Specifications
http://www.dell.com/content/products/featuresdetails.aspx/pedge_sc1430?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&%7Elt=popup
Chipset: Intel 5000V
Compatible quad core processors: E5310 (1.6Ghz), E5320 (1.86Ghz), E5335 (2.0Ghz), E5345 (2.33Ghz)
Limitations
The following limitations have caused me trouble along my path to computing bliss:
- One PCI slot
- Two PCI Express slots have only 4x lanes, though the connectors on each are 8x
- Little support for high end graphics cards
- Only one primary IDE controller (to control two IDE CD/DVD or tape backup drives only)
- Can't boot from an IDE hard drive (See Dell community forum)
- Only four drive bays (two 5 1/4", two 3 1/2") and a two-drive SATA housing (six total drives)
- Spartan Dell BIOS does not allow for performance tweaks
- pre-Win2003 Microsoft OSs are not supported
BIOS Gotchas
BIOS resets the boot sequence when you change SATA settings (like changing AUTO to OFF for a drive). So be wary of this feature when you see a black screen upon bootup!
Documentation
Of course, I followed the "Getting Started" guide. ;) That and the manual are available here:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/sc1430/
Here is a link to the manual
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/sc1430/en/hom/html/hom_en/index.htm
Note: the links to the PDFs on the destination page do not work in Firefox. I used Opera to view the PDFs
Here's a nice pic of the motherboard:
http://dcse.dell.com/IFR/PowerEdge/PESC1430/images/sysbrd_full.jpg
This box has dual, 1.6Ghz E5310 Cloverton CPUs from Intel. Intel Datasheets on 5300 Series processors:
http://developer.intel.com/products/processor/xeon5000/index.htm?iid=servproc+body_xeon5000subtitle
Diagnostic LED codes for the SC1430: http://www.support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/tree?c=us&l=en&s=gen&treeid=17D80717209DC96CE0401E0A5517366C&journalid=0F73CB4574E211DC80D94DDA4FEC1C21&Query=&SystemID=&ServiceTag=&contenttype=-1&os=-1&component=-1&lang=-1&doclang=en&toggle=false
Diagnostics
http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=r132112&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=178687
Dell Diagnostics on SC1430 running Fedora 12, x86-64:

Networking
Broadcom 5751 NIC, BIOS default: PXE boot enabled
Wake On Lan
http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19278497/19500906.aspx#19500906
Update 2/24/2010
I spent about eight hours debugging why wake on lan wouldn't work on my newly built Fedora 12, x86-64 system. Went through a million threads, learned something about sleep states in Linux..finally got it by putting a line at the top of /etc/init.d/halt script (called by "shutdown -h now") to remove the kernel module (rmmod tg3) for the ethernet driver. Self-evident, right? NOT! What the F?
full story here
*** end update ***
Memory
As people add comments regarding memory that works in the SC1430, I will post updates to this section.
By the way, dmidecode and lshw can be used to determine the type of memory you have installed:
http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-find-memory-speed-dimm-command/
So far (Thanks John!):
manufacturer model part number
Kingston DDR2 FB-DIMM ECC Fully Buffered KVR667D2D4F5K2/4G
Video
Be warned that this server is very picky with video cards. So before you dremel any PCI Express video cards to get them working in the 8x slot, make sure you test them with an 8x-to-16x PCIe adapter in the box first! ;) (thanks John!)
Update 2/28/2010
Video card roundup..cards known to work in the box (from the Comments section below)
ATI-based cards
ATI Radeon hd4630
ATI x300
ATI X1300 PCI
ATI x1550
ATI X1900 All-In-Wonder
VisionTek X1550 Radeon Pci 256MB VGA
Sapphire x1950GT 512mb card
Sapphire Radeon HD 4850
NVidia-based cards
NVidia BFG 8800GT
NVidia BFG 8500GT
EVGA GeForce 9400GT 512MB PCI
NVidia BFG 9600GT
BFG Tech GeForce 9800GT 512MB
Nvidia Quadro NVS 290
NVidia Quadro Fx 540
PCI NVIDIA Quadro NVS 400
Note: It would behoove one to read the full comments section for any gotchas.
