I just bought a used Dell R940 that came without a CPU or RAM, but it did come with a guarantee that it works. I replaced the components with supported RAM and CPU, but now I'm facing a problem. It seems the previous configuration had a Skylake processor and LRDIMMs, and now the R940 isn't recognizing the supported RDIMMs I installed. I'm seeing a 'no detected DIMMs' message, and it's not POSTing. I'm working on finding some temporary LRDIMMs to get through the POST process and update the BIOS, but that's kind of a hassle. Is there any Dell-specific trick to bypass the optimized memory check in POST when I can't access the BIOS because it's not starting up? I've already cleared the NVRAM, reset the BIOS password jumper, pulled the CMOS, and even grounded everything out for an entire day. Any suggestions?
2 Answers
I feel your pain! Dell servers can be really picky about memory. It's likely you're not gonna get very far until you insert the correct LRDIMMs. I suggest trying to mix one module at a time in different slots to see if that gets you to POST and allows you to press F2 to access the settings. Otherwise, you might just be stuck until it sees memory that meets its criteria. Good luck, it sounds frustrating!
As a former tech, here's a tip: strip it down to the minimum required for POST. One CPU and one DIMM, with no other peripherals attached like hard drives or add-in cards. That might help you get it started!
Right, that's a solid idea! I plan to do that next, but I'm gonna complain the whole time about how annoying it is.
I actually have one LRDIMM, but being a dual CPU setup means I need at least four (A1, B1, C1, D1) to POST, according to the documents. It’s definitely a complex situation!