GA-EP45-UD3P boot issue

[JohnF]

Hi this is my first build and I am very green at all this - explanations and suggestions in the simplest language possible are appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.

On a cold start, my computer gets stuck at the BIOS splash screen - I cannot get anywhere (including into the BIOS setup) from there. It just turns off, then on, and repeats endlessly. The only fix is to turn off the PSU switch until I hear 2 clicks from inside the case. Turn it back on, and it boots fine. This problem does not happen with restarts.

What I've tried that did not help:
Resetting the CMOS at the jumpers and by removing the battery;
Testing the memory using the Memtest86+ that is offered in the grub screen (I have dual boot xp x64 and Ubuntu 8.10 x64) - two passes, no errors.
Using 1 stick of memory at a time.
Set the Performance Enhance to Standard.
Set the RAM voltage to 1.9V (didn't help and made things a little unstable)
Flashed the BIOS from F4 to F5 (this also made the system lock up every 30 minutes or so).
Set to Optimized Defaults.
Changed boot order (multiple ways).
Made sure the RAM timings matched.
All case and component temps are nice and cool (30-40 deg C).

What DID work (sort of):
Flashed from F5 to F6 BIOS. This got rid of the annoying boot problem and I was pretty happy until it turned out to cause system lock-ups every 20 minutes. So, the cure was worse than the disease.

What I haven't tried:
Using a different PSU. The only other PSU I have is something like 160W from my old Dell, and I don't think that's enough for this new system.

I've seen other threads with similar problems for this board, something about RAM timings or I don't know what, but they had different RAM. I didn't really understand the thread instructions, and I don't know enough about what I'm doing to adapt them.

(I would have posted my CMOS settings here also, but don't know how to copy/paste them - can I or do I just have to copy by hand?)

My build:
Board: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
CPU: q8200, stock cooler, not OC'd
Video: Sapphire Radeon HD4850 512MB
RAM: Corsair XMS DDR2 800; 2x2GB; 5-5-5-18 timings
PSU: Antec Earthwatts 650W
HDD: 1TB Samsung 7200PRM

[SpeedEuphoria]

You prob need to raise the MCH core to 1.24-1.28 and try that.

As far as that "cold boot" issue, that just means something is not set right so it wont boot, turning the psu switch off, then back on will let it boot like you found out.

[JohnF]

Originally Posted by SpeedEuphoria

You prob need to raise the MCH core to 1.24-1.28 and try that.

Thanks for the suggestion, SpeedEuphoria, but it didn't work.

I changed the MCH Core setting from [Auto] to [1.240]. Saved, restarted, then did a full shut down. After a minute I turned it back on, and there's still the same boot problem.

Since it didn't help, I went back into the M.I.T. to change the MCH Core back to [Auto], and the MIT it flashed a little red sign at me saying something like: there were boot problems because of incorrect settings. The only other time I've seen that is when I changed the voltage to 1.9 from 1.8.

Did I need to also change other MCH or ICH settings, along with the core voltage?

[SpeedEuphoria]

That red box is telling you that something is not right, same thing as the board doing the endless rebooting.

So since your CPU is at stock settings, that leaves the memory as the culprit. What speed does the memory say its running at?

Try 1 stick at a time and see if you have any issues w/ either stick, then let us know

[JohnF]

Originally Posted by SpeedEuphoria

So since your CPU is at stock settings, that leaves the memory as the culprit. What speed does the memory say its running at?

Try 1 stick at a time and see if you have any issues w/ either stick, then let us know

The memory says it is running at 800 MHz.

I'll try the 1-stick-at-a-time again, later today.

Thanks.

[JohnF]

Alrighty - I had a few spare moments this morning.

Shut down, unplugged, and pulled the first stick of RAM. Plugged in, booted up (since the power was off, it booted cleanly), shut down, turned back on, and encountered the same problem.
Repeated this by putting stick one back in and pulling stick two. Still the same problem.

So I suppose my question at this point is: why would BIOS ver. F6 cure this problem, where F4 and F5 do not? What's the difference? (The description for F6 on the Gigabyte website is "Improve ET6 compatibility." I don't even know what ET6 is.)
Is there any way to know why F6 is not stable on my system / any way to make F6 run stable on my system?

(I also notice that there is a F7a listed in the Latest BIOS sticky thread. I'm hesistant to flash to something I assume is an alpha product, and really hesistant to keep flashing the BIOS. I've probably done it too many times already.)

[SpeedEuphoria]

The Bios prob wont fix your issue. If you do want to try 1 DO Not flash till your computer is stable which it currently is Not!!! Otherwise you can get something corrupted which will only add to your issues


Then stick w/ F6 after we get this working as it boots slightly faster than the older ones.


OK so on to the issue, So you have the memory timings on auto? and they show 5-5-5-18 correct?? What PL are you running?(its Static tRead). Also BTW what slots do you have the memory in? as you said pulled the 1st stick so I'm not sure where you have the mem at, for 1 stick it should be in the slot closest to the CPU, for 2 sticks it should be in both slots of the same color

So go into bios, click load optimized defaults, then change the Dram V to 1.9 and MCH to 1.28v then reboot.

If it does not reboot with the memory timings on auto, then do what you do to get it to boot, then adjust the 2 things above and set the memory timings to 6-6-6-20 and try it. Also make sure the PL is on 9.

If it still doesnt boot correctly then you need to run Memtest on each stick individually(in the slot closest to the CPU) overnight so like 8hrs for each stick. Personally I like to run just a certain test for a couple hours then run another test for a couple more. To do this you hit "c,1,3,5,enter,0" then after 10 passes you can try test 7 which is "c,1,3,7,enter,0" and let that run 10 passes.

[JohnF]

Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it.

The sticks of RAM, when both are in, are in slots 1 and 3. I have also tried slots 2 and 4, to no different effect. About a week ago tried just one stick at a time, swapping only in slot 1. Today I left them in their respective slots (1 and 3), while taking out the other.

I will try your suggestions, and let you know what the PL is.

Thanks again.

[SpeedEuphoria]

Yeah if you only use 1 stick it must go into the 1st slot. So retry your previous test and put each stick individually in the 1st slot.

After you see how that works, if 1 stick works fin in the 1st slot, then leave it there and put the other in the 3rd slot.

I have that issue w/ mine currently, as in if I switch the sticks positions it will not boot, so I leave a certain stick in slot 1.

[JohnF]

(The Static tRead was set to 7; the default, I assume.)

So, I loaded Optimized Defaults, set the DRAM voltage to 1.9V, and the MCH to 1.28V. This didn't fix the problem. (It did give me that red warning notice the next time I went into the BIOS, though.)

Then I did the same things as I just said, again, and set timings to 6-6-6-20, with the Static tRead set to 9. This didn't fix the problem either, but the next time I entered the BIOS, there was no red warning note.

So I then tried (reset to Optimized Defaults) each stick, by itself, in slot 1. Didn't help. Just in case I also switched the sticks around between slots 1 and 3 and tried with both. No luck.

I guess I'm down to Memtest - I'll do one stick tonight and the other tomorrow night. I'll post if anything comes up.

Thanks again for all the help.