My new CoreDuo2 setup is not working. Help!

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:02

Hi all,

I just took delivery of my new system build components from OcUK, put it all together... and it's not working.

I've got:

Intel Core Duo 2 E6300 (OEM)
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4 mobo
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS5 Dual Channel Kit
Connect3D Radeon X1800XT
Antec NSK4400 case with 380w PSU

I had ordered an AC Freezer 7 Pro HSF but OcUK sent me a Freezer 64 for AMD by mistake, but I managed to pick up another LGA775 cooler locally.

I'm not even getting a POST screen. It starts up, but then after 5 seconds powers off again. Bizarrely, after another 4 seconds it starts up again, then powers off after 5 seconds again etc etc

I've removed the memory and started it up to see what happens - it just beeps at me as expected, so i don't think it's the memory. i've tried it without the X1800 plugged in and it does the same thing - starts up and switches off after 5 secons and starts up again.

So i tried it without the CPU plugged in - and it starts up and stays on... but obviously doesn't do anything else. Do you think it's the CPU? Or the mobo? Or could it be anything else?

I did wonder if the PSU wasn't powerful enough but OcUK sell a similar spec x1800 system (but with AMD X2 instead) built into the same Antec case so I thought it would be okay. I haven't actually even got any drives plugged in yet so there should be enough power there to start it up okay.

Help! I'm gutted, as i was looking forward to playing Oblivion tonight!

Datamonkey · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:25

have you plugged the heat sink fan into the correct fan header on the mobo mate?

some motherboards do not power up unless you do so.

booyaka · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:27

start with just gfx card, one stick of ram, one hard disk, cpu and cooler.

Have you tried the ram in different slots on the motherboard?
Do the fans/chipset fan (if mb has one) spin up?
Does the hard drive spin up?
Is the cmos reset jumper in the wrong place?
Sounds possibly like a short/lack of power issue or something similar?

Can you get hold of a friends psu etc and try that?
All the power connecters connected to the motherboard correctly?

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:36

Datamonkey said:
have you plugged the heat sink fan into the correct fan header on the mobo mate?

some motherboards do not power up unless you do so.

Yep! Correct header.

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:43

booyaka said:
start with just gfx card, one stick of ram, one hard disk, cpu and cooler.

Have you tried the ram in different slots on the motherboard?
Do the fans/chipset fan (if mb has one) spin up?
Does the hard drive spin up?
Is the cmos reset jumper in the wrong place?
Sounds possibly like a short/lack of power issue or something similar?

Can you get hold of a friends psu etc and try that?
All the power connecters connected to the motherboard correctly?

Tried RAM in different slots, plus dual channel and single channel.

Mobo has no fan - has SilentPipe technology

CPU fan starts to spin but but turns off with everything else.

No hard drive plugged in - but shouldn't need one to POST - no other mobo i've ever had has required a hard drive to be attached to POST.

CMOS has no jumper - but I reset it just in case.

Tried another 400w PSU - no dice.

BUT! I think i've discovered the problem - memory compatibility! People elsewhere on this board are reporting that certain DDR 800 ram is not working with the Gigabyte DS3 & DS4 boards. Great.

Mumble mumble knew I should've stuck with AMD mumble grumble mumble.

Stelly · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:50

martianrobot said:
Tried RAM in different slots, plus dual channel and single channel.

Mobo has no fan - has SilentPipe technology

CPU fan starts to spin but but turns off with everything else.

No hard drive plugged in - but shouldn't need one to POST - no other mobo i've ever had has required a hard drive to be attached to POST.

CMOS has no jumper - but I reset it just in case.

Tried another 400w PSU - no dice.

BUT! I think i've discovered the problem - memory compatibility! People elsewhere on this board are reporting that certain DDR 800 ram is not working with the Gigabyte DS3 & DS4 boards. Great.

Mumble mumble knew I should've stuck with AMD mumble grumble mumble.

Have you tried upgrading your BIOS???

Stelly

A.N.Other · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:53

Are you sure that you have all of the power connectors in? Looking here (pg 7) do you have the 24 pin ATX, the molex above that and the 12V connector on the left in?

Ugiol · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:59

Which g.skill ram do you have? I have the same board as you with the G.Skill 2GB DDR2 HZ PC2-6400 ram and haven't had any problems with it. I have heard similar reports to some memory not being compatible but im not sure if its a widespread issue?

Good luck with getting it all to work and sorry about not being able to give any more insight from what has already been suggested!

