Assistance with new build 3 beeps no Post codes "without Memory"???

[erpsaa]

Completed build with Z77 Extreme 4 ATX ASRock Mainboard. Power up is fine, however, cycle shut down a few seconds after attempt at POST then 3 beeps and contines to cycle startup, shutdown. All else, fans, liquid cooling, etc., is working.

Is there a type of "Mem OK function" on this mainboard? I ask because the reset stays RED, number at 52, and a continued recycle is usually memory.

Searched your database, got a hit of my 3 beeps at new POST = "without memory" yet this does not make sense, given 4 x 1600 / 12,800 Corsair Vengance DDR3s, new.

Suggestions? Shall I start with 8GB and see if I get a POST, of grab another set of 4 completely new out of the box Vengance 1600 / 12.800 DDR3 x 4, or something else?

Thank you.

Dean

[- wardog -]

Hello and Welcome.

If I read what you typed then it's in a vicious cycle of rebooting itself ??

Is it doing this with the 1600 you state in your post above, or the 2133 in the drop down displaying your "System Specs"??

Check that the proper + and - orientation was used on the Reset and Power leading from your case to the motherboards System Panel Header (PANEL1).

Check that the power button on your case is functioning properly. There are reports on the Corsair Forum that the power button is sticking and not returning to its normal position. Not too sure this is the problem here but worth checking nonetheless.

[- wardog -]

Is it doing this with the 1600 you state in your post above, or the 2133 in the drop down displaying your "System Specs"??

When in doubt look in the manual. So I did.

0x52 - Memory initialization error. Invalid memory size or memory modules do not match

Check the connections from the Reset an Power from case to MB, and the 800D's power button.

Please reply with what memory kit p/n's you're using when you see this 52 error.

I trust all the sticks you're using are from a single kit containing matched sticks, and not individually purchased sticks and or kits that may be unmatched.

[- wardog -]

Also, did you get some duff memory? It happens.

I'd also think about testing this memory on a known working system using MemTest86+ (<-Link).

[erpsaa]

"If I read what you typed then it's in a vicious cycle of rebooting itself ??"

Correct

"Is it doing this with the 1600 you state in your post above, or the 2133 in the drop down displaying your "System Specs"??"

With the Vengance 1600/12800 4 x 4GB Modules.

Sorry for the confusion Wardog, the system under my profile is my Business WS, I was not certaon what to list, since I'm building the system with the z79 ASRock for a friends son.

"Check that the proper + and - orientation was used on the Reset and Power leading from your case to the motherboards System Panel Header (PANEL1)."

I will do that. The three beeps are what had me thinking memory and I would not be surprised if they are reversed, I'm accostomed to the F-Panel on ASUS and Intel LGA2011 Mainboards.

"Check that the power button on your case is functioning properly. There are reports on the Corsair Forum that the power button is sticking and not returning to its normal position. Not too sure this is the problem here but worth checking nonetheless."

Yes, I know, happened on one of my Obsidian 800D's. Stupid little piece of plastic easily breaks and is what snaps the button back. It's not the I/O panel as Corsair rthought, they had to send me the entire front.



For this build I selected the Zalman z9 Case.

Also, I glanced at the manual late last night and I had ordered a low cost PCIe 2 Port HW RAID card for this build, since I never use BIOS RAID. For one thing, it's fast and easy to backup and restore from one HDD to any RAID array if it's on a card. BIOS RAID forces me to create a new boot disk and add the driver in to be able to size, copy at the block level and understand the file system in a software RAID implementation and is a pain, with no tools or a Console.

However, I could swear the manual said something like, this Mainboard (the z79 ASRock) is able to use multiple storage settings, i.e., I can select RAID for 2 SATA 600 90GB SSD's for the OS and plug a SATA 600 WD 2TB file drive in another Port and designate it as AHCI. I'll have to check, that may have simply been something I dreamed of.

Setting the storage to RAID on an Intel WS Board or an ASUS WS board render all Storage ports RAID (one reason Opticals are all I use onboard storage for) since any internal backup or file drive is rendered IDE. Maybe I was not dreaming even though it was late.


Thank you, I'll report back on what works.


Regards,

Dean

[erpsaa]

Wardog,

This is a bit puzzling, but it was neither memory or the SW Power and Reset being reversed. When I did this build, I made the foolish mistake of plugging in the storage drives prior to getting a POST. Normally, I do not even put in a HW RAID Controller until I get a POST. (Never buy equipment at 9PM and rush home and try to do the build the same night).

The question I have may seem silly, but I have to ask, it's the only explanation that would make sense, since this was a brand new Mainboard.

I'm was using two 90GB OCZ Vertex 3 SSD's in this new build from a smaller PC which I've since retired. They were running at RAID-0 on an ASUS Board.

Something (not sure what) told me to put the BIOS setting back to default, so I cleared the CMOS.

Bang, POST'd and brought me into the BIOS. I set the 2 x 90GB SSD's on SATA3 0 and 1 and the 2TB File drive on SATA3 A0 since the A1 shares the rear eSATA.

