Help!! Boot Problems!!

[tompson]

ok, I've had this build for a number of months now and everything has been working up until this point.

 

Yesterday I installed a water cooling setup in my existing build. I've leak tested it for 12 hours and THERE ARE NO LEAKS. I've got the CPU and the two graphics cards cooled, one with a swiftech storm and the other with two danger den blocks.

 

Anyway, now the computer wont post. The Ram light and the power lights come on. When I turn on the computer the first diagnostic LED goes off. But then it hangs there just beeping at me. The FDD Led flickers on and off.

 

I've cleared the CMOS, I'm now only using one ram stick in the top orange slot. I've periodically taken everything out and it doesn't change anything.

 

Does anyone know what might be going on? It says in the manual that the 2nd diagnostic LED is to indicate that a CPU was found. Does this mean that when it TURNS OFF the CPU has been found or what? Or is it not recognising the RAM (which is supposed to be the next light. HELP!!

 

I'm worried I've destroyed my CPU so a quick responce would be great. I guess I might have knocked off a MB component sometime, but I can't remember evern knocking it. I'd rather it be the $200 MB rather than the $820 CPU.

[Mochaboy]

Not sure if this will help but

 

Here is the way to read the Diagnostic LEDs.

 

4 LEDs on = Power applied

3 LEDs on = CPU has been detected OK

2 LEDs on = RAM has been detected OK

1 LED on = VGA has been detected OK

0 LEDs on = System has booted to the Operating System.

 

As long as you are in the BIOS including running memtest from the BIOS option, there will be one LED on.

 

If you are getting 3 LEDs on, it means the rig is having trouble detecting the RAM.

 

Have you tried reseating the CPU to start? Did you do a 15 minute clear or an 8 hour CMOS clear?

[tompson]

thanks for the quick responce. THANK GOD its no the CPU. This is a little dubious though, I never touched the ram. I wonder if the memory controller on the CPU is stuffed... Then again, I might just be being overly pessimistic.

 

I'm the meantime I will try to hunt done some sticks of RAM and try those. I've sometimes had troubles with these VX sticks. Often if I haven't set the Dram voltage to +0.4 V above the default value in the bios then it sometimes wont turn on. However, I've never had it stay off continuously like this....

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[Burky]

Crap, I'm getting 4 LEDs, so does that mean not even my CPU is good?

[Mochaboy]

What trouble shooting steps have you taken so far (so I don't tell you try something you've already done)...

 

What you described happened to me on my first build attempt - and that's because I had the ram stick in the wrong slot. (Should be Dimm2 - the orange slot, closest to the edge)...

[Mochaboy]

Crap, I'm getting 4 LEDs, so does that mean not even my CPU is good?

 

Not necessarily - all it means is that it's probably not detecting it properly...Usually reseatting the chip will fix that...The only way you can know for sure easily is if you had access to a friend's 939 mobo...

[tompson]

yeah, the memory is in the top orange slot. I've tried both sticks in all combinations, both dual channel and single stick.

 

I've disconnected everything and then connected components trying to see if it will turn on and off again. I took of the CPU water block and took out the CPU just to see if there was any hidden water dammage that I couldn't see (of course there wasn't... I leak tested it for 24 hours). I took out the CPU to check for bent pins... none. I put the waterblock back on. I took out the video cards and the sound card to see if they were causing the problem, but it still wouldn't post past three lights.

 

I've tried taking some of the power jumpers out (ie the FDD and the motex MB connectors) but that didn't help.

 

I'm completely out of ideas.

 

Has anyone had problems getting this OCZ 4000 VX memory to post??

 

Thanks,

Jonathan

[fariss]

When clearing CMOS did you also change the jumper? And then back again?

[tompson]

yes. I unplugged the computer, took out the battery, changed the jumper, waited 30 minutes, put the jumper back, put the battery back in and then turned the computer back on...

 

Didn't help.

[tompson]

i just tried a memory stick of a friend of mine, which I know works, so it's definitelly not the memory. My next guess is the motherboard.

 

Dam... I guess I need to send this MB back.

 

Has anyone had to RMA a board with DFI? Is the process long?

[Burky]

Not necessarily - all it means is that it's probably not detecting it properly...Usually reseatting the chip will fix that...The only way you can know for sure easily is if you had access to a friend's 939 mobo...

I just took off my waterblock, took out the chip, and then put it back in. I didn't put the waterblock back on as it's a pain in the butt to do, but I don't think that will make a difference. I turned it on and still 4 red LEDs. I repeated this twice.

 

Problem is I go on holiday for two weeks on saturday, and I'm worried that if I don't do something soon, any possibility of return with the site might be invalid which would suck.

 

I'm flashing the CMOS now, but that shouldn't make a difference given that it's brand new and never been turned on (properly.

[Burky]

Ok, I flashed the CMOS (left the battery out for about, switched the jumpers), and still I get 4 red LEDs.

Do you think that it's a faulty CPU? If it is, what rights to I have to send it back to the website from which I bought it?