More on CPU specs of the ReadyNAS Pro

So working out what we’ve learnt from that…

• It should be able to support PC2-8500 RAM at 1066MHz.


• Although it won’t allow you to change it, the BIOS will show the FSB and ratio being used (so if you put in a 1333MHz FSB CPU you can check if it’s only running at 1066MHz).


• The CPU Module Version is 3F.17. I imagine this is important, and someone on bios-mods.com reckoned V3F meant support for Wolfdale CPUs.

The bit that mentioned “Broadwater” intrigued me, as that’s not AMI’s address! Broadwater was the Intel codename for the P965/G965/Q965 chipsets. Now that could of-course be wrong, but lspci reckons it's an Q963/Q965 chipset too. In the previous post http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=29284&start=90#p367951 we listed the Chipsets and what CPUs Intel say are compatible, so adding these possibilities to the list gives:

• For the Q963 Intel list only the E6700 - so if this is the chipset surely the Q6700 and E7400 shouldn't have worked? And the Pentium D E5300 that Netgear are fitting isn't on the list!


• For the P965 Intel list the E6700 and Q6700 - so if this is the chipset surely the E7400 shouldn't have worked? And the Pentium D E5300 that Netgear are fitting isn't on the list!


• For the G965 Intel list the E6700 and Q6700 - so if this is the chipset surely the E7400 shouldn't have worked? And the Pentium D E5300 that Netgear are fitting isn't on the list!


• For the Q965 Intel list only the E6700 - so if this is the chipset surely the Q6700 and E7400 shouldn't have worked? And the Pentium D E5300 that Netgear are fitting isn't on the list!


• For the DP965 Intel list the E6700 and Q6700 - so if this is the chipset surely the E7400 shouldn't have worked? And the Pentium D E5300 that Netgear are fitting isn't on the list!


• For the G31 Intel list the E5300, the E6700, the Q6700, and the E7400.

However a problem with this is that originally the 965 chipsets originally didn’t support 45nm CPUs, but then some motherboard manufacturers updated the BIOS to allow them. And then originally 965 chipsets didn’t support 1333MHz FSB CPUs, but then some motherboard manufacturers updated the BIOS to allow them. Intel never updated the supported CPU lists as the chipset didn’t support them out of the box. Also I’ve read of cases where for some unknown reason Intel just didn’t list all CPUs on the supported CPU lists.

Consequently it’s perfectly possible that the ReadyNAS does indeed have a Q965 chipset but that BIOS updates have allowed these extra CPUs to work… but did they just add in support for 45nm + Quads, or did they do 1333MHz too?

TBH the only way of testing a 1333MHz CPU is to buy one and try. I doubt it can do any harm, as it’ll either work perfectly (hurrah), it’ll downclock to 1066MHz (you’ll be able to see in the BIOS), or it’ll refuse to boot and you’ll swap in your original.