d8b Forum

I'm about to do it. I've purchased some 32Gb Transcend IDE SSDs and some Fractal 50mm CPU fans and I'm getting organized for the refurb and silencing mission on my 2 d8b CPUs. The original stock CPU fan is sounding like a jackhammer and it never gets any quieter these days. Frankly, I'm amazed that the hard drive still functions at all but it's been brilliant for 12 years.

I've read the excellent articles in the database about these upgrades but I'm considering a couple of variations on the procedure and I'd like some feedback from the d8b board sages, please.

First of all, I've settled on a Transcend 32Gb IDE SSD. I'm thinking that should be OK, right? Same deal with the fan choice, a very quiet Fractal 50mm. That should be OK? I ask this because these are different parts from the replacement components suggested by the database articles.

The CPU upgrade info in the database proposes formatting the new drive and putting MS-DOS 6.22 on there, then loading the Mackie OS. Is there any reason why I couldn't use something like Acronis True Image on another machine to image the new SSDs from the old HDD using USB 2.0 IDE drive caddies?

Since I'm in there, does it make any sense to do something about the power supply? I'm not really sure how much noise the power supply fan is making, if any.

Other than that, I've recorded the ESNs and the installed/authorized plugs and I've backed up the project data over FTP to another machine.

I've got my grounding wrist strap at the ready and I promise I'll unplug the CPU before I really start digging. Any last minute advice? Thanks!

Hey Bitsync;

No advice just "best of luck" and keep us informed as to how it all goes!

Personally, I want to switch to SSD's but not sure what type works or doesn't work!

Schoolhousebruce

Bruce Graham wrote:No advice just "best of luck" and keep us informed as to how it all goes!

Thanks, Bruce. I'm going to document my process and I'll share it when I'm done.

There's not much advice on this post so either folks think I know what I'm doing or the forum's in serious need of some quality train wreck entertainment!

Anyways, I'll be starting just as soon as I get the remaining bits and pieces for the project.

Nice Pensa Suhr there, bitSync.

Peter

anyhorizon wrote:Nice Pensa Suhr there, bitSync.

Peter

Thanks. In my dreams though… The closest I've gotten to that picture is my Tom Anderson HSH chambered drop top, not too shabby in its own right.

Just a quick update on my progress. I decided to start on my backup d8b #2 and leave the working d8b #1 working in the highly unlikely event that anything went wrong. I first booted d8b #2 (OS 5.0) and all was fine. Popped the lid and removed the stock CPU fan from the CPU heat sink, easy as can be. I installed the replacement Fractal 50mm fan in its place; the fan just slips onto sprung steel friction clips on top of the CPU. I decided not to disconnect the original fan from power and just set it aside for the moment. The newly mounted fan found power from a 3-pin CPU Fan power connector on the main board adjacent to the CPU. Booted up the console with both fans running just fine, but the new Fractal was noticably noisier than the original I had just removed. I shut down and rebooted again just to double check things and the new fan was indeed louder than the original. I uninstalled the new fan from the CPU heat sink clips and the mainboard CPU Fan connector, then reinstalled the original 50mm CPU fan. Restarted system and no video; the VFD on the console reports system error 43. Tried unplugging and re-seating everything multiple times with no improvement.

So the simplest thing, just swapping out a perfect fit 50mm CPU fan, has left me with a completely non-functional board. I've ordered a couple replacement video adapters with which to start my Easter egg hunt. This falls into the category of what could possibly go wrong...

I also learned that, for this particular unit, the power supply fan was the greatest noise offender by far. I may expand my upgrading activity to locate and install the quietest power supply I can find.

bitSync wrote:Just a quick update on my progress. I decided to start on my backup d8b #2 and leave the working d8b #1 working in the highly unlikely event that anything went wrong. I first booted d8b #2 (OS 5.0) and all was fine. Popped the lid and removed the stock CPU fan from the CPU heat sink, easy as can be. I installed the replacement Fractal 50mm fan in its place; the fan just slips onto sprung steel friction clips on top of the CPU. I decided not to disconnect the original fan from power and just set it aside for the moment. The newly mounted fan found power from a 3-pin CPU Fan power connector on the main board adjacent to the CPU. Booted up the console with both fans running just fine, but the new Fractal was noticably noisier than the original I had just removed. I shut down and rebooted again just to double check things and the new fan was indeed louder than the original. I uninstalled the new fan from the CPU heat sink clips and the mainboard CPU Fan connector, then reinstalled the original 50mm CPU fan. Restarted system and no video; the VFD on the console reports system error 43. Tried unplugging and re-seating everything multiple times with no improvement.

So the simplest thing, just swapping out a perfect fit 50mm CPU fan, has left me with a completely non-functional board. I've ordered a couple replacement video adapters with which to start my Easter egg hunt. This falls into the category of what could possibly go wrong...

I also learned that, for this particular unit, the power supply fan was the greatest noise offender by far. I may expand my upgrading activity to locate and install the quietest power supply I can find.

I didn't see all this... until now. Do me a favor, please... check your CPU... ensure that thing is sitting in the socket solidly, and that the heat sink clip is attached properly. I've done this before, and it can be maddening - but it explains a lot of what you were experiencing on another thread here on the forum. That'll certainly prevent any video from rendering ( ). If you're not having any success at that point, IMHO it's beginning to look like you're gonna have a really Bad Day...

You knew it was coming, so here it is:
[Standard Mgmt Disclaimer] - "Your actual mileage may vary."

Peace

doktor1360 wrote:
I didn't see all this... until now. Do me a favor, please... check your CPU... ensure that thing is sitting in the socket solidly, and that the heat sink clip is attached properly. I've done this before, and it can be maddening - but it explains a lot of what you were experiencing on another thread here on the forum. That'll certainly prevent any video from rendering ( ). If you're not having any success at that point, IMHO it's beginning to look like you're gonna have a really Bad Day...

You knew it was coming, so here it is:
[Standard Mgmt Disclaimer] - "Your actual mileage may vary."

Peace

OK. I did press down pretty good on that sucker but I didn't open and reclose the CPU bracket...

bitSync wrote:OK. I did press down pretty good on that sucker but I didn't open and reclose the CPU bracket...

You pulled the old fan off the heat assembly, tho... it probably didn't do anything, but I've personally had it happen to me. It's just one more thing you can check off the Troubleshooting Mitigation list. It's unusual for something to just up n die like this without some sort of warning... however:

You knew it was coming :
[Standard Mgmt Disclaimer] - "Your actual mileage may vary."

Peace

doktor1360 wrote:

bitSync wrote:OK. I did press down pretty good on that sucker but I didn't open and reclose the CPU bracket...

You pulled the old fan off the heat assembly, tho... it probably didn't do anything, but I've personally had it happen to me. It's just one more thing you can check off the Troubleshooting Mitigation list. It's unusual for something to just up n die like this without some sort of warning... however:

You knew it was coming :
[Standard Mgmt Disclaimer] - "Your actual mileage may vary."

Peace

Well, I took the fan off the top and was intending to open then close the CPU carriage but I only got as far as lifting the lever up; I didn't see how to remove the heat sink and fan tray without using more force than I wanted to use. I pressed the lever back down and pressed on the top of the CPU heat sink with my thumb, again. Nothing got worse - no sparks, smoke or flames - but it still won't boot. I'm waiting on my spare VGA cards but I'm starting to suspect the hard disk; it just does a single click when it starts, a classic sign of a failed hard disk drive. I have to abandon this d8b fan/SSD project momentarily because the disk drive for my studio file server and intranet HTTP server has now failed. Never a dull moment...