I'm a happy owner of a newly aquired elderly ReadyNAS Pro 6 running lates OS 6.10.3 in otherwise stock configuration:Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2160 @1.80GH1 GB Installed MemoryBIOS 08/20/2008FLAME6-MBV1.5 I'm considering upgrading to 2 x 2GB (total 4 GB) of memory and install a new CPU either:Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 SLGTD 3.06GHz orIntel Xeon X3230 CPU Quad Core 2.66GHz Will both memory upgrade and CPU upgrade be possible with current BIOS? I'm leaning towards the E7600 upgrade to due to lower watt usage - any advice from owners of upgraded units appreciated :-) BR Carsten

No, you cannot upgrade to either of those with your current BIOS. I'm not sure if the BIOS 1.5 can even be updated to 2.0. I know some of the early Pro units (yours is not a "Pro 6", it is a "Pro Business Edition" or "Pro Pioneer") had an earlier version of the motherboard that can't, but I don't recall if you can tell from the BIOS version. With BIOS 1.6, which I had, I believe the fastest was a Core2 E6700. I don't know about 1.5, and many of those old forum messages regarding CPU upgrades can't be located with a search. If you are going to try to update the BIOS while still in OS6, then you should probably use DMIDECODE to verify the actual motherboard HW version before you do the upgrade. It should report FLAME6-MB for BIOS 2.0 to be appropriate. If you use the OS 4.2.x add-on, it'll check for you. With the quad processor, you are going to have heat issues. There is no room to increase the size of the CPU heat sink or fan. You can also gain a bit more speed if you use CL5 or CL4 RAM instead of standard CL6 (only if you do upgrade the processor). The motherboard cannot go faster than an 800MHz FSB, so anything faster than DDR2-800 is a waste, even with a processor that can support a faster FSB.

Just to give you a heads up, the likelihood that the e7600 will work is very slim. The e7600 is of a different architecture and back in the lga775 days if the bios didn't support the newer architecture, it wouldn't work. :(http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare_CPUs/Intel_AT80571PH0833ML,Intel_HH80557PG0331M,Intel_HH80562QH0678M/ That being said, the x3230 you're looking at should work as long as the nas supports a 1066 front side bus. But I would expect your fan to run faster in order to cool it since it is a 100w processor vs 65w. I've done a lot of upgrades (on computers not nas units) like this and as long as the fan runs faster or 100% all the time, you won't have an issue with cooling. But the real question on processor upgrade choice is what matters more--cores or single thread performance? Because if it's single thread performance, the e2220 has a very high chance of working and providing a serious boost:https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-Pentium-E2160-vs-Intel-Pentium-E2220-vs-Intel-Core2-Duo-E7600/1134vs1137vs948 Please report back if the e7600 works. :) It sucks that all this has been done before and is lost due to system transitions...seems like the entire Internet is only 10 years old because of all this data loss. :(

CJDEN wrote: I'm a happy owner of a newly aquired elderly ReadyNAS Pro 6 running lates OS 6.10.3 in otherwise stock configuration: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2160 @1.80GH 1 GB Installed Memory BIOS 08/20/2008FLAME6-MBV1.5 It sounds like you have the Pro Pioneer (-100NAS part number), not the later -200NAS part number. The -200NAS models have an E5300 2.6 CPU. You can upgrade the bios using this add-on: http://www.readynas.com/download/addons/x86/4.2/BIOS_Update_Package_0.5-x86.bin

Hi Sandshark and thanks for kind input ! Bit of a bummer with the old BIOS. When I read the "bios_ver.log" file it read "08/20/2008 FLAME6-MB V1.5". Since I have already purchased both the Memory sticks and both processors (all found cheap second hand), I could just give it a try and see if it will work out with no BIOS upgrade. Since I have not started to use the NAS yet, there are no data on it, so if none of the new hardware is accepted I gues I could do a factory reset to revert to OS 4, and then run "IOS_Update_Package_0.5-x86.bin" to see if it will update BIOS. The only thing I'm a bit worried about if I do a factory reset, is that I had the issue with incorrrect Serial Number being shown preventing me from logging on to ReadyCloud, which "JohnCM_S" kindly sorted out for me (fantasc help I got there). If I factory reset, will I then also delete the correct serial and end up where I were before JohnCM_S helped out.... Oh well, fiddeling with old stuff is not easy - but fun, and as I really like the unit I would love to extend the life of it...

