Can anyone using Intel’s Flawed Sandy Bridge Chipset System help ?

mike2op · Feb 16, 2011

Hi,

I ended up with NEW Dell’s XPS 8300 system with the flawed Intel’s Cougar Point chipset.

Intel says only 5% of the motherboards would be affected.

My question is, how do I know if I am in that 5% or not ?

Are there any tests or software that would identify the issue ?

What should I be looking for ?

I am in stock market business & any errors in calculations & plotting of chart’s data could cost me dearly.

So I am not using this system for business at this moment but I do need the system.

I tried hard but Dell’s technicians have no clue.

I have an option to return the system but then I will have to wait till end of April or May to get a new one & would rather keep it if there is a workaround.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks

tgell · Feb 16, 2011

According to this article, you will not have to worry about data integrity.

A vendor who requested anonymity (Update: Intel is now on the record with the details of the flaw) told us the problem actually affects serial ATA ports two through five on a six-port motherboard. The affected ports are all Serial ATA II, so if you ordered a higher-end Serial ATA III/6.0 hard drive (and the vendor connected it to the right port), you should be safe (upgrade path anxieties not withstanding). If you do have components connected to the afflicted ports, we’re told you may not ever see the issue. Intel told Anandtech regarding the frequency of the flaw: “over 3 years of use it would see a failure rate of approximately 5 – 15% depending on usage model.” If the issue does manifest itself, you will experience slower read and write performance, but data integrity, according to Intel, won’t be an issue.
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mike2op · Feb 16, 2011

Thank You .

Really appreciate the Help.

Mimsy · Feb 16, 2011

Gigabyte released a "fault checking" utility for their Sandy Bridge motherboards, that according to rumor should be working on all Intel 6-series chipsets. Maximum PC has a link to it in their article about the utility. Note that all it does is tell you whether you are using the affected ports, not the health of said ports, but if you are looking for a work-around involving just not using the affected ports it might be helpful.

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Can anyone using Intel’s Flawed Sandy Bridge Chipset System help ?

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