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Dead PC

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  • 07-07-2015 10:14am
    #1
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭


    So every cloud has a silver lining and I bought myself a Haswell based i7K to replace the below but I wondered if you good people concur with my diagnosis.

    The PC is the i5K Ivy Bridge on a Z77 Sabertooth

    PC would only post when the mem ok button was pushed. It would let me into the BIOS asking me to save the memory settings, then reboot - wouldn't post again. Press mem OK process would repeat, cleared BIOS - no joy.

    Changed:

    RAM - no difference
    CPU - wouldn't post at all CPU works on another machine.
    Pulled GPU hoping it would default to the on board - no post

    My conclusion: Dead Mainboard.

    Thanks in advance guys, you're always very helpful in here!


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    #2
    Digital Solitude
    Registered Users Posts: 11,397 ✭✭✭✭Digital Solitude


    Does the i5 post in this board?


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    #3
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,539 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    Would you need a Bios update to take care of the new i7?


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    #4
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Digital Solitude wrote: »
    Does the i5 post in this board?

    i5 will post with the process described. Works okay on another board.


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    #5
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    jonny24ie wrote: »
    Would you need a Bios update to take care of the new i7?

    New board and CPU (the i7) on way.


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    #6
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/SABERTOOTH_Z77/SABERTOOTH-Z77-ASUS-2104.zip

    http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/P8Z77-M/BRenamer.zip

    That motherboard has usb bios flashback. Download that bios version stick it on a usb stick, plug it into the flashback port and hold down the flash button for 3 seconds until it starts blinking, it'll take a while so have a cup of tea and then turn it on after a while.

    This doesn't require working ram or cpu, or the pc to be on.

    sabertooth boards have a 5 year warranty or something anyway, why didn't you send it back before buying a new board!


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    #7
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,539 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    I would also suggest if the memory error is coming up to check your date and time in the bios, the bios battery could be dead aswell if the time and date arent in sync.


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    #8
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    I don't think it's a memory issue it sounds like a bios issue as it will only boot into the 'MemOK' feature on the board which is completely separate to the bios, it's what runs first to see if bad memory is stopping a boot specifically for the reason of not stopping you getting into the bios and bricking the board.

    bios flashback works in the same way, it runs separately to everything and requires only standby power and doesn't need a cpu or memory AFAIK.


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    #9
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/SABERTOOTH_Z77/SABERTOOTH-Z77-ASUS-2104.zip

    http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/P8Z77-M/BRenamer.zip

    That motherboard has usb bios flashback. Download that bios version stick it on a usb stick, plug it into the flashback port and hold down the flash button for 3 seconds until it starts blinking, it'll take a while so have a cup of tea and then turn it on after a while.

    This doesn't require working ram or cpu, or the pc to be on.

    sabertooth boards have a 5 year warranty or something anyway, why didn't you send it back before buying a new board!

    No box being the biggest issue, also it probably would have taken them half an ice age to get it back to me. Also (probably number 1 issue) excuse for an upgrade :D

    Thanks for the pointer! I'll give that a go as I have a funny feeling something funky is going on with the BIOS.


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    #10
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,539 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    Well if you get it back working you can always sell it on :)

    Im in the market for another mobo and CPU :D


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    #11
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    jonny24ie wrote: »
    Well if you get it back working you can always sell it on :)

    Im in the market for another mobo and CPU :D

    That was my intention :) I'll PM you when it's up on adverts. Rather hopeful of this BIOS thing though. I'll just distance selling the other stuff back if it works. Almost hoping it doesn't LOL!


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    #12
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,539 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    MarkAnthony wrote: »
    That was my intention :) I'll PM you when it's up on adverts. Rather hopeful of this BIOS thing though. I'll just distance selling the other stuff back if it works. Almost hoping it doesn't LOL!

    Haha no probs at all, my little lad needs a new PC so am hoping to put one together cheap for him at the moment and upgrade it over time :)


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    #13
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Frozenfrozen, I love you! BIOS flashback fixed it.

    Incidentally this all started with a win10 install!


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    #14
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    :D glad to hear it worked


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    #15
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Not out of the woods yet it seems.

    Only seeing 8GB RAM - all 4 DIMMS and all 4 DIMM Slots seem to be working by swapping them around.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks again!


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    #16
    Mightydrumming
    Registered Users Posts: 746 ✭✭✭Mightydrumming


    Turn it off and plug it back in again? :rolleyes:


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    #17
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    It also seems to be hard resetting between bios saves, I could have sworn it was a warm reset before.


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    #18
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    Are you able to boot into windows now though yeah? and it's just the ram issue?

    take out all but one stick and see if you can boot. make sure you've it in the first dimm slot (you'll have to look at the little script on the board itself or in the manual for which one is slot 0) and obviously make sure you have it pushed in all the way so it's fully seated.

    I presume you have no kind of overclock set at all? if you can get into the bios reset all to factory settings by pressing F5 I think.

    also take out the bios flash usb stick when you have it off incase it's doing something weird and reflashing it every time you turn it on?


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    #19
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    Are you able to boot into windows now though yeah? and it's just the ram issue?

    take out all but one stick and see if you can boot. make sure you've it in the first dimm slot (you'll have to look at the little script on the board itself or in the manual for which one is slot 0) and obviously make sure you have it pushed in all the way so it's fully seated.

    I presume you have no kind of overclock set at all? if you can get into the bios reset all to factory settings by pressing F5 I think.

    also take out the bios flash usb stick when you have it off incase it's doing something weird and reflashing it every time you turn it on?

    Working great now, all back to defaults. All ram showing as 4GB in DIMM 0. Tried all sorts of configs to rule out slots etc.

    I think it's the new BIOS with 16GB tbh - but at least its working. I'll step back a revision or two once everything is up and running.


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    #20
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Wont soft reset either :(


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    #21
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    So,

    won't shut down after selecting shut down from windows - monitor goes off nothing else.

    won't restart via restart button (not the cabling) unless held for 5 seconds.

    When it restarts it powers off for a couple of seconds then powers back on.

    Very odd - I think it's borked :( tried a different BIOS no joy, even down to a single DIMM.

    When all 4 DIMMs installed BIOS SPD util can see 4 DIMMS but still only says 8192MB


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    #22
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    It could be something simple but I really have no idea what's wrong now :(


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    #23
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,539 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    Treat the board as a new build, take away all connections and add them as you need them.

    Start with having your MB and HDD connected and make sure the MB headers are connected correctly (Power button/Reset etc).


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    #24
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Thanks all!

    I think there has to be something wrong with the board. I suspect the BIOS corruption was just a side effect.

    Oh well credit card is going to take the beating after all! To be fair I'm going to need another computer in the house so I'll build it around the board and 3570K once the board is back from Asus.

    Thanks again for the help guys, always very much appreciated!


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