Hey SamirD. Thanks for your comments and advice. As I'm told that I can revert to os4 do the BIOS upgrade and revert to os6 without loosing the newly installed serial number 😉, the I will give the Bios update a try before installing new hardware. Should all fail, the advice you give on the e2220 is great, I did not think of an upgrade within the same series as original 🙄, but now when you point at it it's obvious 👍🏻 Thanks. These days we all have to think about giving stuff a second life for the sake of the planet, and the ReadyNAS Pro box I saved from the scrap yard (where our company IT wanted it to end it's short life) is way way to nicely build to go out like that. I hope it will serve a good many years to come in my home after a bit of surgery 😉. I'll post my progress...

Upgrade Readynas Pro 6 | NETGEAR Communities

48 Replies

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StephenB
Guru - Experienced User
Jun 01, 2020
CJDEN wrote:

I'm a happy owner of a newly aquired elderly ReadyNAS Pro 6 running lates OS 6.10.3 in otherwise stock configuration:

Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2160 @1.80GH

1 GB Installed Memory

BIOS 08/20/2008FLAME6-MBV1.5

It sounds like you have the Pro Pioneer (-100NAS part number), not the later -200NAS part number. The -200NAS models have an E5300 2.6 CPU.

You can upgrade the bios using this add-on: http://www.readynas.com/download/addons/x86/4.2/BIOS_Update_Package_0.5-x86.bin
- CJDEN
  Apprentice
  Jun 01, 2020
  Hi Stephen - and thanks for kind reply. And true - it's a -100 Serial no. so must be the Pro Pioneer :smileyindifferent:
  
  As I understand it - it's not easy to upgrade BIOS when the unit is on OS v.6 (I cant just just use "Install firmware button" and upload the file you kindly link to) - and I'm thus keen to know it the BIOS upgrade is a must before changing the hardware :smileyhappy:
Sandshark
Sensei - Experienced User
Jun 01, 2020
No, you cannot upgrade to either of those with your current BIOS. I'm not sure if the BIOS 1.5 can even be updated to 2.0. I know some of the early Pro units (yours is not a "Pro 6", it is a "Pro Business Edition" or "Pro Pioneer") had an earlier version of the motherboard that can't, but I don't recall if you can tell from the BIOS version. With BIOS 1.6, which I had, I believe the fastest was a Core2 E6700. I don't know about 1.5, and many of those old forum messages regarding CPU upgrades can't be located with a search.

If you are going to try to update the BIOS while still in OS6, then you should probably use DMIDECODE to verify the actual motherboard HW version before you do the upgrade. It should report FLAME6-MB for BIOS 2.0 to be appropriate. If you use the OS 4.2.x add-on, it'll check for you.

With the quad processor, you are going to have heat issues. There is no room to increase the size of the CPU heat sink or fan.

You can also gain a bit more speed if you use CL5 or CL4 RAM instead of standard CL6 (only if you do upgrade the processor). The motherboard cannot go faster than an 800MHz FSB, so anything faster than DDR2-800 is a waste, even with a processor that can support a faster FSB.
- CJDEN
  Apprentice
  Jun 01, 2020
  Hi Sandshark and thanks for kind input !
  
  Bit of a bummer with the old BIOS. When I read the "bios_ver.log" file it read "08/20/2008 FLAME6-MB V1.5". Since I have already purchased both the Memory sticks and both processors (all found cheap second hand), I could just give it a try and see if it will work out with no BIOS upgrade.
  
  Since I have not started to use the NAS yet, there are no data on it, so if none of the new hardware is accepted I gues I could do a factory reset to revert to OS 4, and then run "IOS_Update_Package_0.5-x86.bin" to see if it will update BIOS.
  
  The only thing I'm a bit worried about if I do a factory reset, is that I had the issue with incorrrect Serial Number being shown preventing me from logging on to ReadyCloud, which "JohnCM_S" kindly sorted out for me (fantasc help I got there). If I factory reset, will I then also delete the correct serial and end up where I were before JohnCM_S helped out....
  
