Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: hawkes37 on July 27, 2010, 04:34:24 am
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Working with a new x58A UD3R (w/ i7-930). Everything posts ok and all components are recognized and running fine as far as I can tell. I am however getting an odd Beep Code upon boot.
The beep code I recieve is: 1 short then 1 long
This is different than the troubleshooting which according to the Award BIOS beep code chart, there is a 1 long, 1 short (Memory or motherboard error) and this is the closest I can find.
Does order of the beeps mean anything? If not then should I assume it is a memory or motherboard error even though everything appears in order?
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I was helping someone a while ago that was getting some beep code that was not as per the normal set and the Gigabyte Techs told him to return the board as it was obviously faulty so I guess the same applies to you.
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I may try to reset the CMOS. There were only a few basic changes made in the bios like the clock and boot order. IIRC, it was after I made the change to the boot order that I noticed the long beep. Think that might have something to do with it?
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It certainly wouldn't do any harm to reset the CMOS and then load the BIOS optimised defaults. If it is a setting that has gone astray then thast is an easy option.
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Thanks Mantis. Will try it when I get home later and let ya know.
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Question, should I load optimized settings from the bios menu or use the clear cmos button? Is there one preference that is better than the other?
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Clear the CMOS first and then load optimised defaults in the BIOS in that order. If you are in any way unsure check out the FAQ section where there is a blow by blow account.
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2286.0.html
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Clear the CMOS first and then load optimised defaults in the BIOS in that order. If you are in any way unsure check out the FAQ section where there is a blow by blow account.
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2286.0.html
Thanks Mantis, that took care of my odd beep. Also gave me the name for my new box (razzy) since the odd one sounded like a 5 year old giving ya a raspberry heh.
Next question. I having the issue of having 6 gigs or RAM installed and the mobo only seeing 4 gig. Windows, CPU-Z do read the full 6. Should I try to set up the XMP and see if reads then or shall I go through all the normal TS such as reseating (again) changing locations etc or at this point do we just return the boards?
The board is a rev.2 and with the F6 bios iirc. The RAM is Corsair Dominator.
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Definitely try setting the XMP settings for them if possible. This is getting interesting if you will excuse me, it's just that this problem seems to be coming up more and more frequently.
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Not a problem. Have not tried the XMP settings yet. Think I am going to return the board for another. That odd beep code is back. Will still try the XMP in a bit here to see if it fixes the memory issue though.
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Ok, I am on the fence about returning the board for the odd beep code. Only time it does it is on cold start up. On restarts and exits from the bios, it is just the normal beep code. Still think I should return it for another or just risk it?
On the memory issue. Here is some things I have collected (all info as at idle with only monitor programs running {and correction my BIOS is the FA ver.}):
In BIOS under MIT current status
Dimm Slot 1 2 3 4 5 6
2048 - 2048 - 2048 -
Enabled Slot - 2048 - 2048 - 2048
Total Memory Size 4096
Channel ABC (combined for space) 8 8 8 24 6 24 88 2
tCL tRCD tRD tRAS tRRD tWTP tRFC tRMD
In BIOS underAdvanced Memory Settings
XMP Profile1
reads as 1600 @ 1.65v
Channel Inerleaving 6 Auto
RankInterleaving 4 Auto
Under Channel ABC - Timing Settings, all readings are the same except for Round Trip Latency. Only Channels B + C show a RTL of 58 and Channel A lists no reading just a "-".
After leaving BIOS and entering the OS environment, every monitor that I run shows there are 3 sticks totaling 6144Gb or RAM on 3 Sticks. Just an example of the monitors I am using are CPU-Z, SiSoftware Sandra, EasyTune6 etc.
The most interesting reading though comes from the Windows 7 basic system information screen. It is reading like this:
Installed Memory 6gb (4gb usable)
I thought this odd so I looked into Task Manager. The basic Task Manager infor read like this:
Physical memory (MB)
Total - 4094
Cache - 1208
Available - 2908
Free - 1870
Still looking odd, I expanded the Task Manager Resource Monitor. At the top of the Memory Manager, it read 26% Used Physical Memory.
