Here's my plan, it is based upon ECE4252, need your advise

[cmcquistion]

My article was published August 2003, not 2002. Looks like Joe (one of the admins of Overclockers.com) put the wrong date on the published article. I never noticed it, before.

I have no idea, what EverCase's kit includes, since I've never got one with any of the cases I bought and I never bought one from them.

*EDIT* I sent a notice to Joe and asked him to fix that date.

[Lilla]

My case, E4252-AB arrived today along with some other parts.

I want to report to the group, that my case looks good, and I am very happy with it. I put the side panel off and on a couple of times without any problem. I put the two removable hard drive cages on and off a couple of times without any problems. The front port door opens and closes easily. One of the 5.25 drive covers has a tiny bit of play in it (potential rattle), so I will wedge a sliver of something in to take care of that.

JC suggested (perhaps in another thread) to replace the screwless PCI slot covers that come with the case with standard ones that take a screw. They supply a long clip that holds all the screwless slot covers in place without any screws. I agree with JC on this. I'm glad that JC mentioned this, because as a newbie I might have tried to make this "feature" work, thinking that it was just me.

Two questions that only a newbie would ask:

1) Is is best to just remove the right side panel (the one you don't normally remove) and leave it off until you are done building the computer?

Actually I removed the screws in the right side panel and tried to remove it but it didn't want to slide off, so it occurred to me that maybe I'm not suppose to remove it, so decided I would post and ask.

2) Is there a way to remove the front bezel without removing the right side panel? I haven't been able to do so.

I want to take the front bezel off, there are no instructions for doing this. I removed the left panel (the normal one that you remove), but left the right panel in place.

There are plastic clips on the bezel along left right and bottom that hold the front bezel to the case. Without removing the right panel, I can release the clips that are on the left side, and the clip at the bottom, but the clips on the right are still holding the bezel in place.

I decided to ask because I don't want to force it and break off one of the little clips.

Thanks, Lilla

[mahkum2]

1. Usually there is no need to remove the right side panel. I didn't remove mine while installing components.

2.Yes, you could remove it without removing the right side panel. The case was designed to be able to do that. If you wiggle it a bit and perservere with it, it will eventually come off. It is better you learn to do it this way, so you don't have to remove the right side panel every time you want to install something.

Also I would recommend cutting off fan grills on the back and front. Having experimented with three fans installed in the case, I can say that there is no need for the front fan. I used AOpen's Silenttek fan control software to control these fans and the front fan seldom came on.

Last point, I assume you have already checked that the Zalman heatsink that you've chosen would fit in this case, because I discovered to my surprise that the socket A version wouldn't fit after having made the decision to go for the Zalman heatsink. I eventually settelled for SLK 800. I am happy with the SLK 800 so everything is just fine. If you have anymore questions....just ask. I'll be just glad to help.

[scamcdan]

I want to report to the group, that my case looks good, and I am very happy with it.

Glad to hear that you had better luck than I did!

Actually I removed the screws in the right side panel and tried to remove it but it didn't want to slide off, so it occurred to me that maybe I'm not suppose to remove it, so decided I would post and ask.

It is very hard to get that side off, but it can be done. I almost lost a fingernail in the process ... and then realized that the mobo tray doesn't come out like my old case. With that in mind, there aren't too many reasons to take off the panel, unless you're like me and want to screw in the other side of your cd-rom drive.

I want to take the front bezel off, there are no instructions for doing this. I removed the left panel (the normal one that you remove), but left the right panel in place.

Man, I really thought that part sucked too! If you get ALL of the clips undone except for the ones on the right, then you can lift/pull the case just right so the bottom right-hand clip skims over the hook. If I remember correctly, you have to kinda push the bottom of the front bezel UP as well as pulling it away from the case. Be patient and it should come along ... then you have to almost swivel the bezel to the right so that the top clip clears the metal.

Good luck!

[Lilla]

Mahkum2, thanks for the guidance. Much appreciated by this newbie.

Ok, I had another go at removing the front bezel, and it is now off. I left the right side panel on, and will leave it on while building too.

TIP: Here's how I removed the front bezel (ie the front of the case), I think this is perhaps the easiest way to do it. Lay the case over on it's right side on a table top, move the case so that the depth of the front bezel is hanging out past the the edge of the table. Remove the left side panel if it isn't already. Then press in on the two tabs on the left side of the bezel and the one tab that is on the bottom of the bezel. Now, wiggle the bezel, and gravity will help the tabs on the right side of the bezel release, and the bezel will sort of fall off, so be prepared to catch it.

