Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: demonslayer on May 28, 2011, 09:20:56 pm
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Hi fellas,
seems iam chased by problems.Or maybe just have one beeing serious.
I have a complete new built.
1x GA-890GPA-UD3H Rev2.1 flashed to FF with QFlash
2x 4GB GSkills 1333 RipjawsX = 8GB in Dualmode
1x Creative fatality X-fi
1x harddisk
1x Dvdrom
1x 650W Corsair for the Power.
1x EVGA gtx460 -DEAD
So i had the system running for 1 Day (aprox 15hours) and my EVGA GTX460 went by by.
So i sent it back to the shop and moved on with the internal grafic cards on the mainboard.
Watched moviez yesterday over DVD and Harddisk.Today i had 2 boots for surfing the internet.
After 4 hours i had another booting and here started my problems.
I DID change nothing to the previous running system.
So first the system wasnt booting at all - just beeping non stop with looong beeps.After pressing RESET 2 times it booted saying it has to run checkdsk because windows wasnt booted right.So ran checkdisk and it found a sector that needed a repair on my BRANDNEW disk.
by the way i had the complete Windows Security stuff running ("Security Essentials") + did all updates they asked me to do.
And i did not surf some crazy sites to get some viruses - so i dont have a clue whats up.
So tried to reboot - blämm continuous beeps from the board.
So i checked the manual and it says graphic card not inserted properly (what graphiccard by the way??).
Ok so pulled the cord and clicked the power switch to off and removed one DIMM.
And voila system boots.So at first i thought about a fried DIMM.
Put in the one i took out - system Beeped again.
So i took out the "working" one and put in the "dead" = Dead one works too.,
So somehow my Board wasnt able to boot witht the 2 Dimms no more.
so i played them on all slots and i wasnt able to boot with both installed.
I resetted the Bios (cord pulled,power to off,screwdriver to the cmos jumper and wait some secs).
=continuous Beeping on a Boot attempt.
So i tackeled arround another 15 minutes and blämm it booted like nothing happend before with 2 Dimms.
Now thats what i call unpredictable.
i guess theres something wrong here.
ive read the threads here where users had similar problems - but most of them seem to have done something wrong lol.
clear me up.
one thing i have to admit.I did skip 2 mounting screws on my mainboard right in the middle section.->any probs from that?
I have also to say i never overclocked or hacked the bios more then telling it to stop that logo and disable the internal audio + init peg first (which i did for my new graphiccard yet not arrived here)
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Hi and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum.
I would say check the cables from the PSU and m,ake sure they are all solid. Sometimes the easiest way to test them is to boot up first and then try moving them around a bit and see if the system cut out etc.
Have you heard what was wrong with your graphics card that you RMAed ? It is possible the two problems are related.
Just because you have a brabd new disk doesn't mean that it can't be faulty or at least have faulty sectors on it.
Why did you not put the mounting posts and screws in the centre location holes ? Some boards do require a connection from the ground side of the motherboard to the chassis which is done through the fixing screws.
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Hi there,
good to see a gold helper arround ;D
What is the PSU?I assume that Corsair thing with 650 Watt i bought which i dont know the english term?
I hooked up to the EVGA Forums to check about my graphiccard but the guys there just said - that this sometimes happens - a faulty graphiccard-.
I just did sent it back so i wont get any infos from the shop itself - just a refund i guess.
meanwhile i did screw in the missing screws into the mainboard.There is still one missing which i cant put in - the counterpart where the screw goes in on my chassis turns itself in its thread.(thread gone)
Basically my system now runs since hours again without a problem.
But i guess you might be right - my damaged graphiccard and the fall out of my board could be related in some kind.
i quadtripple checked all connections.- everything is plugged in perfectly until it cant go further/deeper.That goes from the Ram to the Powercables.
I also didnt use any force tp mount the ram or CPU cooler and bent the board.->i know MB dont like this - so i assembled everything out of the chasis as far as possible.
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Hi there,
First I wouldn't worry too much about the missing screw. As long as there is no shorting of the board this won't present any real problem.
Have you run MemTest on your RAM? If not it is the first thing I would do. Test each stick individually for at least 10 passes. If they both pass then you can be fairly certain that RAM isn't the problem.
There have been a couple of instances where the On-Board Graphics chip has caused a problem, usually with complete failure to BOOT and, if the problem occurs again I would probably look at RMA'ing the motherboard and having it checked out.
