Z68XP-UD5 GD2 nstability = excessive overvoltage

[Deathchant]

I've bought myself a new computer @ www.highflow.nl with these components:
CPU: Core i7 2600K
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5 (F1 bios)
Graphics card: MSI GTX570 Power Edition
Memory: Kingston HyperX dual channel 8G (KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX)
SSD: Crucial SSD 128G M4
CPU-cooler: Prolimatech mega shadow
Powersupply: Corsair AX750
Case: Lian Li PC-P50
Thermal paste: Arctic MX-4 (nonconductive)

As you can see, I've bought the GA-Z68XP-UD5 motherboard and I think it is broken.
The startup shows a gigabyte logoscreen and afterwards some weird artifacts in the upper half of the screen and it just keeps hanging. I am not able to enter the bios at all.
I've made some pictures about it.

1: the startup screen:


Also, the GD2-led stays orange and according to the motherboard manual, it means excessive overload/overvoltage as you can see here:


I have tried to exclude all individual components:
memory: I've tried only 1 module in each slot -> no improvement
graphics card: I've tried the onboard-CPU-graphics and connect it via HDMI to my plasma TV -> no improvement. I've tried 2 other graphics cards (8600 and 8800GT) -> no improvement
I've tried other power cables to ensure no cable was broken -> no improvement

I've build out everything outside the case to ensure there is no shortcut in power due to case-conductivity as shown here:


re-installing CPU and CPU cooler -> no improvement
I also did not tighten the screws of the prolimatech so the cooler could rest on the cpu, excluding potential mobo-bending could be an issue. -> no improvement.
I've doublechecked if there are no broken CPU pins and it looks fine. See here:




And here:


When I build everything outside the case (on a wooden table), I only connected the 24pins connector for the motherboard, the 8pin CPU powerconnector and the graphicscard connector, but I still no improvement.

After I did this, I removed the battery, and I did a cmos clear and then put the battery back. I got a successfull bootup after this, only 1 time, and I was able to get into the bios only once, as shown here:



here:


and here:


I've changed the bios settings into the most safe defaults and I could reboot without any issues.
After some reboots and random power-off actions by the PC itself, I could not enter the bios anymore:
 I've made a movie on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJaHAzXHoQY
Please note that the GD2-LED was still orange (excessive overload/overvoltage according to the manual), but the voltages in the bios seemed very ok, so the powersupply does not seem to be the issue.

Afterwards, when shutting the PC down, I was in the same situation as before again. I tried the cmosclear and battery-removal again a few times, but this time no success.

If the CPU was the issue, I would not be able to see anything on the screen.
The LED status:
GD1 LED = green
GD2 LED = orange (excessive overvoltage)

Phase LED = all leds on
CPU LED = off (also when I was able to boot to bios)

I've tried to replace the AX750 with a Tagan480W and all of a sudden I could enter the bios again, so you would expect the PSU, but the GD2 led stays orange. I've checked all the voltages:
vcore  CPU default 1.250V. Change to  1.19V. did not make the LED go away.
QPI/vtt voltagedefault 1.050V. Change to  0.9 did not make the LED go away.
CPU pll is 1.800V. Change to 1.600V did not make the LED go away
System agent voltage is default 0.925V. Change to 0.9V did not make the LED go away.

After this. I've disconnected the Tagan again and replugged my Corsair AX750 cables and guess what....I could boot to the bios! But I have to notice that the PC did a poweron-poweroff spontaneously only once. After that I was able to get into the bios and a regular post, reboot after reboot.
I also tried a Coolermaster 400W PSU and it makes no difference for the LED.

I was able to flash the bios from F1 to F4, and I still have a stable system, but the excessive overvoltage LED worries me. My PC could quit again anytime and I have no clue why my pc is stable now and not before, despite my detailed testing. I have no clue what triggerd my pc to boot properly. The battery-cmosthing was only once, exchanging PSU also only once.... I dare not to continue this way, since I am afraid other components can be damaged later on.....

Brainstorming/help is much appreciated. I am a bit worried about RMA my motherboard, since I'm not willing to wait 8 weeks for a repair/replacement. I only found this topic (http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,4250.0.html) that can be related, except for me, the PSU is working correctly

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome.

