GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Won't Boot

[OwenY]

Just received a new m/b, installed everything (RAM, PCIe graphics card, fans, etc.), powered it up and won't POST.  Took m/b out of case and removed everything except CPU, cooler, and power.  Tried again, and board powers up, CPU fan runs for about 20 sec, then shuts off.  CPU is i5-4670.  Power supply is new 850 watt Fractal Design.  Help!!!!  

Have tried with and without graphics card
Have tried with and without RAM
Have cleared CMOS/removed/reinserted battery

Nothing has helped

[autotech]

Are the lights on the keyboard lighting up when you hit power on or the mouse light on bottom if optical?

[dmdilks]

Look at the CPU socket and make sure you don't have a bent pin. The two things will cause that are something with the CPU or PSU.

You can remove the memory or video or both and the MB will still run all day without them.

[autotech]

Yes that is the direction I was heading if a cpu pin is bent the keyboard wont light up on boot neither will the mouse.

[grandtheft]

Hello,

Sometimes my computer startup and some time it doesn't.

Similar issues:

- Computer is turned ON
- Keyboard is turned ON
- Mouse the same
- Screeen get's black

And as first boot option I'm ussing > 1 windows (SSD) > 2 Optical drive > 3 SSD intel > 4,5 generic usb's

When I restart the computer, it starts normaly in windows 7

[OwenY]

Thanks-and no, no lights on the k/b or mouse, and I've tried a new power supply-doesn't boot.  The m/b is brand new out of the box and I can't see any bent pins.  If the CPU went bad, would it do this?

[Sylvester]

I am getting the same problem with the Z97MX Gaming 5 and a brand new 4790K.

NH L12 Noctua CPU cooler fan spins for 10 seconds (plugged into the top mobo CPU fan with a secondary fan in optional CPU header) then stops spinning and the entire thing reboots again.

What was the fix ?

[dmdilks]

The first thing it looks for is the CPU. The two of you could have bad boards or bad CPU's. Which one is it.

If you can't test the CPU you kind of dead in the water. I would be talking to support.

[Sylvester]

Well I have stripped it down to mobo and HS/F (Noctua NH L12) and PSU (Seasonic 860w Platinum SS-860XP2 rev modular: normal mode) and it still does the same.

• I tried clearing CMOS with a jumper,
• removed the battery for 30 minutes,
• also moved the top CPU fan on the Noctua to a sysfan header and put the bottom CPU fan on the main CPU header, in case it was a broken fan speed connect and thermal protection, so if it is this its the mobo not the fan (probably) since both fans show the same behaviour connected to that top CPU fan header.
• removed all the case leads except the power switch
• tried reseating the PSU leads at both ends
• and booting with only one fan on the optional CPU header
• also tried booting with no fan in the CPU header*
• also tried using the reset as a power switch in case there was a short in the power switch, produced the same behaviour. + also fyi when the power switch is held the mobo does power down comepletely and stay off as it should.

Still the main header CPU fan (except for * where there was none) spins up for 5-10 seconds and then stops while the sysfan keeps turning, the board lights come on and remain on while the CPU header fan stops then they all switch off (the CPU fan kicks on briefly) and the process begins again.

I checked the socket with a magnifying glass and saw no bent pins and there is only one way for the  CPU to fit so it can't be that. PSU seems to be working but I have no alternate available to be sure. Am contacting support but would appreciate advice if anyone else has experience of this.

[Sylvester]

Further development. I removed the CPU to check the socket pins again and this time went over them very carefully with a magnifying glass and found one pin twisted 90° anticlockwise, crossing the path of another pin, it definitely would have made contact with the other pin when the CPU was installed.

I tried to set it straight with technical tweezers and succeeded as far as I could tell but after replacing the CPU the mobo & CPU remained unresponsive. I cleared CMOS again but it did not not help. I removed the CPU again and all the pins appeared to be straight, but its difficult to know how they respond under pressure if any of them is twisted.

