My DS3 won't boot!! I updated the bios yesterday to F10, but it was working flawlessly until then. I changed my ram timings (default: 5-5-5-12) to 4-4-4-9 to see if they were more overclockable (stable 5-4-4-9 with F7). Now when I press the power button, all the lights turn on, all the fans go on high speed, and then that's it. It hangs right there and never shows any bios or anything. Help!!

Reset the BIOS. Simple, undoes what you did to make it hang and you can start again. Might wanna leave the side of the case off if you plan to mess with timings so you have easy access next time!!

Just incase you dont know how to reset the BIOS (although in flashing to F10 you must have already done so): remove the power lead, remove the onboard battery and finally short the two open pins next to the battery for around 10 seconds. Battery back in and power lead back in and reboot...press DEL when prompted to enter the BIOS to set changes.

If the preceding steps don't work, you will need to use a Bios recovery CD or order a Bios chip from Gigabyte as long as it is removable.
A new Bios chip should cost about $20.00.

I'm not sure if this applies to this MB, but on my existing MB (an MSI - I haven't had time to actually build my sig yet ) if you made any dodgy adjustments in BIOS, holding down the DELETE key while powering on reset to bios defaults. Then you just re-apply the changes that work, and don't get too clever again

On the DS3 i think you hold down the insert key when rebooting to reset the bios

Rule number one. NEVER update your bios if everything is working flawlessly. Thats like having your car engine rebuilt when it runs great already.

I updated cuz I was bored and I was lookin at my board at Gigabyte's site and I saw that there was a new bios update(s) that improved "fsb flexibility." So I was liek sure why not and went for it.

I know how to take out the battery, but I'm lost when it comes to those pins you're talking about. There's 2 pins like nearby my IDE port. And then there's a tiny little block that goes on top of both of them. What do I do with these things and hwo do I short them?

I used @bios through Windows to update the bios. I've heard of auto-updating the bios but I dun even know how to do that.

I dunno what good a recovery cd would be if I can't even get into bios. I've heard that the bios chip cannot be removed unless you're liek tolly pro with a screwdriver or something. Even so, if worse comes to worse and I definitely know I can't fix the motherboard (I'm assuming it's the motherboard causing the problem), Newegg seems to allow a 1 year standard warranty that covered my DS3; so then I would only have to RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) it back to Newegg and they'd send me a new one.

Just disconnect the power lead and take the battery out then, the clear CMOS pins dont always have to be shorted. Leave the battery out for 30 seconds then put it back in.

When you boot you'll likely see the PC start for a few seconds then power off, but it will fire back up again right after where you should press DEL to enter setup and config accordingly.

You gotta be more specific. Same little jumper that goes on the back of a hard drive? ???????

I already tried removing my cmos battery 4-5+ times, and still nothing.

The jumper to short the pins out isnt necessary, we're only talking of low voltage DC here, providing you remove the AC power lead you're in no danger, and the case provides plenty of grounding so dont let anyone start harping on about bloody static. You can short the pins using anything metallic but if that scares you, or someone for some reason thinks thats dangerous (again, i've done it this way many many times) dont do it....but I use a nail, or tweezers etc. This is why i recommend removing the battery - not everyone feels comfortable shorting pins out nor do they have a spare jumper! But my above procedure provides people with all possible alternatives so that nothing can be forgotten.

The jumper Bytch was on about is a small (usually balck) plastic coated metal plate with two holes to fit snugly over two pins, shorting them out without risk of touching anything else. They fit onto the back of IDE drives to select master, slave or cable select options for the position of the drive. You are most likely to find a jumper on an old hard drive if you dont already have one. But like I said, I dont use a jumper...no need to.

All the pins do is earth the supply to the volatile memory that holds your BIOS information, cut its power off for a short time and you wipe any tempoary data it holds...such as BIOS settings that arent manufacture defaults. In resetting it you put these settings back to default and thats all this is about. The same effect is achieved if you remove the battery with no mains power present...you must remove the mains lead also, this is why.

So, please, just go ahead and do it...take the power lead out, remove the battery and then short the pins somehow for 10+ seconds (many places recommend 30 seconds but i find this unnecessary). If you cant do that then i dunno what...

If anyone else wants to contradict my advice at least have the decency to explain why...

Worst comes to worst, I can always just RMA it back to Newegg and just get a replacement, right?

i'm having the same problem as well... after updating to F10 BIOS, my PC just won't boot up, the lights are on and everything but there's no POST at all, so i can't even access the CD-rom and can't use any recovery CD...

so i have already send back my mobo for RMA...

anyway, during troubleshooting, i got to know that DS3 has a featured called DualBIOS and also BIOS recovery thing. It's suppose to help when your BIOS is corrupted. Now, my question is, how do we set or use this feature? There should be 2 BIOS inside the mobo right, with one acting as backup?

If anyone here knows how to activate the bios recovery/dual bios feature, please do let me know so in future if i ever messed up the bios again, i can use backup. but after this experience, i guess i'll never harass the bios ever as long as my PC boots up....

You can harass the bios as much as you want, as long as you know what you're doing. If it can't even get to post, yes that automatic bios recovery should kick in. If not, try clearing the cmos by taking out the battery. If that doesn't work, your board is probably fried or something (or maybe defected), so get a replacement like I did.

I sent my motherboard back and Newegg sent me a brand new one revision 2 (yay!) and it works flawlessly now.

Hi MsB....been a while :-)

I was going to make a new post but I think you just answered my question. My DS3 is version F3 and I see there are updates. Should I update my mobo or since everything is fine dont do anything?

mingo,

yup...i've done everything including clearing CMOS and the board won't POST... i hope i'll get rev2 board now for my RMA...