Dangling Conversations

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ASUS and the fabrications they live by

Posted 03 Nov, 2005 at 21:23 by brent in /Technical | Permanent link

Some may know this already but I'm in the process of building out a new machine to replace three servers (domain controller & exchange, web server and sql, and the firewall) into one box. So I thought I had purchased some reasonable goods to accomplish this goal. I got a nice aspire case for a micro ATX motherboard, a Pentium D 820 (dual core processor at 2.8 GHz), 4GB of RAM, DVD drive, 300GB SATA HD, and the ASUS P5LD2-VM motherboard. This rant relates to the last of these items.

In particular it was exhibiting three problems that I was not expecting. The first is after installing Windows 2003 Server (oh it was sweet working at MS) I noticed it wasn't reporting multiple CPUs. Only one. This struck me as mighty strange. CPUZ (a tool from the web) interestingly enough also only reports one CPU. However, the BIOS reports two.

Let that be lie #1.

Next up is hyperthreading. Apparently some Pentium D processors do not support hyperthreading on top of the dual core processor resulting in effectively four separate streams of processing potential. This actually may be reality but it bears questioning then the marketing of PCs I've seen in numerous stores indicating dual cores with hyperthreading. Someone is lying. Lie #2 is a little unsure of its identity but quite sure of its existence.

Finally, Memory. 4 gigabytes. Good ol' 2^32. Well, not so much in this machine. You see apparently the bios has taken the pains to appropriate 896 MB of RAM. Yes, the units are correct. Almost an entire stick of RAM is used (??) by the bios. I actually went through the pains and it is only at 4 GB this happens. Not a single byte is listed as appropriated at 1 GB, 2 GB, or 3 GB. Only 4 GB. ASUS support indicated that it was the intel chipset and that this would occur for all chipsets and that ATI takes 6% of CPU. I think this is completely absurd and told the fine support staff that appropriating almost an entire stick of RAM was incomprehensible. Apparently they don't take kindly to having their fabrications questioned (lie #3 for those keeping count at home) and they promptly hung up.

So now I'm going to attempt to replace this motherboard with one that will actually work. I'm considering Gigabyte or a true blue Intel motherboard. I'll phone both to find out which will serve my needs. If you have any recommendations I'd be glad to hear them. Oh, total system cost came to about $1500 CDN I believe from Bytewise which so far hasn't been too bad.

Comments (7 comments so far)
Did you have any problems with dcpromo and RAID (I got caught with an intel d865 board not being able to dcpromo while using raid 0). I can live with the 2GB limit but I really need RAID 5 on this domain controller. I'm also looking at the intel boards in this range and would love to hear how you get on.
Posted 2005/11/21 00:43:56 by bruce
Still waiting
I've sent the board back to bytewise and waiting for them to reproduce the problem before they will send me a replacement. So I haven't had a chance to get the intel one and go through the process. I was planning on running virtual server and having the main OS be barebones and all the virtual PC instances be the DC, the exchange server, the web server, etc.
Posted 2005/11/23 09:03:47 by Brent
Update?
Wondered if you get any lucks like bios update or osemthing. We actually ran into this mobo with 4GB memory with only 3.1 working too. Here from you soonest.
Posted 2006/1/26 00:54:02 by Jade
Wow. I remember when ASUS made good kit. What the heck happened, besides me not being a recovering sysadmin for five years, now?
Posted 2006/1/27 10:35:05 by Kael
P5LD2-VM Stinks
I have a very simliar setup to what you describe. The 4gb doesn't work - just an extra $100+ Bucks for the extra stick. Actually I can't even get the OS to fully install - it begins and then restarts the whole system. I have the latest and not-so greatest BIOS. It is a hell of a DOS system 3.2 Ghz Pentium D with 4? gb of DDR2.
Posted 2006/3/8 20:50:13 by Dave
Dual Showing Single...
Did you ever solve the problem of the dual core showing only one in windows 2003 and cpu-z? I just installed a dual core with win2003 and am having the same problem... one graph and one core in CPU-z. CHange to ACPI Multiprocessor PC but am still having a single displayed.
Posted 2006/4/2 09:32:26 by Timmy
I had a similar issue on a P5W DH Deluxe, But only after BIOS 1407. I finally found a fix, which is to enable memory remap in the chipset. Read this link: http://support.megapc.com.au/article.php?id=021
Posted 2006/12/22 02:18:31 by DickBos
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