GA-MA770-DS3 restarting windows prob

[Zikon]

Hi there, Working on my brothers PC trying to install Windows 7 on it after the previous Windows 7 installation failed to boot up. Problem is I can't even run the installation disc because the PC keeps restarting itself just after the "Starting Windows" screen disappears. I've been over to a Windows 7 forum and tried everything they've told me and more to no avail. Now I know it's not a problem with anything else but either the Mobo or CPU (the CPU is an AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core 9950 2.6GHz Black Edition Socket AM2+), but I think it's the mobo. All the other components (Graphics card, RAM etc.) have been replaced with working components from my own PC that uses the same GA-MA770-DS3 board (same rev. 00 in all). I took the HDD (Seagate 160GB SATA) from my bro's PC and installed Windows 7 no prob on my PC, but when I put it back in his, even with all the drivers removed manually, it still just restarts the PC. I was able to have XP running on it before so I decided to give up on 7 and put XP on it, it ran the initial disc fine but I noticed after restarts during the installation, the screen would just be black and do nothing, I had to keep manually restarting it. Finally when it did install, it failed to boot and kept restarting the PC just like Windows 7.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the CPU, it doesn't seem to be damaged in anyway, so I believe it has to be something to do with the Mobo. I've updated it with the latest BIOS, F8F which has made no difference so now I have very little idea on what the problem is...

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Can you please list your hardware including PSU?

[Zikon]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Can you please list your hardware including PSU?

Can do:

Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770 Socket AM2+ 8 channel audio ATX Motherboard

AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core 9950 2.6GHz Black Edition Socket AM2+

3x  Kingston 1GB DDR2 667MHz / PC2-5300 MEMORY CL5 1.8V NON ECC UNBUFFERED

Gecube HD 3850 Pro 512MB GDDR3 Overclocked Edition Dual DVI PCI-E Graphics Card

Seagate ST3160815AS 160GB Hard Drive 7200RPM SATAII/300 8MB Cache

Coolermaster550W eXtreme Power Plus PSU

[absic]

Hi there,

You don't say which revision your motherboard is but a quick look at the CPU support list shows that whichever revision of this motherboard you are using the 9950 CPU is not supported.

Rev 1: http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=2722 (N/A in the CPU support list means not supported.)

Rev 2: http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=2874

[Zikon]

Hi there,

You don't say which revision your motherboard is but a quick look at the CPU support list shows that whichever revision of this motherboard you are using the 9950 CPU is not supported.

Rev 1: http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=2722 (N?A in the CPU support list means not supported.)

Rev 2: http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=2874

Said in the first post it's Rev. 00 but I don't think I clearly stated that sorry. Yes, out of the box it didn't work with the CPU, but once I updated the BIOS it was fine, been running a Vista installation on it for well over a year since then fine, then when I first put Windows 7 on it, it took that fine, just about 4 months after I put that on these problems started.

[Dark Mantis]

For the record there is no rev 00 the first board was rev 1.0.
What speed have you been running the memory at?

[Zikon]

For the record there is no rev 00 the first board was rev 1.0.

Well it said Rev. 00 on the manual so I just went by that, but I'll take your word for it.

What speed have you been running the memory at?

Default speeds, I just have it all set to auto in the BIOS.

[absic]

The motherboard revision number can actually be found printed near the edge of the motherboard but that is academic really as neither version officially supports your CPU.

So, you are asking, why did it work before? I don't know, is the honest answer but I don't think that anything you try, short of replacing the CPU with one that is on the support list, will get you up and running again.

[Zikon]

The motherboard revision number can actually be found printed near the edge of the motherboard but that is academic really as neither version officially supports your CPU.

So, you are asking, why did it work before? I don't know, is the honest answer but I don't think that anything you try, short of replacing the CPU with one that is on the support list, will get you up and running again.

All in all, I've been a bit of a pratt then.

Oh well, lesson learnt, my bro said he will just buy a new mobo and this time I will make sure to check which Rev it is and that the CPU is compatible.

I knew it had to be something small and simple, thanks for all the help, just a relieve to know what it was.

[absic]

Yes and sorry I couldn't help more. 

It's always so frustrating when something works for a while and then falls over and then you discover that it shouldn't have worked at all from the beginning.

[Dark Mantis]

Actually there is no reason to think that either the motherboard or processor is faulty, it could be a simple case of incompatibility so don't just discard your components.