Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

[marnold]

I upgraded to the F5 BIOS for the GA-P55A-UD3 which introduced an interesting problem. Whenever I hit the reset button (which I had to do a few times because my vid card was causing my box to lock up) the computer will first turn itself off then power itself back on instead of just rebooting. Thoughts?

[Nickel020]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

While I have not encountered that with my P55 board that kind of behaviour was often normal for P35/P45 boards, so I wouldn't worry about it. There's probably some technical reason for it like an actual complete power-off occurring for the system to be able to read out/activate certain custom BIOS settings or something like that.

[marnold]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

While I have not encountered that with my P55 board that kind of behaviour was often normal for P35/P45 boards, so I wouldn't worry about it. There's probably some technical reason for it like an actual complete power-off occurring for the system to be able to read out/activate certain custom BIOS settings or something like that.

Except that that can't be particularly good on components to completely power them down then just moments later power them back up again. Hopefully I won't have to hit that particular button now that I've got the locking up problem solved, but still.

[Nickel020]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

I'm no electrical engineer, but I don't see why the time for which it's powered down matters and why it should be bad for the componenents. Why should it matter if there's no power to the components for 1 second or for 1 hour? These are no mechanical parts that are strained under a sudden impulse. Just think about the way alternating current (AC) works, the power is stopped and reversed 50 to 60 times a second, and still that's how many electric devices work.

[marnold]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

I'm no electrical engineer, but I don't see why the time for which it's powered down matters and why it should be bad for the componenents. Why should it matter if there's no power to the components for 1 second or for 1 hour? These are no mechanical parts that are strained under a sudden impulse. Just think about the way alternating current (AC) works, the power is stopped and reversed 50 to 60 times a second, and still that's how many electric devices work.

The AC argument doesn't even begin to compare to this behavior. I can't imagine that rapid power cycling like that is going to be good for a hard drive, for example. If it only happens once in a while, it's not much of an issue. Since I had been doing it several times a day as I tried to diagnose the problem, I certainly wasn't doing my drive any favors at least. On top of that, powering down is not the expected behavior when resetting. I don't know if any of Gigabyte's engineers actually read these forums. I may have to send an email.

[ozeh]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

hi

i just got a H55 based board and noticed this behaviour.

It spiked my interest as i have a 5.25" bay expansion device with more usb, firewire etc ports. Lian-li include power switch and reset switch on teh device. strangely, they incorporate a little double adapter thing at the end of the front panel pins for the reset/power switch - basically allowing you to plug this into the motherboard front panel header (giving the 5.25" device power switch/reset capability) in addition, it allows you to plug in the case's own power/reset.

To the point of the story, i was testing each button out and noticed the behaviour you described. further testing revealed that it depends on how long you hold the reset button for. if you hold it down for a couple of hundred msec, ("slow push"), it does the power off - wait a few sec - power back on. if you quickly push the reset button, it does a soft reset like most people are used to.

i have a mix of P35, G31, G41, P45 GA- boards and haven't noticed this. However, the P45 board's bios is from Jan 2010, so perhaps its some feature introduced in a specific/newer bios, or only with the 1156 platform?

[marnold]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

Subsequent bioses have fixed this problem for me FWIW.

[ozeh]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

Interesting marnold.

Can i just check that you are sure it is no longer present? I mean, i first noticed it was intermittent until I discovered through reptition that it depended how long (measuring ing mSec here) your push of the reset button actually was.

So if you are to hold the reset button down for a little bit longer than normal, you have found it now behaves as expected with a 'continuously-powered' reset?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

I believe it does this at times to re-check your BIOS settings to ensure the settings/overclock did not fail which caused the reboot/reset.

[ozeh]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

Just to confirm, this isn't a spontaneous reboot or anything - I think marnold and I are specifically referring to when you push the reset button on your case, where the duration that the reset button is pressed (at least in my case) determines the outcome. From every previous setup i've used, pressing reset for any length of time would just reinitialise the system, (i.e. POST beep, etc. whilst maintaining a continuous power feed to system components). The behaviour when reset is depressed for a bit longer (causing it to power off, then back on ~4 seconds later) achieves the same goal, just in more unorthodox manner.

The fact marnold stated subsequent BIOSes no longer exhibited this (though this could still be tested, as theoretically one may not have noticed the difference in duration of the reset button) does make it look like a bug rather than by design. It is possible by design, and that Gigabyte received feedback from users wondering what the behaviour was, hence it could have been removed. The fact that one can control how long the PWR button is held down for (instant off or 4 second delay) definitely means these sorts of things are able to be controlled by timing - and I see no reason why reset couldn't be the same, so by-design is definitely plausible.

I need a line to a Gigabyte Engineer i reckon

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

Ya, that's what I mean as well, the reset button on the case. Quick = Instant w/ power the whole time / Longer = Full Quick Reboot

You could ask them directly why it acts as it does, they will be able to tell you for sure. It's probably just like you mentioned, similar to the 4-sec power button config.

Here is the tech support line, just make it short and clear, and tell them you do not have a problem but just want to know why it's this way or that.
Technical Support - GIGABYTE

[marnold]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

FWIW, I just tried this with my system. I held down the reset button for five seconds. The machine rebooted as expected without powering down. It rebooted as soon as the button was fully depressed. Thankfully since I got new memory and video card, the lockups that required all the original restarting are things of the past. I think I'm using the F9 bios currently.

[ozeh]

Re: Reset problem with GA-P55A-UD3

Cool, thanks again