GA-P55A-UD6 POST Error 26

[mitchem]

Hello all, I'm having some weird difficulties with my motherboard suddenly (at least I assume it is).
   For the past month I've been working with nVidia trying to figure out why their card, GTX 560 Ti, keeps posting an Error 26h on my motherboard. I have tried multiple things and thought it was the graphics card causing the issue time and time again. However, I just tested the card on a GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard and it went through POST fine. I even managed to stress test the card with a stability tester with no issues. So now it seems it points back to the motherboard conflicting with the card in some way.
   I definitely know now the card is in no way faulty (especially after RMA'ing twice). The thing that makes me double take however is that when I insert a GTS 250 the machine runs fine, on top of the 6 months before now where the GTX 560 Ti worked flawlessly and I have not changed a single thing since then, including drivers. I have updated my BIOS, checked the card in several PCIe slots, and tried several different drivers but I still get either a POST error 26 or I make it through the boot and then get my video to stop and the fans of the card suddenly crank to max.

So now I'm at a loss and puzzled... Does anyone else have an inkling of what might be the issue? Could it actually be my motherboard has gone faulty?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight you can give..

[Gloup_Gloup]

Hi mitchem,  

Welcome forum,

What is your Bios version? If you have versionF12c, this is not good. Return to version F11.
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3234#bios

In manual of motherboard:
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-p55a-ud6_e.pdf       Page 133

POST(hex) Error Code

26h 1. If Early_Init_Onboard_Generator is not defined Onboard clock generator initialization.
Disable respective clock resource to empty PCI & DIMM slots
2. Init onboard PWM
3. Init onboard H/W monitor devices

Have you tried with other graphics card on your motherboard? Have you a same problem... ?

Maybe your problem, is not a graphics card... but check other things...

When you change a  Bios version ...

About Flashing a Bios,

Use Q-Flash utilities. Pdf guide.
http://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/121/tech_qflash.htm

More infos on Forum here :
How Do I Update My BIOS?
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2441.0.html

====================================
About Flash Bios
Normaly a End Key is for Flash a Bios. When the post appears.

...
Use a QFlash to reflash BIOS ( Never use @BIOS, because is not good orIt is not the best ..)

More help about How Do I Update My BIOS?  Read it, this is the best.
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2441.0.html

But Before AND after Flash a BIOS...

I do not know if you've done that ... but I invite you to do so.

I suggest you apply the following instructions (quote from Dark Mantis) ...
===================================================

Hi
...

Try clearing the CMOS before installing the GPU. follow these instructions exactly.

Remove the power cable from the mains supply and then press the power switch on the case for a few seconds just to drain any residual energy in the PSU capacitors.

Once done remove the motherboard battery for at least one hour before replacing it.
 
Next plug back into the mains supply and boot.
 
You will now need to enter the BIOS by pressing DEL and load Optimised BIOS Defaults.

Make any other changes to the BIOS settings to suit your self like disabling the floppy drive, disabling the full screen logo and making the HDD the primary boot device and then press F10 to save and exit.

And during a Flashing BIOS...

Hi
...
Try using QFlash to update the BIOS to the latest version and make sure that youi disable the "Keep DMI Data" on the QFlash homepage.

Gloup_Gloup

[mitchem]

Hello Gloup!
My BIOS version is currently F11, I assumed a beta version wouldn't be the best idea for solving issues. 

I have tried other graphics cards in the system on the motherboard and they work fine.... which is why I'm so puzzled as to why I'm only getting error 26 with the one card which is a freshly RMAd card. The only reason I assume its the card is because the error ONLY occurs with the GTX 560 Ti in the slot.

[Gloup_Gloup]

Hi again, 

Thanks for infos and you are welcome to return here , for comments after news situation...
Good to see you came to see us ...

Gloup_Gloup

[mitchem]

Thank you, Gloup for your help.
I muddled around with the.box some more doing simple stuff that didn't really further anything... I suppose I'll leave it be for tonight.

Thanks for the welcome and the help again Gloup. 

[Lsdmeasap]

Did you ever try the latest beta BIOS?   It may help, and may have been specifically designed to address this or similar issues.

I'd try it for sure!!   Nothing wrong with beta BIOS, it's all I ever use!   And I'd especially be trying it if even only for a while to test, since you are having issues.

[dikal]

Hi mitchem

Have you checked if your PSU is Ok? Check with the one from the GA-X58A-UD7 machine if available.

[Rolo42]

I was suspecting power as well.  What make/model PSU?  Was it the same PSU used with the 550Ti/UD7?

The 550Ti draws more power than the 250.  Perhaps check your PCIe power connections also.

[mitchem]

We have a winner! I checked some of the connections in the box and it seems the old power supply had shorted a few times as more than a few had been burned or scorched. It was also the minimum amount of power to run in the box and now I am getting no errors, so thank you to all!

[Lsdmeasap]

Awesome that you caught that before it burned anything else up!!

Hopefully a new PSU will get things squared away for you on this!

[Gloup_Gloup]

Hi Lsdmeasap,

I wanted to greet you and thank you so much for your strong contribution on the TweakTown Forums and I tip my hat.
Whit Dark Mantis of course... Important helper members in TT Forum...

I feel small in front of you, but I feel good about this forum, so I feel useful as a complement to other helpers members.  

Gloup_Gloup

[Lsdmeasap]

Hi  Gloup_Gloup, nice to meet you!!

Thanks so much for your kind words, it always feels great to hear that others appreciate my help!!  Dark Mantis is always helpful on any forum he's a member of, and Gigabyte is very lucky to have him (and others as well) here to help!

I try to stop in and help the guys here, but I don't often have enough time as I would like to get into every forum I try to help in, sometimes I spread myself too thin I guess 

Thank you again for your support, it's great to know others are appreciative!  I see you help here too, keep it up, the more users that help others (Anywhere) the better off our fellow Gigabyte users are!

[Lsdmeasap]

Sorry, I thought this info was sent via PM to the OP here, but I see it wasn't!

Post code 26 could be confused with 2b, so I'm posting this into just in case it might help the OP or anyone in the future.

2b is often a graphics card issue -

2b
When the system powers on and the Debug LED shows the usual POST code sequence but hangs on 2b or you get a beep code as soon as the sequence reaches 2b, then the Mainboard cant detect your Videocard properly. Note that the POST code sequence might not halt at 2b but continue, so the final POST Code it displays could be FF, 00 or 7F which means the Maiboard booted, entered BIOS, or OC recovery kicked in and is waiting for Input to enter BIOS. Since the Videocard couldnt be detected properly you will only see a black Monitor and either 2b, FF, 00 or 7F. Check if there is something wrong with the Videocard, the PCIE slot or BUS, the Monitor or monitor cable. Turn the Monitor on and off, switch the Monitor cable from one D-SUB or DVI plug to the other in case your Videocard has two. If this doesnt help then reboot and load the optimized defaults. If that doesnt help either try another Videocard if possible, or try the Videocard in another system to make sure its working properly. Try another monitor or try the Monitor on another System.


00
Your in the BIOS right now, if you cant see the BIOS cause your Display stays black, please check the description for POST Code 2b. If this is part of a loop please check the point "E8 -> 01 -> b2 -> 00 looping" above.

Here is all the debug codes for X58, please note the 00 code, also tied into 2b
http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/39229-gigabyte-award-x58-bios-led-debug-codes.html