At this point I do not know if the pin was like that when I got the mobo. I remember finding it difficult to get the CPU in cleanly and seated evenly so it may have been the extra thickness and I dont know if it was my own doing, I honestly don't know but it did go in a bit "corner first" kind of thing! I did inspect the pins before adding the CPU on the first occasion but only cursorily and did not really know what I was looking for as I have never built with this type of socket before. I don't think I would have spotted the crossed pins as it looked like part of the pattern when I finlly found them.

I also don't know for sure if this has been the cause of the malfunction but suspect it was and I dont know if any permanent damage has been done to the CPU (or the mobo) by trying to boot like that. I don't have another Socket1150 PC to experiment with and find out. The only good news is that I had the whole order insured for installation damage, so I am not going to be out of pocket, but its very frustrating to have such a nice PC not working and RMAs are such a pain.

This is my first build with Socket 1150 and in my opinion LGA is not as robust as PGA.

EDIT Now have a RMA for the mobo.

[autotech]

I almost bet it is the board now and not cpu. I have bent pins before and after a long time of working at it got them all straight. CPU wasn't damaged at all but it still acted lagish to me so replaced board and all was fine.

[Sylvester]

The LGA sockets are so fragile now, just look at them the wrong way and they break. Easily the weakest link in system integration but do Intel have any incentive to improve the design if mainboard manufacturers carry the costs?

Also update on my RMA which checked out as a damaged CPU socket and a new mobo is on the way. Just hope the CPU still works!

[Sylvester]

Update, Gigabyte CS got back to me and said

Answer:   
Dear Sir,

After read the forum posts we understand you have tried all the possible basic troubleshooting no definite answers for you I’m afraid. It's one of those cases that would need to be physically checked. We are not sure this is a single board issue.

Please return to your dealer for 2nd opinion or RMA. Sorry for any inconvenience.

6/30/2014 1:20 PM

Received a very quick RMA turnaround on the mobo from my vendor SCAN but even with a brand new motherboard unfortunately the fault persists and so assuming the bad socket diagnosis was independantly tested and not just based on on my report of a bent bin, it looks like the CPU could have been fried.  

On the other hand, if its not just a single board issue, it could be that the bent pin was incidental and a red herring (as I have seen a lot of reports of bent pins not being a problem) while the real problem is a CPU or PSU conflict or something.

So I guess its one of those builds. I have only done 8 builds before now, so I am not sure if its my fault or not, if it is its a bit embarrassing but if not then the newer the technology the more likely you are to get conflicts and this technology is very new especially the 4790K. I have relayed Gigabyte's reply to my vendor.

Update : My vendor has recommended a BIOS update unfortunately it is not possible as the mobo will not respond to Q-flash. So it presumably requires an older Haswell Socket 1150 CPU to make the POST with the existing BIOS. But there is a problem, if the shipping BIOS is incompatible so is the backup BIOS and the backup BIOS is not user upgradeable. So I cannot use this mobo with the I7 4790K, I need one which shipped with the F4 BIOS in both BIOS chips.

[autotech]

you can flash bios with an unsupported cpu. Format a usb in fat32 then download the bios you need. Extract it to the usb, plug usb into computer you want to flash and hit end key when booting then tell it to flash bios from drive and pick your file on usb.  I have done it so I know it works, did it on this board came with f5 I needed f6 for the 4790k.

[Sylvester]

Thanks autotech good advice but unfortunately I tried that every whichway with a couple of PS2 connected keyboards and different USB slots for the stick (see update above, is what I meant by Q-flash) and it didnt work. Still at least your post means I don't look like I am talking to myself as I need to add an update.

FYI

I was advised to update my BIOS by my vendor and told Gigabyte via eSupport who kindly agreed to examine the board and update the BIOS and backup BIOS for me. This they did and in the process discovered that the board is perfectly good and does POST with the shipping BIOS (F2) and the I7 4790K, so the problem is somewhere else at my end.

So I will get the board back on Monday and re-recheck PSU lead seating and go from there.

Just want to take this opportunity to thank Gigabyte at GBT UK for their help, they provided great support which people should know about. It certainly vindicates my confidence in the Gigabyte product and its support network.