POST problem on Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5

PaulGreyhead

PaulGreyhead

PaulGreyhead

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25 Jun 2009
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226
Location
Middlesbrough
When power is applied the system will power up for less than a second, then shut off and restart. It will then run, without display, for 20 or 30 seconds with fans at full speed. It then restarts itself and posts and boots properly!
The bios is only seeing 4GB instead of 6GB and Windows 7RC show 6GB installed but only 4GB available!
I have swapped and changed memory (down to one module) and the memory seems ok, although I have not ran a test on it yet.
It appears that a memory socket (DDR3_1) is not reading/using memory as it should. Any module in this slot shows the same result, so it doesn't seem to be a memory problem. (Also no error beep codes)
The POST error LCD shows (can be interpreted as three values depending on how you read the square display!) b8, 68 or 6B, none of which I can find a reference to in manual or on net.

The system actually runs fine, but obviously if it is not using all of the memory...

I have ruled out other hardware as a possible cause.

I haven't seen this type of problem before and as the processor now houses the memory controller I'm not sure what step to take next.

Has anyone seen this before or have any ideas?

Many thanks :)

(In case you need to know, i7-920. Patriot 6GB. 2 x Velociraptor 150GB Raid0. GTX260. Bios F8 beta. CPU temp 27C at the moment using EasyTune! Yes I know it's poop but I haven't installed anything elase yet :))
 
Yeah everything is stock at the moment. I haven't ran memtest as it seems one slot isn't working as it should. I get the same result no matter which memory stick I use in it. If I put just one memory module in the slot the system won't boot, so it seems the slot may be the problem.
I'm going to check the slot again to see if the connectors are ok, and maybe also clean them.
 
Plec, many thanks for that. It is a long read, but one hell of a story! It's good that you got to the cause finally.
I wonder if it's simply poor contact with the memory, or a soldering or physical fault on the board. I think I'll strip the board tomorrow (oops, today now!) and have a nosey around the socket.
I was also toying with the idea of using a contact cleaner/enhancer on the socket (it's safe stuff; I use it on cable connections on my hi-fi, but I can't remember the name of it!), but I'm a little concerned that if I have to RMA it, I might get the blame for the fault.
I think best to just have a look first to see if there are any obvious faults.
Thanks once again for the link and letting me know about DavyBoy's experience.
 
dr4g0nf1y, I've only had it a couple of weeks and it was like that from the start. I think I'm at the stage now where I'm pretty confident the memory is ok, especially after reading about the same problem on another board (see above). Thanks for the input though, much appreciated.
 
Well, I have finally got a result.
I stripped the system tonight and checked the memory socket. That seemed fine.
I then removed the CPU and and checked the socket. I found one pin bent over backwards and touching another pin! I managed to bend the pin back to it's original shape. I rebuit the system on my desk and switched it on.
For the pirst time since I got it, the system posted and booted normally. The missing memory was also back, showing in the bios and windows :)

I took a few photo's of the process, so tomorrow (today!) I'll find somewhere to host them and then put them up here.

I bought this kit as a pre-overclocked bundle, mainly to save myself time! The CPU was already installed, which means the bent pin was either done by the builder at OcUK or it came from the factory like that! I guess I'll never find out!
 
Close up of the bent pin
Bent-Pin-1.jpg
 
I used plenty of heat to soften the pin. I was expecting it to snap though as it was bent quite a bit!
I have no idea how it got like that. It was pre-built by OcUK (just to save me time, which it didn't!) so it either happened there or in the factory.
 
DavyBoy said:
Damn, I wish that my problems were caused by a bent pin in the CPU socket!!

When I started reading your first post, it sounded very similar to the issues that I have with my board, it is even the same DIMM slot that is non functional on BOTH of my UD5's...

Though I have checked the socket hundreds of times for bent pins on both mobos, and there are none in sight...

I am now starting to wonder whether it has something to do with the load plate in the CPU socket on my mobos, when I push the bar down to lock the loadplate, it takes quite a lot of pressure to push it into place on both mobos, which makes me think that all this pressure on the processor is causing one or more pins to not line up properly with the contact points on the CPU...

But, then again, if this was the case, that wouldn't explain why it works now and again...

Anyway, I got another RMA number for my processor, so I will be shipping it off tomorrow again, though no doubt when the techs at OcUK test it, it will work perfectly for them!!!

I really don't know what else I can do with this situation tbh.. if the processor gets sent back to me with no faults found again, I think I will end up having a nervous breakdown!!!

The only step I can take if this does happen is to take Gigabyte up on their offer, and ship my processor, RAM, and mobo off to them to see if they can figure out what the problem is...

tbh though, the only piece of hardware that hasn't changed with all the different configurations I have tried is the processor, so it has to be the cause of my problems.. if not then I am extremely unlucky to have went and bought all this faulty hardware!!!
Click to expand...

The bar on mine takes a bit of force to close.
One thing I did discover is that in between the pins there are little risers (you can just see them on the 1st and 2nd pictures). They are a sort of triangular shape, and they take the downward force of the processor, stopping it from squashing the pins. (I haven't really explained it very well, sorry). So you don't have to worry about clamping it.
Fingers crossed that it is the processor that is faulty.
If you want to send me one of the boards I'll happily install my stuff and see if it compares to your results, and have a look and see if I can find anything.
It at least gives you another option instead of taking a sledge hammer to it :)

It has to be down to the processor now though. You've tried everything else.
 
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