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Does C216 chipset support non-Xeon processors?

DBerz
Beginner
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[Separate thread started after this question arose in the /message/283354# 283354 following discussion].

The Asus P8C WS uses the C216 chipset. Asus list the CPUs that are supported by the P8C WS motherboard here: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8C_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/ http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8C_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/

This list Xeon processors as well as Core i3, i5, i7, Celeron and Pentium processors.

Intel lists the processors that are compatible with the C216 chipset here: http://ark.intel.com/products/66416/Intel-BD82C216-PCH# @compatibility http://ark.intel.com/products/66416/Intel-BD82C216-PCH# @compatibility

There are only Xeon processors.

In an Asus support case, they have stated to me that they have tested and verified that all the processors work with their motherboard.

So does the C216 chipset really support only Xeon processors? Is Asus missing something in their testing and incorrectly stating that many other processors are compatible with the C216 chipset? How can these processors work with the C216 motherboard if they are not supported by the C216 chipset?

Can you shed any light on this?

Thanks!

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Allan_J_Intel1
Employee
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According to ark.intel.com, the Intel C216 Chipset is compatible only with Xeon processors.

http://ark.intel.com/products/66416# @compatibility ARK | Intel® C216 Chipset (Intel® BD82C216 PCH)

Intel does not have a list of desktop processors compatibles for that particular chipset model. You would need to check with Asus and escalate this matter that way you can get access to their test results or even website information with compatibility information on desktop processors.

Allan.

DBerz
Beginner
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Hi Allan.

Thanks for your reply. My /message/281743# 281743 last question about whether the Core i3-3250 supported ECC memory as was stated on the Ark page turned out to be incorrect information on Ark so forgive me for not taking the Ark information to be convincing proof of support of lack of it...

 

The http://ark.intel.com/products/75522/Intel-DH82C226-PCH?wapkw=c2+chipset# @compatibility C226 chipset compatability does list both desktop and Xeon processors amongst the supported processors so clearly for some chipsets you have confirmed compatibility with desktop and Xeon processors. So does the absence of desktop processors in the C216 compatibility list mean they are not supported?

 

Asus tells me that they have tested the processors and they work. I am sceptical on such statements from companies that I doubt are knowledgeable to make such statements, paticularly when they appear to contradict an established market player such as Intel. Hence it is important to know whether the omission of desktop processors from the C216 compatibility list is because they are actually not supported or because Intel has not tested compatibility.

 

So why are no desktop processors listed as compatible with the C216 chipset?

 

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Allan_J_Intel1
Employee
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Intel provides the processor to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or system integrator but since they integrate our processor on their motherboard models with their BIOS revisions, it might be that they have reconfigured the BIOS to support several processor flavors. On the Intel site, the chipset C216 has been officially tested with Xeon processor, however; Intel does not have control of Asus products or integration.

Allan.

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Allan_J_Intel1
Employee
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Were you able to speak with http://support.asus.com/ServiceHome.aspx?SLanguage=en ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- about processor compatibility?

Allan.

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DBerz
Beginner
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Hi Allan.

Asus say it will work, but I have no reason to believe such statements as I doubt they test chipset and CPU functionality to the level of Intel. Proving that there are unsupported features / incompatibilities would be very hard, so I doubt I would be able to get any claim resolved by Asus should there appear to be issues.

The chipset is manufactured by Intel as is the CPU. If Intel is not ready to confirm that these are compatible, then I think that is reason enough to doubt that it will work. So in the absence of an assurance from Intel that the CPU / chipset combination is supported, I conclude that they are actually not fully supported. If Intel expected these to be compatible, you would have tested and shown them to be compatible.

So for me this question is closed in a disappointing way (unless the compatibility is confirmed by Intel).

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Allan_J_Intel1
Employee
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According to the following list, there are two non-Xeon processors supported by the C216 Chipset.

http://ark.intel.com/products/66416# @compatibility http://ark.intel.com/products/66416# @compatibility

http://ark.intel.com/products/65693/Intel-Core-i3-3220-Processor-3M-Cache-3_30-GHz Intel® Core™ i3-3220 Processor

 

(3M Cache, 3.30 GHz)

http://ark.intel.com/products/65527/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G2120-3M-Cache-3_10-GHz Intel® Pentium® Processor G2120

 

(3M Cache, 3.10 GHz)

Allan.

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