Two motherboards, one problem.

lobat67

lobat67

lobat67

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UPDATED: Two motherboards, one problem.

Last April I assembled a system consisting of i7-2700K CPU, Arctic i30 cooler, GA_Z68X-UD3-B3 r.1.0, 8GB (2x4Gb) Corsair Vengeance 9-9-9-24, 1.5v 1600mhz RAM, OCZ-ZS750W PSU and Nvidia GTX 295 GPU. The system run without issue until the start of 2013, when I flashed the BIOS to U1e(UEFI BIOS) on 2/1/13 - the system restarted without incident and was used for several hours.

When I returned to the system the following morning it was frozen on the shutdown screen i had started the previous evening. I powered the system off at the wall and then tried powering up. The system was completely dead. On opening the system I observed that the CPU fan would briefly spin (just a few revolutions) and then stop. I removed all connections to the board except PSU, GPU, 1 stick of RAM - there was no difference. I then tried changing the PSU with a known good one from another similar system. No change. I then changed the RAM with various known good sticks. No change. I tried another known good GPU, PSU and RAM. No change.

I then purchased a new motherboard - assuming that it was more likely to be a MB fault than CPU fault. When the new MB arrived - a GA-Z68AP-D3 r.2.0 - the same fault was observed. After swapping through known good components, I assumed that CPU was at fault, and Intel's support team agreed. My CPU was exchanged for a brand new one by Intel. Today, I have just installed the CPU in both of the boards and the same fault - not powering up, just a brief spin of the CPU fan and a flash of the PHASE LEDs and stops. As all the other components are known good, I wonder if both motherboards are faulty. Experience tells me that CPU faults are rare compared with MB faults - so I suspect that is likely. I don't have access to another 1155 known good motherboard to check that the replacement CPU from Intel is good. I have also tried clearing the CMOS and removing battery for ten minutes as suggested by Gigabyte, no joy.

So can anyone think of anything else I can try before I RMA both motherboards?
 
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Did you try different memory? Is there any error code visible on the mobo? Some have an LED screen on the board and posts an error code If it can't get past the BIOS
 
Hello lobat67 and welcome to the forum :)

It's a bit hard to read that wall of text so you might find if you edit it a little people will be more inclined to read it, and hopefully offer you a few suggestions.

I did read it and I haven't got a clue (:D), certainly a strange one.

Nothing's overclocked at all? What about the hard drive, I don't think you mentioned that?


Edit:

Have you tried clearing the CMOS?

Is it possible to put the original BIOS back on the system?
 
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I have left HDD's disconnected throughout as I don't even get to a post screen.

Four different memory sticks tried from known good systems.

No overclock. And the new board was virgin from manufacturer.

Thanks for your help - it is an odd one.
 
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the MB might be shorting out somewhere. Try attaching just the essentials: ram, cpu and psu and the screen cable and go from there.

Got the internal speaker plugged in? any beep codes?

Also you can use a flathead screwdriver on the power pins instead of the power switch from the case.
 
Now that my ageing eyes can read that properly my previous Qs were probably pretty irrelevant :D

Are you testing the system outside of the case?

The problems seemed to start with the BIOS update. It's 2 different motherboards but the same manufacturer, I wonder if the motherboards use the same or very similar BIOS and there's something with the updated BIOS that's maybe making a component incompatible or changing some setting to the incorrect value. The new motherboard, I imagine, would come with the latest BIOS version on it.

I wonder if reverting to an older BIOS will do anything. Not sure if that's something you can do with those motherboards though.
 
Another test, the new mobo seems to have hdmi out.

Can you connect HDMI to a TV or monitor and try to boot without the GTX295

AD
 
have tried (incorporated) all of your suggestions and still remain stuck. I will RMA the boards and hope that new boards will cure the problem.

For now I have a whole new problem with a family computer that appeared to suffer a hdd failure, then with a brand new HHD (and a known good one) refused to complete either a 7 or 8 clean install. I/O errors. Worked fine in Linux. Then decided it would allow a 7 install, but only if I used a ATI video card (the Nvidia card worked fine in another system). I will do more testing and then if I have no joy will come back with a new thread here. Thank you everyone for the help.
 
Update: I have two new boards back from RMA. As I intend to build another system soon, I bought a few new components - PSU and Memory (on the list for compatibility for both boards) and the same issue remains - on power-up, cpu fan spins for about a second, then powers down and repeats indefinitely.

I have work through each component - testing them on another similar system - and they are all functioning. However, together in this system they refuse to work. I have breadboarded the system with just motherboard, onboard GPU, one stick of RAM and PSU connected correctly. Same problem. Swapping motherboard makes no difference, nor does swapping PSU, RAM or CPU. CMOS batteries have been removed and replaced (with brand new batteries) and CLR CMOS shorted for ten minutes. No change. I'm seriously considering calling for a priest to exorcise the damn thing!

Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
tested with a different brand of psu?

did you ask them what make/model ram and power supply they tested the board with?

ocz are known to have compatibility issues with gigabyte boards,not all but some
 
Hi. Sorry it's me who is testing the unit with known good parts from other systems. I have used two Corsair and one OCZ PSU -all 650W or above and these have been tested in another PC and worked normally. Ram is Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 and CMZ8GX3M2A1866C9B - both listed by Gigabyte as compatible and these work fine in another system. I have now tested the CPU in a another system and it worked fine.

Just to remind that I am testing these boards on an antistatic mat, outside of a case with the bare minimum components connected. No HDD, no GPU card as using onboard (though it makes no difference if I add a GPU card). I've tried running without RAM, expecting the board to howl - still no change. No BIOS beeps.
 
not much that it can be then,make sure your cpu cooler is mounted correctly or put the stock cooler back on to test.(i had this once after i did a backplate mounting bodge it bowed the motherboard!!)
 
I've had tried the stock cooler and.... sadly, the fault remains. Even though I have a fair amount of experience building and repairing PC's (I worked as a PC repair tech for a few years back), I am stuck with this. I have approached local PC repair shops, thinking a fresh set of eyes might spot the glaringly obvious, but when I talk through the history, they shy away. I suspect they don't want to be mired with the insolvable.

Again, thank you for your suggestions. I will welcome more and will come back if the issue is solved.
 
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