My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

[verybiglobo]

Hi, this is my first post, so if I made something against the rules, please forgive me. I tried to find soluition for my problem, but still not succesful, therefore new thread.
I build new system on GA P-55A-UD5. with - intel core i7 - 860, Enermax 850W revolution,
8GB (4x2) RAM A-DAta DDR3 2000x, nVidia GT 8800 etc.
When I plug powercord, everything seems fine. Switch PSU, got orange light on the PSU (standby), Led M1 and M2 blink for a split of the second and went off. Blue power light light on, and red led next to it light up. When I try to start system, I can only hear short beep, M1 and M2 lights (green and orange) lit up in the same time and stays lit. G1 and G2 led doesn't lit at all. PSU fan is running, and after short power cycle also case fans starts and then stops. CPU fan doesn't run at all.
What I did: Trying single RAMM modules (changed all four) in the slot 1.
Checking PSU: It shows perfect Voltage delivery in all brenches.
Disconected VGA, hard drives, and essentially all cables, just to see if I can get to bios. No way.
I am afraid, that I did a mass when applying thermal grease between CPU and fan, and some of it appears on the few pins at the edge of the socket and CPU.
Better option would be, that my RAM modules are not compatible, (they are listed as 1.65-1.84V, while board is settled for 1.5V I guess)
My question therefore is: What is led indicators working pattern for M0, M1, G0, G1?
Is it possible that because of the wrong RAM mobo behaves like this, or it is more likely to be problem with CPU?

Thanks in advance.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

So you said you have thermal paste in your CPU socket right? If so the board is dead, you will need to buy a new one sorry to tell you but that is what you will need to do because you cannot clean it out or even try without breaking the CPU pins.

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Thanks. I know this might be the case, however I am wondering if anyone know what this led status mean. G0 and G1 dead, M0 and M1 green and orange.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

The LED's do not matter because the CPU is shorting out most likely. Those light up at various random intervals as the board power up, there is no way for me to tell you what they mean in a non functional state.

What you can try is to clear the CMOS Fully, for 20 minutes or so and then see if it will start. But since you mention paste in the socket I am guess it will not function and you should probably quit while you are ahead before you damage any of your other hardware. If you keep trying and somehow it partially starts you may fry everything else in the system (CPU, Ram, GFX, Ect) because of that paste in the socket. Best to stop trying and get a new board.

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Thanks. The point is that it is not that much paste and it is only on 3-4 outer pins, but if this is the reason, then I should probably buy new CPU as well. Before I throw everything through the window, I ordered another 2GB DDR3 that is on a mobo compatibility list. So let me put this question diferently - is it possible that problem with RAM voltage can cause powercycles, before CPU fan turns on? Led next to CPU doesn't light up (no warning signal, nothing) Fan is checked and work fine.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

No, the ram really would not be a problem. Since you are not seeing a CPU LED then that is most likely what is happening, the CPU is shorted so that no power goes through it and that means the rest of the board wont get powered to start the POST process.

I think your CPU might be ok, but board probably is not. Can you post some high res images of your socket?

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

I will try. I just came to work and took with me DSLR with 300mm lens :-) It's not my week obviously. I received also the new RAM module Kingston KVR1333D3N9/2G, so I will try that as well. My CMOS battery is out now and will leave it for 30 min.
What makes me a bit uncertain is that problem occurs, when I first tried to start the system. Than I took everything out again and noticed too much thermal paste around the socket and CPU, when I lifted fan. I then opened the socket and by doing so, get some paste on the edge of CPU and socket. (That's why I am afraid that CPU will need replacement as well, because I can't clean it either and if I buy new mobo, I can get some paste from CPU to the socket again.) But I believe, that this was maybe not the original problem, as once the socket was closed with CPU (before I opened it) I doubt that some paste could come in between.

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Update. The RAM wasn't an issue as you predict correctly. I will take CPU and Mobo to the service on Monday and ask them to test both separately. CPU looks clean, so I hope it will work. The only difference that appears to happen with the new RAM module, is that now all four Led CPU VVT and Memory lighten up, but when the system shut-down only memory LEDs stays lit for some 5s or so. Also S3LED is red, but when the system starts up in a cycle S4_S5_LED lighten-up.

[wazza300]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

i wouldnt run your mb with thermal paste on the cpu socket,youre just going to damage other components,take the board to have the cpu socket repaired/replaced then try booting it up....as it stands now you only have a broken mb but if you keep trying to run it youll have a broken cpu and ram also

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Please do post pics once you can, that way we can tell if the socket is for sure unusable. It may not be and you may have other issues, but we need to see the socket first.

And again, as said above by wazza and I, please do not try to use the system anymore until we can advise you further, otherwise you may damage the rest of your hardware!

800GT, isn't that very old? If so, do you have another card you can test with once we advise you about your socket images, PCI even would be fine?

Also, please get a Case Speaker and connect it for now so we can later listen for error beeps, if we tell you the socket is ok to try using. If you have one installed now, did you hear any beeps previously when trying?

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

So here are the pictures. Poor quality, but I hope you can see what I was talking about.

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

And here is CPU pic. Same poor quality.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Ya, that is not good! Don't try starting this machine anymore or you risk killing your other hardware.

CPU is likely fine, and you can simply clean that off with a paper towel or alcohol.

You will need a new motherboard, you can try to RMA that but I am not sure if they will approve it. It does not appear to be physically damaged so they might be ok with approving a RMA for you, because they can simply clean it out themselves and send to someone as a refurbished board.

So you may be ok with it, I would send in a RMA request and link to this thread so they can see your images.

[verybiglobo]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Thanks a lot for your support. Issue solved. I deliver it to supplier, and I told them what I did, but I also mentioned that it might be not a main problem causing the failure, as it happened when I tried to see what is wrong and opened the slot. By inspecting Mobo, they found that one of the printed power lines from the bottom side was burned out, and this was the main reason for power failure, and accepted replacement. So now, everything works fine (for a while) and I hope it will stay like this for more then few days.
Once more, thanks everyone for the support on this forum.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: My GA P-55A-UD5 ends up in power cycle

Nice to see they accepted it for you and offered a replacement!!

Great to hear the new system is up and running! Post back anytime if you need more help with anything