X38-DQ6 boot cycle

[AmRando]

I am having a similar issue to Sphinx Drones with my brand-new X38-DQ6, Q6600 and DDR2 memory however mine does not POST at all and no video is initialized either!

The total hardware is:

Q6600 CPU
Gigabyte X38-DQ6 motherboard
G.Skill PC2-8000 2Gb (x2)
Radeon 1900XT
WD RE2 500Gb HDD
Enermax Liberty 650w PSU

everything is using stock settings but the system only powers on for about 5 seconds then powers off.. then repeats this cycle indefinitely until you cut the power. I have checked and rechecked all power connections and plugs, reseated the CPU and fan, tried both PCIE16 ports with the video card, tried the memory in singles and a pair as well as a single PC2-5300 stick as well. The system will not POST no matter what, even with basic memory and video-only connected. The older components worked (and still) fine in my ASUS VM-CSM board with Opteron 180.

In the Gigabyte forum on Tweaktown, someone suggested that many Gigabyte boards have BIOS-related issues in that they will not support factory-overclocked speeds of RAM out-of-the-box or lose any memory timing or voltage settings after a BIOS flash. The default voltage listed for this memory on the side is 2.1v and thus (supposedly) the system will not boot straight from the factory or in others' cases after they have updated the BIOS. But I have now also tried a standard PC2-5300 stick which should run at 1.8v, and this behaves exactly the same.

Does anyone have any other suggestions before I throw in the towel and RMA the board, memory and CPU (hopefully for an ASUS P5E WS-Pro)?

 

[truehighroller]

I wouldn't get an Asus if I were you. I seen them prety much shun all there customers that were having issues with their P5K Premium boards pertaining to Hard drive issues. I would probably rma the board however. I was gonna say the memmory is the culprit as consistant reboots point towards memory. Seems as though you have switched memory however ruling out the memory being bad. I have a GA-P35-DQ6 and I could not be happier I will say. I actually liked Asus and had one of their boards I will add and was going to get that board mentioned above until I seen how they treated high paying customers like shi7. I have the following setup ,
GA-P35-DQ6
Zumax 550W 38 amps combined
4x 1Gb sticks of Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2 1066 @ 5,4,4,4 2.35v
Core2 Duo E4400 @ 3.2~ 9x 355 1.52v
ASUS EAX1900XTX Overclocked 702/837 1.5v
2 Western Digital SATAII 160Gb 16Mb cache Raid0
Sound Card
DVD Burner SATA, lots of fans and a big case.

 

[mjb1206]

AmRando,

I have the same motherboard, and it has worked flawlessly! Overclocks just fine, and is very stable!

 

[Lamb_Chop]

I am having a similar issue to Sphinx Drones with my brand-new X38-DQ6, Q6600 and DDR2 memory however mine does not POST at all and no video is initialized either!

The total hardware is:

Q6600 CPU
Gigabyte X38-DQ6 motherboard
G.Skill PC2-8000 2Gb (x2)
Radeon 1900XT
WD RE2 500Gb HDD
Enermax Liberty 650w PSU

everything is using stock settings but the system only powers on for about 5 seconds then powers off.. then repeats this cycle indefinitely until you cut the power. I have checked and rechecked all power connections and plugs, reseated the CPU and fan, tried both PCIE16 ports with the video card, tried the memory in singles and a pair as well as a single PC2-5300 stick as well. The system will not POST no matter what, even with basic memory and video-only connected. The older components worked (and still) fine in my ASUS VM-CSM board with Opteron 180.

In the Gigabyte forum on Tweaktown, someone suggested that many Gigabyte boards have BIOS-related issues in that they will not support factory-overclocked speeds of RAM out-of-the-box or lose any memory timing or voltage settings after a BIOS flash. The default voltage listed for this memory on the side is 2.1v and thus (supposedly) the system will not boot straight from the factory or in others' cases after they have updated the BIOS. But I have now also tried a standard PC2-5300 stick which should run at 1.8v, and this behaves exactly the same.

Does anyone have any other suggestions before I throw in the towel and RMA the board, memory and CPU (hopefully for an ASUS P5E WS-Pro)?

I wouldn't RMA it. but yes it has some serious issues with BIOS software atm. What you do not/can not see on the series of reboots is this message:

Main Bios Checksum Error, attempting to recover!

I presume you have another computer handy, download the F4 bios or F5h, put it on a flash drive, disconnect all hard drives and plug the flash in.
boot and see what happens, it should automatically try to recover the bios and overwrite.
I would also do a CLR_CMOS just beforehand.

I have an Asus Maximus here as well, and i thought i was having troubles with GA38dq6 until i built the maximus one

 

[garyamundson]

Same problem here. I've got a Gigabyte X38T-DQ6 that I was trying (unsuccessfully) to load Vista on. The install looked like it was running great, but every time it kept hanging on the "Completing Installation.." requiring a hard boot. I discovered a suggestion for this issue which was to update BIOS.

