIe gen 3 card, all other factors remaining constant.  The best bang will come from a "version 2" motherboard transplant into your original Z620 and a nice Ivy Bridge processor upgrade.  Agree on the memory.

[SDH]

Here you go, regarding PCIe slots and their generations on the more recent workstations:

[jpaul2]

Bonjour

Dans le même sens, je viens d'acheter un Z620 doté d'un seul E5-1605 v1, je souhaite en faire un dual processeur et j'ai donc acheté l'extension de carte mère. Je voudrais utiliser 2 E5-2640 v1 que je possède déjà.

Vais je rencontrer le même problème de bloc BIOS ?

Merci

Hello

In the same direction, I come to buy one Z620 equipped with only one E5-1605 v1, I Wish to make of it a with double processor and I bought the extension  of motherboard, now, I would like to use 2 E5-2640 v1 that I have already.

Will meet same problemes of block BIOS ?

Thank you

[SDH]

Bonjour to our French friend!

Your Z620 is almost certainly a version 1, but please do check in BIOS for its boot block date.  Some version 2 motherboards may have been sold with that processor in place.  The version 2 motherboards can run all the older processors, and the newer ones too.  That would be worth knowing.

By looking at the early QuickSpecs for the Z620 you can see the different processors that HP certified for the version 1 motherboard.  For example, look at version 5 of the QuickSpecs from May Day, 2012,  HERE.  There you can see that your original "E5-1605" is not listed.... are you sure it is not E5-1650, which is listed?  You can see that the processors you want to use are there..... E5-2640.  Note that if your computer came with a E5-1650 you have a heatsink/fan that is rated for 130W max TDP.  Look at the E5-2643 instead of the E5-2640.... it is a 130W processor, runs its memory at 1600 Mhz rather than 1333, and has QPI speed of 8 instead of 7.2.  So, do you need 12 cores, or 8?  And, a clock speed of 3.3 GHz instead of 2.5 GHz?  I'd go for less cores and faster, personally.

This all is about the fine tuning of your workstation.  If you already have 1600 MHz memory that is another way you would benefit from choosing the processor that is faster with less cores.  The slower processor will drop your memory speed to its own, automatically (1333 MHz).  You're adding a significant number of cores with your second processor.  Perhaps balance that with less cores and more speed of each core?

But, your choice of 2 x E5-2640 is certified by HP for use in the Z620 regardless if you have a version 1 or version 2 motherboard.  Plus, from the Intel Ark site it has 2 QPI links, and thus will work in a 2 processor install.  Same with the E5-2643.  Then, if you look up in the Ark site the sSpec code there is only 1 for the E5-2643 (SR0L7) and 1 for the E5-2640 (SR0KR).  That means you don't have to worry about buying the most recent sSpec code... there is only 1 for each processors.  Some others have 2 or even 3.

                                              New from Intel            Used from eBay

E5-2640                            $885 USD                       about $32 USD

E5-2643                           $885 USD                        about $115 USD

This is one example of how you can zero in on what to buy..... the market says that E5-2643 is a better processor for you if you can budget for it.  I searched eBay using the sSpec codes provided above....