IBM 42C1549 System X3400/3500 Server Motherboard

The IBM 42C1549 is a legacy system board (motherboard) specifically designed for the IBM System x3400 and x3500 M2 series servers. It is a dual-socket board built for mid-range enterprise tower and rack-mount configurations from the Intel Nehalem era.

Core Specifications

• Processor Support: * Dual Intel Xeon 5500 series processors (LGA1366 socket).

  • Supports Quad-Core and Dual-Core variants.

• Memory Architecture:

  • 16 DIMM slots total (8 per processor).

  • Supports DDR3 Registered (RDIMM) or Unbuffered (UDIMM) memory.

  • Maximum capacity of up to 128GB (using 8GB RDIMMs).

• Chipset: Intel 5520 (Tylersburg-36D).

Expansion & I/O

The board is designed to handle high-performance storage and networking through dedicated expansion:

• PCIe Slots: Includes a mix of PCIe Gen 2 slots (x8 and x4) and legacy PCI slots for older controller cards.

• Storage Interface: Integrated SATA/SAS headers (typically used with an IBM ServeRAID-MR10i or M5015 controller for RAID support).

• Networking: Dual integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps (Gigabit) Ethernet ports.

• Management: Integrated IMM (Integrated Management Module) for remote hardware monitoring and alerts.

Physical Interfaces (Rear)

Compatibility & Service Notes

As of 2026, this hardware is considered “Vintage” or “End of Life.” It is primarily used for maintaining legacy systems or as a replacement part for existing server builds.

• Interchangeable Part Numbers: Often found as P/N 43W5173 or 42C1550.

• Form Factor: Proprietary IBM design (specific to x3400/x3500 M2 chassis).

• Power Requirement: Requires the specific multi-pin power distribution board found in the M2 chassis; it will not work with standard ATX power supplies.

Peer Tip: When replacing this board, ensure your Diagnostics LED panel (the “Light Path” panel) is properly connected to help troubleshoot any post-installation boot issues.