New NT Server hardware recommendation needed

[rs]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

I'm trying to replace a client's NT 4.0 server with more modern (and
replaceable!) hardware. They'd like to upgrade to Server 2000 or 2003 but
their main server app won't run on either and the upgrade is way too
expensive.

My challenge is to find a respectable P4 motherboard that will be supported
in NT 4.0. I've searched through Intel's offerings without success. Any
suggestions for such a motherboard would be appreciated.

As additional questions:
1) Must HyperThreading be turned off with NT?
2) Is there any way to get a Pentium D to work with NT?

Thanks in advance to any who can help........

 

[Calvin]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Hi RS,

This is a question that 'pops-up' occasionally on these newsgroups. i don;t
think I've ever seen a definitive answer.

To address your specific questions - using info I have gather from comments made
in the NT4 NGs in recent times.

1. Most P4 motherboards and processors will work with NT4 - but you could have
problems trying to use the more advanced features and peripherals.

2. An example: UltraDMA HDD access is available for Intel M/Bs up to the 845
family, but Intel - with an amount of prompting from Microsoft I suspect -
dropped it in later chipsets. I'm unsure whether DMA HDD access using the
Microsoft supplied ATAPI.SYS will work on these chipsets. See
http://nt4ref.zcm.com.au/dmahdd.htm for how this is normally done.

3. Other 'on board' facilities like sound/graphics/network could be in similar
'no drivers available' situation. They should be able to be disabled and
replaced by add-in PCI, AGP etc.. cards that are supported in NT4 theoretically
- if a bit expensive :-(

4. Some have reported that the 'Hyper threading' on the P4 can be left on - NT4
then uses the multiprocessor kernel and thinks it is running on a multiprocessor
architecture. Others have reported that this is unstable, and you need to
disable hyper threading and run a uniprocessor kernel. The detail here is
clouded in mystery

I don't have any info on the 'Pentium D' but I suspect it will still work as
long as it emulates the X86 architecture - with all the same problems as listed
above.

From what I have read, you may do better with non-Intel chipset motherboards
(eg: VIA) they still seem to be writing NT4 support drivers for their hardware.

Comments from others with experience or thoughts welcomed - I'd like a lot more
detail on this subject myself!

Hope what I have said helps,

Calvin.