I expanded the resource manager and these are the readings it gave me:
Available - 2899mb
Cached - 1203mb
Total - 4094
Installed - 6144
And the graph right above these readings read like this from left to right
Hardware Reserved 2050 MB , In Use 1093 MB, Modified 161 MB, Standby 1086 MB, Free 1754 MB
Adding up those numbers above it comes to exactly what my installed RAM total should be - 6144 MB
From what I can tell, all the memory is being utilized but how it is being represented by the BIOS information and the Win7 information is different. I know that Win764bit is a much more RAM intensive OS than xp or the 32bit version. It looks like with Win7 eating up so much ram just for basic info, the mobo bios doesnt actually see the other 2gb of ram hence why it is only showing 4gb in the MIT current status in BIOS (and other BIOS areas). So going off this information, what we all are perceiving as a loss of 2gb of RAM is not actually happening, it is just that Win7 is taking up so much that it is not reading on the BIOS. Does that make sense?
The other thing that stood out to me is the number 4094 from the Task Manager information. I knew I had seen it somewhere before. I did. It happens to match the number in the Virtual Memory Paging File in System Properties. From XP, I remember that this was the maximum XP would let you set as that value. Out of curiosity, I clicked "Change" and in the next screen unchecked the "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives". After I did that, I noticed that the recommended size was now 6141, go figure it is the amount of RAM I have installed. So I set a custom value of Max 6141 and Min 6141. That is where I sit now. I am going to apply this setting and see if changes the settings in BIOS to show the full 6Gb or RAM
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Back. Nothing has changed either in the BIOS or the OS readings. To my eyes, it looks like all 6gb are being used even if the BIOS info doesn't say so. I don't really know of an In OS Test to run to see if all 6gb are being read and used other than the Task Manager and the TM Resource Manager. Since it looks like Win7 reserves 2050gb for Hardware Resource but still leaves the other 4gb of RAM available for use, could it just be the way the BIOS is reading? I am guessing the only way to check this is from a clean install with no OS installed and the naked BIOS the only thing available.
Anywho, hope some of this info helps on your research and let me know if you think I should return the board for the beep issue (like I said it only happens on a cold Start from the power button and not from reboot or exiting from BIOS which gives a normal single beep) and the memory issue.
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Hi Hawkes, thanks for the info you posted, very interesting. After a first read(I think I will need to go over it a couple of times) my initial reaction is that the BIOS shouldn't be affected by the installed OS because it is the initial translator betweeen hardware and software and is loaded before any of the OS. I will check again later.
On the beep issue though, personally I would want it sorted out. It is a fault and just possibly could be a precursor to something more destructive.
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The more I think about it, the more your right and that it is not OS related. Did some digging about this issue and seems that it's a pretty wide spread issue with any x58 board regardless of manufacturer. Solutions range anywhere from manually setting timings, changing voltage around, order in which the sticks are inserted, bent pins, pressure on the CPU from coolers, RMAing/Returning boards, etc. What works for one person doesn't seem to work for another and so on. Tested all my sticks and they are all in working order so it's not the sticks. Going to take a magnifiying glass and look around this weekend to see if I find anything. Everything is running smooth atm (even the beep seems to be gone for the time being) so I will continue to poke around as well. Can't return the board this weekend so crossing my fingers that it will last till next weekend. Will keep ya updated.
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While you are having a good poke around check for motherboard/case shorts. Make sure that there's no extraneous parts eg extra posts or the like that could cause a short.
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Hey Mantis, just wanted to stop in with an update. Turns out it was a pin issue. Didn't notice it till I got the magnifying glass out but turns out there as a pin wholly missing from the seat. So returned the board and now all 6gb are reading and running. Also on the beep code, same thing was happening on the new board. I had changed only a few bios settings before it showed up so I went back and reset them to original one at a time. Turns out that I had set the boot graphics slot to run PCIe-16 instead of just PCI and that for some reason was causing the odd code. So just a point of reference if someone else gets that issue.
Thank you for the help it was most appreciated. Now to get the ole raspberry set up and files xfered so I can finally start playing with mah new toy!
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Well I'm glad that it all worked out all right in the end, I know what a nightmare it can be especially when you think you've tried everything. Anyway enjoy you toy. ;)
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Was it a "lost" CPU socket pin?
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Certainly sounds like it from the description onemilimeter. I think the QA on these boards isn't up to scratch recently.