GA-EP45-DS3R black screen no bios

[guardian]

I was using F10 when it happened (the release version, from the 09/22/2008)

The processor is a Q9550 and it is obviously supported since I installed Vista with F6 installed, then flashed to F10.

In fact, I faced reboot loops from the beginning, even before installing Vista (the DRAM settings and voltage were set to 5-5-5-15-2T 2.10V) but well it once booted correctly and from that point everything installed.

In fact, the system was more stable with only one stick: I guess I identified one that didn't work so I removed it.

Then happened what I described in my first post. The S3 failure happened with the supposedly correct memory stick, the other one being removed.

Checksum error may be normal when you clear CMOS -- thing is that checksum error happened in the middle of a reboot loop while I didn't touch the clear CMOS jumper. Then the motherboard (or the ram or both) kinda died. It doesn't stay powered on for more than a second, hence I can't enter the BIOS nor do I see any POST message.

As I also mentioned, I removed the battery and let the clear CMOS jumper plugged for a whole night with PSU removed and after that, the situation didn't improve: it doesn't stay powered on for more than a second, no messages not even a checksum error one.

I'm returning the board to the shop today, they're going to test it along with the memory sticks. To me, it really looks like the BIOS recovery feature in fact killed everything: the message said it was recovering from HPA (? not sure about the exact message but for sure it wasn't recovering from the backup bios)

[Lsdmeasap]

Ahh, well HPA recovery takes place from the Hard drive so if you use AHCI or RAID it will fail for sure but can fail anytime as well.

If you want and can (Floppy needed, already install and set as first boot device, will not help to install now) you can try some of the recovery methods posted in the BIOS flashing guide. >>>
BIOS Flashing - A "How To ~ Qflash Guide"

Or you may try this if you are brave, I have seen several say it works (Different board but method is still the same) I would attempt this before I RMA'd because this would be last resort and only feasible method to avoid a RMA, the shop cannot fix it because it is not a removable BIOS chip >>>
XtremeSystems Forums - View Single Post - Official Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 Info Thread

All in all you have a corrupted BootBlock in your BIOS so the shop will get no further in testing and if you or them cannot recover it with the ways mentioned above then you will sadly have to RMA the board.

Good luck with everything

[guardian]

Recovery from HPA wasn't available in F6 afaik, and it was set as the default option when flashing to F10.

I don't find it that smart to be the default if it failed because of RAID or AHCI!
And well, if recovery from HPA can mess the bios so badly then don't allow it period; this double bios chip idea was nice after all, but only on the paper it seems.

I didn't have a floppy drive installed and I'm afraid I disabled it (not sure though) but knowing that I'll never disable it again.

The board has been returned now, and I'm expecting the shop to come back to me and exchange it with the RAM as I really suspect one stick for being non working since I bought them only few days ago.

The situation is really embarrassing, ok it's not a high end motherboard but it's not a cheap one either. And out of the sudden, because of various reasons it can reboot trash the bios trying to recovering it ? :D I mean it's the first time in my life I encounter checksum errors on the BIOS because of a reboot (ok last time I bought a computer it was 6 years ago)

Can someone with F10 please double check whether or not recover from HPA is chosen by default instead of recover from backup bios ?

Thanks for your help, explanations and pointers.

[Lsdmeasap]

It was available from the Start of Gigabyte Using Dual/Quad BIOS. Just not available to you to manage is all

And whether it is default or not, it would have tried to get it from the chip once it found nothing on the drive anyway. So it just got corrupted on both it sounds like.

It probably is the default, but that only means "Attempt from here first" is all.

Yeah please always leave a floppy install and set as first boot just for these types of situations. Hopefully someday they will make it so we can also use a backup or full BIOS on a USB Stick. That would be the best thing for their Dual/Quad BIOS backup, a backup for the backup! That or make either or both chips replaceable and not soldered to the board, that would be nice

Well good luck man, and sorry to hear about this it happens to the best of us. Nothing you did wrong thats for sure

[guardian]

Hello Lsdmeasap,

Thanks for the kind words, I feel rude for answering so late.

In fact it took a while for the shop to test the motherboard and the memory kit.

They finally decided to exchange the motherboard with a new one. I now got it mounted in the case but there are still problems.

Only one of the two sticks works: stick n°1 seems to work perfectly at 5-5-5-15-2T 2.10V both in memtest and when using the operating system.

However, when I replace stick n°1 with stick n°2, in the same slot, then I'm facing again reboot loops: again, I can't even enter the BIOS screen but the timings and voltage should be fine anyway since I tweaked them while booting with stick n°1.

My conclusion is that this Corsair memory kit is compatible with the motherboard otherwise stick n°1 wouldn't even work.

In the end, I think the motherboard may have been functional in the first place before defective DRAM made it reboot too much; which lead to BootBlock corruption. At least that's the most plausible analysis I can come up with.

SO, right now, the memory kit is on the road again to the shop, waiting for an exchange with a new one. I thought Corsair was ace, or maybe it's just part of my awful bad luck here :)

By the way, the sticks have a 2T command rate, does it make them slower than other PC8500 models ? (for instance GSkill has a PC8500PK kit that doesn't explicitly state 2T)

Thanks in advance,
g.

[Lsdmeasap]

Ahh no problem man. At least you got a new board.

Sounds like Stick "2" is faulty to me, not a compatibility issue at all so you are right there. Both should run fine with the same settings.

I would RMA the set, as you have.

And about 2T, most all DDR2 has to run 2T. Some higher quality sets will run 1T with the right timings at a certain speed, normally 800 or less. Not much more for any of them

So you will see it posted on some and not on others simply because it is a given that it will run at 2T

Good luck on getting a quick RMA on that ram, hope you do not hav to wait 2weeks or so for it as well.

[guardian]

Hello again,

As the shop had too long delays before having Corsair kits in stock, they exchanged it with a GSkill Pi Series PC8800 one.

In the end, I think this is a good kit with 5-5-5-15 timings at 1.8-1.9V and it's officially qualified with the EP45-DS3R motherboard.

I might even achieve more aggressive timings with this one compared to the Corsair.

Thanks again for the help,
g.

[Lsdmeasap]

Nice to see they gave you some better ram. Good luck with tweaking, and post back if you have any issues