DM, Problem finally solved after weeks of spinning the wheels! I should have listened to your initial advice to stick with RAM on the Gigabyte compatibility list!
Ok, I did call Gigabyte. After a somewhat thorough scolding, they apologized for not including any written or electronic documentation stating the nature of their discovery/discoveries regarding the RMSA's MOBO. Next, they did inform me they found nothing whatsoever wrong with the board [this is after they told me the two beeps followed by one beep during post was a for sure sign of a MOBO gone bad...]
Next scene in this Gigabyte drama:
I was at Fry's a few nights ago and was pleasantly surprised to meet a tech who gave me answers I have been seeking for months...he was absolutely amazing. So I am thankful about that because many Fry's techs are total newbies.
This guy understood Gigabyte MOBO's like no one I ever met [I know this sounds strange, but it seemed as if he knew much more about Gigabyte boards than the Gigabyte techs themselves].
I have been seeking an answer as to why my Gigabyte MOBO gives two beeps at post, then 10 seconds later, a single beep. Gigabyte told me to send my unit back because it was defective [I sent it back and they sent it right back to me saying it was working fine]. No one at a different forum I read could give me a clear answer except to say it was communicating that the MOBO was faulty...This guy at Fry's the other night amazed me with the simplicity of the answer:
He told me the first two beeps are because my MOBO has the option of TWO BIOS's [thus it is reading and saying both BIOS are working and available]. The single beep we hear 10 seconds later simply tell us that the MOBO has loaded the first stored BIOS and it is working fine.
So simply, so accurate, so correct, and so right...well at least it so seems...has anyone else here heard of this description of the 2/1 beep?
Hope this helps someone out here.
For anyone else following my weeks upon weeks of desperation and posts on the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 v.1 with the G.SKILL Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 1600 F3-12800CL7D problems...well it appears to have been a simple compatibility issue. I simply installed two new A-DATA AX3U1600GB2G9-AG 2GB RAM sticks that are Gigabyte certified to be compatible with this MOBO.
All BSOD's, stop messages, system freezes, etc. stopped immediately and everything works just fine now. I have tortured my system with Memtest86+, Prime95, etc. and nothing bothers it at all now...
For some reason [I suspect plain and simple compatibility issues] the G.SKILL Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 1600 F3-12800CL7D I used would work ok sometimes, and not at all at other times. Often, I would receive nonstop BSOD's and unable to boot conditions...Perhaps if someone was was really good at OC'in and altering timings and voltages, you could get it to work. I simply gave up!
Here is another lesson I learned during this ordeal:
If you are not a super qualified and experienced OC'er and do not have weeks and weeks of time to tinker, experiment, and hit and kick your computer many, many times causing lots of dents and scratches, just use the RAM Gigabyte states is compatible with your specific motherboard!
IT TOOK ME WEEKS AND WEEKS OF FRUSTRATION, HEARTACHE, DISAPPOINTMENT, AND POSTING IN VARIOUS FORUMS TO FINALLY COME TO THIS CONCLUSION!
My brand new Sniper Black Edition computer case now looks like a cross between a very old and used dart board and an automobile after a real terrible wreck...[just jokin', but I sure did feel like kicking it and throwing lots of darts and computer repair tools at it]!
Have a great day everyone and special thanks to you DM for your good help, patience, and knowledge!
Soar
PS Can someone help me safely bring the A-DATA AX3U1600GB2G9-AG from 1333MHz to the advertised speed of 1600MHz? Is it even possible without destabilizing my rig?