I am planning to cut the grilles out for front and rear 80mm fans. I got the Panaflo 'L1A's without RPM monitoring. I probably won't need the front fan, except maybe in the summer when it is hot, then I might use it to put a little spot cooling on the hard drive. I can unplug it when I don't need it for more quietness.

I am planning to remove the side fan, and cover over the side holes, per MikeC's recommendation.

I went with the Zalman CNPS-7000AlCu because they were sold out of A-AlCu, it is the same except without support for AMD processors which I don't need anyway.

So you have same case E4252, same motherboard BOXD875PBZLK, and you could not install the Zalman cooler?

So many people with this motherboard are using this cooler, so I didn't check the measurements, I just assumed that it would fit. Maybe I have a problem. The motherboard arrived today, but the Zalman cooler is not here yet.

Lilla

*Edited* to add tip for removing front bezel.

[Ralf Hutter]

So you have same case E4252, same motherboard BOXD875PBZLK, and you could not install the Zalman cooler?

So many people with this motherboard are using this cooler, so I didn't check the measurements, I just assumed that it would fit. Maybe I have a problem. The motherboard arrived today, but the Zalman cooler is not here yet.

Lilla

I'm running the 7000AlCu on an 875PBZ and the cooler sticks out over the top of the mobo by about 3/16". Looking at the pics of the 4252 on Newegg's site it looks like the PSU sits down real close to the top of the mobo which may indeed give you problems. Mock up you mobo in your case with the PSU in place and see how much clearance you have. If you have less tha 1/2" ot 3/16" you're probably going to be in trouble.

If the Zalman doesn't fit, the Thermalright SLK900/947 certainly will, as will the Swiftech MCX478-V. Either of those are great coolers that will work fine for you.

[mahkum2]

Here is the link where I discovered that the Zalman CNPS-7000A (socket A version) wouldn't fit. It all depends on the location of the CPU socket on the motherboard. I would assume that the key thing here is this quote ..

Compatibility requires that no physical interference by the power supply occurs within the 55mm radius of the CPU socket's center

I have an AMD/AOpen motherboard setup btw.

[Lilla]

Ralf, thanks for the detailed information. Everything has shipped but PSU has not arrived yet. When PSU arrives I will do the mock up and take the measurements. If Zalman 7000AlCu it won't fit (per your measurements) I will do as you said and return the Zalman and buy a Thermalright 900/947/94. I'm assuming the 94 could work too, if not please advise.

On my motherboard packaging, the inner bag that contained the mobo had a seal on it that had been broken, and on top of it was another seal that had not been broken. The outer box had a seal on it that had not been broken. Otherwise the package and contents looks fine, nothing else raises a red flag.

If the broken seal with 2nd unbroken seal on top of broken seal is something I should be concerned about, please advise, otherwise I will assume this is acceptable.

The mobo box contains a i/o panel for the back, but I was surprised that there is not a colorful stickon with i/o labeling to dress up the bare i/o plate. The universal i/o plate that comes with the Ever Case has a colorful i/o plate cover, but the motherboard i/o plate is bare aluminum. There is some little black and white stick ons that that you can cut and glue on the i/o plate, but it's very plain looking.

Could someone let me know if my box should contain a full sized i/o cover with labels? Or is just the little clear with black print that you paste on the aluminum i/o plate what all boxes have?

Thank you,
Lilla

[Ralf Hutter]

Ralf, thanks for the detailed information. Everything has shipped but PSU has not arrived yet. When PSU arrives I will do the mock up and take the measurements. If Zalman 7000AlCu it won't fit (per your measurements) I will do as you said and return the Zalman and buy a Thermalright 900/947/94. I'm assuming the 94 could work too, if not please advise.

The only reason that I can see that would cause trouble with the SP-94 is if some board component touched one of those heatpipes that stick out the side of the thing. They're high enough up that you should be fine though.

On my motherboard packaging, the inner bag that contained the mobo had a seal on it that had been broken, and on top of it was another seal that had not been broken. The outer box had a seal on it that had not been broken. Otherwise the package and contents looks fine, nothing else raises a red flag.

If the broken seal with 2nd unbroken seal on top of broken seal is something I should be concerned about, please advise, otherwise I will assume this is acceptable.

