System can't boot or install linux, Hardware/bios problem?

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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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I bought a box from KSP (http://en.ksp.co.il) about 6 months ago featuring an Asus Sabertooth Z87 Motherboard, and i7-4770K CPU, 32gb of G-Skill RAN (1,333mhz). (I forget what video card it has)

For the first few months I had Ubuntu on it and it was rather flaky, and often crashed so I decided to reinstall it to see if another OS would be better. I started by trying to install Fedora and OS-X as a Hackintosh. Both failed, right now I can't boot it even into an installer. When I try to re-install linux it crashes on boot.

I ran an overnight memory test with no problems reported. I then tried to run StressLinux to test the CPU, that froze on boot after looking for a DVD Drive that isn't there. Right now I can't seem to get anything much past the bios.

I expect that this is a werid BIOS error but to be honest I haven't had to fiddle with a bios since the mid 90's.

Right now I could really use some tips on how to turn this back into a stable working system

 
Solution
herrwizo
The interesting thing will be if you put everything back in, turn everything on, and stress test passes OK. That means that RAM sticks just needed to be reseated, probably lost their perfect contact with the mobo. Glad the problem is (almost) solved ;)
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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It was a custom machine so there is not an link to the specific build.
It has a liquid cooled CPU and when I checked the bios it was at 91F or so. So I don't think that is the issue. I agree it is a hardware issue, I just don't know what the issue is
 
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herrwizo

herrwizo

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Feb 17, 2009
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You can try narrowing down the problem by:

a) removing all the components you don't need, to the bare minimum the computers needs to work (1 RAM stick, onboard graphics, only the system disk drive)

b) disabling all the onboard stuff in BIOS you can live without just for testing (like LAN / serial / parallel / audio)

c) pulling out and reseating the RAM sticks, add-on cards and sticks

d) resetting CMOS of your BIOS (with jumper on the motherboard or by removing and re-inserting the battery)

e) flashing a new BIOS

Do you have a discrete graphics card or are you only using the one integrated into the CPU?
 
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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It has a discrete graphics card, It is a simple ASUS model, THe power Supply is an antec 650w model.

I have done several different memory checks and they all pass so I don't think it is the memory. I removed the 3tb hard drive and disabled a few things in BIOS.

I then flashed the bios, and still does the same things. I am not sure what else I can remove here, I can't fall back to onboard video as I don't have the correct connectors to attach the Display Port video to my screen.
 
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herrwizo

herrwizo

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Feb 17, 2009
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You have nothing to lose by removing 1 memory stick. And then try the other one only.

Too bad your monitor has only display port. Are you absolutely sure it has no HDMI / DVI / VGA inputs? If so, do you have any old monitors around or even TV screens you could use just for testing with only onboard video?
 
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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Actually the monitor has VGA/DVI, the onboard video is Display Port and HDMI.
 
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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I removed 3 memory sticks, and turned off 3 of the 4 cores and now it seems stable. I have Fedora 20 installed and will start running a stress test, then will start putting things back in and see where that lands me. With luck I will be able to turn the cores back on and put the memory back.

--Zach


 
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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Would you belive that we don't have a TV (of any sort)?

Actually I took out some of the memory and it appears to be stable. I have a stress test going the CPU load is around 45, and the CPU Temp is sitting in the low 60's (C) but it is going OK.
 
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herrwizo

herrwizo

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Feb 17, 2009
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Good, now we're getting somewhere. Now make sure it is 100% stable, then start adding one thing at the time. I would first try by adding more RAM, stick by stick. If the problem returns, use a different memory stick instead of the last inserted one. If it passes, continue adding and turning on everything. At least you got it stable, this is a good sign.
 
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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I put back in 3 of 4 memory sticks, I am now running a 30 minute stress test, so far so good. If this works I will put the 4th back in. If that passes the 30 minute stress test I will probably up the stress level a bit and run it for 24 hours to see what it does. (I normally would have the comptuer off for that time, so leaving it on a stress test is no big deal)
 
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herrwizo

herrwizo

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Feb 17, 2009
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40,240
The interesting thing will be if you put everything back in, turn everything on, and stress test passes OK. That means that RAM sticks just needed to be reseated, probably lost their perfect contact with the mobo. Glad the problem is (almost) solved ;)
 
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Solution
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ZachInIsrael

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Jun 27, 2014
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Yea, On one hand a day spent shaving a Yak, but at least I didn't have to go spend a bunch of cash on something, which is always a plus. I have 4 sticks in now and am running a short stress test on them.

I am going to run a 36 hour test to see if everything is really OK later
 
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