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Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 12:59:19 pm

Title: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 12:59:19 pm
No matter what I do, if I add my new (PCI-E x1) HT Omega eClaro sound card to any of the PCI-E x1 slots, the machine will do nothing but post loop. When I put it in the 2nd PCI x16 (referring this as x8 from here) slot, it works just fine. If I add a USB 3.0 host card to those PCI-E x1 slots, they work fine.

This probably isn't a HUGE deal, but I wanted to use the sound card in a x1 slot with the option to run SLI down the road if I decide. While the sound card is in x8 slot, my vid card goes down to 8x. Again probably not a big deal, its a GTX460. Performance difference is nearly nothing.

I am running F3 bios. Clearing the CMOS doesn't help. Even with cleared cmos, it still goes into post loop hell. Then I move to the x8 slot, and it boots fine, I can then get into BIOS and make my changes.

On one hand I think it may be the sound card, but the post loop thing always brings me back to faulty motherboard bios. I struggled with the original bios and post loop.
The ASUS versions of this sound card (same chip, C-Media) have power connectors. Could this be a power issue?

Any thoughts?

Let me know if I need to list system specs.... and thanks in advance!

Edit: This sound card is amazing btw :)

Edit2: I wanna love this motherboard and sound card but post loop is REALLY annoying.

i5 2500K (@stock for now)
Corsair Vengeance PC1600 (PC1333) (1.5v)
Corsair HX850
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 01:42:53 pm
Hi

There seems to be a fair few issues with these PCIE x1 sound cards. Have you tried installing the drivers before inserting the card into the slot ? Sometimes this works better for soundcards.

As you say the reality of using your grahics card in an x8 slot it not problematic but that isn't the point. I can't think of any reason why the card shouldn't work in the x1 slot as opposed to the faster slot.  :-\
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 01:56:34 pm
Hi

There seems to be a fair few issues with these PCIE x1 sound cards. Have you tried installing the drivers before inserting the card into the slot ? Sometimes this works better for soundcards.

Ya, I was able to load the drivers while it was in the x8 slot, never removed them. Didn't help, motherboard won't post while in any of the x1 slots. It wants to fire up, but just shuts down then automatically fires up again in an endless loop. No BIOS screen or anything.

As you say the reality of using your grahics card in an x8 slot it not problematic but that isn't the point. I can't think of any reason why the card shouldn't work in the x1 slot as opposed to the faster slot.  :-\

Yes, it's quite a bummer, the onboard sound on this motherboard is QUITE good but still not quite up to dedicated standards. I'm close to returning this sound card to newegg but it really is fantastic.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 03:57:41 pm
The only thing I can think is that it is down to the BIOS code. I would suggest that you contact GGTS and tell them and maybe they can come up with something.

Just enter your email address and click on the language of choice.
GGTS   http://ggts.gigabyte.com/
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 04:26:11 pm
I'm getting ready to call them now, I have an open ticket from when I first got this motherboard and had post loop on factory BIOS.

I don't want anything ASUS, they let me down recently. So I really want this setup to work. Post loop doesn't seem exclusive to GB.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 04:51:23 pm
Reported. Hopefully they can find the answer. They're going to do some testing with my model sound card, so that's good. So far I'm really pleased with GB tech support. Much better than ASUS :)
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 04:55:35 pm
Agreed! That is one of Asus's biggest let downs.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 05:02:57 pm
Anyone know what the latest revision is for this board? I have 1.1
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 05:06:22 pm
1.1 is the only revision for this board so far.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 05:10:15 pm
A reviewer at Newegg says that there are B3 boards that have this post loop problem and some don't at all. Says his loop problem was fixed by RMAing the board.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 05:31:48 pm
Sorry not something I have come across over here. There have always been boards with looping problems usually when overclocked but I haven't seen any more with the new boards.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 05:44:15 pm
Ya, the only thing I'm overclocking is my memory, using XMP profile from 1333 to 1600. I guess I didn't really load fail safe bios profile before trying x1 slots. Maybe I'll give that a shot.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 05:50:40 pm
Thanks for your help BTW.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on April 28, 2011, 07:44:07 pm
You are welcome but I wouldn't load Fail Safe Defaults as they are very basic. I would sugggest Optimised BIOS Defaults would be more likely to work.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on April 28, 2011, 08:37:24 pm
Ya, that's what I did after thinking about it. Didn't help.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Shatmusket on May 02, 2011, 09:36:15 am
Solved: Defective CPU

Not before I went ASUS tho, sry GB. Maybe next time :(

Mods, feel free to remove this thread.
Title: Re: GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Post loop when adding sound card to PCI x1 slot
Post by: Dark Mantis on May 02, 2011, 12:02:32 pm
No problem with the thread and it might prove usefull to someone else in a similar situation. Thanks for letting us know the outcome anyway and it might help convince some people who just won't believe that a processor can be faulty! ;)