2021-05-18 14:21:48 +02:00
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---
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title: ASUS KFSN4-DRE server/workstation board
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2023-12-06 20:41:16 +01:00
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x-unreviewed: true
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2021-05-18 14:21:48 +02:00
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...
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This is a server board using AMD hardware (Fam10h). It can also be used
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for building a high-powered workstation. Powered by libreboot.
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Flashing instructions can be found at
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[../install/\#flashrom](../install/#flashrom)
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Form factor {#formfactor}
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===========
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These boards use the SSI EEB 3.61 form factor; make sure that your case
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supports this. This form factor is similar to E-ATX in that the size is
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identical, but the position of the screws are different.
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Flash chips {#flashchips}
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===========
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These boards use LPC flash (not SPI), in a PLCC socket. The default
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flash size 1MiB (8Mbits), and can be upgraded to 2MiB (16Mbits).
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SST49LF080A is the default that the board uses. SST49LF016C is an
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example of a 2MiB (16Mbits) chip, which might work. It is believed that
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2MiB (16Mbits) is the maximum size available for the flash chip.
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*DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a PLCC chip
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extractor. These can be found online. See
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<http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools>*
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Native graphics initialization {#graphics}
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==============================
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Native graphics initialization exists (XGI Z9s) for this board.
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Framebuffer- and text-mode both work. A serial port is also available.
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Memory
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======
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DDR2 533/667 Registered ECC. 16 slots. Total capacity up to 64GiB.
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Hex-core CPUs {#hexcore}
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=============
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PCB revision 1.05G is the latest version of this board and the best one
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(the revision number is be printed on the board), if you want to use
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dual hex-core CPUs (Opteron 2400/8400 series), though only two board
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configurations are believed to support them. Other revisions are
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believed to only support dual quad-core CPUs.
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To be sure your board supports a CPU check the official ASUS website here:
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<https://www.asus.com/support/cpu_support>. Note: not all CPUs are listed.
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If you are running a Hex-Core CPU on any board version, please contact us.
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Board configurations {#configurations}
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==============
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There are 7 different configurations of this board: "standard", 2S, iKVM,
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iKVM/IST, SAS, SAS/iKVM and SAS/iKVM/IST.
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The 2S boards have two PCI-E slots with the numbers of lanes shared,
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making each slot have 8 lanes.
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The iKVM boards are so called because they offer a remote real-time access
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to the machine through a removable PCI management card, their hardware is
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the same as the non-iKVM ones.
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The SAS versions have a 4-port SAS controller and a four 7-pin SAS connectors
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instead of the PCI-E 8x slot which is present in all the other board configurations.
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Note: the SAS functionality is **not supported** by libreboot.
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The IST versions with PCB revision 1.05G are the ones who are believed to
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support the six core Opteron Istanbul processors (2400 and 8400 series).
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Current issues {#issues}
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==============
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- There seems to be a 30 second bootblock delay (observed by
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tpearson); the system otherwise boots and works as expected. See
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[text/kfsn4-dre/bootlog.txt](text/kfsn4-dre/bootlog.txt) - this uses
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the 'simple' bootblock, while tpearson uses the 'normal'
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bootblock, which tpearson suspects may be a possible cause. This
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person says that they will look into it. [This
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config](http://review.coreboot.org/gitweb?p=board-status.git;a=blob;f=asus/kfsn4-dre/4.0-10101-g039edeb/2015-06-27T03:59:16Z/config.txt;h=4742905c185a93fbda8eb14322dd82c70641aef0;hb=055f5df4e000a97453dfad6c91c2d06ea22b8545)
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doesn't have the issue.
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- Text-mode is jittery and it may not be usable, so it's recommended
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to flash the BIOS with the coreboot frame-buffer image (kfsn4-dre_corebootfb.rom).
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The jitter disappears if using KMS once the kernel starts, but it will
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remain, if booting the kernel in text-mode.
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- Booting from USB mass storage devices is not possible; neither GRUB
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nor SeaBIOS detect USB drives when present. USB keyboards function
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under both GRUB and SeaBIOS, albeit slowly under GRUB (several seconds per
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character typed).
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- To install an operating system you will need a hard disk
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with a pre-installed OS otherwise you have to plug in another hard disk or
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a CD/DVD reader in order to boot a copy of the installer of your OS, since
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the USB booting doesn't work.
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Other information
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=================
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[specifications](https://web.archive.org/web/20181212180051/http://ftp.tekwind.co.jp/pub/asustw/mb/Socket%20F/KFSN4-DRE/Manual/e3335_kfsn4-dre.pdf)
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