I used FLASH895.exe on a 3.5" bootable floppy to update the BIOS to version F4a, which it said was successful. However from the next boot, it now does the power cycling, on for about 13 seconds, and off about 5. There is no video (the monitor stays in stand-by), and there are no beeps.

I've tried every suggestion in this thread including putting a fresh copy of the BIOS on a flash drive, as well as on floppy, but it doesn't seem to do anything with them, and the machine reboots at the same interval regardless of those being inserted.

Apparently the "quad BIOS" feature of this otherwise excellent motherboard isn't all it's cracked up to be...

 

[truehighroller]

The issue with hanging while installing vista might be a memory issue how much memory do you have installed?

 

[FredZarguna]

Same problem: loops restart and won't POST after the F4A flash. RMA'ing right now. The problem is, I don't want to run $2000 of DDR3 1600 @ 1033, which is all I can get out of the X38T-DQ6 board at F3H or lower. One thing I am curious about: In places I've seen where it's been specified, people getting past the F4A BIOS virus from Gigabyte seem to be reporting 1GB sticks, and (again where specified) people reporting the loop seem to be using 2 GB sticks. Can anybody posting here who hasn't done so report success with a 2GB stick or failure with 1GB? The problem does not appear to be related to the method of flashing the BIOS as has been suggested on another forum. It fails from boot floppy, BIOS q-flash, and Windows from what I have seen.

 

[truehighroller]

I'm glad I got the P35-DQ6 .

 

[Bohoba]

well my X38-DQ6 is on it's way should be here thursday but won't tuch it till Saturday or Sunday
ram will be MEM 1Gx2|COR TWIN2X2048-8500C5D
plan is only instaling 2 gigs going to be running Vista 64 bit after up and running will add the other 2 gigs
VGA ASUS EAH3870/G/HTDI/512M will be the video card hope to have 2 if I can find another dang X-mas rush on the video cards

 

[truehighroller]

Vista 64 bit is a piece with all kinds of issues just to for warn you there man. I have 32, I tried 64 it's crap that was like a month ago when I tried that route. I lready have a bad a$$ system so,,.

 

[Bohoba]

Vista 64 bit is a piece with all kinds of issues just to for warn you there man. I have 32, I tried 64 it's crap that was like a month ago when I tried that route. I lready have a bad a$$ system so,,.

Thanks for the warrning I like a good challange though lol if we all stay 32 bit 64 bit will not take off...........

the f9...Bios for the x38 and p35....boards seem to have fixed a lot of issues with these boards so hope within the next few days they will tweek it some more....

Vista 64....well Vista in general I think was released to soon from what I have read the past few weeks but I think it will stable out soon got a lot of us beta testers(general public) starting to switch over so that will help work the bugs out faster.

 

[truehighroller]

True True, I will stay at 32 until they get bugs out lil more then switch.

 

[blibbou]

I've got the same problem as AmRando. Except that mine was working fine for a few weeks and then I got some more RAM (went from 2 1gb sticks to 4 sticks). The board didn't want to play nice with the 4 sticks at all so I took the two new ones out. Since then my problem has been exactly like AmRando's.

Any idea what I can do, or should I just RMA the board?

 

[Bohoba]

I would say update the bios to F6b I had no problems with this Build




OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate
System Type x64-based PC
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model X38-DQ6
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU Q6850 @ 3.00GHz, 3015 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. F6b, 10/30/2007
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Total Physical Memory 4,093.69 MB ddr2 1066
Available Physical Memory 2.49 GB
Name SONY DVD RW DRU-840A SCSI CdRom Device
ASUS EAH3870/G/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card


Got to say I got her up and running this is a sweet board had no problems other that handling
a $1,000 proscecor took me three time to install it cause my hands started shaking lol

have to RMA a hard drive it came DOA and my sony DVD will also be returned as it won't run with
the face plate on...


this is a sweet system with 1 card I get 134 FPS just waiting on a card to get back in stock for a second card and going to crossfire the two

humm what should the temps be on the

Running a game is

CPU 53C
core1 66C
core2 61C
core3 63C
core4 63C

all stock no OC yet this puppy rocks

 

[maddnig]

GA-X38-DQ6 kill its self. i was trying to sort out a issue using 4 gig of ram and making recommended changed from gigabyte technical support.
I could see the automatic recovery process on the screen it went through about 5 reboots with doing automatic recovery the auto recovery process was taking about 15 -30 seconds i would suggest. after about 5 the screens went black and it would only fire up the fans for 2 seconds then off. . i have rma my board now. it looked like the automatic recovery process wiped both bios chips. was using the F6b bios when the problem happened and had been for about a week quite happily except the 4gig 4 dim at 1066 and 2.2v issue that these boards seem to have. Did any one eles see the auto recovery process kill there boards or am I just special using a 8800gtx.