That's weird. Personally I wouldn't be too happy about that but I'm pretty picky about things, especially the mobo. Is the second sticker on the inside bag the same yellow "Attention!" sticker as the broken one? Does it say "www.intel.com" on the lower right corner?

Was the unbroken sticker on the outside of the box a clear sticker with a blue "Intel" printed on it?

The mobo box contains a i/o panel for the back, but I was surprised that there is not a colorful stickon with i/o labeling to dress up the bare i/o plate. The universal i/o plate that comes with the Ever Case has a colorful i/o plate cover, but the motherboard i/o plate is bare aluminum. There is some little black and white stick ons that that you can cut and glue on the i/o plate, but it's very plain looking.

Could someone let me know if my box should contain a full sized i/o cover with labels? Or is just the little clear with black print that you paste on the aluminum i/o plate what all boxes have?

Thank you,
Lilla

Every Intel I/O panel I've ever used (hundreds) has been plain 'ol silver with no fancy pictures or writing on it. You got a normal one. Look:

[Lilla]

Ralf, My motherboard was purchased from ZipZoomFly.

On the back of the anti static bag that holds the motherboard there is a date Jul 2003. Should I expect a later date? Is this date a red flag?

OK, I'm glad to hear that my by back i/o panel is normal. Thanks for confirming this.

Upon closer inspection of the box, I find that there are two stickers sealing the outside of the box, both stickers one on top of the other say Intel in blue letters. These two labels are round, clear with the word "Intel" in blue letters. The labels were almost exactly lined up that's why I missed it when I first opened the box.

On the antistatic bag that contains the motherboard, there are to Yellow Attention labels sealing it as well, both labels are the Yellow Attention labels that say http://www.intel.com on the bottom line. The bottom most label is partly missing, the top label is totally in tack. The top label was loosely stuck allowing me to open the bag without tearing the label at all.

The board itself looks unused. No bent pins, no dust, no after-thought soldering.

I would think that if the board had been refurbished that there would be a sticker on the board denoting this, there is none.

Memory, fans, Zalman CPU cooler, etc. arrived today, no PSU yet.

Thanks,
Lilla

[cmcquistion]

My case, E4252-AB arrived today along with some other parts.

I want to report to the group, that my case looks good, and I am very happy with it. I put the side panel off and on a couple of times without any problem. I put the two removable hard drive cages on and off a couple of times without any problems. The front port door opens and closes easily. One of the 5.25 drive covers has a tiny bit of play in it (potential rattle), so I will wedge a sliver of something in to take care of that.

JC suggested (perhaps in another thread) to replace the screwless PCI slot covers that come with the case with standard ones that take a screw. They supply a long clip that holds all the screwless slot covers in place without any screws. I agree with JC on this. I'm glad that JC mentioned this, because as a newbie I might have tried to make this "feature" work, thinking that it was just me.

Two questions that only a newbie would ask:

1) Is is best to just remove the right side panel (the one you don't normally remove) and leave it off until you are done building the computer?

Actually I removed the screws in the right side panel and tried to remove it but it didn't want to slide off, so it occurred to me that maybe I'm not suppose to remove it, so decided I would post and ask.

2) Is there a way to remove the front bezel without removing the right side panel? I haven't been able to do so.

I want to take the front bezel off, there are no instructions for doing this. I removed the left panel (the normal one that you remove), but left the right panel in place.

There are plastic clips on the bezel along left right and bottom that hold the front bezel to the case. Without removing the right panel, I can release the clips that are on the left side, and the clip at the bottom, but the clips on the right are still holding the bezel in place.

I decided to ask because I don't want to force it and break off one of the little clips.

Thanks, Lilla

I forgot to mention in my short list of necessary mods, that I always remove that PCI retension bracket thing. I don't like it. I don't think it holds cards in particularly well, so I always remove it and just use screws.

You can remove the side panel. I usually use a flat head screwdriver and pry gently, from the back, after removing the screws. The only good reason to take that side off, though, is if you want to secure your Optical drives with screws or you want to put sound dampening on that side. Personally, I like to secure my optical drives with screws, instead of relying on the locking brackets. Those brackets only make drive vibration worse, in my opinion.

You can remove the front bezel, it just takes some getting used to. There are two tabs on the side and two tabs on the bottom. Bend these out, lightly, with your fingers, then do a kind-of rotating push on the front bezel and it will hinge out from the opposite side, then come off. It is a little weird, but once you've figured out how it works, it is easy to take off.

