Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: Daniel42 on October 08, 2010, 06:26:10 pm
-
Hi All. I just replaced mb and cpu in a four year old home-built PC. I put in a GA-MA785GM-US2H and an Athlon II X4 640. I get no video signal at all, and continuous long beeps on the system speaker. According the manual it's a bad or missing video card, but this has onboard video. So I'm thinking dead mb.
But... the power supply I'm using is 4 years old (Antec Earthwatts EA-500) and only has a single 2x2 12v connector. The mb has an 8-pin 12v connector but the manual seems to imply that it's compatible with 2x2 connectors and that pins 1, 2, 5, and 6 are unused in that case. It's not very clear, though.
So my question is... Does this sound like a dead board? Or is it a power supply issue, and I need one with either a 2x4 connector or two 2x2s?
Thanks,
Dan
-
Hi there,
I have to say, from your description, that the PSU is where I would be looking rather than the Motherboard. However, even a four year old PSU should, I would have thought, been able to power up the board without too many problems even only using a 2X2 rather than 2X4 pin ATX connector.
The User's manual for your board says that a PSU of 500 Watt minimum is recommend so it might be worth trying with another PSU if you can.
EDIT: SORRY I MADE A MISTAKE IN MY ORIGINAL REPLY AND HAVE EDITED THIS TO CORRECT MY COPY AND PAST ERROR.
-
Hi absic. Thanks for the quick reply.
I just checked again. The shape of the connector makes it impossible to fit it into the "top half" (pins 1, 2, 5, 6). It can only go into the bottom half (3, 4, 7, 8). Also, the manual states:
1 - GND (only for 2x4-pin 12v)
2 - GND (only for 2x4-pin 12v)
3 - GND
4 - GND
5 - +12V (only for 2x4-pin 12v)
6 - +12V (only for 2x4-pin 12v)
7 - +12V
8 - +12V
and has the top left pin as 1, bottom left as 4, top right as 5, bottom right as 8.
Thanks.
-
Actually as far as I am aware both connectors fit in both sockets. Just one has to turn to fit.
-
Yes, sorry Dan,
I looked up the wrong manual when I replied earlier, sorry about that and you are correct, on your board it is the lower 4 pins.
-
Thanks, guys. So does it still sound worthwhile to buy a new PSU and give it a try? Is this the usual continuous-long-beeps cause?
Dan
-
Certainly can be because if the power is low it won't provide enough for the GPU and so it will give the same beeps as if it is not installed. Also at four years old it has lost a fair portion of it's original output.
-
Hi Dan,
I would be surprised if it is the motherboard at fault but that doesn't mean it isn't.
It is really difficult to say, go and get a new PSU. If you haven't got a friend or another PSU that you can use to test the motherboard then you are stuck really. A new PSU will probably solve the problem but, if your motherboard still doesn't start then you have spent money you didn't really need to.
If it was me I would get another PSU of at least 650 Watts.
-
If it was me I would get another PSU of at least 650 Watts.
I would also take that approach if it was me. Try and get one with a single 12 v line.
-
Thanks for all your help, guys. I'll let you know if the new PSU helps.
Dan
-
Nope. Didn't help. Same continuous long beeps.
-
Have you checked the power connections to the GPU card?
Can you now fit both 12v connector blocks to the motherboard?
What PSU did you get?
-
It was a Corsair 600W. It has a 2x4 12v connector. Also, I've tried using the onboard video only and also with a video card (with the 6-pin connected). I keep getting the same results. I even tried swapping out RAM to see if there was a bad one.
-
OK can we take a step back please?
Could you post back with the Revision number of the Motherboard as there are 4 versions of this board.
-
Hi absic. It's rev 3.3. And the PSU is a Corsair GS600
Thanks.
-
Hi Dan,
As always, when this kind of problem occurs it is a problem to find out what exactly is causing the problem and, of course, you only have a limited time to RMA the board if it is the component causing the problem. I know this is frustrating especially as you have now gone and bought a new PSU (sorry about that) but, on the bright side, at least you now have one that will do the job.
What I would do, if faced with this problem is go right back to the beginning. I have checked and your choice of CPU is OK for the Motherboard, without a BIOS update so we need to be looking at why the thing won't start. The best way to begin this kind of troubleshooting is to put together the PC outside of the chassis. Get your motherboard and place it onto a non conductive material, I use the Motherboard box for this. Then add the CPU and cooler, 1 stick of RAM in the first slot and, if possible attach a PS2 Keyboard. Don't forget to connect your monitor to the appropriate connector on the Motherboard. Attach the 24 pin and 8 pin power connectors to the motherboard. If you do not have a set of test kit switches attach just the Power switch and reset cables from your case to the appropriate headers on the motherboard (manual page 28) and the speaker then try and start the PC. What happens?
-
Sorry for the long delay. I was out of town.
I pulled the board this morning and ran it outside of the case and had the same problem. I pulled all the memory out and it was the same. Then I ran it with one 1G stick only of a different RAM (and it was an older RAM that I thought was bad) and what do you know? It works.
So it was my newer, better RAM that was the problem.
Today I'll put the whole thing back together. Thanks to everyone for helping me out (and keeping me from rushing back to MicroCenter with what I thought was a bad board).
Dan