saaiello :
The 690 motherboard only supports Xeon 51xx and 53xx, if you want to run Xeon 52xx or 54xx replace the motherboard by p/n RW199 from Dell Precision T7400 Workstation. It has the same size and all components of the 690 will fit. It also has 2x PCI-E 16x and fits CPUs with 1600MHz FSB with its 5400 Chipset. Search on Ebay or Google.
Having made a purchase of the T7400 motherboard based on the above information, I am now qualified to speak on this matter. The T7400 motherboard will NOT fit in the Dell Precision 690 workstation case for 3 reasons.
1. The I/O panel on the rear is entirely different, and unlike most pc's it is NOT swapable. It is riveted in and is steel which makes it quite difficult to cut. Needless to say, cutting doesn't equal fitting.
2. The front I/O USB, Firewire, Audio, and power module are two totally different parts. The Dell 690 panel looks identical from the front, but on the rear has a different pinout for the USB to MOBO ribbon cable which also means it does NOT plug into the T7400 motherboard. Additionally, it is missing the audio connector that allows the front inputs to receive a signal from the onboard audio built into the motherboard. You probably thought I was finished. I'm not. There is another cable that connects to the Dell 690 mobo that is not even present on the T7400 motherboard. Some of you might be thinking... "well, i COULD go without the front USB, FIREWIRE, and Audio connections. I just won't worry about connecting them". Wrong, the power button is also part of this module. Without the proper module or some serious jury rigging, you won't get your computer to turn on after you bought the motherboard and the expensive quad cores that you wanted to use with it.
3. The Dell 690 motherboard has an ATA socket on the motherboard for cd rom drives or hard drives. My 690 has an ATA dvd-rom drive installed. The T7400 does not provide this socket, so, once again, if you want an optical drive installed, you'll need to use a SATA drive.
These are 3 glaring differences between the Dell 690 and the Dell T7400 motherboard. If you want to use the 5400 series quad cores, I suggest you be ready to buy the T7400 case along with the board, unless you are willing to do what I did (see below).
Fortunately, I'm one of those guys that gets it done. So, I found the T7400 front panel module online and ordered it. It does fit in the same spot as the Dell 690. Additionally, I took the case to my shop where I used metal cutting power tools to excise the rear I/O panel which allows the T7400 motherboard to fit all the way into the case.
I realize I'm new to this forum. I've been a long time user of it, but never posted. However, I'm certain that the information that I have provide is true and correct. It peeves me to no end that people are willing to post information and pass it off as true or expert without being perfectly sure that it IS in fact true. I made a purchase based on the post SAAIELLO made and it bit me in the backside. Sure, I'll take ownership of making a purchase off of a random post and it NOT working out as described. That is my fault, but it doesn't excuse the misinformation that was posted. To all future posters, please be sure of your information before posting.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram