PC won't boot, mid-length BIOS beep

Sparx

Sparx

Sparx

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Hey,

So last Friday I got the ATI Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB from here (Overclockers), worked fine - temps are fine, performed fine - however I got random BSODs and errors in games.. But it still performed fine (FPS-wise, graphic-wise) and temperature-wise..

So I put my old ATI X1950 Pro 512MB in and it worked fine again, sent a request in on the Overclockers.co.uk website for a replacement as I want to RMA it late last night.. But then decided to try stick my 4870 back in.. So I put it back in my PC, but when I boot it now - it gives out a kinda long beep (not exactly short, but isn't long either tbh..) and everything still powers on, the graphics card fan comes on, processor fans, case fans, etc.. But it won't display anything on the screen.

So I checked my motherboard manual (Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R) and it says;

Continuous long beeps: Graphics card not inserted properly
Continuous short beeps: Power error
Click to expand...

However, neither of my graphics card get it to work now, I get the same beep no matter what I do now with my computer and try boot it up.. But what I don't get is; everything receives power and lights up, works, fans, etc.. So I reseated the power cables to the hard drive, dvd drive, 20+4 pin motherboard connector and it still does the same beep..

So then tried without the power connector to the graphics card on my X1950 Pro and turned it on to see if it would draw power from the PCI-E slot and it powers on and takes power and turns on the GPU fan but I still get the beep and it won't boot up properly..

I've took out my network card and sound card and tried it with just 1 RAM stick in.. It seems to power cycle itself on and off with no beeps or anything as if it is going to boot properly, but doesn't and powers off, then powers back on.. Then after 4/5 boots, it boots and just gives that same beep again.


I've uploaded the video to YouTube you'll notice about half-way through after about 3 or 4 boots it will give the beep.. I have an AWARD bios on a Gigabyte P35C-DS3R motherboard..

I did try this with the X1950 Pro before as well and got the same result, then tried the HD 4870 which I videoed as well to show..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBUMBSyjNRE


Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
 
Well, it's neither of those beeps, because it's not even giving you one beep really.

The one beep you hear in the video just sounds like a standard post beep to me (some are longer some are shorter than that)...But obviously...you have no video...So that could mean either: Faulty card, or faulty slot on the board...Seeing as you have two cards, and one of the cards (definitely?) works...You can probably rule out the first assumption.

I believe you only have the one Pci-express slot as well, so you can't try it in another slot....Do you or one of your friends have a PC they could try the card in at all? As that would be handy.

If I'm honest, it looks like the system is shorting out, do you happen to have a spare PSU you can atleast attempt booting up the bare minimum? as in Motherboard/CPU/RAM.

If I where you, Take out the graphics card, and take out the ram, re-seat all power (24-pin ATX, 4/8-pin cpu connector...Unplug everything else (hard drives etc) then try and boot it.

See what happens then, and give us a shout.
 
I don't believe that beep is a boot OK beep, this beep seems to be a good 0.5 second longer and higher pitched (it's noticable..) and is never that long when it boots successfully or as loud or high pitch..

As for your suggestion, I did try that earlier after I posted, no dice - same problem.. :(
 
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So it's still powering up then down?

Have you tried a different PSU? As I kinda gave more than one suggestion :p

Otherwise, boot it out of the case on something non-conductive obviously.

try and get teh bare minimum working atleast, you don't need RAM and a GPU for a PC to 'turn-on'. :)
 
Ok, I've got nothing plugged in at all except the processor.. No RAM, no hard drive, no optical drives, no network/sound/graphics card..

I turn it on and I get the same beep as before (see half-way through my video above for reference) and it just stays powered on.. It's still on now..

Now if that was still power failure, would it of not just turned itself off again? It's still going.. But it did give that same beep as if there's an error with something..
 
Well...If you just have the CPU/Processor plugged in...Then you should be getting beeps :) ie 3 long beeps, then repeated as there is no RAM present.

So...Try re-seating your CPU, and see if that helps matters.

If not...Then it's probably either a duff board or CPU...Which obviously isn't what you want to hear. Presumably you don't know anyone with a board they would be willing to let your plop your processor in? :)

Just double checking but you also have the 4-pin cpu power connected.

It really would be handy if you could rule out PSU issues as well, but thats easier said than done :(
 
I don't get the 3 long beeps to say there is no RAM present.. I do have the 4-pin CPU power connected too.

