Help with PCI-E and unraid not seeing P2000

[maxse]

Guys I need some help.

So in January I upgraded my server from unraid V5, got a new mobo, i8400 CPU and RAM. Many of you guys helped me set everything up. So now about 1.5 months ago, I picked up an nvidia p2000 card on sale at Dell to use it for transcoding in plex. I've been super busy and finally unpacked it and installed it yesterday and it turns out that I keep getting an Nvidia-SMI error. I posted  in the nvidia docker thread and it seems that my new motherboard may be the issue that the system isn't seeing the P2000 card?

 

The motherboard is an ASRock H370M Pro4 that has 2 PCI-E X16 slots, and few X1 slots.

I am using an IBM m1015 flashed to LSI IT mode for 8, in one of the X16 slots and installed the P2000 in the other, and also a 2-port SATA controller in one of the X1 slots. The fan on the card spins up when I turn the system on...

 

After spending all evening yesterday changing BIOS settings, etc.. I can't get it working. I did some more digging on the board and the description shows this: "Slots: 2x PCI-Express 3.0 x16 Slots (single at x16, dual at x16/x4)"

 

CHBMB, responded in that linuxserver plugin thread and said the motherboard basically uses the second X16 slot and turns it into 

an X4 slot? And that's why the card is not being detected??? Can someone please help me out with this? I didn't want to clog up that thread but I had only bought this board a few months ago. Is this the reason the card isn't being detected?

 

** What a clusterf*ck. So I just unplugged the m1015, and the 2-port sata controller. I plugged only the p2000 into PCI-E 1 = nothing

took it out and plugged it into PCI-E #4 (the second X16 slot) and it detects it! Now I tried plugging the M1015 HBA into the PCI-E #1 (also supposed ot be X16) and it doesn't even detect the M1015. So one slot is absolutely useless! 

How is this not false advertising from ASROCK???

 

Guys, so what do I do? I realize I'll have to get a new motherboard again now. But I can't even find any matx that have 2 PCI Express slots with both working at full X16!

But there's gotta be a way to do it, There are plenty of people using LSI HBAs and also a P2000. What's the answer?

 

I have a Nexus Prominent 9 case with 3 5-in-3 Norco cages. So I need to run 15 hard drives. I'm also using an SSD flash drive, and thinking of adding another to mirror the cache so need potentially 17. Do I need to then find a mobo that do 1PCI-E at full X16 and possibly another at full X8, and then another X1 for perhaps a multiplier? Is that what you guys are doing? Notsure if 8x would be enough for 15 drives not to bottle neck? I'm assuming that's what everyone is using because I can't find a board with 2 X16 slots.

 

Can you guys help me please or recommend something? MaybeI just have a defective ASROCk board where one of the PCI-E X16 slots just isnt working?

Edited May 5, 2019 by maxse

[bastl]

Usually some PCI-E slots are shared with other connectors. For example couple boards with 2 or 3 M.2 slots dissable some PCI-E slots if one or all of the M.2 slots are used. U.2 is the same. If you have a connector and use a U.2 drive, it will disable a x4 PCI-E slot. Same for Sata connections, if a specific PCI-E is occupied it's common that a Sata port becomes unavailable. Wifi addin cards are also using PCI-E lanes. Did you checked the manual of your board?

[maxse]

Yes. I knew about the m.2 and SATA. I’m not using an M2 card. 

 

Im not sure what a u .2 drive is and I’m not using wireless only Ethernet.  

 

So so what should I do guys?? What kind of motherboard do I need to be able to use the usual LSI HBA and the p2000 with no bottlenecks? I’m shocked that I haven’t come across more people having issues. Especially since so many are using graphics cards and HBAs and expanders!

 

At this point I’m okay just buying another board. But I don’t even know which one at this point. And I don’t want to mess this up again :(

[Vr2Io]

If you confirm slot 1, can't detect any PCIe card, than should be mainboard issue, but you may also check CPU socket got any pin bend and cause such problem.

 

12 hours ago, maxse said:

Do I need to then find a mobo that do 1PCI-E at full X16 and possibly another at full X8,

Mainstream CPU won't have 16+8, in fact 8+8 already enough, almost all HBA just 8x not 16x. You just need confirm which chipset could divide the CPU PCIe to 8+8.

 

I have try run AMD and Nvidia 16x GPU at 1x and no problem.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Benson

[maxse]

Oh boy, so a cipset that has 2 X16 sots that actually are split into x8 and x8, won't bottleneck the P2000 card even though the card is an x16 card and it should detect without issue?

 

My issue right now is I don't understand why the 1st PCIE-X16 slot is not detecting anything in my motherboard, and even plugging in just my M1015 lights up a yellow light on the HBA and it doesn't get detected. When i plug it into the 2nd PCIE X16 slot, the M1015 blinks green and works fine, as does the P2000. 

 

So If I'm gonna get yet another new motherboard, I want to make sure it's going to be working fine before throwing more money into this.

[Vr2Io]

51 minutes ago, maxse said:

Oh boy, so a cipset that has 2 X16 sots that actually are split into x8 and x8, won't bottleneck the P2000 card even though the card is an x16 card and it should detect without issue?

Yes, would detect and no bottleneck.

[Vr2Io]

1 hour ago, maxse said:

My issue right now is I don't understand why the 1st PCIE-X16 slot is not detecting anything in my motherboard, and even plugging in just my M1015 lights up a yellow light on the HBA and it doesn't get detected. When i plug it into the 2nd PCIE X16 slot, the M1015 blinks green and works fine, as does the P2000.  

Usually some damage on circuit trace / components on mainboard.

[maxse]

Okay got it. Must be a motherboard issue then...

 

Question, if I get a replacement one, the P2000 will go to the x16 slot, and then the M1015 HBA will be in the x4 slot.

 

Would there be any bottlenecks with this? I'm thinking if I should just get a whole new motherboard all together. But I also can't seem to find an matx one that would do X8/X8. What is everyone else running here for an intel 8th gen matx board? Any suggestions?

[Vr2Io]

If HBA run at 4x for 8 disks not SSD, in general say still no bottleneck. Although I don't like the 4x come from PCH.

 

I like my Asrock Z390 Taichi ATX, it can 8+8 or 8+4+4.

 

GPU not must run at 16x.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Benson

[maxse]

Thanks, but I need an mAtx one.

 

So it's worth it to try to get it working with my current board getting a replacement? Even though one of the slots is 4x?

 

Are you saying you would rather put the p2000 graphics card in the 4x?

[Vr2Io]

Just quick check, below 2 MB seems can perform 8+8 for Intel 8/9th gen ( haven't carefully confirm )

TUF Z390M-PRO GAMING (WI-FI)

MSI MPG Z390M GAMING EDGE

 

Drawback was all onboard M2 PCIe come from PCH, if neeed direct to CPU, M2 PCIe rasier or dedicate M2 hyper card would help.

 

29 minutes ago, maxse said:

So it's worth it to try to get it working with my current board getting a replacement? Even though one of the slots is 4x?

Yes, why not

 

29 minutes ago, maxse said:

Are you saying you would rather put the p2000 graphics card in the 4x?

Yes, if HBA need 8x for no bottleneck, also I assume your P2000 will just doing some light work.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Benson