Asus P5QPL-AM

cimurray

cimurray

cimurray

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Joined
3 Feb 2008
Posts
136
I have built a budget machine for a teenager to surf the netusing the above board with:
* Celeron D 336 2.8GHz 533FSB
* 2 x 1GB Crucial DDR667
* 7600GT for graphics.
and it runs perfectly.

When I swap processors to the E2160 I can't get the machine to even post to BIOS. The problem is the CPU is on the approved list for the board and the BIOS is ver 416 which is the latest so it shouldn't require flashing. I have tried it with a 350W and 500W power supply and get exactly the same problem.
Anyone got any ideas on how to make the E2160 run in this mobo?
 
Asus list that processor as supported from PCB version 1.00G.

Which version do you have?

It will be printed on the motherboard somewhere.
 
I have had a look at the motherboard but can't see any reference to PCB other than it states that "PCB made in China" - not a lot of help! Is there any software that would show it? I have tried CPUID and Asus probe but got nowhere.
What does PCB actually stand for anyway? I assumed that with the board having been bought a few days ago from Overclockers it would be new and support everything as listed on the Asus website. But I now have a twitch that old stock could have the BIOS flashed to the current version but I don't know about PCB.
 
PCB is the Printed Circuit Board, i.e. the motherboard itself.

Somewhere on the motherboard will be printed the version number.

My motherboard, for example, has "MS-7681 VER 2.0" printed above the top PCI-E slot.

You could try CPUZ and see if that gives you the version number. Click on the mainboard tab.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

CPUZ for my motherboard gives "P67A-GD65 (MS-7681)" and then next to that "2.0".
 
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I've had another look on the motherboard itself and still can't see a valid number. CPUZ reports "p5qpl-am Rev X.0x" so I don't think that helps either.
Looking at the CPU supported list on the website shows virtually all listed processors run on PCB 1.00G which makes me think this was the initial processors supported from the outset. The E2160 is quite an old processor now (launched Q3/06) and that would tie in with it being supported from the launch of this motherboard. So my conclusion is that this mobo should run this processor - but doesn't.
So I am still stuck with a processor that is supported by the mobo but won't run.
 
The Asus website implies there is an earlier version of this motherboard than 1.00G.

The processor supported list refers to ALL, 1.00G and 1.03G so there must be a version prior to 1.00G.

With the E2160 installed try resetting the BIOS by removing the motherboard battery (with the PC disconnected from the mains). Leave it out for a couple of minutes and then put it back in.

If this doesn't do the trick then the E2160 must be knackered if the Celeron works.

Do you know the E2160 is a working chip?
 
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I think you'll find the version number printed on the motherboard between the PCI-E slot (blue or black) and the PCI slot (white) and next to the small bronze coloured heatsink.
 
I had previously tried removing the battery to reset the BIOS and it made no difference. So I had come to much the same conclusion as you - a knackered chip. It used to work fine but I think I probably need to have a chat with my teenage son who did a computer course at college last year to see if the CPU has been out of the drawer in the last twelve months without me knowing about it!
Thanks for your help anyway Surveyor - your efforts are appreciated.
 
I went in a third time and followed your very specific instructions on how to find the PCB version - and I found it. It was hidden under the graphics card I had installed in the PCI x16 slot to replace the on-board graphics supplied. It said it was version 1.04G which means it definitely supports the E2160 CPU. Unfortunately it also confirms our diagnosis of another processor biting the dust.
 
Cheapest S775 processors are around £35 new.

If that's is too much stick with the Celeron or source one second hand - hopefully one that works!
 
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