YouTuber EastMakes Replaces HP ProLiant N40L Motherboard with Custom Raspberry Pi CM5 Board

Custom Motherboard for Legacy Server

YouTuber EastMakes created a custom motherboard to replace the outdated integrated board in a 15-year-old HP ProLiant N40L micro-server. The original motherboard, featuring an AMD Turion II chip, lacked modern connectivity and processing power.

Raspberry Pi CM5 Integration

The new motherboard is designed around a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5), which is a port-less version of the Raspberry Pi 5. EastMakes utilized the open-source nature of the Raspberry Pi project to adapt existing diagrams and documentation for his custom design.

Modernizing Connectivity

The custom board extends to fit the N40L's original motherboard area and includes an NVMe slot for system storage. It also adds two USB 3.0 Type-A connectors and an Ethernet port, addressing the limitations of the original server's USB 2.0 ports and lack of NVMe support.

Design and Functionality

EastMakes prototyped the board with 3D printing to ensure correct port and screw-hole alignment. He also optimized the design by including a single HDMI port and carefully managed trace lengths for timing integrity. The finished PCB features a yellow-on-black finish and includes 'Boop' and 'Reboop' switches.

Successful Integration

Upon testing, the custom PCB functioned correctly on the first attempt. The new motherboard was then installed into the N40L chassis, fitting and booting successfully, effectively repurposing the old server with updated hardware.