Warm boot concerns....

[vimes]

Hello

 

Could someone give me a little help here please....?

 

If I reboot Windows, which I rarely do unless software has need to reboot the machine, I find that sometimes (not every reboot) the machine will not show any screen (the monitor goes into standby mode) and the CD writer and DVD writers "lights" flash on and off on both units - it hasn't even posted.

 

This then means, to me, that I need to switch the PSU off for a minute or so and then power the machine back on. This agonising loop sometimes repeats itself but up to now it has always brought the board back to life. With the "loop" repeating itself sometimes I'm not sure if this would then be classed as both a warm and cold boot problem..?

 

Now I have a replacement bios chip flashed to the latest bios would this necessarily resolve the problem if the machine did not break that loop or is a new bios chip not going to help in this situation....?

 

I really like this board but it is a little scary to be in this position without the ability to find a way to resolve it. My NF7-S and Epox 8RDA+ machines do not have this as a problem, it does seem to be unique to the DFI one.

 

Thanks for any help.

[elts_drac]

Your sig says you're already running the latest avasilable bios. I would try reflashing the chip twice before rebooting and letting the cmos jumper stay one for at least overnight.

[Popcicle]

With the loop repeating itself this tells me the problem

is coming from the memory side of things.

 

Believe the first thing I would do is give that XMS a full

load of Vdimm, rather than default voltage.

 

Running 2 sticks of 512MB probably enters into the picture

here somewhere. Give 1 stick at a time a try also.

 

Looping at a boot can be caused by running RAM timings

a little bit to tight. iirc V1.1 of 3200 is BH-6. Maybe

something like 11-3-3-2.5 would help.

 

BIOS version 1/21 has been beneficial to some who still

found they had boot problems with 6/19.

[vimes]

Thanks to you both for your reply.

 

elts_drac

 

I will try the suggestion about reflashing the board in a day or two, when my bios chip removing tool arrives, just in case. But when you mention....

 

the cmos jumper stay one for at least overnight.

Do you mean the jumper in the reset and NOT the running position...? And should I remove the battery and the PSU cable from the mains....?

 

Popcicle

I had't thought of the memory timings possibly giving a problem as it does loop through memtest86 with no error at 6.3.3.2 but I certainly will try your suggestion, thanks for that. Again I would wait regarding flashing the BIOS until my bios extraction tool arrives during the week.

 

 

Could anyone tell me why I see this..

 

Memory speed will not keep at 200mhz when selected by SPD

 

At 1:1 setting I would expect the memory to be the same as the FSB......

 

Set at 1:1 and showing the correct 210mhz speed

 

Now I would expect when I set the memory to SPD it would be able to read the speed settings and keep at 200mhz.....?

[elts_drac]

Yes to fully clr the cmos take the ac power plug out of the case, remove battery and put the jumper on the clear position to dissipate the charge storing the settings in cmos overnight(24 hours is preferred).

 

NEVER EVER set the mem timings to SPD! Set ratio at 1:1 and manually set the speed to what the manufacturer suggests. Then put some volts to it and start jacking the fsb and tightening it up.

[Guest Spartacus]

Vimes,

 

I have this same warm boot issue on all versions of the 06/19 BIOS, but no previous versions. I'm running 256x2 BH5 Mushkins, so it's not your 512MB sticks. I've also tried all manner of clearing the CMOS, multiple flashes under full moon etc. with no change. Every 06/19 BIOS does this on my board. Hellfire's latest 3EG works a little better, but I get random lockups under CPU load.

 

Flash to 01/21 and use the "war mod" if you have cold boots. My board runs flawlessly in that config.

 

Good luck!

[vimes]

elts_drac

Thanks for your clarification. I was trying to keep the memory at 200mhz whilst increasing the FSB. Regardless of what I set that has just not been possible.

 

Spartacus

Thanks for the help with the issues that I am having. Maybe the 01/21 bios might be able to help me.

 

Just at this moment in time I m a little annoyed with this board. Whilst it does have great potential I am alarmed at the weakness of the bios and its ability to simply die.

