GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

[ed1]

After solving a freezing problem with my system (start switch wire shorting), I added some additional memory that I had lying around. Same modules as were in the system - went from 6GB to 12GB. After doing some overclocking, the system is now running smoothly. But, I notice that it is taking longer for the system to complete POST and boot into Windows than before. About twice as long. I have turned off the GSATA, eSATA controllers and other BIOS features which I do not use. I have Line Load (vDroop) set to 1. But these settings are the same as in the past. So, I don't know what could be the cause of the slower POST. The system takes 35 seconds to reach the single beep and begin the POST process. And then another 35 seconds to fully boot into the Windows desktop. Before, it was half that time. I don't believe there is a problem with the RAM for 2 reasons. One - all of the RAM sticks have been used before on this system without problem. Two - the RAM has been briefly run through Memtest without error (although not for many passes). In any case, the POST is successful and shows no errors. It just seems to take a long time for the POST to actually begin. RAM was running at 1500MHz 6-6-7-6 before, and at 1600MHz 8-8-8-20 now. Any explanation for the much slower behavior?

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Just wanted to add that during the first 35 seconds after the power is switched on, nothing seems to happen, then a quick click sound from the motherboard (barely audible), then several more seconds, then the beep and POST begins. I don't think the system is rejecting the BIOS image and loading the second one, but maybe. I did load optimized defaults before adjusting BIOS settings. On occasion, immediately after pressing the power switch, I hear a loud 2 second swish sound, which settles down gradually over another second or two, then the 35 seconds of inactivity, then the beep, and POST begins. Other than these delays, the system is behaving normally. POST displays that RAM passed, no error messages, Windows boots up without error. I may try raising some voltages. QPI.VTT is at 1.275 volts, as it always was. CPU vcore is on Normal, as that seems to be required for the clock speed wind down energy saving features to kick in. Perhaps slight bumps to QPI PLL or IOH core will help. Curious.

[NGL_BrSH]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

I gave up on this very problem a couple years ago. I am now just researching to see if anyone has solved this problem since I just recently moved my X58A-UD5 into a HTPC role. The 30 seconds of nothing before POST is now driving me crazy.

I recall I couldn't get all 6GB's of ram to show up at the same time and after some tweaking and about 1 million bios updates they fixed it so that my ram showed up however this was one of the side effects of the fix I guess.

I gave up on it until now.

I patiently await to see if someone has a solution to your problem.
If you happen to figure it out without anyone's help please post back telling me your solution.

GL

[MacG32]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

When I had my GA-X58A-UD7, I disabled all devices/ports/adapters/plugs not needed or used within the BIOS. If you have mixed RAM sticks that weren't made/bought new and together as a set, then there will be major problems with system stability, to include boot up time. The UD7 hates mixed RAM sticks of any sort. If you have any settings on Auto, that could also delay booting as well. Using other ports/plugs that aren't Intel/chipset based will also cause boot delays. The X58 boards were very picky...lol

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Thanks for your posts, guys. I think you are getting me closer to isolating the cause of the delay.

It just so happens that this delay seems to have started when I added an additional 3 sticks of memory to the board, bringing it up from 6GB to 12GB. These additional sticks are of the same brand, Mushkin, as the original 3 sticks, with an almost identical part number. The only difference, I thought, was the type of heat spreader. Both types are rated 6-7-6-6 @ 1500Mhz on 1.65 volts. I only discovered today that one of the other timings (not one of the principal four primary timings) is very slightly different between the two RAM types.

Also, when I "Load Optimized Defaults" in the BIOS and then start up the system, the extra delay to POST is gone, even with all 12GB of RAM installed. The beep happens in about 12 or 15 seconds, rather than 35 or 40 seconds when the system and RAM are overclocked. With optimized defaults, the RAM runs on 1.5 volts at 8-8-8-20 timings @ 1066Mhz.

With 12GB of RAM installed, when the system is overclocked to even 3.1Mhz from rated 2.67Mhz (i7-920) it is not 100% stable, with browser and email client crashing on occasion. This is in addition to the extra start up delay.

So far, with the 12GB of RAM, I seem to have a choice of not overclocking at all to get 100% stability and normal boot up speed. or overclocking the CPU and RAM along with slower boot up and some instability.

Further thoughts, anyone?

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

I forgot to add that I have turned off in the BIOS the USB3, eSATA and other controllers that I don't use. That hasn't prevented the long delays on power up, though.

