Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Owners Thread.

Sandokan · 22 Dec 2016 at 16:56

Hi all!

I am a new user of this forum. I want to share an issue with my mobo with official f20 firmware (I don't know if it is relevant for old versions). I discover this issue in a casual way (my PC was too silent after resuming from a suspension) and then after an inspection I discover that some fans did not spin up.

The problem involve CPU OPT fan header.

I have the following fan configuration:

CPU FAN attacched to a PUMP (Enermax liqmax II 240) at full speed (the pump connector have 3 pin)
CPU OPT attacched to radiator's PWM fans via a 4 pinf Y-cable
FAN 2 and FAN 3 attached to case fans via 3 pin cable

I tried uninstalling SIV and to manage fans via UEFI but in each case the CPU OPT stop working when resuming from a suspension (Windows 10). It seems that CPU OPT disappears from PC (HWinfo and other tools didn't see the CPU OPT fan).
A fresh Windows installation didn't solve the problem.

There are some workaround (for example I can conenct the pump to a molex but in this way I can control if the pump stop working cause I cannot read the speed of the pump).

I think that this issue it is related to a bug into UEFI firmware.

There is here anyone else with similar issue? Have you solved with different bios version?

Thank you

andy9l · 22 Dec 2016 at 19:16

Sandokan said:
*snip*

Doubt this would be the cause, but as I understand it, CPU_OPT on this board is not a PWM header. Only CPU_FAN is PWM. Remember not all 4 pin fan headers are true PWM.

I put my pump on CPU_OPT at full speed, and my case fan hub on CPU_FAN. My radiator fans are connected directly to my pump.

maklabouhlel · 22 Dec 2016 at 19:43

Temp may be too low after wake up for fan to spin up.

Sandokan · 22 Dec 2016 at 22:50

Thanks for your answers.
Into the user guide CPU FAN and CPU OPT seems have both the same pin layout. Anyway both works correctly before suspension and resume. I Never changed this configuration. Anyway, I will try to swap them.
About low CPU temp after resume. I have regulated the fans to works at 800rpm at minimum and the problem appear also after a suspension of some seconds.
I will report to you my future attempts to solve the problem.
Thank you.

andy9l · 23 Dec 2016 at 09:54

Sandokan said:
Into the user guide CPU FAN and CPU OPT seems have both the same pin layout.

They have 4 pins, yes, but the user guide explicitly states they are different. Specifically, CPU_OPT is not PWM. Only CPU_FAN is a true PWM header. CPU_OPT uses DC to control fan speeds.

If you're using PWM fans and a water pump, you should connect water pump to CPU_OPT at 100%, then use the PWM signal from CPU_FAN for your PWM fans. The manual also explicitly suggests to use CPU_OPT for water pumps, but in reality you can use any header set to 100%.

From the manual:

Sandokan · 23 Dec 2016 at 14:27

Ok, it is true. But this do not explain why the fan stop workyng after resume. I made a try setting the fan at full speed but it simply stops to work.
Also CPU Temp and CPU OPT fan will not appear anymore on SIV after resume. This seems a bug or an hardware failure related to ACPI.

EDIT: I made a try, swapped CPU FAN and CPU OPT and the problem is similar. SIV do not read CPU temp and PUMP go slowly (it do not stops working as the fan before the swap but it runs really slow). I prefer the original configuration 'cause if pump stops I can burn the cpu. Now I will try to use different versions of ACPI drivers...

EDIT2: I also prefer to attach PUMP to CPU FAN because in this way the pump go at full speed and there is no way tho change this (speed control do not work because it is not connected). The FANs on radiotor can works voltage regulated. The difference between SYSTEM FAN 1/2/3 and CPU_OPT seems to be that CPU OPT it is regulated by CPU TEMP and SYSTEM FAN 1/2/3 are regulated by PCH TEMP.

whiterabbit · 29 Dec 2016 at 18:54

Just ordered this board with ek monoblock in OcUK deal. Looking forward to getting it up and running.

Sc00p007 · 30 Dec 2016 at 03:05

Hi,

I flashed the f20 bios from f8. Then my problems started. Fans going crazy loud. SIV taking an age to load if at all. Then not working correctly. I had other problems too.
Went back to f8 bios and all is functioning 100% again

whiterabbit · 30 Dec 2016 at 11:26

Sc00p007 said:
Hi,

I flashed the f20 bios from f8. Then my problems started. Fans going crazy loud. SIV taking an age to load if at all. Then not working correctly. I had other problems too.
Went back to f8 bios and all is functioning 100% again

This doesn't bode well for my 7700k :eek:

Hopefully it can be resolved by changing settings in the BIOS. I won't be using on-board fan headers, perhaps It'll be OK for me.

Sandokan · 30 Dec 2016 at 15:18

Sandokan said:
...Also CPU Temp and CPU OPT fan will not appear anymore on SIV after resume. This seems a bug or an hardware failure related to ACPI...