[Lilla]

I'm running the 7000AlCu on an 875PBZ and the cooler sticks out over the top of the mobo by about 3/16". Looking at the pics of the 4252 on Newegg's site it looks like the PSU sits down real close to the top of the mobo which may indeed give you problems. Mock up you mobo in your case with the PSU in place and see how much clearance you have. If you have less tha 1/2" ot 3/16" you're probably going to be in trouble.

If the Zalman doesn't fit, the Thermalright SLK900/947 certainly will, as will the Swiftech MCX478-V. Either of those are great coolers that will work fine for you.

Ralf, I don't have the PSU yet, but there is a small metal bracket designed to support the PSU, I figure I can measure to that. So I layed the motherboard in the case with the screwholes lined up. Then I measured from the top of the motherboard to the support bracket. It's 3/16 of an inch, that's what I get, I did it carefully a couple of times.

If it won't fit then I think I need to return it and get a different one. I'll take another measurement when the PSU arrives and make my decision based upon that. Maybe the PSU will arrive tomorrow.

In the mean time, I'll check out the alternatives, your article is very helpful. Nicely written.

I guess if I take the CPU Cooler out of the plastic then I won't be able to return it. It is sealed on the sides, so no way to open it without cutting the package at the sealed spots. Darn.

Thanks,
Lilla

[Lilla]

Here is the link where I discovered that the Zalman CNPS-7000A (socket A version) wouldn't fit. It all depends on the location of the CPU socket on the motherboard. I would assume that the key thing here is this quote ..

Compatibility requires that no physical interference by the power supply occurs within the 55mm radius of the CPU socket's center

Mahkum2, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I checked out the link and Zalman's site. The 55mm makes sense, and my measurement from the center of CPU area to the PSU support bracket is definitely a little shy of 55mm, by about 1/16 to 2/16.

Unless my some miracle my PSU is shorter than the designers of this case are expecting, which I doubt, then this CPU cooler just isn't going to fit. My PSU is the Seasonic Super Silencer 400W (retail). It's in route to me now.

Later...I remember reading a post by someone that told how they filed the fins of their Heat Sink down to make it fit. I've decided to do that too. I showed it to my Dad (he's very handy) and he thinks it looks doable, so we took it out of the package. We will not operate on it until time for it to go into the system. Then I'll know exactly how much to file off, he said maybe even sand it off. I'll let you know how it turns out when it I get to that part.

Thanks, Lilla

[Ralf Hutter]

Ralf, My motherboard was purchased from ZipZoomFly.

On the back of the anti static bag that holds the motherboard there is a date Jul 2003. Should I expect a later date? Is this date a red flag?

OK, I'm glad to hear that my by back i/o panel is normal. Thanks for confirming this.

Upon closer inspection of the box, I find that there are two stickers sealing the outside of the box, both stickers one on top of the other say Intel in blue letters. These two labels are round, clear with the word "Intel" in blue letters. The labels were almost exactly lined up that's why I missed it when I first opened the box.

On the antistatic bag that contains the motherboard, there are to Yellow Attention labels sealing it as well, both labels are the Yellow Attention labels that say http://www.intel.com on the bottom line. The bottom most label is partly missing, the top label is totally in tack. The top label was loosely stuck allowing me to open the bag without tearing the label at all.

The board itself looks unused. No bent pins, no dust, no after-thought soldering.

I would think that if the board had been refurbished that there would be a sticker on the board denoting this, there is none.

Memory, fans, Zalman CPU cooler, etc. arrived today, no PSU yet.

Thanks,
Lilla

I'd say you got yourself a returned/refurbed board there. Personally, I wouldn't keep it but like I said earlier, I'm pretty anal about things working perfectly. The mobo is probably the most important component of the system and if it's got glitches that's a problem.

The only thing I'd feel good about is knowing that it was (apparently) checked out/refurbished by Intel themselves. Hopefully they actually put it through the wringer and didn't just do some basic tests ("Okey-dokey it POSTS, let's throw it back in the back and ship it out!") before returning it to service.

I'd at least call ZZF and explain the packaging and ask them what they think. You should ask them what their policy is about selling "refurbished" goods as "new". I'm not sure that's entirely kosher...