I do have a number of BIOS voltage and timing settings left on AUTO. It seems a bit much to manually set so many of them when I am not making any change on them. And those same settings left on AUTO did not cause the slow boot up when I had only the original 3 sticks of RAM installed.

More thoughts on this?

[MacG32]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Fast timed low voltage RAM?

Product page.

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Here is the RAM:

Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 998691 - Newegg.com

[NGL_BrSH]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Yeah if I were motivated right now I'd try putting in all the ram settings manually instead of the xmp profile to do it.

That is where I would start.

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

I've never used XMP profiles. Always made all changes manually. Just left the AUTO settings on for items that I didn't change.

I guess I'll keep trying to find the right combination of settings.

[NGL_BrSH]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

hmm.. well maybe try the xmp1 profile? just to say you did? IDK, this issue is obviously related to the ram / controller. That at least narrows it down a bit. It's voltage or settings somewhere. I'm anxious for you to figure it out ha ha because I haven't had time to mess with mine.

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

NGL, when you Load Optimized Defaults in the BIOS (or otherwise eliminate any overclocking of CPU and RAM), do you still have the delay in POST?

[NGL_BrSH]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

Yes, same issue.

[parsec]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

In the past, say ~10 years ago or more, part of the PC POST process was running a test on the RAM memory. The more memory you had, the longer it took. That test was either removed or modified when PCs started using 4GB or more memory, since it took so long. The BIOS of those PCs might have an option to enable or disable the memory testing.

My point is the memory you added seemed to increase the POST time by a factor of two, which would perfectly fit some type of memory testing.

I have an ASUS X58 board, which is the slowest starting PC I've ever built. It takes ~20 seconds before the POST single beep occurs, and there is nothing displayed on the screen until that beep. This board runs three tests before that POST beep, one for the CPU, one for "VGA", and one for the memory. Three LEDs, one for each of the components listed above, light up until their test passes. If the test fails, the LED remains on and POST does not continue. AFAIK, this type of testing may be used on other X58 boards.

This and other ASUS boards have a feature called "Mem OK", which I think is related to a feature Intel had added for platforms with the integrated memory controller on the CPU, such as X58/i7-9xx systems, the first one that used the IMC. IIRC, it is called Flex-memory, that allowed incompatible or mixed memory types to be used, by automatically modifying memory settings.

FWIW, any of these things may be causing the slow start up you have on your X58 based PC.

[ed1]

Re: GA-X58A-UD7 slow boot?

parsec, thanks for your detailed report on this. It is somewhat consistent with some of the increased delay I have seen on my X58A-UD7 system since going from 6GB to 12GB RAM. With 6GB RAM and both CPU and RAM overclocked, my delay to POST was about 15 seconds. I ran this way for years. My delays were up to 40 seconds (before POST) with blank screen as you say, with 12GB RAM and certain overclock settings for CPU and RAM. But, I have adjusted some of the o/c and voltage settings and now have the delay down to about 22 seconds, again with 12GB. What I noticed when experimenting is this: With no o/c of CPU or 12GB RAM - delay was about 12 to 15 seconds to the single beep sound and beginning of POST. (One of the first lines in the POST sequence is a report on RAM but the way.) This yielded a CPU at 2.66Mhz and RAM at 1066Mhz with 8-8-8-24-2T timings at 1.5v. When I tried to run 12GB RAM at spec 1600Mhz on 1.65v at 6-6-7-18-1T by using 160BCLK, 10 RAM multiplier, and 20 CPU multiplier to yield a 3.2Mhz CPU frequency, the delay to start of POST was 35 to 40 seconds. WIth 12GB RAM at 1500Mhz on 1.64v at 6-6-7-18-1T, 150 BCLK, 10 RAM multiplier, and 20 CPU multiplier to yield a 3.0Mhz CPU frequency, the delay to POST drops to about 22 seconds. So, I have settled on using these settings for now. I also noticed that setting QPI/vtt on AUTO rather than a specific voltage seemed to help reduce the delay to POST. Same with QPI/pll and ICH/core. Best to leave them on AUTO. My wife's Gigabyte EP45-UD3 system with a non-overclocked E8400 CPU and 4GB RAM is much faster than my system to reach POST. About 8 seconds to the beep and start of POST. I guess this is consistent with what you are saying, parsec. NGL, does any of this info help you speed up your system boot?