Computer having boot issues, please help. Custom loop.

Seyda0

Reputable
May 8, 2014
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4,510
Hello. I'm having a few issues that I would like to 1) log down in writing here while it's fresh in memory, and 2) request help with my predicament. My computer is about eight months old, and after my initial build and various tweaks and whatnot at that time, I haven't messed with much since, and it's been running stable, just fine.

This morning, I woke up and started my computer as usual. My computer is custom built by me, my first one. I also have a custom water loop with dual MCP35X pumps, cooling my CPU and two video cards. So I booted up, and BIOS (ASUS Rampage IV Extreme) had an error saying my overclock has failed, please press F1 to continue into BIOS and essentially deal with it. I told it to run the normal default profile, then hit esc and yes (which I believe was the prompt to save and quit. I should've read it however. Maybe it was quit without saving?). It then went to the usual splash screen then to login. Logged in, started to do my thing. Started Chrome, closed Spotify and Steam as they popped up, and checked email for a second. But then I saw at the bottom that Core Temp 1.0 had a yellow box. I clicked it wondering what it was going to bug me about. I immediately started shutdown within moments when I saw that all my CPUs were at Tj. Max temp of 91. It shut down quickly. So then I began my simple process of elimination to figure out why in the world now this would be happening. Yesterday I minorly dusted out my case and also added a tad bit more water into my res to top off the fluid, so I began around there. Surely that had to be my issue. So I double checked all of my cables, wiggled everything around, and applied pressure to be sure things were snug. I found that I had forgotten to plug back in a molex connection back to my pump/res area, but it was for the LED that goes next to it. Just glad it wasn't something important rather than a silly LED. I couldn't believe I could be so careless and forget a molex however. So I double checked all connections again. Looked good.

I booted up again, not knowing what to expect. This time the computer started up, and about a half second later, turned off. Then maybe a second and a half again later, it started up again. It took me to BIOS wanting me to press F1 because overclocking has failed. Before pressing F1, I turned on my flashlight and glanced over at my res. It looked like there was no flow at all. I am completely baffled. I grabbed it and wiggled it around to make sure. Nope, just water moving around as normal, no signs of any flow from the loop. So I turned it back off, knowing this clue and not wanting to run the computer any longer than possible. So it seemed to me that my pumps had died. But how? The MPC35X is a very solid pump, and should not just die within one year. Plus, I have the dual pump setup to avoid this exact thing from happening. So I did some searching on my laptop, found various threads on here with suggestions that it's probably a faulty pump anyways.

So I decided I'm going to turn it on again, this time with my hand on the pump to feel vibrations. It did that turn on, turn off, then turn back on again thing, then went to the error screen for BIOS. But the pump was working! Flow like normal. Until that BIOS screen came up.Then it just seemed to stop flowing. I don't know why. Did it always stop flow at BIOS? I don't know. That doesn't seem to make any sense to me. So I kill the power, and go do some more searching on my laptop.

Can't find anything on the pump issue specifically. Not a thing. So, I decided to start it up again (about a half hour has gone by) and race to the profiles in BIOS so I could load up defaults, and make sure that they were loaded, then boot into Windows and check my temps again, all the while looking at my pump and res to see flow. However, my computer booted up (I just can't recall if it did that turn on, turn off after a half second, then turn on thing again tho) and went straight to the splash screen, skipping the error message I've been getting. I entered my Windows password, then immediately checked Core Temp (it starts with Windows). Temps are all fine. Normal idle temps. All the while, my pumps are working just fine. I am completely stumped. I checked another CPU temp program that I have. I ran Intel Burn Test for 1 pass just to see what would happen. Everything's just fine.

So, I need help please. I wrote up this post from my desktop, it's working just fine for now. I anticipate problems however upon my next restart or waking up from sleep. Problems just don't "go away" like this.

TLDR; My computer started up, turned off after a half second, turned back on, went to BIOS and said that the overclock has failed please press F1. Loaded up Windows after (I'm pretty sure) I loaded the defaults, and CPU temp was thru the roof. Turned off. Turned back on, pump only worked up to the point of the BIOS error screen, then seemed to just turn off all flow for no apparent reason. Turned off. I turned on the computer again, but no error screen, and temps are all hunky dory. I don't know what sort of trip it's having.

Thank you for any support you can give me. I've been a long time lurker. I do hope that I'm posting this to the correct forum. If not, I apologize mods. Thanks.
 
Solution
I would route the PWM function to a nice fan controller rather then the motherboard. If you have single speed pumps then hook them up to the power supply cables directly.

It also sounds like you may have a BIOS issue.

AlderonnX

Honorable
Mar 1, 2012
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10,810
I would route the PWM function to a nice fan controller rather then the motherboard. If you have single speed pumps then hook them up to the power supply cables directly.

It also sounds like you may have a BIOS issue.
 
Solution

humphrey502690

Honorable
Feb 4, 2014
134
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10,710
Drain your loop, put an ATX bridging plug on PSU, unplug cpu power and video card power, fill your res up and see if the pump is moving the water. Make sure there is no air in the rads and bubbles have passed through. Then you can remove the pump out of the equation if you are still having problems.