After many attempt I found that:

- Gigabyte App Center/SIV/ etc. etc. (also the last ones published on december 2016) and firmware F20 have some incompatibility.
- It is more safe unistall App Center (and any other Gigabyte App).
- It is more safe setting fans speed into UEFI
- To monitor all things HWinfo64 is good

In this way CPU Temp do not disappear anymore after suspend/resume and all fans works correctly.
Thanks for your support

Sandokan · 30 Dec 2016 at 15:23

Sc00p007 said:
Hi,

I flashed the f20 bios from f8. Then my problems started. Fans going crazy loud. SIV taking an age to load if at all. Then not working correctly. I had other problems too.
Went back to f8 bios and all is functioning 100% again

Yes, as I have reported F20 and SIV (App Center in particular) are incompatible/bugged. F20 without AppCenter seems work good.

General Zod · 30 Dec 2016 at 19:01

Anyone connected a Corsair H115i or similar to this motherboard?

The fans are on full belt and using the corsair link software they aren't detected. Of the 2 usb headers near the red off button i've used the top white one for the single black wire connector. The one below that for the 4 wire connector. I think that's right. In bios the cpu temp is good however all fans settings show zero. How do i know it the pump is running correctly? I dont feel happy not knowing if its working correctly.

any help much appreciated.

stulid · 30 Dec 2016 at 19:38

General Zod said:
Anyone connected a Corsair H115i or similar to this motherboard?

The fans are on full belt and using the corsair link software they aren't detected. Of the 2 usb headers near the red off button i've used the top white one for the single black wire connector. The one below that for the 4 wire connector. I think that's right. In bios the cpu temp is good however all fans settings show zero. How do i know it the pump is running correctly? I dont feel happy not knowing if its working correctly.

any help much appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm-tDRezd5s

Have you installed it like this at the 5min mark?

If so and Corsair link isnt recognising anything try unplugging and quickly replugging the sata power cable while the corsair H115i is running, you might find it then says something like new hardware detected and asks for a reboot, then when youve done that the fans etc appear in LINK.

_Jimlad_ · 30 Dec 2016 at 20:57

I uninstalled all link stuff. Got the fans set to low in bios. Does the job

General Zod · 30 Dec 2016 at 21:03

stulid said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm-tDRezd5s

Have you installed it like this at the 5min mark?

If so and Corsair link isnt recognising anything try unplugging and quickly replugging the sata power cable while the corsair H115i is running, you might find it then says something like new hardware detected and asks for a reboot, then when youve done that the fans etc appear in LINK.

yep, already seen that video and done all that. Nothing changed.

_Jimlad_ said:
I uninstalled all link stuff. Got the fans set to low in bios. Does the job

Jim, i saw a post on another forum with the same name as you. I take it is you.lol. On your H115i is the LED 'Corsair name' lit? as mine isn't.

Sc00p007 · 31 Dec 2016 at 00:42

Sandokan said:
Yes, as I have reported F20 and SIV (App Center in particular) are incompatible/bugged. F20 without AppCenter seems work good.

Ahh ok, I didnt know it was a known problem with SIV.
Other problems I had on f20 included my mouse and keyboard not getting usb power at windows startup for atleast 20 seconds. F8 is no wait.
F20 eufi was buggy and didn't work 100% correct for example save and exit didnt always save and sometimes wouldnt respond if in the basic mode screen.
Also, the adaptive voltage offsets where spiking higher than f8 actually meaning my stable oc on f8, wasnt as good on f20. I either settle for higher temps due to higher voltage spikes. Or offset more volts and then I become unstable at low multi's.

Legend · 1 Jan 2017 at 03:21

Is there a 2-pin temp probe header on the Gaming 7? Quick look through the manual doesn't indicate so, unless I missed it. Wondering if I can use one of these?

General Zod · 2 Jan 2017 at 15:16

Legend said:
Is there a 2-pin temp probe header on the Gaming 7? Quick look through the manual doesn't indicate so, unless I missed it. Wondering if I can use one of these?

Just had a look at mine and i cant see no 2 pin temp header. There is temperature monitors on certain parts of the motherboard and you can set an alarm to go off at certain temperatures if you want in the bios setup.

Sandokan · 3 Jan 2017 at 15:32

Sc00p007 said:
Other problems I had on f20 included my mouse and keyboard not getting usb power at windows startup for atleast 20 seconds. F8 is no wait.

I had some similar issue on some old UEFI release (I don't remember the versions) the Mouse/Keyboard was enabled only after Windows bootup. I never discovereed why this appen. This simply was solved on later UEFI updates.
Anyway, there are some options into UEFI to enable fast boot and usb. For example in my actual configuration I have fast boot enabled and all USB disabled during bootup. Have you tried switching this?

In any case I suggest to you and to anyone want to upgrade to F20 to clear CMOS and to load default setting before upgrade. Otherwise you can have a lot of issue.

_Jimlad_ · 3 Jan 2017 at 16:38

i have skipped bios f20 and will wait for the next one - seems to have issues