15-11600KF Z590 UD AC Fails to boot - Stuck on VGA LED

Frank_Rizzo

Frank_Rizzo

Frank_Rizzo

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Build:
CPU: 15-11600KF (note the F!)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z590 UD AC
Memory: 2x 8GB Crucial Ballistix BL8G36C16U4B.M8FE1
NVME: Samsung 980 Pro 500GB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive
PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply
Cooling: Corsair H100X
Case: Corsair Carbide 175R RGB Mid-Tower ATX Case - Black Tempered Glass
GPU: R7 250X Vapor X 1Gb, HD5450

Issue:
Fails to boot. Fans spin up, Red LED sequence goes CPU ... DRAM ... VGA and then stays lit

Tested:
I have tried two different GPUs (which work in another PC) the 250X required VGA power and that was supplied, the 5450 needs no extra power. Result = Same

I have tried 1 stick of ram and moved to different slots. Result = Same

I unplugged all headers except cooling and fans, I removed the 980 nvme. Result = Same

Possible Issue:
1. The motherboard BIOS when new defaults to onboard GPU. As this is the KF (which does not have GPU) the motherboard will not post. HIGHLY LIKELY?

2. The motherboard has ATX_12V_2X2 and ATX_12V_2x4 in the top left of the board. The PSU only has the 2x4 connecter. It could be that the board will not power even the 5450 because there is no 2x2 cable? Not likely.

Anyone give me some pointers here?
 
Frank_Rizzo said:
Anyone give me some pointers here?
Click to expand...

Definitely a case of poltergeist activity. Good luck.

Have you tried the 250X in the other PCIe slot? Or building it outside the case with bare minimum connected?

I used the Carbide 175R for a build little over a year ago. It was an ok case, missing one of the two SSD mounts behind motherboard tray, which Corsair sent me right away when informed.
 
Looking at manual .. both 8 and 4 pin CPU needs to go in...

Keeps going on about 12v needed and guessing all 6 pins that provide that via 4+8 pinned connectors .. could be wrong
 
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Thanks for the pointers.

Danny, I have tried the other pcie slot. It's now out of the case on the bench and still the same.

orbitalwalsh, that makes sense but the manaul does not. It does not say you have to have the extra EPS connector specifically in that there is no text

"this motherboard will not work unless both sets of plugs are inserted"

It's vague as to if it is needed or not.

---

As this is newish technology I do not have any further spares I can test with this so I am going to have to purchase something for testing. I think there are two choices:

1. Purchase a new PSU with the extra connector and return the be Quiet if the new PSU works
2. Purchase the cheapest compatible CPU with IGP and if that works check if / set the BIOS is set to external GPU only. Something like this https://www.overclockers.co.uk/inte...ocket-lga1200-processor-retail-cp-69j-in.html
 
Boot cycle stops at vga doesn't sound like a 12v eps problem i wonder if the motherboard is defaultung to onboard gpu .

Try clearing the cmos remove thd battery and use the onboard jumper disconnrct all power and leavs for 10 minutes.
 
I logged a call with gigabyte support. They state:

1. The "Initial Display Output" default setting in BIOS sets the graphics card on the PCIEX16 slot as the first display.

and

2. It should be fine to connect ATX_12V 8-pin only. Additional 4-pin connector is mainly for power compensation under specific circumstance.

So that (should) rule out the initial assumptions that the KF chip and or the PSU is not suitable.

Next, I got the usual do this, do that etc. One thing they did prompt me to do was to connect a speaker. Of course! This allows me to examine the beep codes.

So with the motherboard running naked, with a different AIO cooler I still get the same problems. But there is some clue with the beep codes.

With any RAM stick in either of the A Slots (the first two next to the CPU) I get this:

Red LEDs will flash CPU, DRAM eleven times then stick on DRAM. The beep will be long, short silence then long ad infinitum. This is not a continual beep, but a long beep continuously with a gap if you know what I mean.

Ensuring there is no RAM stick in either of the A Slots then I now get this:

Red LED flashes in sequence CPU, DRAM, VGA and sticks on VGA. I then get 5 short beeps. That would indicate processor failure.

I don't know if that is evidence or not, but the fact that the beep codes are different depending on the position of the RAM would indicate a motherboard fault. Incidently the long beep continuously happens the same if I install non RAM at all, thus that would point to the motherboard having a fault with Slots A, possibly.
 
