Problems with GA-EP45-DS3L & GTX260

[Zeddan]

Hello all, I'm new to this forum, read through similar posts but none of the tweaks/solution proposals helped me.

So lets start...

Bought a package:

GA-EP45-DS3L
Quad Q8200 2.33GHz
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
Corsair DDR2 2*2Gig
Corsair PSU 550W
(and some other non important stuff)

Got the computer up and running after a while, installled Vista, drivers for mob and gfx. Everything worked fine for the day... then I left the computer up and running for the night was moving stuff on the network... Today, I met a black screen on my Samsung 2443BW. Well, restarted the computer... nothing...

1) When I start the computer i see the post screen, when I try to enter Bios setup, I can't
- My Sammy is getting signal from the gfx (does not blink) but is black.
- My older monitor is also getting signal, but looses it after 1 sec, gets back and so on...

2) When I let the computer go all the way to the OS, I hear in the speakers that Vista is up.

3) Sometimes, i can actually see the "graphics" they "blink" sometimes they there for 2-3 sec

Things I've already tried:

I've discconnected everything except for gfx amd CPU fan
I've cleared the CMOS, removed the battery
Removed/changed slots of the memory
Checked the cables (works fine with my old comp)
Checked wiht older monitor, same behaviour
(don't have other gfx card to test with)

Since I can't enter the BIOS settings, I can't change any voltage settings etc... :-(

I'm kind of out of ideas what else to try. Since everything was up and running yesterday I'm not convinced that there is a HW fault...

So anyone have anything else to propose before I conntact the supplier?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Problems with GA-EP45-DS3L & GTX260

Can you test that card on a different board to be sure it did not die on you?

Does that PSU have enough on the12V rail for that card + your system?

Next thing to try if you cannot test that card on another setup, is to test with the minimal hardware outside of the case, off the motherboard tray. Do this with only the CPU/Heatsink, one stick of ram in slot one and your GFX card ONLY... That's it nothing else, no CD/DVD Drives, no Hard Drives, ect. If it works that way, slowly plug in things one at a time (After powering down between adding of course) until you find the Culprit

[Zeddan]

Re: Problems with GA-EP45-DS3L & GTX260

Thx LSD,

Well, tried that too before... didn't help, same behaviour... :-(

Anyway, whole this mess seems spooky... and I haven't given up yet...

I've moved one step forward, if I use VGA to DVI converter and plug the cable to DVI-2 then change back manually to DVI-1 on the gfx card I actually get the Vista desktop on my sammy. If i reboot, start with this conf. same behavior as previous, black screen (monitor sense that the cable is attached). I still can't access the BIOS with this "HW Tweak".... but when the screen is up, everything seems normal.

And today, just beeing curious, I've changed back to DVI to DVI, on DVI-2 and hmmm... everything worked fine, POST screen, I've entered BIOS.... happy as I was, I thought, woow finally... So I powered off the computer, put the cable in place, powered on the computer... and... BLACK SCREEN!

Anyway, since with little bit of tweaking I can actually get Vista working, I wonder if there are any good tools (like EasyTune6) that could help to change settings in BIOS related to gfx (from Vista)?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Problems with GA-EP45-DS3L & GTX260

Well the only GFX Tools in Easytune is the same as in all the other RivaTuner type tools. Just core clock and GFX Clock adjustment is all.

Sounds to me like that card is faulty.

Did you test the card on a friends computer yet or another one at your house? I would start with this test to be sure the card itself is ok or not