Suggestion for upgrades of HP xw8600 workstation specifications

[LUsTRe]

Hello friends, I was thinking to upgrade HP xw8600 workstation, wanted to have upgrade the fan, also wanted to raise memory, processor and SLI. So please tell me that which is the best one for my system, and it is worth to do the up gradation of it. So please suggest me something about it. Thank you.

[Dabert]

I have also ordered the 2 Xeon E5440 for my system, it is the xw6600, and it was having some of the matched pair, which was identical same and proper for the system. I believe that it is tough to have dual CPU's which should be able to circumvent, it might have problem with the mobo due to the incompatibility of the specification with it. I would personally recommend you to take the same CPU which you are already having it. At present I am able to notice anything which is much familiarity with the xw8600, but when I was searching for 6600 then I was making references to 6400, 8400 and 8600 workstations along with it.

[LUsTRe]

I have already got the processor for me at cheaper rate, but the main point is that I have modified the original heatsink so that it can fit to the 8600, I have tried to work it out but it has not worked for me and it has fitted properly. Even I think that the match codes which I am having will not be able to match all of them. I think have to sell the processor and have to get the better one and be little smarter during the time of purchase. So what should I do?

[Denholm]

If you are worry about the memory temps then you do not have to worry about it, so you can stick all of them together if you are having different stick. Whereas the 6400/8400 and the 6600/8600 are close siblings, I have very nice experience with the 6400’s. I have searched more about it and founded that it work proper with the 6600/8600's, but not sure what is the front fan of 8600 where the 6400's it is having the accessory front fan holder it is a 92x92x25 mm fan which could be the exact one for your system. Even the 92x92x32 mm Delta fan which is been taken for the rear case fan it will also work for you. It work only how it is been mounted on it, otherwise it will not work. I am sure very much that it not fit in the holder for the front fan on the 6400. The front fan header is a 4 pin header which will work with 3 wired fans.

[Gameli]

I wanted to say about the heatsink/fans, the case of the 8600 is very much wide that it can take a double tall heatsink in it. It is been designed for the higher wattage processors which is too tall for 6600. If you search 8600 on eBay then you will be able to see it. Where it has been worked very nicely for the lower wattage processors which are there in 8600, but you have to think about the fan noise and I would suggest that you should get some excellent cooling from the stock fans which comes with the xw6600, recently I have purchased two of them.

[Dannai7]

You should used the same sSpec codes for xw6400 if you are thinking to add a additional processor, but recent BIOS revisions specifically state that you don't. I believe that it is the same at present for 8600/6600 and the new BIOS versions will allow you to use mismatched sSpec codes for your system. But for that you might have use the same processor for it. I have mixed and match 3 sSpec codes for the fastest quad core for my 6400 (E5345) but then also it need to have the second E5345 for the system. If you wanted to know about the sSpec code then it is laser etched onto the top of the processor shell, where for the E5440 you would have either SLBBJ or SLANS which are of 80 watt processors

[JErastus]

I have done testing of 6600 versus 6400 heatsink/fan combos and came with the conclusion that the 6400’s run a bit cooler such that it will about 7-8%, for which the 80 watt processors should be fine for it along with the stock coolers, even you can have the set of modified xw6400 coolers for it. The best thing which will be the best is the new motherboard and new BIOS, where the two processors will work on it very nicely and both of them are E5440 beside that which sSpec codes they are having it. According to me I do not think that there is need to see the sSpec code of the processor that currently is in use until you get it out and look.

[Faiyaz9]

The specification which you might need to go for it will be the best and also you might do not have to worry about it. As per above user suggestion you should get the E5440 processor for you which might be best for you.