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Hello,
i see.I assume Memtest is a DOS based software which i would have to burn on a CD to boot from?
After that last posting of mine the system ran another 5 hours with some reboots.
Now today morning i booted it and it first stated perfect.Then just before the Desktop i recieved a blue screen and reboot.
On the next Desktop booted Windows reported a crash and some codes and asked to search online for the solution.
things are getting strange here.
For those few compontents i have - my system is quiet bad.
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Yes, Memtest is DOS based and can run from either a CD or USB stick. You can download the latest version from here: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
I would run this before going any further as, from what you're saying, it does seem like a memory issue but without testing you can't be sure.
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Hi Absic,
so i did 8 full passes on the first DIMM without an single error.
This took aprox 6 hours or so.Is that normal=?
the only false thing is the timings.They are the same wrong value as under Bios.
9-9-9-24
but my rams must be 7-7-7-21 - i once hacked that into the bios but recieved a boot error.Ive read that you could raise the Dimm voltage to get it work?
Tomorrow i will proceed with the second DIMM.
What if my DIMMS are ok?Could this be a faulty motherboard??
i checked the whole forum for threads with that board and it seems there are quiet some guys haveing very similar experiences as me..
post 7 here sounds like i could have wrote it :
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,1930.0.html
especially this guys seems to have EXACTLY what i have with the same RAM:
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2163.0.html
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Yes it does take hours to do a thorough test. It is just one of those things that you do to be certain.
I wouldn't worry about the memory timings at the moment just make sure they are all 100%.
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i just had some sparetime and thought about reflashing my BIOS (FF) with @Bios.
So i started the Software and connected to the US Server.
This time i actually read what revision it tells me it found.,
it says - V.2.0!
But i have the 2.1......
So this time i went to the Gigabyte Website and checked for Bios and it seems they have a newer one called T3 Beta Bios ::) which supports AM3+
which mabye is better for my phenox x6??
http://www.gigabyte.de/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3516&dl=1#bios
so i will flash with this Bios.If you dont hear from me again i fried my Bios.
Joke just will take a backup.
Edit - ok flashed it - and observing.
Will test the other Dimm for sure.
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second Dimm tested for 8 passes and zero errors on that one too!!
no crashes or boot failures since 24h.
tomorrow morning ill start the next attempt to boot with the 2 Dimms (iam running both right now).
lets see if i get the error again.....
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Thanks for the update and at least it doesn't look like the memory is faulty so we can dismiss that.
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jep - i hope it keeps stable.experience tells me that the problem will turn up again soon.
I guess then i must point my eye to the MB or CPU..
there is one question i have.
as my ram is 7-7-7-21 i would like to run it with that latency times.
am i right that i must edit the first 4 terms in the bios saying 9-9-9-25 right now?
Those are the first ones read from above.
i once tried that but i get a message prompted from the bios - that i must restore my values t proceed with the booting.
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If you want to set your memory timings then what you said is correct but you will need to set the voltage also manually. Because it isn't safe to run your memory at more than 1333 you might as well make use of the tighter timings available.
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did not understand that.
i dont want to run the memory at more then 1333.
but i assume i will have to regulate the right voltage - which i first must check out on the Gskill site.
the funny thing is that my Easytune shows 7.0-7-7-20 at 533 mhz in the "timing table".
However i dont thrust that tool.
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7-7-7-20 is a fairly tight timing and as you are using it instead of trying to get a speed increase you will probably be able to decrease the voltage to of the memory. This is always good as it means less heat.
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I got pretty much the same problems with a similar setup, using 2x2Gb Corsair XMS3 1600, Phenom 965 BE. Known good high quality really powerful PSU, SSD, graphics card. I've built a few dozens of computers over the years but this turned out to be one of the harder challenges...
Problem was the "three beep syndrom" right from the start, no sound and no video at all, possibilities to get into bios now and then and a certain time beore freezing... booting into win 7 with random bluescreens after 0 - 5 hours/minutes... horrible. Tried one memory module at the time, looked good for a while then *bam*: back to zero. Tried with onboard video, worked fine for a while then *bam*. Thrown back to stoneage no matter what I did. Newest bios FF, 2.1 board revision.
Latest glimpse of success was after a complete disassembly, reassembly of everything from the processor up, clearing bios, now I got no input from the usb keyboard all of a sudden. So I used an old PS2-connected keyboard instead. Everything worked fine for a few hours, perfect gaming through the pci-e videocard etc. Then a new BSOD, then revert to zero again. Not even the keyboard works anymore. The three beeps again...