[Ralf Hutter]

Here is the link where I discovered that the Zalman CNPS-7000A (socket A version) wouldn't fit. It all depends on the location of the CPU socket on the motherboard. I would assume that the key thing here is this quote ..

Compatibility requires that no physical interference by the power supply occurs within the 55mm radius of the CPU socket's center

Later...I remember reading a post by someone that told how they filed the fins of their Heat Sink down to make it fit. I've decided to do that too. I showed it to my Dad (he's very handy) and he thinks it looks doable, so we took it out of the package. We will not operate on it until time for it to go into the system. Then I'll know exactly how much to file off, he said maybe even sand it off. I'll let you know how it turns out when it I get to that part.

Thanks, Lilla

Go ahead and file/grind down the fins but make DARN sure you completely clean off every bit of copper and aluminum dust and chips that are left from doing that!!!!!!!! You really, really, really don't want tiny little metal chips, shards, bits and dust getting blown around the very delicate circutry of your mobo when your HSF turns on!

First make sure you thoroughly remove any hanging bits from the edges of the fins when you are done grinding. You'll find that there will be tiny pieces hanging from each fin. Use fine sandpaper to deburr each ground down fin. When you're sure there's no "hangy-bits" left then you need to get rid of all the metal dust and chips that will be left on the heatsink. Compressed air and isopropyl alchol (or some other solvent like acetone) will be needed. The Zalmans come with a verry fine layer of oil on them and this will make the grinding dust and debris stick to the heatsink. That's why you'll need a solvent to wash off the oily film.

[Lilla]

Ralf, the date on the back of the anti-static bag is July 2003, is this what I should expect? Or does this indicate that it has been sitting around for months waiting to be tested/refurbished and sent out again.

Thanks for all of your help and guidance.

I'm going take your advice, and contact ZipZoomFly about this.

Lilla

[Ralf Hutter]

Ralf, the date on the back of the anti-static bag is July 2003, is this what I should expect? Or does this indicate that it has been sitting around for months waiting to be tested/refurbished and sent out again.

Thanks for all of your help and guidance.

I'm going take your advice, and contact ZipZoomFly about this.

Lilla

I'd say July 2003 would indicate fairly new production. My latest 875PBZ (bought in early August) says July 2003 on it too.

What is your serial number? If it begins with "BTBZ" it's a newer production board. If it's "AZBZ" it's an older production board. The serial number of my newest board is BTBZ32404120 so you can compare yours to that.

[Lilla]

Ralf, thanks again for those very helpful details. This board is BTBZ32706005, this compares favorably to the numbers you provided.

I wrote to ZipZoomFly about this matter (ordered/paid for new motherboard, but was sent a returned/refurbished motherboard) via their online form titled "Product not as advertised". To my surprise I received a very fast and encouraging reply. Perhaps it didn't hurt that I added this:

...I posted my experience to the forum at SilentPCReview.com, the members there buy a lot of product from ZipZoomFly and they will be interested in how this gets resolved. I have every confidence that ZipZoomFly will contact me today with an explanation and a plan to resolve this matter...

I accepted their offer to replace the motherboard with a truely new one. I assume that "a return label can be provided" means that they are agreeing to paying the shipping costs to correct the matter. I also asked if they would cross-ship but have not had a response on this yet. If not, that's OK, I am willing to wait a few days for a motherboard that I have confidence in.

Dear Lilla,

Thank you for shopping with ZipZoomFly.com.

We do apologize for any inconvenience caused as we were unaware that a "used" board was shipped out to you. Please do note that we possibly cannot check every stock that comes in to see if they are brand new and sealed, in which they should be. However, a return label can be provided for you to return the board to us and we can replace it with a brand new one. Please confirm if you would like to do that.

Sincerely,
ZipZoomFly RMA

[Lilla]

Progress report...

Front and rear grilles were cut-out and replaced with 80mm Chrome Grille/Finger Guard. I installed Panaflow 80mm "L1A" fans (without RPM monitoring) using Vantec 80mm fan vibration kit.

Removed right side panel so I can screw in the optical drive and floppy drive on right side when the time comes. I took off the top while I was at it.

Thanks to all for sharing your experience with me, I appreciate each and every post.

PSU arrived today.

Lilla

[Ralf Hutter]

I accepted their offer to replace the motherboard with a truely new one. I assume that "a return label can be provided" means that they are agreeing to paying the shipping costs to correct the matter. I also asked if they would cross-ship but have not had a response on this yet. If not, that's OK, I am willing to wait a few days for a motherboard that I have confidence in.