You seem to have covered most of the usual faultfinding with some unusal results. It is possible that your BIOS could be corrupt. How did you flash the update ?

What version do you have on the Backup BIOS ?

You could of course take the motherboard back to the retailer to be swapped over if you have only just built it.

[Deathchant]

Well that's the problem...my retailer says I can only return it under their RMA procedures....This means i can send the mobo RMA on 10 october (they are back from holiday then), and then another 6-8 weeks for Gigabyte to investigate. This means I have my mobo back mid of december. This is unacceptable for me....
I've only just built it yes. I got the stuff on september 2nd, and built it on september 8 (because i had to wait for other components to arrive) and since then I have this issue. 9 september I went on a holiday for a week.

The version that came with the mobo was F1. I backed it up on my usb stick when using the QFlash. After the backup, I flashed bios F4, but the excessive overvoltage GD2-LED stays on. But I can boot now, but I don't know the status of the system, and I'm afraid I will fry my cpu or other components if I continue using it.

[Deathchant]

Anyone???

It seems that no one know how those LEDs should behave. I've tried 3 different PSU's, yet the GD2-LED stays orange despite lowering the voltage in the bios. Should this LED be green or out in a normal working situation?
As soon as I press the poweronbutton button, it is orange.
2 corrupted bioses (F1 and F4) seems a 1 in million-chance.....

[Aussie Allan]

Good fault finding practice so far.......But you need to rule out the CPU...

  Can you beg, borrow , steal a CPU ,..... doesn't matter to much which one .....as long as the board supports it .... this way, in one foul swoop ... you can rule out the CPU and Pin nest ( LGA )

  Aussie Allan

[Deathchant]

why do you suspect my CPU then?
I do not know any people that have an other CPU for me....

[Aussie Allan]

  Not much else left is there.....but!

 1) DVI Monitor Cable

 2) Monitor

 3) CPU=RMA possibly

 4) Motherboard=RMA possibly

  Quote: ....If the CPU was the issue, I would not be able to see anything on the screen.....

   Not necessarily!  a few select bent pins can cause unusual memory problems which can be a bitch to fault find .... or screw a large section of your display .... it just sometimes comes down to which pins, how many are not getting contact, and where they are in relation the the LGA socket

  the images you supplied Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!...... flash is not helpful in these matters .... as too is hand held shots....

  If you have a tri-pod, great........if not use a book but turn off the flash! ........a good desk lamp to provide strong light at say a 45 Degree angle will usually stop the flair so you end up with a good pickie to post ...... if it's not sharp (the photo) don't bother ... also use the 5/10 second timer .... that way your not touching the camera for pin sharp shots.

  Orange LEDs .....Red is the only colour you need to really worry about .... Green, yellow, orange are generally fine as the LEDs are really only a visual Que of load .... what counts is the actual voltages that the BIOS actually reports

  Because it hangs, as well as the weird artifacts .... tells me it's CPU and/or LGA socket .... as long as you're sure 100% the PGU is defiantly out of the loop...... it points in this direction ... but try the things I suggested at the top of the post first....

  Aussie Allan

[Deathchant]

well the cpu itself does not have any pins at all. It's the socket on the motherboard that has the pins.
I do not have a macro lens at all.

Imagine for a moment it IS the cpu....how would you explain the random reboots and the GD2 LED en why doesn't it happen anymore now, while the GD2 led is still orange?

Is it an option to buy the Intel Celeron G440 s1155 to test? And to what conclusions can I come? I can only check now if the GD2 LED changes or not. Currently there are no other symptoms happening. But they CAN happen again, it's just a matter of when....

[Dark Mantis]

Allan gave you perfectly good advice, how you deal with it is up to you. We can only say what we think might be the problem as accurately as possible but obviously you have to put that advice into practice.  The photos's were no good at all to be honest as the pins on the socket were not visible seperately likewise with the lands on the CPU.

I can only suggest what you have done already by building it outside of the case and using the least number of components possible. Then run tests to check them all one after another.

[Deathchant]

I already did that.