*** end update ***
The first thing I wanted to do was use my ATI Tech Radeon 9200 128 MB PCI Video Adapter
I have not tried the PCI Express slots as yet. Original pain listed here, but an interesting story with somewhat satisfactory conclusion:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2080542
Last week, I bought the VisionTek; however, the ATI drivers have MANY issues on this box. Much more pain listed here:
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=878133#post878133
Update 10/23/2007:
I was successful in getting the BFG Geforce 8500 GT PCI Express 256MB to work in the box, with the caveat that a PCI Express 8x to 16x adapter (which raises the video card) must be used:
http://www.orbitmicro.com/global/pciexpressx8tox16adapter-p-755.html
http://crazedmuleproductions.blogspot.com/2007/10/nvidia-in-da-house-er-new-server.html
Update 8/6/2008
Good Tom's article on the performance impact of using reduced number of PCI Express lanes with a 16x card:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pci-express-2-0,1915-4.html
Update 11/10/2007
In the opposite vein, a couple of us have had success taking a dremel to the 8x PCIe slot to make room for 16x graphics adapters. MarioM had success getting the Sapphire x1950GT 512mb card to work with his newly dremeled slot! Bolstered by Mario's success, I also dremeled SLOT3_PCIE with success (video coming). But for God's sake, BE CAREFUL if you attempt this! You can easily damage and/or otherwise FRY your motherboard if you slip up. Click on the comments below for the success stories. Finally, the video below shows a successful dremel job on the SC1430.
Update 12/17/2007
Free2go had success using the PCI NVIDIA Quadio NVS vidso card in one of the PCI-X slots using 7.1.8.4 driver.
Update 1/19/2008
BFG 8800GT confirmed as working in an SC1430 modded to accept 16x PCI Express adapter cards. Or just use a PCI Express 8x to 16x adapter that raises the video card in the slot: http://www.orbitmicro.com/global/pciexpressx8tox16adapter-p-755.html
Update 2/13/2008
Pics of the BFG 8500GT in the box



Update 7/9/2008
Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 confirmed as working in the box. Thanks Subbu!
Update 2/9/2010
Ati hd4630 confirmed as working in the box. Thanks Daniele!
Linux on the Dell SC1430
Update 10/12/2007:
Fedora Core 6, x86_64 installed like a champ and is working well with the onboard video. Cinelerra is installed and running without issue. Love to see all eight cores busy through mpstat..yeah!
/2007/10/multithreading-in-ffmpeg-and-mpstat.html
Here's a link to compiling Cinelerra on FC6 X86_64:
/2007/09/building-cinelerra-on-fc6-64-bit.html
Fedora 7 also works in the box, but has the dreaded, Fedora 7 broken firewire stack. A workaround is listed at the bottom of the page here through the EZPlanetOne kernel patch:
http://www.physics.wustl.edu/~alford/thinkpad/T23_F7.html
This patch does work, as I've been running on Fedora 7 with the patch for about two months now.
Fans
The fans are somewhat loud on boot, but mellow to a comfortable, if not quiet, level after the system boots. Note that the fans will run high speed (ie, LOUD) if the case is open.
Fun
A little overclocker heaven:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2427225
Update 1/21/2008
Finally tried the above FSB overclock. Suh-WHEET!
Program to view temp/fan speed and to control at the bottom of this page:
http://diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html
Update 10/13/2007
As part of a longer tutorial on the layout of the SC1430 that I will release in the coming weeks, this is the goofy commercial that I made with Cinelerra about the SC1430:
Update 11/11/2007
New video describing the SC1430 with emphasis on features, video cards and shows an example of dremeling the end off a PCI Express slot:
Update 9/26/2009
Installed a 500GB SATA and Vista 64-bit Ultimate.
Update 2/17/2010
Installed a Fedora 12 64-bit on a 4.5TB RAID5 set, courtesy of 3ware 9650SE and Western Digital:
http://www.techanswerguy.com/2010/02/3ware-9650se-support-experience.html
http://www.techanswerguy.com/2010/02/fedora-12-x86-64-first-impressions.html
'sodo