Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

[edgong]

CPU: QX9770
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9900 LED
DDR2: PC2-8500 2GB Cruicial Ballistic
Board: GA-EP43-UD3L
Video: EVGA 8800 GTS 512MB
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 650W
Case: Antec P183 mid tower

Problem: After putting the board into case, connect case power, reset, wires, plugged in video card, Plug in power and turn on system. No video seen on monitor and system keeps rebooting. The reason I say it keeps rebooting is that, I can see CPU fan LED is on, LED on DDR comes on and there are 4 LEDs below CPU_fan connectors are all on. Then about 63 seconds, all LEDs & fans are off. Then LEDs & Fans come back on again in about 3 seconds. Video never comes on. Anyone knows what's going on? And suggestions? I already tried clearing the CMOS by touching the CLR_CMOS jumper with the screw driver for a few sec while computer is unplugged.

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Ok. I got it to boot to BIOS. I read someone's post about "cold boot" problem and he/she took out 1/2 of the memory and that allowed him/her to boot. So I took out 1 of the 2 sticks and low and behold, video came up and I got into BIOS. So this problem seems to be related to my PC2-8500 Cruicial Ballistic.

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Ok. I think I solved my own problem. One of the stick is bad. So after have it working with 1 stick in the case, I shut it down, replace the stick that's working in the case with the other stick that's out. As soon as I replace it in the same slot, system does the same reboot, shut down & reboot again.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Sounds like you do have a faulty module, but I would update to the latest BIOS and do your test again to be sure before you RMA. Please do so with Qflash, here is a guide >>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/bios-flashing-how-qflash-guide-27576/

Let me know if you need the info to RMA with Crucial, they are pretty painless for RMA's but you will need to send in the kit unless you call and talk with them personally, then you may be able to get them to RMA a single stick. Normally though RMA requires the full kit to be sent in.

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Lsdmeasap or other experts. Looks like this problem has to do with memory. I went and bought a new set of PC2-8500 Patriot 4GB Viper PV224G8500ELK (5-5-5-15)2.1v. However, video comes up and then reboots. Unlike the cruicial ballistic, which it will boot with one stick, this Patriot keeps rebooting 1 or 2 sticks. I check the BIOS is already the latest(F6). What else can I do other than return the motherboard?

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Very interesting. I removed the Patriot memories. Replaced with my 1 stick crucial and got to the BIOS. I changed the memory voltage from 1.8v(Auto) to set to 2.0v(Patriot rated at 2.1v). I save the settings to a profile. Shutdown and removed crucial placed both Patriot sticks(4GB) and system actually booted. I went into BIOS looked around and now I am installing an OS. I am afraid if BIOS somehow rests to default, I would need my handy one stick crucial in order to get into BIOS. Is there a better and fail safe way? If I put these Patriot memories into 1066MTS mode in BIOS. System keeps rebooting without able to get into BIOS. In that case, I have to do the whole 1 Crucial stick to boot to BIOS then lower the memory speed back to 800MTS and the do the swap again for system to boot. There's got to be a fix for this.

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Anyone has any suggestion? Do I try another brand of memory? Or perhaps go with PC2-6400 for 800MTS memories? This will drive me in sane not knowing if system will boot without swapping back to the 1 reliable crucial stick.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Ahh so you got new ram already, good to know.

You will be fine once you set the BIOS properly and will not have to open the case to replace your other stick to get in the BIOS. Of course if things reset on you, you may need to sometimes. If you are worried about that, and want to sell your Crucial's go ahead and then just buy as single 1GB stick of 800Mhz cheap 1.8V ram and you will be fine.

Again this is not the board, only ram as neither are on the QVL list.

Give me your current full settings and I will advise back for you some optimal settings. Then it should be few and far between that you would need to go into your case to switch, like it the power goes out for a long time, or while you are using the system. That would be the only times this should happen, unless you push high overclocks every day with the wrong settings, trying to benchmark or something. Once you set things and are stable this will only happen if the above electrical issues happen

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Thanks Lsdmeasap. I will look up the current BIOS settings and post it later. I actually order a set of G.Skill Pc2-6400 that runs at 800MTS see if they are more compatible instead of the current 4GB Viper PV224G8500ELK (5-5-5-15)2.1v.

The reason I worry about not able to go into BIOS even when I set the BIOS already, was that the system was in a boot loop again when I plugged in a mouse on the back of the computer instead of the USB mouse. That made me thing if anything changes like mouse, I may have to do the whole swap sticks again in order to get into BIOS.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

That was likely some random error, a mouse should not do that unless it is shorting somehow or faulty. You should be fine to make changes such as that or anything else, once you setup the BIOS and get it all stable. Of course do not use that mouse anymore unless you are sure it is ok and it was just random.

Have you tried that mouse again at all on this system or another, just wondering?

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

No. I removed the mouse completely. One other thing, I had the Patriot working great at 800MTS instead of the rated 1066MTS. I then decided to go into BIOS and changed the memory speed to 1066MTS. Then the system is in the reboot loop again. I had to do the swap again to get into BIOS to get the memory back to 800MTS in order to have system boot up. So seems like I won't be able to do much tweaking of the BIOS unless I am willing to constantly doing the swapping thing in order to boot.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Well to go from 800 to 1066 you will need to make several BIOS changes to run 1066, did you do this? If so then they may have been incorrect settings is all.

If you did, then post your 1066 settings you tried in full and I will advise back

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Thanks Lsdmeasap. I will do post that when I get home tonight.

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Lsdmeasap, the setting I have currently is the Optimized Default except that I changed memory Speed to 800MTS and DDR voltage from 1.8-->Auto to 2.0v manually set. Would this be enough for you to tell me what I need to change in BIOS in order to make my system to boot to 1066 from 800?

[edgong]

Re: Help - GA-EP43-UD3L keeps rebooting

Ok, here's MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T)

Robust Graphics Booster [Auto]
CPU Clock Ratio [8x]
Fine CPU clock Rato [+0.0]
CPU Frequency 3.2Ghz (400 x 8)
***** Clock CHIP control *****
CPU Host Clock Control [Disabled]
x CPU Host Frequency 400
PCI Express Frequency(Mhz) [Auto]
C.I.A.2 [Disable]
> Advanced Clock Control
CPU Clock Drive [800mV]
PCI Express clock Drive [800mV]
CPU Clock Skew [0 ps]
MCH Clock skew [0 ps]

***** DRAM Performance Control *****

Performance Enhance [Turbo]
Extreme Memory Profile(X.M.P) [Auto]
System Memory Multiplier(SPD) [2.00 D]
Memory Frequency(Mhz) 1066 800
DRAM Timing Selectable(SPD) [Auto]

***** Standard Timing Control *****

x CAS Latency Time 5 Auto
tRCD 5 Auto
tRP 5 Auto
tRAS 15 Auto

> Advanced Timing Control [ Press Enter ]
x tRRD 4 Auto
x tWTR 4 Auto
x tWR 8 Auto
x tRFC 68 Auto
x tRTP 4 Auto
x Command Rate(CMD) 0 Auto

***** Mother Board Voltage Control *****

CPU Vcore 1.28750v [Auto]
CPU Termination 1.200v [Auto]
CPU Reference 0.805v [Auto]

MCH Core 1.100v [Auto]
ICH I/O 1.550v [Auto]

DRAM Voltage 1.800v [2.00v]