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 18:47

Stelly said:
Have you tried upgrading your BIOS???

Stelly

Er... how does one upgrade one's BIOS if one's system won't even POST?

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 18:50

A.N.Other said:
Are you sure that you have all of the power connectors in? Looking here (pg 7) do you have the 24 pin ATX, the molex above that and the 12V connector on the left in?

All plugs plugged in as they should be. The molex at the top right is to add power to the PCI-X for the graphics card, but I have a power lead going straight from my PSU to my X1800XT.

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 18:57

Ugiol said:
Which g.skill ram do you have? I have the same board as you with the G.Skill 2GB DDR2 HZ PC2-6400 ram and haven't had any problems with it. I have heard similar reports to some memory not being compatible but im not sure if its a widespread issue?

Good luck with getting it all to work and sorry about not being able to give any more insight from what has already been suggested!

I have the G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400... apparently most people are having problems with the NR model memory, though when G.skill did a test with a DS3 mobo that was the only one that wasn't causing problems. Go figure!

Anyway, I'm happy to report that I got hold of a 256mb stick of Kingston PC2-4200 (DDR2-533) and my system boots and everything, so it's not anything wrong with my CPU or X1800XT at least! Phew!

That means I can at least setup XP and also update my BIOS when Gigabyte/G.skill sort this issue out. Or I might just send the memory back to OcUK and order the HZ... not sure I want to fork out even more money on this system though!

EKsparky · 1 Aug 2006 at 19:18

I have the same problem i think
all my new parts arrived this afternoon all ready had PSU and harddrives so i no they work fine
I switch pc on and fans on psu gfx and cpu start to spin then stop then it wil try again and again until i turn psu off
I take gfx out same harddrives out same
All the ram out and it just beeps like a nutter
I have no oher parts i can try only ram i have is DDr and all my cpus are AMD
E6300
Gigabyte GA_965P_DS3
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400
EVGA 7900 GTX
x2 37 gig raptors sata1
Enermax Liberty 500W
Freezer 7 Pro

martianrobot · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:24

EKsparky said:
I have the same problem i think
all my new parts arrived this afternoon all ready had PSU and harddrives so i no they work fine
I switch pc on and fans on psu gfx and cpu start to spin then stop then it wil try again and again until i turn psu off
I take gfx out same harddrives out same
All the ram out and it just beeps like a nutter
I have no oher parts i can try only ram i have is DDr and all my cpus are AMD
E6300
Gigabyte GA_965P_DS3
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400
EVGA 7900 GTX
x2 37 gig raptors sata1
Enermax Liberty 500W
Freezer 7 Pro

It's definitely a memory problem ... more indepth postings about this here:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17606614

seems its not just the g.skill or the ddr2-800s either

Edinho · 1 Aug 2006 at 22:31

If its not even posting then either your psu is dead, or your mobo is borked.

Think i'll be staying away from gigabyte

Darkwave · 1 Aug 2006 at 22:55

martianrobot said:
Er... how does one upgrade one's BIOS if one's system won't even POST?

With a different CPU, some motherboards need a BIOS flash to support Conroe.

EKsparky · 1 Aug 2006 at 23:49

Originally Posted by Datamonkey
It's definitely a memory problem ... more indepth postings about this here:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sh....php?t=17606614

seems its not just the g.skill or the ddr2-800s either

Thanks for that i would say you are right
I've been reading supported list of ram for the DS3
and the only ram i can see that OC's sell thats on the list is the
GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC5300 667MHz Value DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX22GB5300DC) (MY-034-GL)
How does this compare to the my G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400

martianrobot · 2 Aug 2006 at 09:56

Edinho said:
If its not even posting then either your psu is dead, or your mobo is borked.

Think i'll be staying away from gigabyte

Sorry mate, but as I said it's a memory compatibility problem, as has been reporte elsewhere in this forum by many other people - when I put in a 256mb stick of Kingston DDR2-533 it works. I'm sure EKsparky would find the same thing.

martianrobot · 2 Aug 2006 at 10:01

Úlfhednar said:
With a different CPU, some motherboards need a BIOS flash to support Conroe.

The DS3, DS4 and DQ6 all support 'Conroe' right outta the box - in fact, the way gigabyte thrust that on you on their website an packaging you'd think it doesn't support any other LGA775 cpu!

As I said, I can boot up with a different stick of RAM but as yet there is no bios upate beyond what i have already.

gam3r · 2 Aug 2006 at 10:14

What about the G.Skill LA memory? Does that have the some problem?