[OT] The new machine, good for OSdev

[kernel64]

I had severe problems with the new machine when it arrived (Gigabyte GA-8I848P-G "P4 Titan" board, Intel P4 1MB L2 cache processor with hyperthreading, 1GB DDR RAM, 160GB disk, Sapphire ATI Radeon 9200SE 128MB AGP 8x, MaCase miditower).

It was all in pieces (which is what I wanted, since it's a pleasure to put them together yourself -- when it works-- for me anyway), but the thing just wouldn't boot up. It took around the clock work for 3 days until I found the problem. It was the board making contact with the case somehow, shorting it out or something. I originally thought the board or the CPU was faulty, and even borrowed money to get a new board (a Gigabyte GA-8IG1000-Pro-G). But the new board didn't function either. It was a day after that when I took the boards and case to a local technician that he found it would boot when everything was out the case on his bench.

Eventually I removed a copper stud from the case that fits the board in place (it has a rounded knob on top) and replaced it with an ordinary copper screw stud, and the original board (the GA-8I848P-G) worked. But the other newer more expensive board still wouldn't work.

I don't know if it's a bad design of the Gigabyte boards, or I have a dud case. The case is a MaCase KA-380A. It's not as noisy as my previous MaCase, but still has a slight buzzing -- thankfully not enough to annoy the hell out of me. It's probably the PSU vibrating on the case. I'll find something to dampen the noise out, like using very slim rubber washers or something to hold it tightly in place.

The CPU is fast. I compile my Linux kernels for SMP and get 2 logical processors. It's been a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to exploring the processor more by writing some throw-away kernel code.

This CPU I've found is quite good for SMP development. The P4s with hyperthreading are the poor man's SMP systems. I looked at the Tyan dual-Athlon board and drooled, but couldn't afford it. Even the Athlon 64 system was a couple of hundred bucks cheaper.

Anyway, just beware of the combination of Gigabyte boards and MaCase cases if you're going to build your system from parts. I can't say whether it's the board or the case, but I suspect it's the Gigabyte boards, because my ASUS Athlon board worked in the cases. The Gigabyte boards would not function in my old case either.

Cheers,
James

[distantvoices]

and would it boot up if you assemble the parts outside the case?

I'm waiting for some registered ECC DDR Rams for my own server board (Dual xeon asus board - most prolly it'll get 1 gb of memory and water cooling. That's gonna be a lot of noise reduction - anyway - ebay is sometimes good for fine trades.)

[distantvoices]

I'd also give the copper studs between board and case some isolation. Usually, there shan't be any shorting between the holes where board is fitted to the case with screws, so that leaves me puzzled.

Anyway ... ARe you touching the CPU and Ram and sorta in antistatic environment when assembling them?