Dear Lilla,

Thank you for shopping with ZipZoomFly.com.

We do apologize for any inconvenience caused as we were unaware that a "used" board was shipped out to you. Please do note that we possibly cannot check every stock that comes in to see if they are brand new and sealed, in which they should be. However, a return label can be provided for you to return the board to us and we can replace it with a brand new one. Please confirm if you would like to do that.

Sincerely,
ZipZoomFly RMA

Good, that's the right thing to do. No sense starting out a new build with a potentially shaky foundation.

[MikeC]

Depending on how much room you need, you could jusy try bending the edges of the HS fins back just a bit. I've done this with other Zalman HS in tight spots. Easy to do with needle tip pliers. It's less work & less mess than filing. Also even less permanent -- you can bend them back one day if necessary. No effect on cooling I could detect.

[Lilla]

Ralf, thanks for those excellent instructions. I was concerned about the procedure, understanding that the filing dust could create future problems if not thoroughly removed. I was quite happy to learn that I could bend instead of file/sand/grind.

Depending on how much room you need, you could jusy try bending the edges of the HS fins back just a bit. I've done this with other Zalman HS in tight spots. Easy to do with needle tip pliers. It's less work & less mess than filing. Also even less permanent -- you can bend them back one day if necessary. No effect on cooling I could detect.

MikeC, Bend, no mess, and it's undoable, I love it. Thank you for sharing that simple and effective solution. I'll keep it in mind, but looks like I may not need to shorten the fins all, more on this below.

Now for the some news! It looks like the Zalman 7000AlCu is going to fit without any alternations. The measurements that I made before installing the PSU were not valid.

My PSU (Seasonic Super Silencer 400W, SS-400AGX) arrived and is now installed. So I did a mock up using the "to be RMA'd motherboard" and the Zalman. To my surprise, it looks like it should fit just fine. There is a little clearance room too. Not a lot, but an adequate amount.

Followup on motherboard RMA. ZipZoomFly emailed me to say that I would be receiving on Monday, an email from UPS containing the mailing label to RMA my motherboard back to ZZF. I'm happy that I will be getting a truely new motherboard that I can have confidence in. Thank you Ralf for your guidance on this.

Lilla

[scamcdan]

Just a tip for anyone out there with a E4252 and a MSI K7N2 ... don't buy a Zalman 7000AlCu.

It will NOT even come close to fitting under the power supply, bending or no bending. I (unfortunately) bought it on a whim ... not realizing that the Zalman was so massive + that my motherboard/case combo allowed so very little space for a HSF.

Feel free to PM me if you'd be interested in buying the (still unopened, brand new) Zalman 7000AlCu!

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello:

Did anybody else notice that New Egg seems to have dropped *all* the black Evercases (or at least all teh 4252's)?

[bondiablo]

Slightly off topic and a bit late but since you seem a little concerned about saving money you should know that the only thing you get from an 875P board you can't find on 865PE boards is support for ECC RAM. If you're sticking with Intel brand motherboards that may not be quite as true but still there isn't much to be gained.

[Lilla]

Slightly off topic and a bit late but since you seem a little concerned about saving money you should know that the only thing you get from an 875P board you can't find on 865PE boards is support for ECC RAM. If you're sticking with Intel brand motherboards that may not be quite as true but still there isn't much to be gained.

It's true, the D875PBZLK (without onboard audio) board added about $10 over the cost of the D865PERLK (with onboard audio), plus $62 for Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy LS Sound Card. The old Dell system had onboard audio, so I did not have an old sound card I could use.

For the above reasons I was initially drawn to the 865PE board, then I read the two reviews below.

[H]ardOCP - Intel's Canterwood D875PBZhere
[H]ardOCP - Intel's Springdale D865PERL here

The reviewers like the layout of the 875P board, but not the layout of the 865PE board. After looking at pictures of the two boards,

Picture of D875PBZ board here Notice the area around the CPU, all nice short components, looks good.

Picture of D865PERL boardhere Notice the tall components near one side of the CPU, could spell trouble when installing a large heatsink fan.

I decided that I would go with the 875P board because it looked like there was more room (without those tall components) to fit a large heatsink/fan.