This is really getting quite annoying. Wrong: it is ridiculous. No way I'm going to invest another hour in getting this crappy hardware to work. I'm suspecting serious problems with the MB, in my experience I have yet to see a CPU that is faulty so this piece of POS MB is going back to the dealer now ASAP. That is, if nobody has a really good idea how to solve this system builders's nightmare.
It was a *very* long time since I've seen such serious problems with a new build. Maybe I just used to be lucky...
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man i know its frustrating.
i cant tell you how.but with reseating everything i never ever had the problem again.(no matter which dimm slots i used)
but i shot 2 gtx460 graficcards meanwhile without OC without nothing.
First one died.Second one has the famous driver crash which one billion users suffer from.
And my soundcard was the next problem - making noises all day long (creative forums filled with this threads)
all i can assume is that hardware got more crappy over the years.
because i never ever had such problems on a built in the past.
i cant help you out with the error.maybe you should try to flash to the newest bios?
which seemed to help me?
i even run my memory on the correct timings of 7.7.7.21 now without boot or crash problems :-)
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Hi
Although I would probably agree that the moptherboard is the most likely culprit I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the CPU. There are many members who have had faulty/failed CPUs recently and AMD normally just changes them without any fuss.
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Thanks for your support! Here is some more details what I did and also additional observations, tests and results (positive results!).
First of all, before yesterday's post I upgraded to FF bios version which I believe is the latest except for a beta version that I don't want to try at this point.
I tried a complete disassembly/assembly, re-mounting the excellent CPU cooler Noctua NH-C12P SE14 with fresh NT-H1 thermal compound. I chose this model over the even more powerful tower model specifically for its extended cooling capacity for chipset and other mainboard components around the CPU. It is truly a work of art, this cooler: 140 mm fan, controlled by the MB's fan control to like 600 rpm normally. Dead silent, super efficient cooling.
During this the second assembly, I noted that the heatpipe chipset cooler was quite loose, kind of wiggly. It is fastened with two screws right through the board so I tightened them slightly. No effect on the slight wobble though. After reassembly it worked fine for a few hours, even ran the memory at 1600 MHz without problems, DMM voltage at 1.65 according to spec for Corsair XMS3. Then after trying some serious gaming the problem reappeared exactly the same... and I wrote yesterday night's post out of frustration.
Today I woke up seeing a pattern behind the observations. Keyboard problems (and sometimes sound glitches from integrated sound) following after gaming-induced crashes. Those are functions that can be associated with chipset functions... and that chipset cooler turned out to have a rather poor contact as I said. I should have seen that pattern yesterday.
So I got an idea now to minimize the thermal load on the 890GX chipset. I don't even know if the internal graphics HD 4290 is activated by default if you are using a standalone video card but the logic was to cut off chipset functionality that I didn't need at the moment. Disabled integrated graphics since this should have the greatest effect on the thermal load of 890GX.
As a matter of fact it seems to have helped, up and running now for several hours including gaming!
Diffuse problems like we are talking about in this thread can be produced by many things, including weak PSU's, but it is conceivable that the chipset cooler could randomly seat in a more favorable position after a complete disassemly/assembly and this is why it sometimes seems to help.
I have requested a RMA on this board, let's see what they say but I'm pretty certain my problems boils down to that poorly mounted chipset cooler. Of course I could take it off and remount with great care using NT-H1 and eventual extra stabilizing spacers etc, but it is too much work. It would also void warranty which may be needed if the chipset will turn out to have been damaged by overheating. However, I'll ask them if it is ok that I ensure the chipset cooler on the new MB is properly mounted without affecting warranty.
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The chipset cooler is often a bit of a problem on these boards and many people haven't been happy with the mounting/performance.
It is even more likely however that the cPU is damaged as you have been running it at 1600 mhz. The recommended safe speed is 1333 mhz by AMD. It is very common to burn out the memory controller part of the CPU if you exceed this speed.
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Dark Mantis, I have read and understood the potential issues with running the memory at 1600 MHz. I did so in order to stress different subsystems in order to isolate the fault. As it turned out, the problems were unrelated to memory speed, i.e it ocurred with the same likelihood regardless of memory speed and even memory voltage (default 1.5 V, changed to 1.65 V due to memory spec).
Once it started to act up on me again yesterday, I changed the memory speed back to default since the problem seemed unrelated to memory speed and I see no reason running at 1600 MHz.