In the BIOS I changed the storage to RAID, made the 2 OCZ's SSD's and saved the changes and rebooted, using CTRL I to bring up the Onboard Controller.

It flipped me out, since it showed an already constructed 167GB Virtual RAID-0 Drive. I did not like that at all, so I used the Controller to delete and initialize the drives, got the warning that all data would be lost and re-created the virtual drive. As I scrolled through, the only option was RAID-0, I did not see an option to create the array as a RAID-1 mirror. Anyway, on a hunch, I allowed the PC to boot and Windows began to boot.

I had to then shut down the PC, remove HDD, boot with OCZ's USB Linux firware tool and do a complete erase.

Put the disks back in and low and behold, I was offered the options of RAID-0 and a RAID-1 mirror and no more Windows booting.

I'm not concerned that the software RAID did not actually format the two drives, it simply adds to why I hate BIOS RAID, but I messed up by not formatting those drives before plugging them in. The question is:

Why did clearing the CMOS fix the issue and the Machine now flying and backed up?

1. Is it possible that those SSD's (being able to boot, at least to the point of seeing the Windows logo) could transfer information from the old BIOS settings on another Mainboard? If anything, I would think doing something that dumb, I would have corrupted the BIOS.

2. Since the board was new is it possible it was tested at the factory and this is why clearing the CMOS fixed the issue?

Or, something else?

This simply has me curious, since I have never seen it happen. Then again, I never made such a stupid mistake as to install drives, before a POST.

Thank you for your help and I have one last question.

It seems I was not dreaming about what I thought the manual said. Storage ports SATA3 0 and 1 allow RAID-0 and RAID-1 and (although this would be crazy) you can use the 4 SATA2 and have 6 drives and I assume be able to create RAID-0, 1, 5, 6 and 10, although mixing bandwidth is crazy.

Those other two SATA3 ports, I used the one for the 2TD File Drive that does not share eSATA on the back end. They cannot be used for RAID, but AHCI. It almost reminds me of the x79 Windows chipset, the first 6 (2 x SATA3 and 4 x SATA2) can be used for RAID in mixed bandwidth. The final 2 x SATA3 ports are typically Marvel and can only be used for a single drive, at IDE, or with the Marvel Controller enabled, at RAID-0 or RAID-1.

Would it have been possible to load the RAID drivers on the two OCZ's and also LOAD the AHCI driver on the 1 WD 2TB file drive at the Windows preinstall and simple select the the arrayed virtual drive as the drive to install the OS on?

I did not do it that way, but was curious. It seems logical. Thanks again.

Dean

[parsec]

Your last post is filled with so many things, I can only address some of them that I fully understand, no offense at all.

Regarding your two Vertex 3's in RAID 0, created on your other PC: The RAID configuration data for a RAID volume is stored on the drives themselves, not in the BIOS, speaking about Intel's RAID software/SATA chipset implementation. If you simply move that RAID volume from one Intel PC to another, connected to a compatible Intel SATA interface with the Intel RAID driver installed, and the SATA mode set to RAID, the RAID volume will be recognized from the RAID configuration data on the drives, and work just fine, as you saw for yourself. There is nothing wrong or strange about it, it is actually a good feature that a RAID volume can be moved like that.

The need to restart before the option for RAID 1 is available is not a big deal IMO, and is related to the fact that the Intel RAID support depends on the boards resources. A separate RAID card has its own processor, etc, so does not depend on the boards resources. Which is why PCs with RAID cards POST slower, the RAID card must boot itself.

Anytime hardware is changed, added, removed, whatever, a CMOS clear should be done, to remove any now obsolete data the BIOS has about the PCs hardware. Yes that fixes many things, not a surprise IMO.

About your 2TB HDD with an AHCI driver, as you know your board has two SATA controllers, the Intel and an ASMedia SATA chipset. Drivers of any kind can only be installed on the OS volume. Your two SATA controllers use two different drivers, the Intel RAID driver will not install on the ASMedia chipset, and the ASMedia driver will not work with the Intel chipset. They can and must be both installed on the OS drive, and will be used with the correct chipset automatically. The ASMedia driver is best installed after the OS installation and not needed to install the OS on the RAID volume on the Intel chipset. Actually, it is best to only have the OS drive(s) connected when you install Windows 7, since it has a bad habit of putting the MBR on another drive, not the OS drive. Once the OS is installed, and the ASMedia driver is installed in AHCI mode, your HDD will work just fine. You could also use the native Windows 7 msahci driver on the ASMedia chipset, and once the ASMedia controller is enabled after the OS installation, after a reboot Windows 7 may automatically install the msahci driver for the ASMedia chipset.

Also, when the Intel SATA mode is set to RAID, single, non-RAID volume drives connected to the Intel SATA controller are treated exactly as if the SATA mode was set to AHCI. I've also had multiple RAID 0 volumes running on the Intel SATA chipset, which works fine.