GA-X58A-UD3R problem with GV-N480D5-15I-B

[mattym75]

GA-X58A-UD3R bIOS fC1  (REV 2.0)
i7-950 at stock speed
6GB ram Kingston hyperX performance (KHX2000C9AD3T1K3/6GX)
GV-N480D5-151-B GTX480 1536 mb
PATRIOT SSD Torqx 128GB (Main)   Latest firmware
seagate 120gb x2 (storage)
Samsung Bluray player
Power supply, Silent Pro M1000 (RS-A00-AMBA-J3) 80Amp 12v rail
Windows 7 Pro 64bit
All Drivers and updates are up to date.


I have been having problem with my computer when I power it on.  It keeps on getting

stuck at the bios page and it sometimes detects some of my computer components.  ie.

HDD, CD drives and total ram.  This problem only happens when I use the gtx480 card, I

do have a spare ati 4870x2 2GB asus graphics card and it works fine.  I thought it

might have been my new gtx480 card was playing up.  I went to gigabyte in Clayton,

Austraila and they check over my computer system and gave me a new card.  They were

great help and understanding of my situation.  So I got home and and my computer ran

fine for about 4 hours.  Played games, did a benchmark using futuremark and also used

windows computer performance and 7.6 out of 7.9 rating for graphics and gaming grahics.
Then all of a sudden the computer locked up and was forced to reset the computer and

was getting stuck on the startup bios page. grrrrr  I spent the next 2 days trying

everything to get it to work.  By trying out all the bios versions for the motherboard.

(fa, fb, and now fc1) Still no help. I did mangage to flash bios from a lucky startup

using the bios means of flashing and not thru the operating system. But when I pulled

out the gtx480 card and but in my ati 4870x2 the computer would run fine. For some

reason the motherboard and gtx480 card didnt like each other when card was slotted into

the pciex16_1. After a couple of days I thought to myself, why not put the gtx480 card

in the pciex16_2 slot and to my suprise the computer runs fine now, and it has been a

week running great.

Any ideas to why this problem has been an issue?

Another thing also, when I did the windows computer performance test again.  It now

shows that graphics and gaming graphics both at the highest lvl 7.9 rating.

My futuremark stats
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2588905
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?pcmv=372017

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum.
I have read through your statement and it really doesn't make any sense the fact that the card will work fine in PCIEX16_2 but not in the recommended slot. You haven't got anything in the PCIEX8_1 slot have you because that shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16_1 slot and will reduce that slots speed to X8.
I though at first it was a power problem but on re-reading it your power supply is more than adequate assuming it is not faulty and then it wouldn't run well in the other slot anyway. Very weird.

[mattym75]

Thanks for the warm welcome. 
The only card that is in is the video card.  I am using the onboard sound, I did have sound blaster card and took that out when all the problem started. And have not put the sound card back in.  I was thinking the same thing about the bandwith issue too or a conflict with IRQ.  Its all new parts in my computer too. Except for SSD and HDD.

[Dark Mantis]

Well I really can't see why the card should work in the no2 slot but not the default no1 slot.The only thing I can think of is if the no1 slot was physically damaged.

[mattym75]

can it be that damaged enough to let a ati 4870 x2 2gb card work fine in slot 1, but not the gtx480 ?
It is all very strange. 

[Dark Mantis]

You are right it is very strange. When I say damaged it would only have to be a contact or two missing, dry joint or something like that. Nothing that was very noticable necessarily.

[mattym75]

hmmm, thanks for you help.
I dont know if I should just stick with it all and be happy that my system runs fine or should I be bothered with an RMA?
I cant really see myself getting another gtx480 and SLI them.

[Dark Mantis]

Obviously that is a choice you will have to make. Personally I wouldn't be happy to have a board that was not 100% but against that you have to weigh up the agro of stripping it out and replacing it and then the rebuild. How long have you had the board?

[Viccctor]

Good evening. I think I had almost the same problem in my system. After about two months of really hard time trying to find out what`s going on, I`m going to write the whole story. The first system was:

GA-EX58-UD5
i7 920 D0
Kingston KVR1333D3N9K3/6G
8800GTX by OCZ
WD 1500HLFS
WD 1001FALS
IDE DVD-ROM by ASUS

After 10 months of good stable work the first problem appeared - my graphics card haven`t resumed from sleep. After reboot there was no image, but the OS seemed to continue booting up, then, after a few restarts motherboard even couldn`t recognise my graphics card anymore (long beep and corresponding POSt code indication). So I bought a new graphics card - ZOTAC GTX460 768MB. Here the adventure starts.

My system boot up correctly, but I couldn`t install graphics driver - there was a BSOD with something like the system can`t find the device associated with the driver installed. After about two reboots a lot of HDD logical errors appeared, and CHKDSK begun running in closed cycle, rebooting system again and again. Then I tried to reinstall the whole OS Win7 x64 Pro. With no success, I couldn`t even start copying system files, nothing was happening for more then 10 minutes after the first greeting and language selection. Then I changed HDD to my spare one Samsung 120GB leaving the only one HDD connected. Nothing, everything the same. So I sent GA-EX58-UD5 to the warranty service thinking that the southbridge behaves very suspicious.

