Yeah, I know. That\u2019s one hell of a cryptic title for this POST (pun intended \ud83d\ude1b ).<\/p>\n
Yes! This post is about the third Proxmox node I\u2019ve been assembling.<\/p>\n
Last Sunday, I finally had some spare time to install everything into the newly bought case. The process itself was straightforward: add extra spacers, mount the motherboard, install memory, CPU, and cooler.<\/p>\n
Big mistake #1.<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though it\u2019s a Be Quiet!<\/em> cooler, it still features that push-through crap installation system Intel used for a while. I prefer screws. \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n After finding the correct manual, connecting the power switch, reset switch, and the various LEDs was easy enough.<\/p>\n The case itself even came with a PC speaker!<\/strong><\/p>\n Add keyboard, add mouse, plug in the Pico-PSU barrel connector.<\/p>\n A blue power LED lights up, the CPU fan starts spinning \u2014 success!<\/p>\n \u2026Ehhh. I jinxed it.<\/p>\n BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes! That little PC speaker just saved my ass.<\/p>\n Found the manual \u2014 constant beeps probably mean a memory issue.<\/p>\n Removed 2 out of the 4 DIMMs.<\/p>\n BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nope.<\/p>\n Removed all DIMMs except the one in slot #0.<\/p>\n BEEP<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026and<\/p>\n POST.<\/strong><\/p>\n Okay, that\u2019s a really<\/em> good sign!<\/p>\n Okay, the issue is with the two slots furthest from the CPU.<\/p>\n That means the culprit is either the CPU itself or the motherboard \u2014 maybe a broken trace?<\/p>\n Or maybe something simpler: the BIOS version was still 1.2.0<\/strong> \u2014 from 2018. The latest version, R1.29.0<\/strong>, was released earlier this year.<\/p>\n The advantage of using the same hardware is that I already had a USB stick with the necessary BIOS update ready to go.<\/p>\n Insert USB stick, boot from it, update the BIOS, wait for a while (and pray the power doesn\u2019t go out :P), reboot, go into the BIOS, load Optimized Defaults<\/em>, check settings, and reboot again.<\/p>\n No problem at all!<\/p>\n I felt lucky and installed all four DIMMs again.<\/p>\n Yeah.<\/p>\n BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nope.<\/p>\n Quick diagnosis: same problem. Still there.<\/p>\n Removed the CPU cooler \u2014 did I mention I hate<\/em> that installation method? I still prefer screws.<\/p>\n Removed the CPU and checked the socket for bent pins or any other visible damage.<\/p>\n Nothing. Looked good.<\/p>\n Then I turned the CPU upside down.<\/p>\n Ehh\u2026 what\u2019s that grey stuff on the back?<\/p>\n Wait \u2014 is that thermal paste<\/strong>?<\/p>\n Yeah \u2014 thermal paste!<\/strong><\/p>\n A tiny spot covering just a handful of gold-plated\u2026 islands?!Cleaned it, re-inserted the CPU, mounted the cooler upside-down so the CPU still had some<\/em> kind of cooling, and booted with one DIMM.<\/p>\n BEEP!<\/strong><\/p>\n POST.<\/strong><\/p>\n That quick surgery didn\u2019t kill the CPU. \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n Powered down, inserted a DIMM in a slot that previously didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n BEEP!<\/strong><\/p>\n POST!<\/strong><\/p>\n Did the same with the last slot.<\/p>\n BEEP!<\/strong><\/p>\n POST!<\/strong><\/p>\n And then \u2014 the moment supr\u00eame!<\/em> Installed all four DIMMs.<\/p>\n BEEP!<\/strong><\/p>\n POST!<\/strong><\/p>\n YES! Found and fixed!<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever read this many<\/em> BEEPs and POSTs inside a single POST?! Hehe.<\/p>\n And from that point, everything was easy again.<\/p>\n Updated the necessary BIOS settings (C-States and SpeedStep), inserted the Proxmox USB stick, and installed Proxmox.<\/p>\n Done!<\/strong><\/p>\n One tiny blotch of thermal paste \u2014 how it got there is still a mystery \u2014 can wreak havoc!<\/p>\n BEEP \u2192 POST \u2192 Brain out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yeah, I know. That\u2019s one hell of a cryptic title for this POST (pun intended \ud83d\ude1b ). Proxmox node 3 Yes! This post is about the third Proxmox node I\u2019ve been assembling. Last Sunday, I finally had some spare time to install everything into the newly bought case. The process itself was straightforward: add extra…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96,324],"tags":[301,276,332,310,247,240],"class_list":["post-551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computers","category-proxmox","tag-bios","tag-cpu","tag-dimm","tag-hardware","tag-proxmox","tag-thermal-paste"],"yoast_head":"\nBoot #1<\/h2>\n
Diagnosis<\/h2>\n
\n
BIOS<\/h2>\n
Disassembly<\/h2>\n
Proxmox<\/h2>\n
Moral of the story<\/h2>\n