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Bad Combo?

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jjetty   11-24-2008 at 10:41:17 PM

Hi Im new here....

A little while ago I began constructing my first home build computer using a EVGA 680i SLI motherboard with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor along with a suitable 550W power supply when I installed the parts alone to see if I could get into the BIOS without memory (I have some old PCI graphics cars I use for that) I naturally got the dreaded solid tone and F6 LED errors.

I then decided it was time to purchase some memory, that being 2 1GB Sticks of DDR2-1066 ram made by GEIL or "Black Dragon". According to my mother board's manual I was supposed to have 1.8V memory while these sticks are 2.2-2.4 Volts. When I inserted the RAM and tried it anyway I got what is either a 18 or 1B error on the LED indicator.


After searching the internet I found it could be one of three things; bad mother board, bad memory or a bad CPU. My question is, maybe its a bad combination of parts? This my first shot at building a computer with parts that I chose so...I dunno. What am I doing wrong here?

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Bronze Motherboards badge o1die   11-24-2008 at 10:56:37 PM
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That's a definate possibility. Some boards may only post once, giving you an opportunity to get into the bios and change the memory voltage, save and exit. If your board won't, you may have to change to conventional 1.8 volt pc6400.

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jjetty   11-24-2008 at 11:02:28 PM
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Problem is I cant get into BIOS at all, it doesnt come up, just gives those codes on the LED indicator. However if I went and got a 1.8 volt stick like you suggested would it work?

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Bronze Motherboards badge o1die   11-24-2008 at 11:30:24 PM
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More than likely. First, try just one stick in each slot. If you can just get it to post, then changing the voltage should work. If not, then I usually take out the board and do a bare post on a phonebook, using just one stick of memory, cpu/heatsink, and video with monitor hooked up. No optical or hardrives connected. And use a pci-e card. Also, check the motherboard website for any tested memory brands and id numbers. Crucial's memory configurator is a good place to start, even if you buy it at newegg.


Message edited by o1die on 11-24-2008 at 11:32:35 PM
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jjetty   11-25-2008 at 06:24:12 AM
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I think thats what I'm gonna do and just send the "Black Dragons" back. Im not doing anything major with the computer that would need high voltage memory. However, if I get the right kind and get the same results....what should I do next?

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Bronze Motherboards badge o1die   11-25-2008 at 01:46:30 PM
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Then you may want to rma the motherboard. With a bare post, almost any power supply has enough juice to get the board to the post position. I always have at least one spare ps on hand for these situations, so I try 2 different ones before assuming it's a motherboard problem. But memory is the probable cause. So many folks don't research memory before buying it. The motherboard manufacturer can't test all the different brands and speeds, but with the better boards, at least a few choices are given on the website. If you use a high end pci-e card, be sure any ps leads to the card are connected. The cheaper video cards don't use any ps connectors.

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Bronze Motherboards badge o1die   11-25-2008 at 06:40:38 PM
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I couldn't access your 680i board on evga's website for memory recommendations. Before changing memory, I would call their customer service dept and ask about getting an rma for a newer board. Newegg has some bad customer reviews for this board; maybe you have a bad one after all. I personally won't buy any evga or xfx boards just to get the nvidia chipset for sli based not on bad reviews, but a lack of bios updates on either website. Sorry I didn't check on this sooner. And if you bought it at newegg and would rather pay the restocking fee to change motherboards, I recommend a p45 or x48 board, and skip the sli. x48 I believe is a crossfire setup.


Message edited by o1die on 11-25-2008 at 06:42:38 PM
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jjetty   11-25-2008 at 07:24:40 PM
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Ehh, its there I looked it up lastnight, heres the link...

http://www.evga.com/support/mbmem/

Most of the memory I find on newegg should meet the boards specifications but few to none of the model numbers match those on that list.

As for the motherboard...I got it at tiger direct and they have a RMA policy which should work even though I had the board for more then 30 days, they also have a store nearby so I could take it directly to them rather then wait a few days for another board...or my money. Honestly I'd like to avoid returning the board as much as I can but after this big disaster I'm thinking returning it might not be such a bad idea in the long run.

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