P55-UD4 is setting PCI-E bus to either x8, x1 or no boot at all

[OverflowURS]

I have GA-P55-UD4 and i properly inserted a Club3D Radeon HD 5770 Overclocked Edition into the top (x16 capable) PCI-E slot.
The result is that the system boots with either the video in x1 mode, x8 sometimes (if i get lucky) or it doesn't boot at all (nothing displayed on screen and no HDD activity).

How should i solve this? Please help.

[absic]

Not sure of an answer but what results do you get if you use the 2nd PCI slot? I know it is only rated at X8 but it's worth trying it out to see if you get the same problem.

[Dark Mantis]

I have just been answering the similar thread that you also posted in. There doesn't seem to be any real explanation as long as the card is in the correct slot with nothing inserted in the x8 slot also. Check that the BIOS is set to boot from the PEG adapter too.

[OverflowURS]

My (temporary) solution to the problem described is:

i do a COLD boot (or reboot) every time!

meaning that the PC should be powered up from that point only (not waking from sleep, hibernate or a restart). if necessary, i take the power cable out for some time and then plug it back, then power up the PC. every time i do a cold boot, bus starts at 8x, which is acceptable.

[Dark Mantis]

As you say it is very much a tempory solution and not very user friendly really. I suspect it needs a rewrite of the BIOS. Contact GTS with this information and let them know about the problem.

[OverflowURS]

i'm sorry, GTS = ?

to tell you the truth, i'm kindof scared of flashing the bios. is the @BIOS application any good? 

[absic]

GTS = Gigabyte Technical Support

Personally I wouldn't recommend @BIOS for updating purposes. It is better and safer to use the QFlash utility. If you're not sure how to do that check out the FAQ here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2441.0.html

[OverflowURS]

my BIOS version is just F2    that seems really old.
i heard about hidden bios menus on older versions. anybody know how you could access them? something like CTRL+SHIFT+F1, i'm not sure

[absic]

Ctrl+F1 for advanced options in BIOS

F9 is latest BIOS for your Mobo. I wouldn't flash from F2 directly to F9 as it is quite a large jump, I would do it in a couple of steps.

[OverflowURS]

Ctrl+F1 doesn't do anything in the F2 BIOS.

i am not going to flash my bios to newer versions because x8 PCI-E from cold boot is ok right now. i wouldn't want to risk not being able to start my pc at all after some bios update trials. for all i know the newer bios could make the PCI-E bus width x1  ALL THE TIME ...

the enemy of a good state is wanting a 'more than good' state

[Dark Mantis]

Whilst I can understand your reluctance to update your BIOS, it is a full BIOS version and not a beta so there shouldn't be any problems like you are suggesting with it. I would say do as absic suggests and update.

[OverflowURS]

OK, i will flash the BIOS with QFlash, but much later.
i've read threads here with people saying that they (irremediably) destroyed their motherboard after a simple BIOS update.

i will do the flashing in a couple of months or even after a year.
my thinking is: since the motherboard is new, let it make its job (and offer the value of its cost). when i buy a whole new (very performant) graphics card, then i'll try flashing the BIOS (it would be silly for the card to work in x1 and x8 if its performance is top-level)
1 - if the motherboard gets wrecked, i'll buy another (different type); at least the defected one made its run.
2 - if it does not, then GOOD

Wrecking the motherboard and just getting it replaced (by the warranty) doesn't really improve anything in my current situation, does it?

[OverflowURS]

i've finally flashed the bios..

i happened to see a youtube video with some guy flashing his bios - the guy was nervous as hell - but he did it! he also had a P55-something card and the flashing took just under 15 seconds.

so, after seeing that, i did it myself   i've flashed my bios with q-flash to the latest version (F9) for my mb. the result was not only it didn't get screwed but it also FIXED MY HORRIBLE X16 PROBLEM!!

for summary
- before: video card was ALWAYS either at x8 or more oftenly at x1 (!!!) after each restart; also the XMP for the RAM did not appear in the bios menus
- after: video card is ALWAYS at x16 and the XMP option for the RAM now appears in the bios menus

the thrill was really something (better than watching a james bond movie), i honestly recommend trying to flash your bios (if you REALLY need a bios update)

[Dark Mantis]

Yes and you needn't worry so much as you have a Backup BIOS in case of emergency that can rewrite the Main BIOS if it gets corrupted.

[OverflowURS]

Yes and you needn't worry so much as you have a Backup BIOS in case of emergency that can rewrite the Main BIOS if it gets corrupted.

yep, and i also enabled the "backup bios on hdd" option from some bios menu 

anyways, i heard of guys wrecking their mb even if they were equiped with dual bios