Same time I bougt this GA-X58A-UD3R rev.2 motherboard. So I assembled everything again. It was again a very long lag before Windows installation started, but after all everything worked fine. Then after three weeks my system just hung in the desktop, stopping everything, no screen refreshing, even no error was logged. The next day this situation repeated, then it started to be really frequent. This time I changed my PSU to Corsair 750W -  nothing changed, system was keeping hanging. I reflashed to FB, then the first start was double, after it the system looked stable, but the video was working in x8 mode instead of x16 according to GPU-Z. Next morning the system started normally, video was in x16-mode but after two minutes everything hung up again... I tried to change graphics card slot to PCI-E 16_2 with no success. But if the graphics card was in PCI-E 8_1 slot everything was stable and worked fine. By that time I was sure that something was wrong with this video ZOTAC GTX460.

So I borrowed 8400gs from my friend. I inserted it in PCI-E 16_1 slot. Windows stopped booting showing only animated splashscreen with logo, safe mode didn`t work.. So I tried to reinstall Windows 7 x64 again. Nothing.. after copying the system files and rebooting everything was stopping showing only Win7 logo animation. In some attempts it continued the installation but then was stopping again for 5 minutes and even longer. Then I tried to downclock my processor below it`s stock frequency (the system was never overclocked) and set x14 multiplyer. Then the Windows installed correctly with no lags and no problems. So I changed my processor to a new one i7 930 D0 assuming there was the problem. I think the only mistake was to assemble the system with ZOTAC GTX460 again. It was woking fine for 4 days, then - again the same hangups.. Changed video to 8400gs - the same, lags and downclocking helps. Tried with the only stick of memory, different ones. memtest86 showed no errors. Tried different HDD, different cables. Tried GA-EX58-UD5 again, it returned from service (wich is in Moscow) with "no problems" - they tried it with GTX480 and it "worked fine". But with 8400gs i still couldn`t install Win7 x64 on it. So I assembled everything together again with GA-X58A-UD3R and brought it to my localshop where this GA-X58A-UD3R was bought a month ago. They couldn`t install Win7 on it with the same problems - a lot of sata errors in any modes, they also tried 8600GT video with no success. So they sent my GA-X58A-UD3R to Gigabyte to complete the investigation. This time I`m waiting for any result. And I still don`t know what to do with GA-EX58-UD5...

Thanks for Your attention. Sorry for my english, I`m russian by the way.

[Dark Mantis]

Hi Viccctor and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum. Nzdrave!

Please don't appologise for your English it is impeccable.

Well I read and then re-read your account and still couldn't see anything that yopu could have done differently. It is just one of those weird faults that will end up being caused by a system fan (only joking, but you know what I mean) The only common denominator is the GPU.

The only other thing I can think of is that these cards are more power hungry than a lot of people imagine and if you get the chance try it with a 850W or larger single 12 rail PSU and see if that cures it. I know that in theory your 750w should be fine but this wouldn't be the first one I've had that was down to a power supply.

Anyhow let us know how you get on.

[Viccctor]

Thank You for Your rapid reply, Dark Mantis.

I know, it looks like a PSU problem, but then I have no idea why my system worked fine for almost one year with TT 600W PSU and 8800GTX (which is really hot card). My current PSU is Corsair CMPSU-750TX with one 12V rail 60A max load... If it is not enough for GTX460 it should be enough for 8400gs anyway. Do You think there is some serious inrecoverable motherboard failure caused by overloading the PSU with GTX460? I also tried to change PCI-E frequency when my hangups become more often. Did it because the system sometimes started to hand up even during POST or on HDD detection stage (the same situation as topicstarter mentioned). So if I try 100Mhz instead of Auto the system can't  POST. If I try 97MHz the system still unstable. If I try lower then 95MHz the system looks the way more stable. The same is with downclocking the CPU (all other settings - Auto). I believe this is not actually the southbridge problem, but it really depends on PCI-E clockgenerator. Is it possible that faulty GTX460 damaged this clockgenerator somehow?

[Dark Mantis]

If you seriously want to get to the bottom of this I would suggest starting from scratch and building the system up outside the case on the worktop. Lay some cardboard or other non conductive material down first and then put together the motherboard, one module of memory in the first slot, the CPU/heat sink/fan, a buzzer or speaker and the PSU. When done try booting and see what beeps it emits when it tries to POST. Obviously it will fail as there is no graphics card but it will at least enable you to test the basic build.

I am afraid I am going to bed now but we can continue tomorrow if you wish.

[mattym75]

Obviously that is a choice you will have to make. Personally I wouldn't be happy to have a board that was not 100% but against that you have to weigh up the agro of stripping it out and replacing it and then the rebuild. How long have you had the board?

I bought the board on the 30th of August 2010.

[Dark Mantis]

I bought the board on the 30th of August 2010.

So basically you are out of the thirty day warranty by the shop then so you would probably have to RMA the board unless the shop was still willing to exchange it.

[mattym75]

I bought the board on the 30th of August 2010.

So basically you are out of the thirty day warranty by the shop then so you would probably have to RMA the board unless the shop was still willing to exchange it.

I will have to RMA it.  The shop I go to only give 7 days for an exchange.  I will put it in for an RMA over the next couple of weeks.  I just about to finish the last week of nightshift and head back to dayshift for the next 2 months.  
Thanks for your help.