 

[5horizons]

same problem here. 8800gt here.
Any solution?

 

[chef]

Had the same problem. New build (x38-dq6, E6750, HD3870, Corsair 6400cl4 xms2 twinx, corsair vx450w). Bios defaulted memory at 1.8v. Upped the voltage to 2.1 (within specs). Tada! Fixed!

It seems like the boot cycling is the mb gradually reconfiguring voltages and frequencys towards safe until the system boots.

 

[wcsd45]

Initial build yielded no POST. Boot cycle problem. System would spin fans for a few seconds, then apparently reboot, cycling ad nauseum.

Gigabyte tech support (20 minutes on hold, Tuesday, around 5:00PM PST) offers MB not recognizing memory. They advise: Please put-on anti-stat strap, disconnect all external power, turn off power supply, remove all memory sticks, disconnect HDDs and optical drives; leave 8 & 24 pin power connectors, cooling fans, graphics card in; remove CMOS battery; with small screw driver hold down silver clip in center of CMOS battery holder for 10 seconds (THIS APPEARS TO BE TRICK to resolve my no-POST, boot cycle problem); re-install CMOS battery and one stick memory, re-connect power, turn-on power supply, connect keyboard and monitor. (I'd left 1394, USB headers, front panel headers, FDD connected); turn on PC with front panel switch. This yielded successful POST. Save CMOS to BIOS. Made some adjustments. Exit and SAVE. Power down. Reconnect HDDs on 0,1 SATA; reconnect optical drives on SATA 2,3; install second memory stick. Power up. Good POST pressing Del into BIOS. Drives recognized. That's as far as I got tonight. BIOS-F6, Intel Q6600 SLACR, Asus V-60 cooler (P5E MB build failed due to BIOS fubar, CrazyCool heatsink removed per manual), Crucial Ballistix 2x1G BL2KIT 12864AA804 DDR2 6400, Sapphire HD2600XT 512MB, 2xSeagate 320GB HDD, 2xAsus DRW-2014L1T Opticals, Toughpower 700W Modular PS via Tripplite 1500 LCD UPS and HT10DBS surge (tech support asked about my power source.)

 

[videogio]

@ wcsd45

Please explain well when you say "hold down silver clip in center of CMOS battery holder"
Under "the small clip" there is only plastic! No switch or other contact!
Are you kidding?
I have this real problem, but you joke me!!!!

 

[wcsd45]

The small silver metal clip appeared to have a slight bend in it causing one side of clip to be sprung slightly above plastic CMOS battery holder. With a small flathead screw driver, push down the raised side of the silver metal clip until it bottoms-out on battery holder and hold down for ten seconds. Hope that clarifies.


Good luck.

 

[wcsd45]

Second thought. There were two tines on metal clip. I believe I simultaneously touched and held both tines of clip with metal screw driver; maybe this causes "short" and reset.

 

[computergeek13]

im having the same exact problem on my brand new build:
Gigabyte P35 DQ6
TRUE Heatsink
Q6600 Proc
4 Gigs Gskill DDR2 800 RAM
EVGA 8800 GT
PC Power Cooling 610 Watt

Got vista installed 2 days ago - installed chipset driver, vid drivers, and backed up to backup drive.

Next morning - when i booted up the system - it was up and running fine, think i opened a firefox browser window and boom, hard reboot and endless cycle. I finally powered off shut off switch to power supply until i researched.

I've built countless systems over the years, well over 20+ for friends and family and my own obsessions with technology. I dont keep up to date on reading forums, but this seems like a scary situation.

Anyone have ideas? Ill try upping the memory volts tonight.

 

[tez]

I dont have this board but the Gigabyte P35-DS4. My board will recycle its boot and reset any overclocking iv done if I have a external USB hard drive pluged in.

There may be other external devices that cause this. Another problem here is the speed in which my board switches back on after switching off during the saving process of the bios. It will refuse to keep any overclock at all. I have to shut my PSU off when the bios shuts the pc off to give the drives chance to spin down. When I put it back on the pc recycles once but keeps the overclock?

 

[mclemens]

I do have an X38-DQ6 and find exactly the same thing. If I have USB hard drives plugged in my overclock settings are reset during a recycle. If I boot the system with the USB drives unplugged the overclock setting remain. After a reboot I can plug in my 2 USB drives and they work fine.

 

[Xtreeme]

mclemens, it sounds like the USB is being pushed. That would mean the pci bus isnt locked fully. Try buumping smidge lower or higher you may just be at a odd spot where the lock doesnt work. Some boards have that issue. Try a real mild overclock to just to test and read the bus speeds in everest if you can to confirm.