GA-EP45/DS3 not booting

[ervi]

I bought used GA-EP45/DS3 board and builded new pc with C2D E8400 with 4x1 GB Buffalo PC5600 DIMMS around it. Only problem is that it wont boot/post at all. Fans are workin and leds on board are all lit.

I was wondering could it be PSU that is causing this. PSU has only 2x2 12v connector in wire. Mobo has 2x4 12V connector. What i have googled it seems that some people only use 2x2 12V connector and everything runs fine.  I mean does E8400 somehow need all 12V pins connected?

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
If the motherboard has an 8 pin connector block for the 12v ATX power by the CPU then apart from the low power CPUs they all need to be connected. Can you list your total hardware that is connected to you PSU and what make and model it is please?
You also need to make sure that the motherboard's BIOS is at least F4 to be compatible with that processor.

[ervi]

My system is not very high end; C2D 8400 CPU C0 stepping, 4x 1 GB PC PC 5600 RAM, GeForce 9800 GT, Antec SP-450P 450W PSU, Floppy diskdrive

On circuitboard it says rev 1.0 and in manual rev 1003

[Fatman]

Take out one stick of your ram and see if it will post then.

PSU could also be a problem.

[Dark Mantis]

Personally I still feel that it is probably a power problem. The manual suggests a 500W PSU just to run the board. Can you get a more powerfull one to try and prefferably with one 12v power bus?

[ervi]

Well i ordered CHIEFTEC 500W 12CM ATX12 80+ PSU. Hope it helps.

[ervi]

Ok new PSU helped and it boots now. Anyhow i faced a new problem. When i was trying to install Win7 installation hangs when it read Finishing installation. After that theres only grafic bugs/pixels in screen. My grafics adapter Palit 9800 GT worked nicely in XP in previos machine.

Motherboard is actually GA-EP-45-DS3 with BIOS version F9. There is only F10b beta bios that is newer. Dont know what it fixes.

What i noticed my DDR2 modules are not in list of supported modules. Win7 memory test dont show any problems with memory though.

[Dark Mantis]

Well it sounds like we are getting closer.  
Can you list the actual model number of the dimms please?

[ervi]

Dimms are: Buffalo Select PC2-5300U-555
D2U667-1G/BJ
1GB 667 MHz CL5

Yep DIMMS are only 5300 not 5600

ALSO in BIOS / MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T) Robust Graphics Booster shows in right column Warning: VGA Graphics card is not quaranteed to operate normally...what is this. Cant u just turn of Graphics booster?

[Dark Mantis]

I am afraid I can't find out much in the way of compatibility details from Buffalo's website and this is always a problem with these manufacturers. The sell the product and all they say is it's compatible with everything!

[ervi]

Seems that i got it working. Changing DDR DIMS from different manufacturer fixed Win7 installation problem. Got to do some stresstests also. Thanks for your help Mantis 

[Dark Mantis]

You are welcome and feel free to come back if you have any more problems.