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February 1st, 2018 18:00
T5500: After adding 2nd CPU, 2-3-4 diagnostic lights blinking, no POST
So I recently bought a second Xeon X5670 and a CPU riser card for my T5500. I installed it per the service manual, making sure the riser card was properly seated and all the cables were connected, but the system won't post or boot. On the front panel, lights 2,3, and 4 will start blinking and the power light will become amber. According to the service manual, this means control can't be turned over to the BIOS.
I've not done this before, so I'm not sure how to troubleshoot it. Removing the riser card restores normal functionality and the system will boot. I am dealing with second hand parts, so there is some risk of defective parts, but I'm not sure if it might be the 2nd CPU, the riser card, or the memory I've installed. Any pointers would be welcome.
EDIT: I know only certain motherboards will take Westmere Xeons. Will only certain riser cards work with Westmeres? This one's part # is 0F623F.
DELL-Alasdair R
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February 2nd, 2018 02:00
Hi imrazor,
First of all, make sure that the riser is seated correctly, they can be quite tricky at times. Can you confirm if you have added memory to the riser card, and that you have followed the memory type and population guidelines?
http://downloads.dell.com/manuals/common/precision-t5500_setup%20guide_en-us.pdf (see the "About Memory" section)
If you have new memory in the system can you try with just the old (how many DIMMs do you have?)
If the memory checks out I would then suggest removing the riser and try swapping the original CPU with the new one and see if the system still posts. If it does, that would suggest the new CPU is ok.
Let us know how you get on, thanks.
imrazor
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February 2nd, 2018 18:00
I tried reseating the CPU in the riser card, and noticed that one of the socket pins was bent. I tried to bend it back in shape, but couldn't get it quite right. I'm not sure whether it came that way, or I accidentally bent it while installing the CPU. In any event, I'll have to order a new riser card. Thanks for the pointers.