Q670 Question

[Enquiries]

Hi friend! Been a fan for a few months now and am finally putting together my first rack after many hours of reading and watching you. I have a quick question for you regarding the White Q670. So, I decided to go for this board as it was the best middle ground for my use case (and the ssd’s I already have)…regardless of the concerns about ASPM/low C states.

I am curious if you had any further investigation with this mobo and could share any insight? I have a note sheet with all of the bios settings to try and achieve low power. A couple people have it sounds like in the more recent half year, which some getting to C8 (but couldn’t use the two front nvme slots and something else I’m blanking on… the PCIe slot?). I’m not too worried about power tho, only running 2-3 nvme and 8 2.5” ssd’s, but am going to try. I will compile all my info for you as well!
My main concern is using the pcie slot. Hoping I can use the 8x8 feature to 10gbe x710 (efficient and ASPM compatible) and 2x nvme card

[aymuseum]

Hey there,
Using 8x8 for a 10GbE X710 (which supports ASPM well) and a 2x NVMe card should work, but you may need to tweak BIOS settings manually (PCIe Link State, ASPM settings, etc.).

---

Hey there,
Using 8x8 for a 10GbE X710 (which supports ASPM well) and a 2x NVMe card should work, but you may need to tweak BIOS settings manually (PCIe Sprunki Retake, ASPM settings, etc.).

I recommend checking DMI link states too if you're aiming for efficiency. Power-wise, your setup sounds very manageable.

[ed]

Thanks for the kind words and for following along with the channel — really appreciate it! Exciting to hear you’re finally putting together your first rack after all the reading and watching!

As for the White Q670 motherboard, it's definitely an interesting choice, and I can totally see why you went with it as a middle ground for your build. The SSD compatibility and price point definitely make it a solid option.

I’ve done some digging around with the Q670 and its settings, and here’s what I’ve learned so far:

Power Consumption: It sounds like you're looking to optimize for low power usage, which is great. There’s some chatter in the community about getting it to C8 states with proper BIOS tuning. However, as you mentioned, there were some trade-offs like not being able to use the front NVMe slots and possibly issues with the PCIe slot when doing so. Some people have run into limitations when they try to push the board too far into low power states while running full configurations.

PCIe Slot: Now, regarding the PCIe 8x8 and 10GbE x710 card — you should be good to go! The motherboard does support PCIe lanes in 8x8 mode, and if you're using an efficient and ASPM-compatible card like the x710, it should work fine for your 10GbE setup. Just be aware that when you’re running multiple NVMe drives, it can occasionally take some tweaking to get everything working in harmony without throttling.

NVMe Cards: The 2x NVMe card should also work, but just make sure you’re not pushing the board too hard when combining the NVMe storage with the PCIe lanes for the network card. It’s always a balancing act, especially with a board that has a limited number of lanes.

I would recommend testing things out and checking the power states to see if you can find a sweet spot where everything works without sacrificing too much efficiency. It’s definitely a bit of a dance between performance and power when running multiple drives and a 10GbE card.

[brattina01]

Given the potential trade-offs between low power states (C8) and full configuration functionality (front NVMe slots, PCle slot), what specific BIOS setting or tuning parameters should I prioritize experimenting with to find the optimal balance for my systerm?