GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

[GU3RNICA]

Hi,

I have recently thrown together a new pc with the EX58 Extreme and intermitantly I have the exact same issue as the guy in this thread
( http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/ga-e...failure-29087/ )......with a few exceptions.

First my system:

i7 920 D0
ULTRA-120 EX-1366RTF
EX58 Extreme - E9d
12GB Corsair 1600MHZ DDR3 (HX3X12G1600C9)
Gigabyte Odin 1200 Pro
Gigabyte 4890 1GB

- yes I know for the ram, supported is only 1333Mhz and below for 6 x 2GB in this board but I've been running it @ lower then 1333Mhz and have experienced the same issue with only 3 x 2GB sticks in the system )

Issue first occurred after initial hardware build (so pre-software), any change in bios settings resulted in the 'lockup' as per the linked thread above. When i say any I mean from changing IDE / SATA settings to resetting it to failsafe defaults.

Updated the BIOS to E7 after this and yielded the same results.

Updated to E9d and am now able to OC / play with all settings 85%-90% of the time -sometimes after a simple restart the pc will still lockup and I just have to wait it out.

At times I have been able to speed up the 'cool down' of this lockup by removing ram sticks (so going from 6 x 2GB -> 3 x 2GB) and having them in the correct white 1/3/5 dimms.

Which initially lead me to think it was the ram, so I tried removing all of the ram to see if it would power on and no cigar :(

I've also tried this PSU on another board ( yee old Intel PII board ) and that powers up without an issue.

I have also had the system running outside of the case on a table and experienced the same issue.

Inside my case the board is on 9 x risers that came with my case and on top of each I have placed an insulating washer, all screws are screwed in tight (but not too tight) also with insulating washers.

May sound over kill but I wanted to make sure it wasn't shorting anywhere.

Apart from the above there is another issue which may or may not be related...


With the 12GB of ram installed it will sometimes register as only ~8GB (BIOS/WIN).

Removing 3/6 sticks (so down to 6GB) can also suffer the same issue and the system will only see ~4GB (BIOS/WIN)

- I am running XP x64 and can normally see all 12GB.

What happens is I'll restart the system or turn it on for the first time and its almost as if the system ignores a stick or two but after a few restarts and swapping sticks around it works fine again (this is when all slots are populated, when I am using only 3 x 2GB I leave them in their correct 1/3/5 dimms)

Just to round up this wall of text, I am still able to use my system as per normal and have had no issue installing the OS, these issues are just happening off and on but most commonly after a change in the bios (last time it happened I had changed the voltage to the ram 1.5000V -> 1.540V ~my ram is rated @ 1.65v @ 1600Mhz and I was running it at 1440mhz) or a simple restart.

If I overclock my system to stupid extremes it doesn't do this kind of lockup, it just restarts like normal has a winge after a few restarts and fixes itself. So I'm fairly confident its nothing like that.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the wall of text :P

[wazza300]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

best to keep ram volt at 1.66 also what ram timings are you using? cpu volts? qpi/vtt voltage??

[GU3RNICA]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

I've read everywhere that for the i7's its not entirely safe to bring the ram volts too much over 1.50 ?

I don't quite know the volts I've left everything at but this issue will happen even at fail safe / optimum settings. So ignore the fact I've over clocked it as even when its at stock it will still happen.

[Johnny Rook]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

I've read everywhere that for the i7's its not entirely safe to bring the ram volts too much over 1.50 ?

I don't quite know the volts I've left everything at but this issue will happen even at fail safe / optimum settings. So ignore the fact I've over clocked it as even when its at stock it will still happen.

I had (and have) same issue here and I've narrowed down the problem to:
1. CPU heatshink not perfectly installed. I suppose it's because the board bends.
2. The procedure to install Corsair DDR3 sticks. This might sound weird but, the Corsair installation manual states that we must install the sticks WITHOUT any other components hooked up to the board EXCEPT for the PSU that should be wired and turned ON.

At first I couldn't believe that my sistem recognised 2 sticks instead of 3 because of that but, after trying Corsair's suggestion, it worked just as they said!
Everytime I installed the RAM without the PSU turned on, the sistem only "sees" 2 sticks of RAM. Incredible.

Hope this helps. ;)


Johnny

[wazza300]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

I've read everywhere that for the i7's its not entirely safe to bring the ram volts too much over 1.50 ?

I don't quite know the volts I've left everything at but this issue will happen even at fail safe / optimum settings. So ignore the fact I've over clocked it as even when its at stock it will still happen.

1.66 is fine you have to set it at that as it doesnt have the option to set it at 1.65 tho it sets it to 1.64 in the bios,your rams rated at 1.65 @1600mhz so it will need those voltages to run at that speed without crashes

[GU3RNICA]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

I had (and have) same issue here and I've narrowed down the problem to:
1. CPU heatshink not perfectly installed. I suppose it's because the board bends.
2. The procedure to install Corsair DDR3 sticks. This might sound weird but, the Corsair installation manual states that we must install the sticks WITHOUT any other components hooked up to the board EXCEPT for the PSU that should be wired and turned ON.

At first I couldn't believe that my sistem recognised 2 sticks instead of 3 because of that but, after trying Corsair's suggestion, it worked just as they said!
Everytime I installed the RAM without the PSU turned on, the sistem only "sees" 2 sticks of RAM. Incredible.

Hope this helps. ;)


Johnny

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for your reply.

So I gather this still happens to you on and off ?

