booting gigabyte p35-ds3p with no video card

[subwars]

hi, i've just bought a new motherboard and moved my p35-ds3p overto unraid for more sata ports and being able to boot with no videocard needed. yet alas, i still can't get unraid to load without the video card in.

 

telling by the flashes of the usb stick, i know it's getting to the menu were you select unraid or memtest, but thats as far as it will go, won't start loading up unraid

[Joe L.]

Do you currently have a monitor connected?

[subwars]

not atm no, i waited to unraid started to load then i yanked the video card out , but if i have to restart i'm gonna have to put a video card back in to get it to boot up

[NAS]

If i read this right your pulling the video card out after a power up. This could be put into the "bad idea" camp.

[subwars]

just a little bit, hence the ... but i dont have a spare vid card to leave in it, not that i want to in the first place, half the reason of getting a new motherboard was so i could get unraid running without a video card in it and using less power. but the dam thing won't load

[NAS]

I think you could save yourself alot of extra variables to take into account here just by buying the cheapest lowest spec card you can possibly find and install.

[yodine]

Ok for not pulling some hardware while running, seems odd to try to do this.

 

But will UNRAID work on a server without any video card installed ? I thought so at first, then reading this post and the last reply, i bought a video card to put in my server.

 

Because, as you telnet/putty from elsewhere for configuration and use a browser for standard operation, it could run headless. Of course if your flash doesn't boot or have trouble starting unraid, you will then have to put in a video card back in.

 

I am interested in running headless for the power gain and leaving free the PCIe x16 slot to get a SATA controler (will be much quicker than the 2 PCI i got). I am sure i can go below 100W idle without the video card, as i saw it drop to 142W with it. Less heat, less money spend for it each year.

[Billped]

My mobo used to allow headless, but after my last upgrade, it stopped working so I put the graphics card back in.  I probably need to change a BIOS setting.

 

 

Bill

[Joe L.]

It is entirely up to the motherboard (and its BIOS)

Some have settings to ignore the missing keyboard and or video card and continue to boot, others do not.

On some the setting is labeled as "ignore boot errors"

 

Some will say "Keyboard not detected, press any key to continue..." 

 

YMMV

 

Joe L.

[RobJ]

Some require pressing the F1 function key, but as Joe said, there is usually a BIOS option to not stop on any errors.  You will need a monitor of course to change BIOS settings.  Generally it's recommended to get a cheap PCI video card, to avoid losing a PCI Express slot, and once running fine and BIOS options set correctly, then pull the video card, and leave it in an anti-static bag in the bottom of the case.  Most can run headless, but there are isolated reports of a very few that cannot.

 

Do NOT pull video cards while machine is on!

[yodine]

Thank, i will then try without, looking in the bios first for an option like the one you pointed.

 

I will try to find a small pci card, like this i will be sure to leave the pci express free. When i see the low perf on pci clearing, i think i'll try to find a 8 sata on pci express, this will boost a lot copy and parity check.