The only thing I could do is indeed test an other CPU. Would the Intel Celeron G440 be good to test it (to rule out the motherboard<>CPU components)?
I will try to ask someone with a macro lens and I will try to make some decent pictures.

[Dark Mantis]

No a Celeron G440 wouldn't be any good as it is not a supported CPU.

[Deathchant]

thank you for the update! I almost bought it hehe  
It is s1155 however....

EDIT: look here!!
http://www.gigabyte.co.nl/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=3909

2600K supported since bios version F2! I've got the issues on F1 and after the flash to F4, it keeps steadily, but the overvoltage led stays orange....

[Deathchant]

well, I checked the CPU list and a Celeron G530 is compatible. So I've ordered myself this CPU for 45 euro's for testing purposes only. This weekend I will try to build in the new cpu and I will make some pictures of the socket.

[Aussie Allan]

well, I checked the CPU list and a Celeron G530 is compatible. So I've ordered myself this CPU for 45 euro's for testing purposes only. This weekend I will try to build in the new cpu and I will make some pictures of the socket.

  Good! ... All in all this is your best, logical course of action .... hopefully at that price you can recycle and maybe loose nothing after it serves it's purpose...... or  at worst...... a handy emergency CPU if the bigger one ever goes tit's up!

  I understand better then most , all you want is the PC fixed, ... this is why we're here and why the forum was setup in the first place.

 But it would serve no purpose at all, if after reading your post I told you what you wanted to hear,.......there's plenty of other forums that do that or are answered by 14yr olds after there first build and now qualified "Egg-Spurts"

  If I think there is a potential fix to your problem, ... I'll tell it like it is, after all, this is why you posted here in the first place.

  DM, ABSIC and a few others will agree with me here, .....Having to qualify our advise in intricate detail, ....we just don't have the time.

 But as an example:

  "well the cpu itself does not have any pins at all. It's the socket on the motherboard that has the pins." .....

        I think I understand the fundamentals of this theory 

Imagine for a moment it IS the CPU....how would you explain the random reboots and the GD2 LED en why doesn't it happen anymore now, while the GD2 led is still orange?

  "Let's assume it's bent pins" ...(could be several things re the CPU, but I'll pick this one) .....

                                            INTERMITTENT PIN CONTACT - LGA 1155 (Socket H2)

  Of the 1155 pins in contact with the CPU ... even 1 pin not in contact can cause, ... small quirky issues, instability, failure to boot, monitor bleed, Pix-lated screens, memory corruption..........I could write on but you get the picture, ...... then there's intermittent pin contact that can course all of the above but randomly .... it could be thermal and act like a thermal switch, could be a pin in contact with the very edge of a pad measured in microns, that will supply sufficient current under light load but fail with heavier ones   

  The GD2 LED may be indicative of your problem but orange is orange and not red..... I also saw your photos on another website with your Phase LEDS next to the memory lit up like a Xmas tree.......besides being more information we could have used this further points to CPU/LGA Socket

  I advise you to double check the state of the socket carefully with a visual aid prior to inserting the test CPU at the very least

  Looking forward to your next chapter....

  Aussie Allan

 


 

[Deathchant]

hi Alan,

oh, I definitely not make a topic just to hear what I want to hear It's just that I did so much research already and people keep ignoring the fact that it is not simply a matter of borrowing a 2600K from someone else. It's not that easy you know I'm glad I could arrange someone with a spare PSU and that I have a spare graphics card
I live in the most southern point of the Netherlands, and i don't know any people with stock cpu's
But I hope to receive the Intel Celeron G530 tomorrow, so I can test it.
It's "only" 45 euro's and I can try to sell it again for a reasonable price.

The Phaseleds are all lit up like a christmas tree yes, but according to the tweakers.net forum this is normal (other users have it too) and it will go away later on, that's why I did not pay attention to that anymore.
Strange that the GD2 led stays orange while I decreased al voltages in the bios by -0.2V wherever that was possible.

But ok, the possible issue could be:
- CPU
- Socket
- Powerdistribution on motherboard

In the last 2 cases: RMA motherboard. In the first case: RMA cpu.