So I started having problems with my GA-P55A-UD4P about 2 months after I bought it. One of the gigabit Ethernet ports would often flake out and refuse to connect to anything. Tech supported wanted me to do a scratch load of Windows as one of my first steps. Then pull out everything but a single stick of RAM. Yeah, I guess I should have expected with my first home build that this is what I'd be asked to do at the first sign of problems. Well, I updated my BIOS and all my drivers in Windows. I still had issues with one Ethernet port, but I decide to live with it if that was the only issue. Well, it didn't take long before I'd get a Win 7 x64 BSOD, hardware stop errors (STOP 0x00000124). Once, twice, three times per week. I spent some time in various BSOD fourms posting minidumps and diagnostic results. What I kept hearing was that "some" piece of hardware is definitely causing these dumps.
Next, as a Christmas gift, I receive a WD 1 TB USB 3 drive and a Super Talent 16 GB USB 3 flash drive. I note with the WD drive, when it's plugged into a USB 3 port that my machine will go into sleep, but won't resume without special effort. I found that if I unplug the drive and press the reset button briefly, the machine will return from sleep (not actually rebooting).
Next I installed Linux Mint onto the USB 3 flash drive. It won't boot from either USB 3 port. It will boot from a USB 2 port. Still more odd is that when I plug the device into the USB 3 port closest to the motherboard, I start getting strange video behavior, even on POST. The screen becomes unreadable, with waves and lines everywhere. Unplugging the device and rebooting fixes it.
So I call Gigabyte to see about exchanging the motherboard. And the tech wants me to reload Windows and remove all but a single stick of RAM. Yeah, I hear that reloading Windows often fixes Linux problems.
Then I find out that their warranty process entails my shipping the motherboard back. And waiting. They have NO advance Exchange. And seemingly no timetable for repair.
So, is this typical for these build-it-yourself motherboard companies? Or did I just end up with the runt of the manufacturer litter? Yes, I know ultimately this is MY fault for not bothering to check into warranty process before I purchased. I need my computer and I don't think I'm going to ship out the motherboard and sit and wait. I guess I'm stuck now buying a competitor's product and installing it, then sending this for repair.
IF this is the usual "customer support", I guess I'm done building my own. If this is NOT the norm, then I guess I just have to find a better company.
Yes, again, I know this is MY fault. But I hope this post will enlighten others who might be thinking of building their own computers, especially with Gigabyte products. Forewarned is fore-armed.