I thought it might be the heatsink / cpu at first but the cpu has been idling @ 15c / 17c when OC'd to 3.6Ghz so I felt if it wasn't on properly there would definitely be an issue with heat.

I'll have a look at it today and see how tight it's attached / how much paste is covering the cpu.

The procedure with the ram is very interesting, I've never seen this instruction guide as my ram came in a white box with nothing flash (purchased it straight from a disty) -do you know if this guide is online as I spent 15 mins yesterday looking through the Corsair site for it.

1.66 is fine you have to set it at that as it doesnt have the option to set it at 1.65 tho it sets it to 1.64 in the bios,your rams rated at 1.65 @1600mhz so it will need those voltages to run at that speed without crashes

Thanks Wazza, I shall try that today - why does the board / manual state that over 1.5v will cause damage to the CPU ?

It highly confused me as Corsair is saying this ram is perfect for the board yet it wants more power then what is deemed 'safe' for the cpu.


Anyone else experience this issue ?

I'd love to return the board but I want to be 100% sure that it is the problem and nothing else.

[wazza300]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for your reply.

So I gather this still happens to you on and off ?

I thought it might be the heatsink / cpu at first but the cpu has been idling @ 15c / 17c when OC'd to 3.6Ghz so I felt if it wasn't on properly there would definitely be an issue with heat.

I'll have a look at it today and see how tight it's attached / how much paste is covering the cpu.

The procedure with the ram is very interesting, I've never seen this instruction guide as my ram came in a white box with nothing flash (purchased it straight from a disty) -do you know if this guide is online as I spent 15 mins yesterday looking through the Corsair site for it.




Thanks Wazza, I shall try that today - why does the board / manual state that over 1.5v will cause damage to the CPU ?

It highly confused me as Corsair is saying this ram is perfect for the board yet it wants more power then what is deemed 'safe' for the cpu.


Anyone else experience this issue ?

I'd love to return the board but I want to be 100% sure that it is the problem and nothing else.

it cant hurt your cpu, ram voltage i mean not cpu voltage....it cant hurt anything by setting your ram to its rated voltage

[blacktiger]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Ihave same problem during booting and sometime sudenly restart too much .....so I found my bad connection throuh my electric outlet ....after changing with a good one everything ok .... but it must be a solid outlet connection and Grounded...

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

I've read everywhere that for the i7's its not entirely safe to bring the ram volts too much over 1.50 ?

I don't quite know the volts I've left everything at but this issue will happen even at fail safe / optimum settings. So ignore the fact I've over clocked it as even when its at stock it will still happen.

All you need to do is keep your ram voltage within .5 of your QPI/Vtt voltage, you can use any amount you like. Here is a post where this is explained a little bit more, I was posting about QPI/Vtt voltage here but it explains ram voltages as well >>
QPI/Vtt Voltage post (High is OK)

With 12GB of ram you are going to need to set your own stable QPI/Vtt voltage, IOH, and ram voltage (May need 1.7 or so)

QPI/Vtt is key to why you see only 8GB sometimes, if this is not set properly some channels will fail

[Johnny Rook]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Hi Johnny,
So I gather this still happens to you on and off ?

Yes, indeed. It does.

the Corsair instructions are inside the folded purple paper included in plastic package.
It states: "Turn off computer, monitor and all acessories. Leave the computer power cord plugged in ... insert the module into the socket ... press down frimly on the top ... the white retention clips should snap into place".
I just unplug everything out the board but the PSU, insert the RAM and I'm fine.

Before RMA the board, you'll have to test it with other RAM brand or with some other Corsairs.

I agree with Lsdmeasap that BIOS QPI/Vtt voltage is crucial but, when the X58-EXTREME Fd9 beta BIOS is set in AUTO it should detect all modules!

The F9d BIOS automatically sets my DRAM and QPI/Vtt voltages according to my CPU vcore . Over 1.5v vcore, the BIOS sets DRAM to 1.8v and QPI/Vtt to 1,42v in AUTO, as shows EasyTune6.
If the F7 BIOS doesn't do that settings automatically, maybe GU3RNICA needs also to flash to new BIOS version besides inserting the RAM just like Corsair recommends.


Johnny

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Auto is not going to always give the correct amount of QPI/Vtt per Vdimm for any given CPU as they all differ widely on what they need to function properly

1.8 Vdimm! That is why you should not use Auto

[Johnny Rook]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Auto is not going to always give the correct amount of QPI/Vtt per Vdimm for any given CPU as they all differ widely on what they need to function properly

Ok

Anyway, as far as I can recall, with my CPU and DIMMs, Gigabyte BIOS was always correct.

1.8 Vdimm! That is why you should not use Auto

LOL
DIMMs are quite well refrigerated but, thanks for the warning


Johnny

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Well sometimes, depending on the board or BIOS, QPI/Vtt and or Vdimm in Auto can vary widely from clock to clock.

And both can be a bit offset from the BIOS setting even if manually set of course, they do seem to be pretty solid though with what you set when checked with DMM though.

Ahh, cold ram!!

Ya, sorry about that. We don't often get many sub zero users here such as myself, so I tend to kind of freak out when I see someone mention a crazy voltage. So I always have to speak up because I never know

What kind of clocks are you running anyway? Dice or Ln2 setup?

Know where I can get a RAM Pot?

[Johnny Rook]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

What kind of clocks are you running anyway? Dice or Ln2 setup?

Johnny

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-EX58-EXTREME boot issue

Ahh so what, you have the ram on water blocks then?

Ya, could just be your CPU itself? Only way to know would be test a different CPU