The ALX Files: Swapping Area-51 R2 x99 Motherboard into the R1

I swapped my A51 R2 X99 XJKKD mthrbrd into my R1 finally ... I bought it used for $63 a while back on eBay & got it the final parts it needed to work (CPU / DDR4) - it's now up & running

I've got another pack of 2x4Gb DDR4 3200 coming, a WiFi antenna on the way, & I need to dig my USB Hub & 2nd 270x out of the attic in order to finish things up. I bought this mthrbrd for $63 a while back because I thought it'd be an inexpensive novelty idea to try an R2 board in the R1. There are much better mthrbrds on the market than this one, that is true - but - it will certainly be an improvement over your X58 R1 board in the event u go this route. Below are some thoughts & tips on this relatively easy swap project

Parts:

XJKKD | 5930k | Asetek 570LX 240x38 | G.Skill 8Gb 3200 | 860 EVO SSD | FSP Aurum Plat. 1200w | AMD 270x | Gigabyte 110mm Rear Fan on 92mm spacer | triple 120x25 case cooling fans | NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller + IU01 USB Hub

Things to consider:

*Fans, Chassis Fan Headers: I'm on the R1 CmndCntr version 2.8.11, you can't install the R2 CmndCntr4.0 alongside it, & because u can't, the R2 mthrbrd CPU & chassis Fan headers all seem to run at 100% & can't be controlled. My MIO board, top left powerboard & NZXT Sentry Mesh fan controller are handling all cooling duties - but - at startup, the unused mthrbrd TOP & PCI fan headers throw a warning. You can turn that warning off in the Bios but to do so turns off the CPU Fan Failed warning also. My workaround is this: NZXT Sentry Mesh sends pure 12v/ground to the cooling fans over 2 wires (with speed control dials of course) --> I patched in a 3rd RPM wire onto each Radiator fan connector @the fan controller 3pin) & sent the TACH signal to both the Top & PCI fan headers so they see a signal & stop throwing an error, &, if either Rad-Fan fails then the mthrbrd will report it as Top or PCI fan fail etc. that was the easiest solution to stop them throwing an error

*Fan Controller:  I suggest you buy a 3.5" or 5.25" Fan Controller, since the R2 mthrbrd chassis fan headers all seem to pump out 100% signal when CmndCntr4 is not installed ... if u install CmndCntr4 u might lose your case lights ...

***Tip: if for any reason u feel u want to install CmndCntr4, then unplug your MIO USB cable before installing CC4, so that it can not attempt to perform an unwanted firmware update on your MIO board which might brick it *(???)*

*W7 to Free W10: I installed Win7 Ult from the OEM DVD, it installed activated & I got it a free W10 Pro upgrade the next day. The mthrbrd was sold with W8.1 Pro, I could've gone that route to free W10 Pro also

*Audio cable extension: I routed the original Audio cable behind the HDD bays & bought a short white extension cable

*MIO Fan Cable: barely reaches but it does reach the CPU_Fan header

*WiFi Antenna: if you use the GPFNK WiFi Blutooth Card you'll need an antenna & mount it somewhere

*USB2.0 Hub: XJKKD FRTKJ 9G12C R2 mthrbrds only have x1 USB2.0header, your MIO board will need to plug in there 1st, until you get a USB hub in order to get your top external 2.0 ports back in action

*New AIO Liquid Coolers will need a socket 2011 Asetek retention ring in order to work. If your original alien cooler with its slim 120x27mm radiator isn't enough for Hotwell-E / Broadwell-E after you got a 2011 ring, upgrade to a fatter rad / better cooler

*My Asetek 570LX Gen4 is using the Aurora R4 01YGW Gen4 Alienhead beauty ring, otherwise they come with a plain black cap

*GPU / PCIE_PWR 8pin power header: if you're on the stock power supply, I tested the lower PCIE_PWR 8pin header & got video without an 8pin cable installed. For high power GRFX & SLI X-Fire, I'm not sure how you'll get additional 8pin power to that header, since your stock case harness only has x1 CPU 8pin, so look for an adaptor or swap to an aftermarket PSU

*XJKKD FRTKJ 9G12C MS-7862 x99 boards are made by MSI for the Aliens; these are budget-minded boards on MSI's lower end with a gimped Bios & very few options to tinker with. My best advice, if you want an x99 board, is to try a proper mid-high end aftermarket board instead by MSI Asus Giga AsRock etc. My MSI Godlike X99 makes this thing look act & feel like a toy in comparison. This is like MSI's only board without an M.2 NVME connector (but bootable NVME SSds will work with an adaptor)

51 R5 N4R4N MS-7A87 Mthrbrd: I could've bought, or at least bid on, this X299 board which recently went for just $91/shipped. At this time last month I wasn't digging prices on x299 so I didn't try to buy it; little did I know Intel would slash prices in half just 3weeks later. This board is basically the same layout as R2's x99, other than this one uses a 'proprietary' Front Panel & USB 2.0 header / connector, you'll need to purchase those cables probably from Dell in order to do that swap in your R1 (or your R2): 27J7M (USB) | 0NX92 (FrtPnl) ... the R5 board runs Gen9 & is preferred over the R4 HJ5Y7 which is stuck at Gen7 chips due to no Bios update to run Gen9 chips

Thanks for looking