 

I got a cold boot problem that I couldn't revive the board and so for the first time ever I needed to use my newly delivered spare bios chip. Without that my board would have been dead and needed to have been returned.

I have now hot flashed the dead bios chip, refitted it, and I am back up and going again.

 

As good as this board has the potential to be it is quite alarming the problems that can be experienced by some people, in relation to the cold / warm boots.

 

Not sure what is the "war mod" though :confused:

 

Still time to switch it off now and go to bed, see what tomorrow brings

 

Thanks again for your help

[elts_drac]

You can't kep the "memory" at 200 while increasing the FSB because the FSB IS THE MEMORY SPEED!!!!

 

The WAR mod is RGonian for "wire mod" where you insert some wire in the socket to default the chip pre-boot to a higher Vcore and FSB. This seems to all but alleviate the warm/cold boots in conjunction with the 1/21 bios.

[RGone]

...the wire mod for force crank Vcore to 1.775Volts has made the cold boot a thing of the past for me on just about any mobo that I have tried it on. The poster has warm restarts and that is a little different. Not much but some different. Might be caused by something as simple as not enough volts assigned to the CpU or memory as it is. Most folks now days are on the one hand wanting HI-PO and HI-PO boards and choke them with no voltage as they fear heat and don't like noise of fans. Those two criteria just about don't fit in the same case at all. Maybe with water cooling with the radiators in the yard outside. Hehehehehehe.

 

A lot of variables and many drive themselves nuts with wondering. I hate seeing people buy and then see what they bought. I mean there is a plethora of posts and threads on the internet about the DFI sisters and the quirks they can exhibit. I knew of them 6 months ago when I bought and almost opted out but I stuck.

 

Man if you ain't a DFI sisters man then you will be more inclined to happiness on another board. The DFI sisters are for the FSB freaks, tweaks and plain I wantuh nuts. It gives us all something to do while waiting on 939 and has enough charisma to keep us all occupied and writing posts in forums. Hehehehehehe.

 

All that said> a simple 3/8's long piece of very very fine wire in the cpu socket and then the cpu placed on top of it will likely cure cold and most warm boot problems with any bios revision.

 

Sincerely, RGone...

[elts_drac]

I figured you'd bust on in here pretty soon Rgone. Ya know how google will display results etc in most any language including klingon? What if we petion to have RGonian recognized???

[RGone]

elts_drac ole sun...I gunna type in sooner or later. I hate for anyone no matter the brand or version to be 'wondering'; instead of putering. Life is too short to keep a head banging going on unless like many of us>that is our thing and we thrive on it.

 

Hale I listened to slavik a few hours ago and paid dearly. HEheheehe. I was double jumping thru hoops headed for 263X10 on SC with some new memory and like an idiot said gimme and gimme rat now. Heheheheehe. ElWindoorsElGoneO. Hehehehee.

 

Just finished reload and what is worse had the folder on other drive FOR the image and no dang image in it. HEhehehehehee. You gotta like a numbnutso. HEheheheehehe. I done plenty of crap afore and spect I will sum mOe.

 

But now I am coming to you frum the land of the 250x10.5 and loving it. HEheheheehehehe. You talk snap. We got snap in spades. Heheheheehehe. But I have had a motherboard in and out of this case 3 times in the last 4 days and now I think to leave it a while. HEheheheheehe. Gat a leetle Vdimm mod thanks to another wild and crazy poster by the moniker of S.F.F.U. and he will really turn you on to acting up and going berserkO. He jus a wild and crazy sort a clocking nut.

 

Oh hale me is jus RGone...1ster>:nod:

[elts_drac]

I think I've had maybe 4 warm boots on this 6/19 and the cold boot first thing in the morning(if I bother to shut it off which I haven't for 100+ hours) takes about 5-10 secs to get her hummin. Other than the whole Zonealarm 5 debacle its been smooth sailing so far. I am however smart enuff to actually have an image in my image folder...*ROTFLMMFAO* :nod: