GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DS5 DUD?

Bungleflare · 25 Aug 2009 at 00:36

I don’t know if someone can help me?

I bought a GA-EX38-DS5 Motherboard 15 months ago and have just sought to install it with a Antec Neo550 Powers Supply, Q9450 processor and Kingston RAM.

But the Motherboard appears dead – No response at all, with or without video card, RAM etc in it.
With the 24-pin socket properly and 4 pin 12v power socket embedded in its socket - I get nothing,
It is dead, it does not start post sequence at all.
However on adjusting the power supply out of the socket, I just got the smallest little start.
However, when it does start, the Phase LED flashes and then it goes dead again?

Checked power supply with simple test, and it seemed to work OK.
I really can't think there's a problem with the Q9450 CPU?

I thought Gigabyte were quite good. Has anyone similar experience of this sort of thing or heard of a problem with these boards?

Any help gratefully recieved.

Bungleflare

rodo · 25 Aug 2009 at 08:44

From FAQ

As you know OcUK are in the computer hardware business and therefore the promotion of OcUK's competitors is forbidden.

Just a heads up

Bungleflare · 26 Aug 2009 at 02:01

GA-X48-DS5 REPLACEMENT FOR GA-EX38-DS5 ?

Rodo,
Thanks for the reminder. Apologies OcUK.

(I was not seeking to promote anyone else in these circumstances !! )

Did further tests today and I'll probably need to buy a replacement board.
I see OcUK are still offerring the GA-X48-DS5.

Has anyone got this board?
Any comments on it ?
Any there any known hardware or BIOS problems with it ?

Thanks.

JonJ678 · 26 Aug 2009 at 02:42

What do you mean by "However on adjusting the power supply out of the socket,"

Its looking like the psu or motherboard is dead. if you can test neither, I would rma the board to Gigabyte as I expect them to be better than Antec for returns. However it's roughly equal odds of psu or mb being d.o.a.

I hope you have some other hardware you could use to test this

Bungleflare · 26 Aug 2009 at 03:08

Thanks for that.

Re: "the adjusting the powers supply out of the socket" - yes it was just that.
With the power 'on', rocking the power connector out of the socket was the only action that consistantly raised a sign of life. The board was completely dead otherwise.

A friend did check on PSU voltage and that seemed OK, so we concluded MB or Processor. But I have never heard of a Intel Q9450 being d.o.a? We checked all the pads etc and have tried to avoid static etc - so I think the odds are on the MB

However, now you mention the Antec PSU, perhaps it would be still worth asking a local computer shop to check it out.
Cheers.
Bungleflare

JonJ678 · 26 Aug 2009 at 03:37

Still don't know what you mean. Are you wiggling a cable about in a socket (never do this if you are), or flicking the switch on the back of the psu on and off, or flicking the switch on the wall back and forth?

Did he check voltage under load or without the psu connected to anything? A multimeter is a good start but not conclusive, if some local pc guys are prepared to connect a suspect psu to something that would be good.

It's not the processor. At least its vanishingly unlikely to be the processor. Motherboards do die though, and I've had one which was d.o.a. myself. Gigabyte should be pretty good to you

WJA96 · 26 Aug 2009 at 13:56

The warranty on those boards is 3 years I believe. If you have a look at the manufacturer support section of the OcUK store website you'll find a link for Gigabyte to RMA the board. It costs £10 for the return postage and it usually takes a couple of weeks. The delivery address is in Milton Keynes, so it's quite a cheap RMA.

DavyBoy · 26 Aug 2009 at 15:48

Could it be that the mobo requires a BIOS update to support the Q9450?

I didn't quite understand your first post, so I am unsure whether you have just bought the chip to use on the mobo or not?

Bungleflare · 30 Aug 2009 at 17:37

Thanks for all the above. I do not think it BIOS since the processor was listed on the manufacturers original compatability list.
You are quite right about fiddling with power on/off - but any fiddling was done after the board was seen to be dead, after all the anti-static precautions had been taken and all the board accessories (e.g. video card) had been tried in/out etc to try and get any response at all.
It was suggested to me that I get a local computer company to check the cpu and I may take your suggestion re: the psu as well. If that's all done - by elimination it can only be the board.
Thanks for all your comments.