Stability issue

[SPdDeMn]

Ever since I got this board the bios has been nothing but trouble. I have been busy setting up other stuff not to mention busy playing games like f.e.a.r. to have really got into much overclocking besides stock speeds smoke so I figure why try to stretch to something you don't really need. The bios at stock settings (except for what I had to enable for sli and raid) repeatedly will hang at different intervals during bios startup. Sometimes I just get a flashing cursor on an empty screen. This last time it froze during gameplay and I am now unable to get it to post whatsoever. I tried the hard flash by removing the battery, setting cmos to clear for about 10 minutes, one stick mem etc. and it actually posted long enough for me to enable raid etc. but, oh oh have to F10 and reset. bye bye. So now I am doing it over but leaving it for an overnight flash. Is there a modded flash out there that is actually stable? DFI stock ones seem to be all the same in that regard. I tried 3 different ones with the same problems all though until now it was more of an annoyance then the total shutdown I'm at now. Did I just get a lemon? Though I have seen many a post in this forum about similar problems. Here is a question that may be taboo in this forum but I am going to ask anyway. What might be a good second choice in motherboards for socket 939 with sli? Asus maybe? Right now anything that doesn't hang like this. I used award bioses in Soyo boards for years with never any trouble like this. Sure I blew them up a few times pushing it too far but then I knew why it locked and a quick ccmos and that was the end of it. One stick of my memory cost as much as this board and I wont have a $200 piece of hardware (mobo) stopping the other $3800 very long. I would like to resolve this issue before abandoning ship just yet so any and all suggestions would be appreciated Thanks,

[Gipse]

Hi,

I think you have problems because of your PSU. You´re running a nice and powerfull setup, but 28A on the 12V line is not enough to handle all your stuff (SLI, Raid, Pump...).

Try another PSU or disconnect some hardware (i.e. run it with only one video-card).

Gipse

[supershanks]

1)

This last time it froze during gameplay

Bios isn't used during gameplay - suggest you may like 2 check the stability of your expensive memory. Most artefacting is similarly connected with component instability again usually memory.

 

2) It does seem a shame with some of those components 2 have a poor psu. try Recommended! - NF4 Ultra/SLI Mobos:PowerSupplies

[SPdDeMn]

usually once I am in windows I am alright with the occasional lock up (shoe me a puter that NEVER does that. just when I have to get through bios post I have problems. I may have to take it somewhere where they can do accurate hardware test before I go replacing stuff. just seems to be a common problem with these boards which I don't need. That PSU should be plenty to push this but I may have to look into it. worked fine for hours of punishing game play. I run 1200x1600 4xAA everything maxed and had no problems other than the occasional hang. if there isn't enough juice I would think it would show there not from a cold boot. oh well. time to see if my all night clear did any good.

[SPdDeMn]

OK so after an all night clear it's like nothing ever happened. posted first try. then again on the second when I put my second stick back in. PSU? I don't think so. what exactually? I still don't know. I would love to hear how I could keep this from happening again so any and all suggestions are appreciated. I will give the benifit of the doubt however and test some hardware. what is a good utility to test PSU stress? mem etc.

[lowboy]

If you only have 28A on the 12V rail with the components your running my god get another PSU. You have a ton of money in that rig to be using sub par PSU. Even if it's1000W and only has 28A on 12v rail it would not be good for your rig. Get something like the fortron 700w epsilon has 60A on 12v rail only $170.

[szurlo]

The only time I've had issues getting locked up in the bios was when I had the timings WAY off on the RAM, and then once when once stick actually failed. The cause was easy to determine because once I did luck up and get it to restart and run memtest it would error all over the place. Fixed the RAM issues and it stopped locking up in the BIOS.

[SPdDeMn]

The only time I've had issues getting locked up in the bios was when I had the timings WAY off on the RAM, and then once when once stick actually failed. The cause was easy to determine because once I did luck up and get it to restart and run memtest it would error all over the place. Fixed the RAM issues and it stopped locking up in the BIOS.

 

 

Hummm sounds like something to think about. How would my timings get off? I haven't adjusted any memory timings. but next time I luck up and get it to post I will run memcheck and see what I get. Doesn't seem to matter if I try to boot with one stick or 2. If that is the case what should should I do to correct it? Thanks for any help

[SPdDeMn]

If you only have 28A on the 12V rail with the components your running my god get another PSU. You have a ton of money in that rig to be using sub par PSU. Even if it's1000W and only has 28A on 12v rail it would not be good for your rig. Get something like the fortron 700w epsilon has 60A on 12v rail only $170.

 

actually 30A and dual 12v rails I might have gotten a better one but in windows I have had no issues like that. play high end games for hours with no probs and everything benches where it should for stock speeds. I might consider getting another but the first thing I think I am going to be shopping for is a new main board I think unless I can resolve this quickly. I just feel in my gut it's a defective bios issue

[supershanks]

SPdDeMn,

I've had 2 days downtime this last thu/fri due to a dead bios chip. symtoms were 4 redleds fans start but no post nada.

 

There may be a possibility your bios is corrupted If :-

you've been reflashing between versions & used Cmos reloaded to load settings saved there under a different bios version.

 

heavy ocing.

 

you can replace the chip Tmod - New Pre-Programmed Bios Chips It may be worth getting as it's adamn site cheaper than a new psu.

 

luck

[SPdDeMn]

SPdDeMn,

I've had 2 days downtime this last thu/fri due to a dead bios chip. symtoms were 4 redleds fans start but no post nada.

 

There may be a possibility your bios is corrupted If :-

you've been reflashing between versions & used Cmos reloaded to load settings saved there under a different bios version.

 

heavy ocing.

 

you can replace the chip Tmod - New Pre-Programmed Bios Chips It may be worth getting as it's adamn site cheaper than a new psu.

 

luck

 

Exactually what I have going on.. same four leds, fans running. lights are on but nobody's home. I thought about a new bios chip and that's probably what I should do. I'm just so completely frustrated that I want to replace the entire offending member lol. I have yet to use the bios storage feature because I really haven't gotten to any OC yet as I was still playing with other things like getting win x64 edition up and running. That was actually not too bad. I found x64 not to be near as scary as it was made out to be but that's another story. wonder if I could get one of those bios chips sent overnight..