EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

[tuzy2k]

Let me first say that I've been building my own systems since the mid-90s. I've build about 10 systems in my lifetime, however, I went to the dark side about 2 years ago and got a MacBook Pro as my main machine. I have been using my older AMD 64 Box that I build in 2005 as my gaming computer since. Well....it died a month ago, and I started buying parts to build a new computer.

I bought the following:

Antec 300 Case
Antec 650W PS
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1333MHz FSB LGA775
Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C5D Dominator 2 X 2GB PC2-8500 1066MHz DDR2 CL5 Dual Channel
EVGA 512-P3-N879-AR GeForce 9800 GTX + 512 MB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0

I am using an SATA Segate 250GB HD I already had and an older ATA/133 IDE Pioneer DVD+DL Burner that pulled out of my previous system.

I've been getting the parts in slowly over the past 2 weeks as I was able to afford to do so. Case & PS first. Then Mobo. Then Ram. Then Processor and finally, cooler and GPU yesterday.

I installed both of the final two components - hooked everything up - and booted it up. On the first boot it posted just fine, although I didn't hear a beep, and got to the point where it should try to load an OS off of the HD or attempt to boot from a CD. It just hung on the "loading VMI information" or something of that nature.

I rebooted and went into BIOS. I went through each menu of the bios, setting things like the bus from 266 to 333 so it would run correctly at 3.0 ghz. I made sure the boot order was CDROM -> HD although I noticed that there is a seperate HD boot order menu in which it was picking up the Pioneer DVD drive on the IDE channel. I switched that to be before the HD.

At this point I could get it to display "NO OPERATING SYSTEM LOADED" or something of that nature when no CD was present. I tried to put in an ISO i got from microsoft of the new Windows 7 Beta and it would not boot from it. It simply would seem to load the DVD drive endlessly but would not get past the "LOADING VMI INFO" msg.

At this point, during one of my reboots, I noticed something that I had overlooked. After the RAM checked, it said "Running in Single Channel Mode". After opening my case I saw that I had, in my haste, accidentally put my ram in slots 1 and 2, instead of 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 for dual channel. I powered down the system and removed the chip from slot 2, and put it in slot 3.

The computer booted up, all the fans kicked on and the noises emanating from the case were identical to all other times it booted. I could head the HD working and the DVD drive eventually starting to spin up the Windows disc but....no video.

Also. I wondered why I wasn't hearing any beeping from the internal speaker when, after doing some research and looking around in the case, I realized that the Antec 300 case doesn't have an internal speaker!?!?!?!

This was all very late last night and I had to go to bed for work today (I'm at work right now).

As of right now I'm at a LOSS as to what the hell is causing the video to not work. I placed the RAM back in slots 1 and 2 to try to get it back to the previous state - nothing. I also tried to put a jumper on the CMOS clear pins while it was powered off to clear the BIOS but still nothing.

The only thing I can think of right now is to disconnect the internal speaker from my old system and try to hook it up to the new one to see if I can get some type of beeping feedback from the mobo as to WTF is wrong. If that doesn't work, I'm going to break the system down entirely and troubleshoot components one by one.

Any other suggestions? I'm completely at a loss. It seems to me that by switching the ram from 1 and 2 to 1 and 3, caused the video loss and thus, switching it back to 1 and 2 should restore it (if that was what caused it). Why wouldn't this work in reverse to fix it?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[tuzy2k]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

beueller?

[tuzy2k]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

bueller?

[railfrog]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

Have you hooked up the PCI-e power cable from the PSU to the Graphic Card?

[tuzy2k]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

Yes. As well as that other special power connector into the mobo near the CPU.

Again - the video was working for a while but then quit working when I switched the ram's slots and continued to not work when I switched it back.

[kick]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

Theres a lot in the post
Im an "old assembler" from way back also,kicked the habit for a year or 2 then got back into it about 18months ago.
So there is no os loaded as yet?

Im just wondering,at the point where u say "discs spin up but then no video",what happens next? does it go into the reboot cycle? pwr turns off then it turns on again etc?
If it does ,before trying 1-5 below let the cycle run for 3-4 times to make sure it isnt going to post up,then hold down the power button until the cycle stops.
Then turn off the psu or plug out the lead,wait a minute or so so residual power goes from the board then turn on psu and then hit power button and see if it posts..give it 3-4 cycles to be sure it isnt going to post.