  Oh well, fiddeling with old stuff is not easy - but fun, and as I really like the unit I would love to extend the life of it...
  - SamirD
    Prodigy
    Jun 02, 2020
    Just to give you a heads up, the likelihood that the e7600 will work is very slim. The e7600 is of a different architecture and back in the lga775 days if the bios didn't support the newer architecture, it wouldn't work. :(
    http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare_CPUs/Intel_AT80571PH0833ML,Intel_HH80557PG0331M,Intel_HH80562QH0678M/
    
    That being said, the x3230 you're looking at should work as long as the nas supports a 1066 front side bus. But I would expect your fan to run faster in order to cool it since it is a 100w processor vs 65w. I've done a lot of upgrades (on computers not nas units) like this and as long as the fan runs faster or 100% all the time, you won't have an issue with cooling.
    
    But the real question on processor upgrade choice is what matters more--cores or single thread performance? Because if it's single thread performance, the e2220 has a very high chance of working and providing a serious boost:
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-Pentium-E2160-vs-Intel-Pentium-E2220-vs-Intel-Core2-Duo-E7600/1134vs1137vs948
    
    Please report back if the e7600 works. :) It sucks that all this has been done before and is lost due to system transitions...seems like the entire Internet is only 10 years old because of all this data loss. :(
viperhansa
Virtuoso
Jun 17, 2020
I run in my old pro business with a Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X3230 @ 2.66GHz with 8GB ram.
Works perfect, no heat issues.

Architecture: x86_64
CPU op-mode(s): 32-bit, 64-bit
Byte Order: Little Endian
CPU(s): 4
On-line CPU(s) list: 0-3
Thread(s) per core: 1
Core(s) per socket: 4
Socket(s): 1
Vendor ID: GenuineIntel
CPU family: 6
Model: 15
Model name: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X3230 @ 2.66GHz
Stepping: 11
CPU MHz: 2659.998
BogoMIPS: 5319.99
Virtualization: VT-x
L1d cache: 32K
L1i cache: 32K
L2 cache: 4096K
MemTotal: 8161912 kB
Bios: FLAME6-MB V2.0
BR

// Hans
- CJDEN
  Apprentice
  Jun 18, 2020
  I was also considering the 3230. Are you using the Stock fans?
  - viperhansa
    Virtuoso
    Jun 18, 2020
    CJDEN
    Yes, i'm using stock fans.
    
    CJDEN wrote:
    I was also considering the 3230. Are you using the Stock fans?
    SamirD
    I just picked my cpu from some old project i had..
    Fastest possible with the lowest TDP... 95W against 105 on the q6700.
    I can't remember the cache size but i think it's a bit larger on the 3230.
- SamirD
  Prodigy
  Jun 18, 2020
  The x3230 is basically a q6700 with performance almost like a q9400:
  https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-Xeon-X3230-vs-Intel-Core2-Quad-Q6700-vs-Intel-Core2-Quad-Q9400-vs-Intel-Core2-Duo-E7600/1280vs1039vs1045vs948
- Igor_d
  Tutor
  Nov 17, 2020
  Good day viperhansa
  Are you running the X3230 on the ReadyNAS Pro 6?
  I want to upgrade ram up to 8gb on my RNDP6350.
  Could you suggest the exact model of the DDR2 RAM?
  - viperhansa
    Virtuoso
    Nov 18, 2020
    Igor_d
    Architecture: x86_64
    CPU op-mode(s): 32-bit, 64-bit
    Byte Order: Little Endian
    CPU(s): 4
    On-line CPU(s) list: 0-3
    Thread(s) per core: 1
    Core(s) per socket: 4
    Socket(s): 1
    Vendor ID: GenuineIntel
    CPU family: 6
    Model: 15
    Model name: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X3230 @ 2.66GHz
    Stepping: 11
    CPU MHz: 2659.863
    BogoMIPS: 5319.72
    Virtualization: VT-x
    L1d cache: 32K
    L1i cache: 32K
    L2 cache: 4096K
    
    What kind of memorymodules i use i cannot remember, except it's a matched pair of 4GB crucial. (2x4GB)
    Not at home so i cannot check.
    
    regards
    Hansa
NetWhiz
Guide
May 29, 2025
Would an E8600 work in a Pro 6 now? Slightly faster but double the cache.
- Sandshark
  Sensei - Experienced User
  May 29, 2025
  No.
  - Sandshark
    Sensei - Experienced User
    May 30, 2025
    Let me qualify that. AFAIK, none of the ones with a 1333MHz FSB capability will work. Those with 1066MHz will, but at the 800MHz max that the motherboard can run.

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