wymb wrote:
I didn't do a good job pointing out in my first message that the original D975XBX works fine. It's the D975XBX2 that has problems with LSI, Dell, Areca, 3Ware, Promise cards.
I find it baffling that Intel doesn't have an explanation or fix for this. I wonder if Intel's decision to switch to Marvel RAID controller compromised the integrity/stability of this motherboard. Unfortunately, disabling the Marvel controller does not solve the problem.
If Intel comes out with a new D975XBX3 or D985 (or whatever they will call it), I'd be hesitant to jump on it immediately. (Unlike the old D865PERL and D975XBX which were easy upgrades.)
The new board is DX38BT "Bone Trail". It is unknown if it will support ECC (ECC is a requirement for me, and I've been extolling the virtues of using it for years, and just this year Microsoft came out on this one as well -
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/show ... =199601761 ). It should be against the law to use non-ECC memory these day, how many people have killed, hurt, or inconvenienced from single bit memory failures causing a system failure - a preventable situation?
It is also unknown if they will support DDR2 on the DX38BT which will force everyone to refresh memory (off an asininely short certified memory list that no one can actually use).
Anyways, yes, Intel should read this forum and weep. There are severe issues with this board, yet tech support does nothing. There will likely not be an XBX3, and the 975X is way past its intended life, and the next chipsets are the P35 and X38, there will be no more revs in the 9xx.
My last hope is to try the new Adaptec 3405 (
http://www.adaptec.com/en-US/products/r ... /SAS-3405/)
I'm not optimistic.
Every single HBA or RAID HBA I've put into that 3rd slot wont boot. I put a dual port Intel PCIe server gigabit Ethernet , works no problem.
This board is rife with issues and support is stonewalling god-honest consumers in a way which can only be described as shameful.
I would say that this would be my last "loyalty buy" for Intel. They have consistently been the least-worst until the XBX2.
The sad joke is the Dell workstations with the 975X boot *fine* with these add-in cards - its like Dell can integrate Intel's chipset better than Intel can? Sad, considering Dell specializes in making crap.
At this point Intel's tech support has failed to address why PCI-express compliant cards simply do not work in a PCI-express slot on an Intel motherboard.
My mood towards intel support:
Anyways, my fellow XBX2 victims, carry on with the battle against horrible criminal tech support!