Sandbridge Build lasted 2 hours then kaput?

bassface

bassface

bassface

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3 Jan 2011
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I'm not convinced (yet) that this is the cpu, but I've no experience of this... Could it be the GPU?

I received my components earlier today.

(see last post in this this thread)
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=18185978&postcount=9

Built all O.K - no overclocking or changes to BIOS at all (other than boot priority), working as expected for 2 hours then when browsing the screen froze completely. No response from mouse/keyboard.

I restarted the machine and now it won't boot. Machine starts up, all fans etc start spinning (no red lights, green power light is also constant). Nothing at all from display, doesn't check the DVD for a boot disk so it's not getting that far.

Ideas? Next steps? I've tried reseating the ram, am a bit reluctant to do the same with the CPU at the moment....

-Cheers
 
Strip it right down to the bare minimum, MB, CPU, RAM and GPU and see if it starts, test each RAM stick separately and see who that goes. Also try clearing the BIOS back to defaults.
 
No beeps or sounds at all? A ram issue could sometimes make the mobo beep to indicate what the problem is
 
No beeps, nothing. The screen just froze.

I've stripped back as recommended. Same result.

When I take out the Graphics card, the results are the same as if the graphics card is seated (i.e system does not turn off but keeps 'ticking over' with nothing happening).....
 
Jokester said:
Strip it right down to the bare minimum, MB, CPU, RAM and GPU and see if it starts, test each RAM stick separately and see who that goes. Also try clearing the BIOS back to defaults.
Click to expand...

+1

Although it sounds dead, you may as well try all this stuff before sending it back. Otherwise it'll get back to OCUK, they'll plug it all in and it works first time.
 
Nah, I don't think it's a GPU problem, pretty sure it's either the mobo or CPU that's died, but other things you can try is spare GPU, PSU or RAM. Failing that though, can't really distinguish between the CPU or MB at being at fault.
 
O.K, so I borrowed a friends GeForce 8800 and put it into the same pci-e slot as my graphics card. It worked!

Then as a final check I put my GPU into the second pci-e slot (pcIe 2.0 x16_2) and it also worked!

So for some reason when then graphics card (and only the 5770 - not the 8800) is in the first slot it won't turn on.

The motherboard looks to be faulty - is there a diag program or something I can run here...?

Cheers
 
With your GPU in slot 2 get into the bios and set BCLK manually to 100. then save. Then try putting the GPU back into slot 1

The board increases BLCK by default and maybe your card in that slot, which is the x16 slot does not like the extra BLCK
 
I did as you suggested, no change.

One thing I did notice was that when I went to change the BLCK - it was already at 100. I understand that the Asus default is 100.3 (sure I read that somewhere) - maybe it only changes to 100 once you enter 'manual' mode... Not sure.

When I reseat the graphics cards the following boot sequence happens (and happened when I first started the machine...

-press power button
-machine attempts to start - red light at dram led
-machine turns off
-machine attempts to start - red light at dram led
-machine turns off
-machine attempts to start - red light at dram led
-machine stays turned on... three seconds later red dram led turns on briefly but computer proceeds to post.

This sequence is the same whether the machine starts or not (which is dependent on the pci-e slot used)

Could any of this be down to memory not being configured as expected - it's running at 1333 as is the default for this board...
 
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bassface said:
Could any of this be down to memory not being configured as expected - it's running at 1333 as is the default for this board...
Click to expand...

It does sound like it's struggling to get the ram setup. Once in the bios setn the ram speed, CAS etc and voltage manually. (Keep the Voltage no higher than 1.5v for now regardless of what the ram spec says)
 
I did as you suggested. Thanks for trying to help :)

When I swapped the graphics card over into the first slot - it performed the same sequence (tried to start up three times - third time stayed on but no display).

When I swapped BACK to the second slot it performed the same sequence (tried to start up three times - third time stayed on as expected).

The MB had not altered any of the settings by the looks of things - the settings I had entered remained there....

MB Bios is 0403 in case anyone is interested. I'm at a loss now - pretty sure something is not right here but not sure what I'll need to send back (could it even be the memory itself not having *something* it needs to be able to power the newer graphics card in the first pci-e slot). :confused::(
 
But it worked in that slot for a couple of hours before falling over as I described earlier?

I don't see how updating the bios could fix this - but then again there is only one bios version listed on the Asus website for this board (this is the LE)... And it is LATER than mine? So my board has a pre-initial bios on it. Strange.

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?modelname=P8P67 LE&SLanguage=en-us

Does flashing my board void my warranty in any way? Obviously if it's dud I don't want to prejudice my chances of returning it...
 
Flashing does not void the warranty, however it may not be a good idea with an unstable system.

I'm afraid i'm at a loss how to help now. Need sleep I think. Sorry.

Ah yes, forgot you have the LE... the Pro has 3 bioses but again the one it shipped with is not on the Asus site, so a pre bios bios as you say
 
I'm sorry but I realised today that the lack of beep codes coming from the MB might have something to do with the fact that I didn't connect a speaker :o

I got an old speaker and connected it. The Mb DOES beep when it fails to boot.

One Long, Three Short Beeps = 'no VGA detected'.

This only happens in the x16 PCI-E slot.

I tried an old 7600GT in both slots - it works as expected.

Either the graphics card or the board seems the be at fault - how can I tell which?

edit: I also flashed to the latest BIOS for my board - makes no difference
 
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