Absolute nightmare. Rig is dead, can't figure out why.

kissenger · 7 Dec 2011 at 11:36

Emlyn_Dewar said:
I recently suffered a dead CPU, system would turn on, fans would spin but no POST or beeps.
I'd see if you could get hold of another one to try. Given that it was your cooler that was changed shortly before it died, I can't see why CPU wouldn't have been considered one of the main culprits.

Sounds like I've got the same issue as you.

Honestly fellas, I've tried everything, including all the things you just mentioned. My rig is currently sitting on a cardboard box. It can't be a short. I reseated the CPU again last thing before I went to bed last night. Nothing is visibly wrong with the underside of the CPU and there are no bent pins in the socket.

The current theory I've arrived at is this: my CPU is almost 4 years old. I never did overclock it but I was using the stock intel cooler and the temperatures on it were abysmal. For most of its life it idled at over 60C! Must have been a bad seating or too much thermal paste, or too little, plus I only vary rarely cleaned out my case so it was very dusty most of the time, which didn't help. So I think that that heat wore out the CPU and when I put my new GPU in and put my CPU under heavy load by playing Battlefield 3, it just died...

How realistic does that theory sound?

Also, I'm still on the lookout for a C2Q. If you've got one you don't want let me know and I will take it off your hands...

kissenger · 7 Dec 2011 at 11:50

Buchanan0204 said:
Don't suppose you fancy taking a few detailed photos of various parts of the inside of your case. Focussing on and around the motherboard primarily.

Here's a few photos...

kissenger · 7 Dec 2011 at 11:52

In that last picture, it's underneath that connector that the red light flashes when I power on.

ben90 · 7 Dec 2011 at 12:20

Sounds like have exactly the same problem as me, I suspect it is the CPU in both cases:~(

reygjabla · 7 Dec 2011 at 13:57

kissenger said:
In that last picture, it's underneath that connector that the red light flashes when I power on.

Move the fan to another connector or change the fan if possible and check if it's still flashing. Could be your fan is shorting.

kissenger · 7 Dec 2011 at 14:07

reygjabla said:
Move the fan to another connector or change the fan if possible and check if it's still flashing. Could be your fan is shorting.

Thanks for the advice. Already tried that though. No difference.

ATIorNvidia · 7 Dec 2011 at 20:53

The mounting kit of oyur cooler might be touching/shorting the Motherboard, try the stock cooler.

kissenger · 9 Dec 2011 at 15:28

Okay, just a little update on this.

It wasn't the CPU. I just took delivery of a second Q6600 and seated that and I'm still getting the same error. I don't know what the problem is. I mean, I literally don't have a clue. I've bought a second set of ram modules, a second PSU and a second CPU, plus I've tried two different mobos (i.e. my original mobo and the RMA one EVGA sent me), plus I've tried three different GPUs and I've also tried every possible form of troubleshooting, including booting outside of the case and with no backplate on my cooler.

I'm at my wits end, and I'm sorry to say this but no-one can ever tell me that being into PC gaming and upgrades and things like that is a piece of cake. This is now more trouble than it's worth. I've been without a desktop for about a month now and I'm having to use this ****** little laptop I've got to do all my work on. I'm also not able to do any gaming, which is a bit annoying considering that I've just spent £250 on a new GPU.

I'm well ****ed off. I'm going to try to get another mobo from EVGA but for all I know any one of the components I'm using could be dead.

Hagar · 9 Dec 2011 at 16:21

Silly question but have you tried a 4 pin PWM fan on that header?

You do not need to put it on the heatsink, the bios may be looking for a speed signal before it will post.

Long shot time.

andy.

kissenger · 9 Dec 2011 at 16:39

nkata said:
Silly question but have you tried a 4 pin PWM fan on that header?

You do not need to put it on the heatsink, the bios may be looking for a speed signal before it will post.

Long shot time.

andy.

Yes mate. Just plugged in my old 4-pin Intel sink and plugged the main fan on my Spire cooler into another socket and I still get the same 'instant FF' error.

bobbyspangles · 9 Dec 2011 at 16:41

You say you've tried a second CPU, second set of RAM, second PSU, second motherboard and 2 other GPUs. That's enough to make a whole new system up, are you still having the same problem using none of the parts from the original faulty system?

The chances of having a identical fault on two completely different systems seems pretty astronomical :confused:

kissenger · 9 Dec 2011 at 16:49

bobbyspangles said:
You say you've tried a second CPU, second set of RAM, second PSU, second motherboard and 2 other GPUs. That's enough to make a whole new system up, are you still having the same problem using none of the parts from the original faulty system?

The chances of having a identical fault on two completely different systems seems pretty astronomical

Yes, the latest set-up I've tried is with the RMA mobo, a new CPU, new PSU, new GPU and new RAM and I'm getting the same error... with the only difference being that I always get an 'instant FF' on that set-up, but get a variety of errors on the old mobo (instant FF, C1, 1D).

The metal thing under the board is the cooler backplate, which is insulated so it shouldn't be shorting anything. Also, I've tried to boot with the backplate completely removed (and just holding the cooler in place) and that didn't help.

bobbyspangles · 9 Dec 2011 at 16:54

Not sure if this will be much help but I found this,

Is that the same motherboard?

kissenger · 9 Dec 2011 at 17:09

bobbyspangles said:
Not sure if this will be much help but I found this,

Is that the same motherboard?

That's not the same mobo, but yeah, I've tried all those things.

Also just got a reply from EVGA tech and they said the board was pre-tested before it was sent out to ensure it worked. I don't know whether to believe that but if it's true then that must mean that either I have two dead CPUs, PSUs or sets of ram. This has already cost me a small fortune and I don't want to have to buy yet more components just to figure out what's wrong! This is driving me nuts!

Buchanan0204 · 10 Dec 2011 at 02:56

Send stuff back rather than keeping. Will only cost you postage this way.

Time for a new mobo IMO. If its still the same. Send it back.

FredFlint · 10 Dec 2011 at 05:23

I had a problem like this and it was the hard drive. When I unpluged its power connector, it powered up.

ben90 · 10 Dec 2011 at 20:47

Maybe a (very) long shot, but maybe it's your main plug socket thats messing up?

kissenger · 12 Dec 2011 at 19:18

ben90 said:
Maybe a (very) long shot, but maybe it's your main plug socket thats messing up?

Thanks for the advice, but it can't be that because I'm using the same socket now to power my laptop. Must just be a dead mobo from EVGA. I'll buy a mobo on MM and test to make sure. Then I'll send it back to EVGA.