PE 2900 E201B error

Hello

The error points to a keyboard controller issue. The keyboard controller is part of the system board. I would test without a keyboard attached to see if you get the same error. If the keyboard controller fails to properly initialize it will halt the POST process. Here is a guide on how to perform no POST troubleshooting:

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN111201/EN

Thanks

System fails to post even after removing everything from the system down to just RAM and CPUs.  Still getting the E201B error.  

System fails to post even after removing everything from the system down to just RAM and CPUs.  Still getting the E201B error.

Then the issue is with one of the remaining components. If you have any spares to swap with then I would suggest swapping remaining components. If you do not have spares then you will be replacing parts at random/best guess. The most likely part would be the system board.

Thanks

I think I found the issue when doing a full teardown to replace the system board when it arrives.  There is a heat sink near the CPU's and RAM that fell off.  One of the metal loops that is soldered to the board came off so the heat sink was no longer held in place.  I am guessing the chip is some kind of sub processor that deals with USB and maybe some other functions.  

In the image you can see the two holes to right and above the chip the heat sink was on.  The other one is still attached off the opposite corner of the chip.  I already found a brand new board and ordered it.  Any chance this one survived?  My try to repair it anyway.  The physical repair is easy enough.  Just not sure how long this ran with no heat sink before I discovered it.  

I already found a brand new board and ordered it.  Any chance this one survived?

It is possible but unlikely. The heat sink coming loose was likely the original cause of the problem. I suspect the damage is already done from the system board overheating. Repairing the heat sink is not likely to fix what damage was done from overheating, but it is also possible that the board is shutting down due to overheating and it is not permanently damaged yet.

Thanks

I figured as much.  Was just hoping there was a temp safety limit that would kick in to protect it.  Just like most other processors in the last decade or so.  If I can revive it, I may just have the excuse I needed to build a dedicated Folding@Home machine out of it.  New board for the server is already on the way.  I will use it in the server and then see if I can breath some life into the old damaged one.  

I have the new system board installed and all the hardware moved over.  It boots and loads up tot he point that LSI card hands off the virtual drives.  Then it gets a CPU config halt.  It's the same 5420 CPU's from the old machine.  Looks like I am in need of a BIOS update.  Issue is that I can not see any way to get a new BIOS installed.  I am missing a step somewhere, I am sure.  Any tutorial or anything.  I would need to boot off USB ideally.  

To clarify, I have tried to get to the boot menu during boot-up, but it never gets to it because of the system halt.  

To clarify, I have tried to get to the boot menu during boot-up, but it never gets to it because of the system halt.

If you cannot enter the system BIOS/setup menu then the system is not completing POST. You should perform no POST troubleshooting again. You may not have fully seated a piece of hardware into a slot or there may be another failed component in the system.

You cannot update the system BIOS if the system is not completing POST.

Thanks

The BMC can not handle a BIOS update?  

Everything is seated.  Is there a list of CPU's that do work with the 2.6.1 BIOS?  That is what the board came with.  I even tried a single CPU.  Both are E5420 Xeon and they both worked in the old board.  

If nothing else I can just get two more CPU's.  Old socket 771 chips are cheap, I just need to know what will work with the current BIOS on the board.