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Introducing my HP Microserver N36L / N40L / N54L using WHS2011 + XBMC - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Introducing my HP Microserver N36L / N40L / N54L using WHS2011 + XBMC (/showthread.php?tid=104372)

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- QLink - 2011-10-17

drivebender full version released !


- QLink - 2011-11-01

"TheBay" from avforums.com has released an uptodate mod bios and added some nice features.

"
19/10/2011
Updated BIOS
Added FAN Option (Not sure what this does exactly, but have a play)
Simplified AHCI/IDE Setting:
Removed - AHCI Menu for configuration/drive status
- IDE Menu configuration/drive status


30/09/2011

Microserver AHCI BIOS O41072911

Added
- AHCI Support for SATA ports 4/5 (Ports start at 0)
- AHCI Menu for configuration/drive status
- IDE Menu configuration/drive status (for those who use IDE mode)
"

i already flashed it and it works really nice Smile
now i can boot the server although i turned the case fan down to 500rpm.


- cable_guy - 2011-11-11

has anyone had sucess with an n36l or n40l running a 1080p bluray rip smoothly using xbmc live and an nvidia graphics card please?


- QLink - 2011-12-04

added Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy) to startpost

will try this whenever i find the time to spend it on my little microserver... very busy atm.


- pglover19 - 2011-12-10

QLINK,

I found your thread several weeks ago and built a HTPC using the HP N40L server. This was my first HTPC as well as my first introduction to XBMC. After some learnings, everything seems to be working. I chose the HIS HD6450 video card. MY HTPC is connected to my AV Receiver using a Epson 8350 projector displaying on a 92" screen. The picture is simply amazing..

I do have one question. After reading this thread, I chose to use the AMD Catalyst 11.6 driver. Everthing seems to be working just fine; however I cannot get the AMD Catalyst Command Center to launch. I know version 11.11 is out. Did you upgrade to version 11.11? Is there any reason why I should upgrade? Once again everything seems to be working fine with version 11.6.


- Digital Vortex - 2011-12-12

pglover19 Wrote:QLINK,

I do have one question. After reading this thread, I chose to use the AMD Catalyst 11.6 driver. Everthing seems to be working just fine; however I cannot get the AMD Catalyst Command Center to launch. I know version 11.11 is out. Did you upgrade to version 11.11? Is there any reason why I should upgrade? Once again everything seems to be working fine with version 11.6.

The poor old catalyst driver is probably having kittens, as technically there's two "HD Radeon" in the system.

I would suggest installing the AMD Chipset driver first , then installing AMD video11.11 driver .
I'd say the main thing between 11.6 and 11 would be some performance in games. Go for the latest, you never know what else they sneak in..!

Had a quick look at the N40L specs... so the chipset should be the same as the N36L
AMD RS785E/SB820M chipset driver

This chipset driver has it's own "catalyst control center". If you're still having trouble, maybe try going into the BIOS and finding an option to 'start PCI first' or switch off Embedded Graphics.


- baldmosher - 2011-12-12

cable_guy Wrote:has anyone had sucess with an n36l or n40l running a 1080p bluray rip smoothly using xbmc live and an nvidia graphics card please?
See this thread, post one. Wink

The GPU card does the processing, not the CPU, as long as you have DXVA enabled of course.

EDIT:
yep, someone using a G210


- pglover19 - 2011-12-12

Digital Vortex Wrote:The poor old catalyst driver is probably having kittens, as technically there's two "HD Radeon" in the system.

I would suggest installing the AMD Chipset driver first , then installing AMD video11.11 driver .
I'd say the main thing between 11.6 and 11 would be some performance in games. Go for the latest, you never know what else they sneak in..!

Had a quick look at the N40L specs... so the chipset should be the same as the N36L
AMD RS785E/SB820M chipset driver

This chipset driver has it's own "catalyst control center". If you're still having trouble, maybe try going into the BIOS and finding an option to 'start PCI first' or switch off Embedded Graphics.

Ok... I installed the latest chipset and graphic drivers for AMD. The Catalyst Control Center does start, but I don't have any of the tabs to tweak the graphic card. On startup of my PC, I am getting the message "The AMD Vision Engine Control Center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled graphic adapter. Please update your AMD graphic driver, or enable your AMD adapter using the Display Manager."

There is no way in the BIOS to turn off the onboard graphic adapter. My display monitor is an Epson 8350 projector. Do I really need to use the Catalyst Control Center to tweak any settings for use with XBMC? Please advise.


- baldmosher - 2011-12-12

This all seems to be a good reason not to choose an AMD GPU for the server.....! Then again someone is selling an N36L on eBay with a Radeon, and so I guess he have managed OK with it. Or maybe that's why he's selling it, LOL


- pglover19 - 2011-12-12

baldmosher Wrote:This all seems to be a good reason not to choose an AMD GPU for the server.....! Then again someone is selling an N36L on eBay with a Radeon, and so I guess he have managed OK with it. Or maybe that's why he's selling it, LOL

Once again, the picture quality on the 92" screen is simply amazing. So, the question is do I really need to access the AMD Catalyst Control Center.


- baldmosher - 2011-12-12

If it ain't broke..... Smile

The question is how will I justify buying a HTPC if I get one of these first


- QLink - 2011-12-12

pglover19 Wrote:Ok... I installed the latest chipset and graphic drivers for AMD. The Catalyst Control Center does start, but I don't have any of the tabs to tweak the graphic card. On startup of my PC, I am getting the message "The AMD Vision Engine Control Center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled graphic adapter. Please update your AMD graphic driver, or enable your AMD adapter using the Display Manager."

i experienced the same problem.

every time i update the catalyst driver i can't start CCC anymore with above described error msg...
seems to be a bug with windows server 2008 R2 and CCC.
hope AMD will get rid of this prob.

however try these steps to fix it:

uninstall the ATI display driver in device manager and restart.
Windows should tell you it needed to restart again and CCC should start working again.

i'm still on catalyst 11.6 and doin fine with it...


- pglover19 - 2011-12-12

QLink Wrote:i experienced the same problem.

every time i update the catalyst driver i can't start CCC anymore with above described error msg...
seems to be a bug with windows server 2008 R2 and CCC.
hope AMD will get rid of this prob.

however try these steps to fix it:

uninstall the ATI display driver in device manager and restart.
Windows should tell you it needed to restart again and CCC should start working again.

i'm still on catalyst 11.6 and doin fine with it...

QLINK,

Do you plan to upgrade to Catalyst 11.11? The video driver seems to be working fine with my HIS HD 6450 graphic card. If there are problems, can I easily revert back to the 11.6 driver? Please advise...


- QLink - 2011-12-12

as i said, i'm doin fine with catalyst 11.6, everything is working as intended, so i don't see any reason why i should upgrade to a newer version...

problem is, every time i change the catalyst version to a newer or older one i get the same problem as you described with not starting ccc, so i doubt you can easily revert back to a 11.6 ...


"the video driver seems to be working fine with my HIS HD 6450 graphic card."

so do you have problems now with your installed 11.11 version or not ?

if you got no problems then everything is ok isn't it ? no need for any change Wink


- g725s - 2011-12-13

I'm not sure what GPU to put in my N40L Just curious If this one would be OK. Would the 2gb of memory help at all?

http://www.amazon.com/HIS-H645H2G-Radeon-64bit-Express/dp/B005XLFPRY
or possibly this one
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Radeon-R6450-MD2GD3-LP-Video/dp/B005VULSNC