Now the system boots and start nice, running stable also under heavy load with disabled integrated graphics. So it seems the 890GX chipset or its heatpipe cooler was the culprit.
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I would agree and expect that you are right about the chipset cooler being the problem. I just wanted to point out that any time spent running at a faster speed than 1333 could incur damage to the CPU even for a short time. Anyway if it turns out later that you get a problem with the memory controller AMD are very good about replacement.
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I would agree and expect that you are right about the chipset cooler being the problem. I just wanted to point out that any time spent running at a faster speed than 1333 could incur damage to the CPU even for a short time. Anyway if it turns out later that you get a problem with the memory controller AMD are very good about replacement.
Thanks for the advice. I doubt the CPU had any problems whatsoever during this diagnostic testing but who knows, you might be right that even a very short period of exceeding 1333 MHz leads to problems in the future. Time will tell. CPU temp was kept etremely low at all times of course.
Can you recommend a good test for CPU-memory that would reveal any problems with the CPU MCU now and in future tuning? Extremely important to have good tests as I'm planning to OC this system somewhat as soon as it is confirmed to be a stable build. That is, I'm planning to use a bit of the headroom provided by the 1600 MHz memory while keeping a certain measure of moderation of course. Nothing excessive, maybe take it up to 3.8 GHz or so.
It was a while since I last pushed a rig to the limits to reveal weaknesses after OC'ing, applications like Prime 95 springs to mind but I'm sure there are more suitable alternatives.
Many thanks for any suggestions!
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Prime is still one of the favourites along with IBT and SuperPI. Have a look here for some others:
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,420.0.html
You might want to check out here for some useful proggies:
http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/30530-latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools.html
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Thanks, Dark Mantis! Will give it a thorough spin with those.
Just got a response from my dealer, they want me to send in the MB for repairs... could take forever I guess (it usually does), then all the hassle with swapping in and out old spare MBs to have a working system while waiting.
To save precious time for me, I asked them if it ok if I attempt to fix it myself instead without affecting warranty. Obviously the chipset cooler is problematic since it is loose and wiggles/wobbles. If it helps, fine, if it doesn't then it is also another problem (such as consequences of chipset overheating due to inadequate cooling in the first place) for which I would need more help.
While awaiting their response, do you have any ideas how to obtain a professional result here, any experiences from reattaching loose chipset coolers?
All I can think of is to carefully dismount the chipset cooler(evaporator) and the radiator over the power bridge connected with the heatpipe, removing the remains of the supposed thermal pad with stuff like acetone, check to see if there is a sufficient supporting structure around the actual chip and if needed make sure there will be, then apply some good ceramic thermal paste (I have some Noctua NT.H1), then slap it together carefully.
Please do not be shy to contribute with good ideas here! I need to get this permanently fixed as soon as possible.
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If they allow you to try, which I somehow doubt, don't use acetone for cleanng the old TIM off the heatsink/chip. Use Isopropanol (Isopropyl alcholhol) as it is not so aggressive if it touches something it shouldn't.
If possible I would suggest using nylon bolts to hold down the cooler as they are a bit more solid than the usual fixings.
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If they allow you to try, which I somehow doubt, don't use acetone for cleanng the old TIM off the heatsink/chip. Use Isopropanol (Isopropyl alcholhol) as it is not so aggressive if it touches something it shouldn't.
If possible I would suggest using nylon bolts to hold down the cooler as they are a bit more solid than the usual fixings.
Yes, acetone is really harsh and melts some plastics. Got isopropanol as well so I'll use that instead, thanks for the heads-up. The existing cooler/evaporator unit over the chipset is attached with metal screws through the mainboard so there is potential for a really firm fit. The radiator over the power bridge is attached with ordinary push pins, this is sufficient and not a critical component to have perfectly secured. I guess some thin spacers could be useful for fine tuning the fit of the evaporator, preferrably in non-conductive material such as nylon or even cardboard.
The main problem (remembering other chipset cooler attachments I worked with) is the relatively small chipset cooling surface of the actual chip, much like the early AMD Barton CPUs where a supporting frame is needed as spacer around the perimeter of the chip PCB to get a secure mount without wobble. That is, no heat spreader. I suspect they didn't care enough about that little mounting detail which is what I believe produced the problems I see now.
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Yes I think that you are right about the mounting problem. Just a case of bad design. Revision 9.9 will be better ;D Some spacers would indeed help I am sure.