Regarding the onboard sound, I had in the back of my mind something I had read, about onboard sound impacting negatively upon performance. I don't know if that is true, but it no doubt helped me justify buying a sound card.

D875PBZLK
+ layout of board
+ more popular than D865PERLK, more people to compare notes with
- must buy audio card
+ supports ECC memory

D865PERLK
- layout of board
+ onboard audio
+ onboard firewire (although, I don't have a need for it)
+ costs less then D875PBZLK

In the end, I did decide to buy Crucial ECC memory, this added $12 over non-ECC memory. At the time I was deciding between the two boards I was not aware that one supported ECC and the other one did not, so this did not influence my decision.

Lilla

[Lilla]

Still waiting on my RMA'd motherboard, they received it back last Thursday. They didn't get it out to me on Friday, so it should go out today I would think.

My case (Evercase E4252) didn't come with a case speaker, but there is a place to install one. I am wondering if I need to install one.
My motherboard is Intel D875PBZLK in case that makes a difference. I did a google search and found where one person posted that this motherboard has an onboard speaker, that operates independent of the case speaker. However, I was not able to find other posts that supported this claim so I decided I would ask here.

I got to thinking about this after reading a couple of reports of people with this motherboard who could not hear any error beeps even when they forced a condition that would cause beeps, such as no memory installed?

Do I need to install a case speaker, so I can hear the error beeps given by the motherboard?

Thanks, Lilla

[Ralf Hutter]

Still waiting on my RMA'd motherboard, they received it back last Thursday. They didn't get it out to me on Friday, so it should go out today I would think.

My case (Evercase E4252) didn't come with a case speaker, but there is a place to install one. I am wondering if I need to install one.
My motherboard is Intel D875PBZLK in case that makes a difference. I did a google search and found where one person posted that this motherboard has an onboard speaker, that operates independent of the case speaker. However, I was not able to find other posts that supported this claim so I decided I would ask here.

I got to thinking about this after reading a couple of reports of people with this motherboard who could not hear any error beeps even when they forced a condition that would cause beeps, such as no memory installed?

Do I need to install a case speaker, so I can hear the error beeps given by the motherboard?

Thanks, Lilla

The 875PBZ does indeed have an onboard speaker. You can see it in the lower right corner of the board, just below the power switch headers. It's a 5/8" dia round black can with a hole in the center.

The 875PBZ (and some other newer mobos) also beeps normally during the POST, once for each (if any) USB devices that are connected. Don't confuse these normal beeps with error beeps, they're not.

Personally, I could take or leave the mobo speaker. I suppose they could come in real handy if you were troubleshooting a major problem but I rarely face a nasty situation like that and I have an old speaker that I could always plug into the speaker header if I really needed it.

[cmcquistion]

I think the case has a small speaker that is mounted up in the power switch area, behind the bezel. You can't see it from inside the case, but it has a header, and I think it is there.

[Lilla]

Ralf, thanks for point me to the speaker on the motherboard.

cmcquistion, thanks for pointing me to case speaker. It's funny, I had noticed that speaker wire earlier, but had forgotten about it as I had since used a twistem to tie the wire bundle out of the way.

Update: UPS just arrived with the hopefully "truely new" motherboard.

First step went OK. The outer Intel box had one clear Intel seal (this is good), where as the first one that I received had two seals and the bottom one was torn showing that it has been opened before, with a new whole label on top of it.

Red flag #1, the anti-static bag that the board is in says "Jun 2003", where as the board I returned was dated "Jul 2003". The serial numbers, see below, are consistent with these date stamps.

Red flag #2, the inside static bag has two yellow Attention http://www.intel.com labels, just like the one I returned had. Again the top one is in tack and can be lifted up easily as it is hardly stuck at all. The bottom yellow sticker has been torn.

Serial numbers are consistent with dates stamped on bag:
BTBZ32705834 new replacement board they sent me, stamped Jun 2003
BTBZ32706005 1st board they sent me, stamped July 2003, RMA'd *
BTBZ32404120 Ralf's July 2003 board purchased in August.

* RMA'd because it both outside and inside stickers that had been opened before.

This one has inside sticker that has been opened; outside out shows no evidence of having been opened before; board is older than the first one they sent out.

Makes me wonder what kind of games they are playing with these motherboards.

So, I just wrote a steaming reply to their RMA department, we'll see what they say. I've very disappointed that I have to deal with, and cannot get on with building the computer.

Lilla