Simplest thing to do next from what you describe:

1.power off the pc take off psu lead.
2.pull out the memory disconnect the mbrd power lead ,pull out the gx card
3.That should be enough,then you can short out the cmos jumper for 10 sec or so to clear the settings,or to save you disconnecting items again take out the cmos battery for 30 min,or if you can wait, maybe a couple of hrs.After that maybe its run the board outside of the case
4.reconnect everything as you did the first time,except having the ram in slots 1+3 or possibly just one stick in slot one first.
5.power up and hopefully the screen will come on and bios defaults will load,load optimum defaults from the bios screen and save them then reboot to bios again.

Thats what id try anyway if I had no display.


It would annoy the hell out of me ,but id work on the bios thing first
After that u can try the other items.

I wouldnt worry too much about the spkr,I dont know if the posting error beep codes like we used to get in the "old days,arr Jim lad" are even used much anymore.
Have you a normal os on the hdd already and a virtual machine set up?
Well nm u want to get your bios screen up I imagine.

[tuzy2k]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

I pulled the HD out of the machine from a Drobo Array I have. I purchased a new 1.5TB drive to go into the drobo and plan to use this 250GB drive for this box. I had planned to just boot into windows xp setup and then reformat the drive ntfs from within the xp setup.

I will try what you recommend - thanks for the recommendation. I'll post my results later this evening once I try it out.

[tuzy2k]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

An Update:

I pulled the internal speaker out of the other case I had and hooked it up to the new system.

Took everything out except CPU. Having powered it off, I cleared the CMOS and then powered it on. It gave me 3 short beeps, which is indicated in the manual to mean RAM problems. I powered down and replaced the ram in slots 1 and 3. Powered up with no video in. It began emitting a long beep for the video card. I powered down and put the video card in the PCIE slot. I powered up - still a long beep.

I powered down and switched the video card to PCE slot 2 since this is an SLI mobo. I still got the long beep.

I called the EVGA Tech support folks and ran down with them on the phone everything I did. They recommend that I RMA the GPU, which I've now done.

I will post an update here once I get the new GPU in. All indications are that, as of now, the GPU has failed but frankly, I don't trust the motherboard. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the new GPU doesn't work either and I'm going to have to end up RMAing the board.

[kick]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

Sorry to hear that.
So audio codes are still usefull.
I must have done 100 + pcs over the years(used to sell some).I only ever had a new item fail once and that was external cache memory on a mbrd, so it did still work.
It must be the volume of components sold.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-UD3P Video/RAM issues (I think)

I rebooted and went into BIOS. I went through each menu of the bios, setting things like the bus from 266 to 333 so it would run correctly at 3.0 ghz.

Here is where you started off in the wrong direction. When you build a system, Flash a new BIOS, or install new major hardware you MUST always load optimized defaults in the BIOS and then save and apply and reboot back to the BIOS to make all your normal changes again (SATA/Disk settings, Ram voltage, any other desired changes)

You did not do this, that is why your CPU was picked up incorrectly and likely could be the cause of any number of issues as without doing that many hidden settings may not be applied per your hardware.

As for your GFX issue, you should go into the BIOS integrated Peripherals page and set "Init First Display" to PEG. This may not help, but it is the correct setting for the first PCIE Slot

Does that PSU have enough amps on the 12V Rail for your card and the rest of your system? Just checking your thoughts on that, looks like it would be but then again I have not looked at much Nvidia card info lately

Do you have any other DDR2 you can test with? I ask because I know in my many tests and benchmarking experiences I can manually, or sometimes in Auto at certain levels, cause Any number of NON Memory related beeps with the memory. Meaning I can set something I know for sure will cause a GFX or Power error Beep just with memory settings.

So just thought I would ask if you had any other to test with, or have you tried one stick in slot one yet?

Here is my method to clear the CMOS if you would like to try that as well. See post #2 >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/bios-flashing-how-qflash-guide-27576/

Let us know how you get along with you new card when you get it. Do you have an older one to play with while you are waiting?