I could try re-seating the CPU but that heatsink is a pain in the arse to clip back in them 4 holes on the motherboard.. I will reseat it though if I can't get a hold of another power supply to try out...

I don't have another spare motherboard lying about either, or a friend who would take there PC apart to lend me it to try.. I don't expect them too really though, would be nice if they would though.. :(

I also don't have a spare power supply lying around either, not a powerful one anywya.. Only a generic no-name brand 500w with about 17a on the 12v rail in the spare crappy computer I keep in the conservatory..

:( Ugh.. I really hope the processor or motherboard aren't dead.. Gigabyte come with a 3 year warranty don't they on motherboards? Not sure about CPU warranty with Intel.. But I am positive that OCZ do a 3-5 year powerswap warranty do they not with their power supplies?


Thanks so far for your help by the way though Delvis. :)


-EDIT-
Geez, OCZ only have one RMA department in Europe and it's in The Netherlands.. It would be quite a bit I'd of thought to send a power supply via the post and all the way to The Netherlands..

However Gigabyte have a UK warehouse I've heard in Milton Keynes.. Just need a phone number (I think I have it, 01908 etc if anyone can confirm? That's only the first 6 numbers, just wanted to make sure?)..
 
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01908 is the Milton Keynes area code yes, as I live next to it :p

Well, to be fair, try the other psu, again with just the cpu and motherboard, they won't draw that much power, and you only have to turn it on untill you hear beeps (or atleast where you should hear beeps)....Which is no longer than ten seconds really.

If you can, re-seat the cpu like I said, yes the clips are annoying, but it might have to be done :) I've only ever really done stock 775 heatsinks so i dunno if the freezer cooler works the same way or not.

But if you get it off, and can't be bothered to clip it back on, just hold it on top with some down force so it's touching the IHS atleast, like I said above, your not turning it on and having a gaming session :)

EDIT: When I say hold it on top, obviously just turn the case on it's side so it can sit on top of it so you don't have to balance the tihng.

Oh, and no worries about the help :)
 
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Delvis said:
01908 is the Milton Keynes area code yes, as I live next to it :p

Well, to be fair, try the other psu, again with just the cpu and motherboard, they won't draw that much power, and you only have to turn it on untill you hear beeps (or atleast where you should hear beeps)....Which is no longer than ten seconds really.

If you can, re-seat the cpu like I said, yes the clips are annoying, but it might have to be done :) I've only ever really done stock 775 heatsinks so i dunno if the freezer cooler works the same way or not.

But if you get it off, and can't be bothered to clip it back on, just hold it on top with some down force so it's touching the IHS atleast, like I said above, your not turning it on and having a gaming session :)

EDIT: When I say hold it on top, obviously just turn the case on it's side so it can sit on top of it so you don't have to balance the tihng.

Oh, and no worries about the help :)
Click to expand...

Hey again,

I'll give it a go on re-seating the CPU and heatsink.

By the way, as for the other power supply I have - it's actually really generic and
rules.gif
, I just got it from the loft and it only has enough pins to go in the 24 pin motherboard connector.. It has 1x 20-pin for the motherboard, then only 1x 4-pin for the other 4 pins left on my motherboard which needs 24-pins to power.. Leaving no other 4-pin connectors for the CPU..

-EDIT-
Actually, would using the 4-pin molex connector to 4-pin pci-e converter cable that came with the old power supply on one of it's 4-pin molexs with the 4870 work as a 4-pin for the CPU? They are the same pins are they not?
 
So I've re-seated the processor, the power connector for it and everything.. Still the same thing.. I've unplugged absolutely everything including case fans except just powering the motherboard (20+4 pin) and a 4-pin to the motherboard to power the CPU..

Same beep.. I'm convinced the power supply is dead.

Only problem is the OCZ RMA department in Europe is in The Netherlands.. How much is that gonna cost me to ship to them? ;/
 
when you took your gfx card out did you wear an esd? Or failing that did you ground yourself by touching the case, sounds like you have fried something on your mobo via static shock to me. I had the same problem with a clients computer and had to replace the mobo and cpu
 
Well I've tested my parts some more and the PSU is fine, the motherboard's chipset is faulty I think.
 
Whats the full spec of your rig? very difficult to troubleshoot without knowing what you've got. TBH the initial problem does sound like a power problem, what PSU is it? its possible its not quite powerful enough if its an older one, and its not just wattage but ampage (prob more important) too.
 
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