If the board has bios flashback feature you could always try reflashing since you have nothing to lose at this point.
 
Yes, not possible to get into bios. No screen at all.

Let me make sure I have not done something stupid with the CPU.

It's a socket LGA 1200 so:

* There are no pins that can be bent
* It is not possible to insert the wrong way because of the two offset notches
* It is not possible to crush the device because the H100x has standoffs that stop at a specific distance
* I used a small pea size of Artic Silver 5. This is a few years old but at worse it would only not produce good temps, there is no way old AS 5 would prevent a CPU from powering up
 
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If you have good eyes, and since CPU is one of the candidates, carefully inspect the tiny gold contacts for any speck of dirt or paste. That caught me out once, just one of the tiny contacts was covered with a speck of paste.

You're being very thorough troubleshooting and using logic so there's little else I can suggest. Joxeon's suggestion seems worth it now.
 
Hmm. Of course there are pins in there - in the socket.

I just zoomed in with the camera and there is a bent pin. I must have done that myself at sometime, somehow whilst swapping the coolers and reseating.

Gutted. I doubt I can RMA this now. Maybe it still has an inherent fault, maybe it has not and I caused it.

I will order a different motherboard and attempt a repair of the socket later.
 
Frank_Rizzo said:
Hmm. Of course there are pins in there - in the socket.

I just zoomed in with the camera and there is a bent pin. I must have done that myself at sometime, somehow whilst swapping the coolers and reseating.

Gutted. I doubt I can RMA this now. Maybe it still has an inherent fault, maybe it has not and I caused it.

I will order a different motherboard and attempt a repair of the socket later.
Click to expand...
No point geting another motherboard try to straighten the bent pin first then order if it doesnt work.
 
Ok, I have now tried this in a new Z590 Gaming X. I have exactly the same fault.

* No display on the screen
* Red LED stays on VGA
* 5 short beeps

I guess it is the CPU then.
 
Frank_Rizzo said:
Ok, I have now tried this in a new Z590 Gaming X. I have exactly the same fault.

* No display on the screen
* Red LED stays on VGA
* 5 short beeps

I guess it is the CPU then.
Click to expand...

Do you get the same result if you try to boot with no VGA installed at all?

My first port of call is to get right back to basics, take it all out of your case, build just the board/CPU and single RAM module (make sure it is in the correct slot), build it on the box, plug in the PSU and nothing else. Reset the BIOS, pull the battery and short the CMOS pins etc. The one you've done that put in the known good graphics card (all still on the motherboard box) and do a test boot, using just a screw driver or similar to short the PS-ON pins on the FP header.

DO NOT connect any SSD, keyboard, mouse, anything USB, and fans that aren't required. BASICS ONLY!!!
 
Colin. I tried one of the 2x4 in the 1x4. No joy. Gigabyte support say only the 2x4 are needed anyway.

Journey. Got the T-shirt on all those. The rig is now currently naked and I got it hooked up to an old Belinea monitor with VGA cable, after having tried HDMI, DPORT.

As for running it without any GFX card I get exactly the same symptoms - 5 short beeps. That would suggest that the board is not detecting any GFX at all. Remember this is KF, so it could be that the board is defaulting to IGP, can't find IGP and goes off on one.

I have a G6400 arriving tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if that boots, and if the BIOS is set to IGP. Note that it's only the CPU that has not been substituted. Every other part has been swapped out so this has to be the CPU (or the mobo being funny about no IGP in the CPU).
 
Frank_Rizzo said:
I have a G6400 arriving tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if that boots, and if the BIOS is set to IGP. Note that it's only the CPU that has not been substituted. Every other part has been swapped out so this has to be the CPU (or the mobo being funny about no IGP in the CPU).
Click to expand...

The BIOS will be set to IGP --> PCI-E 16x as default, as you said it maybe that the BIOS isn't correctly identifying the KF SKU and it thinks there is an iGPU there. It could also be something to do with the 16x slots defaulting to PCI-E 4.0 and not dropping back to 3.0 mode.

You could install one of the cards in a 4x slot or even a 1x slot and see if you have any joy that way as well, its worth a shot for the few minutes it will take. :)
 
*** Success ***

Well looky here. I put in a G6400, remove the GFX card, and ... it boots to the iGPU.

Will update with conclusion later. But at this moment in time I am not happy with Gigabyte, after having uneccesarily spent £250 and trashing a motherboard.
 
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