More on CPU specs of the ReadyNAS Pro

Just been reading through this thread, and a couple of other similar ones on this forum and elsewhere. Quite useful as I've found out a fair bit without even opening up my ReadyNAS! Though unfortunately it's not all that clear who's talking about the old Pro and who's got the new one. Below is the consolidated knowledge that I've acquired, and then some questions.

I have the ‘new’ Pro 6 (RNDP6000-200) with the Pentium D E5300 (2.6GHz, 800MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP) as standard with 1x1GB Apacer PC2-6400 (75.073B4.G00) RAM. According to bios_ver.log I'm on 07/26/2010 FLAME6-MB V2.0

From looking around there seems to be no real answer as to what chipset the motherboard uses. lspci reckons it's an Q963/Q965, but the Pentium E5300 that Netgear ship the ReadyNAS with isn't on Intel approved list for it... so maybe it's something like a G31 chipset instead? Though WhoCares in September 2010 reckoned it's maybe the DP965/967, but doesn't say whether he's talking about the old or new Pro.

I'd like a faster CPU, but I'm very wary of over-heating the unit... so the 65W TDP, and then the real-world operating temperature, are pretty key IMHO.
I did have a think about sticking in a bigger/better heatsink & fan, but then all you're really doing is removing the heat from the CPU and sticking it in the case... all your other components & HDDs are now going to be getting all the heat from the CPU instead. Though in-case it helps anyone else, what I found out was the below (but even that is conflicting):

sleepy06405 who definitely has the new Pro said that "the stock heatsink/fan unit measures 1.5" H x 3.75" W. There is about 1/4" of clearance between the case and fan on the height side, on the width side the heatsink is about 1/4" away from a big rectangular heatsink on the board itself." So that's a height of 44mm in new money that you've got to play with. Others, who don't say whether they're talking about the new Pro or the old Pro, say it's 53mm. Going with the 44mm, as that person was definitely talking about the new Pro, that's a tight fit and if you're going to run a taller heatsink you're going to have to remove/modify the door. This FrosyTech review lists a few <45mm (1.5U) models. Scythe are mentioned quite a few times in this thread, and their relevant models are Kozuti (40mm) Big Shuriken2 SCBSK-2000 (58mm) Shuriken Rev.B SCSK-1000 (64mm) Other ones mentioned are the Hiper HFC-10828-C2 (28mm), and the Thermaltake MeOrb CLP0527 (47mm). Multiple people have said that the stock CPU cooler is attached with 4 screws, so you have to use heatsinks that screw on or replace any push pin/plug ones with screws.

As for me, I'd want to stick with a CPU of similar temperature to the stock Pentium E5300. From reading what others have done...

March 2010 Chirpa said that he tried a E7400 and it didn't work - but was he talking about the old or new Pro? Note that the BIOS my new Pro 6 is running is dated after then.
August 2011 xtrips finds that a Pentium E6700 doesn't work, but again it's not clear whether he was talking about the old or new Pro (though TBH I wouldn't want to stick a Pentium in anyways).

A few people in various units, and sleepy06405 specifically in the new Pro 6, put in a Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 65nm, 65W TDP) and found that it worked fine. Although the headline clock speed isn't any better than stock, its a different architecture and the 20% higher bus speed will improve memory speed (can use PC2-8500 rather than PC2-6400 on the stock 800MHz Pentium). SL9ZF was his stepping, but I'm not sure what difference the stepping made on those anyways.

sleepy06405 also found that a Core 2 Quad QX6700 (2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 65nm) worked too, and Korky did a Q6700, but at 130W TDP and 105W TDP that's just stupidly hot IMHO.

So the E6700 and QX6700 work definitely in sleepy06405's new Pro 6 (RNDP6000-200).



Scrolling up on this page, iwaleed with a Pro 6 running the same BIOS version as mine (so presumably a new RNDP6000-200) fits a Core 2 Duo E7400 (2.8GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP) and finds that it works fine. As he got the SLGW3 stepping (rather than SLGQ8/SLB9Y) it support VT-x Vanderpool virtualization.
He even says that it runs 10C cooler than the Core 2 Duo E6700, and as one of the changes from the E6000 to the E7000 was the change of process from 65nm to 45nm (thus making them cooler and more power efficient) I can believe it.
Note that the Core 2 Duo E7400 working directly contradicts what Chirpa said, but I'm going to wager that there's the difference of old vs new Pro, and a BIOS update in-between.


So the Core 2 Duo E7400 is the best that I've read of anyone having successfully work (ignoring the stupidly hot quads), but what about the Core 2 Duo E7600 (3.06GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP)? Has anyone tried it? In theory it's just like iwaleed's E7400, but just uses a higher multiplier to get the higher clock speed.

More risky perhaps would be trying a CPU that uses 1333MHz FSB. Given that we don't know what the motherboard chipset is, it's entirely possible that it won't do 1333MHz FSB... and actually I can't find anyone that's ever tried it.
Having a quick look at through at what Core 2 Duos use 1333MHz FSB and are 65W TDP there's the E6850 (3.00GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 65nm, 65W TDP), then in the E8000 series there's the E8600 (3.33GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP).
There's also a couple of Core 2 Quads that are still 65W TDP, but they're going to be a rather expensive trial unless you just happen to have one spare. They're the Q9505S (2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP) and with more cache the Q9550S (2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 45nm, 65W TDP).


So yeah, a E7400 with SLGW3 stepping or an E7600 is what I think I'll try. Would be good if anyone else that's tried other CPUs could post them up too, whether it was successful or not!