Gigabyte board Won't Post

[Dan 68]

Original Config.
Operating System: Windows Vista.
Serial Number: 1009401706 On Box
Purchase date 11/21/2007, Model GT5407E Desk Top. D
Dual Core Intel PD 2.8GHz processor ( Processor Fan is Variable Speed) with DUAL Core Technology, 1066/800/533 MHz front side bus.
Bestec Power supply Model ATX 300 12EB3.
SATA HD SEAGATE BARRACUDA 7200.9, 320GBs .
4 Memory Slots, supports 4GB. Dual Channel Memory,DDR2 RAM.
Intel Board (Council Bluffs) 945G, Viiv. 829456 Express Chip Set, consisting of an Intel 945G North Bridge and Intel ICH7-DH South Bridge.
One PCI Express x16,
One PCI Express x1, & Two PCI Conventional add in card Slots.
Integrated 10/100 LAN.
==============================
MOBO went out as per local Tech.
============================
New board from New Egg
GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Would not post! Local Tech said DOA.

New Egg sent another and it does the same!
something else (?).

Thanks for any help
Dan 68
PS Reading all the problems (on here) folks are having with Gigabyte Boards, mayhaps I should send back and try another brand!

 

[bilbat]

First place to look:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-posting-boot-problems

This is a Gateway machine - have you contacted them?

Need more info - what led up to this; have there been any odd previous symptoms; does it have a case speaker; have you tried the monitor on another system;

"MOBO went out as per local Tech." is perhaps the least descriptive phrase I have yet to see here... Obviously, if your motherboard was RMAd, another component has bitten the dust - needs more info to even guess?

 

[Dan 68]

Prolly caused by me installing a 3-1/2 Floppy, at least thats when it happened. Case lights would come on, fans would spin. Monitor would "Go To Sleep"! Contacted Gateway, warranty over, $125hr. tech help. Local Tech came to my home diagnosed MOBO, purchased Gigabyte from New Egg, almost same problem except auto cut off after 1 -2 minutes, local tech said DOA, New Egg sent another Gigabyte Board about June 1st. Due to illness, I have just now got back to it! I have tried a different EVERY thing except the Processor! I'm not sure the case has a speaker, I'll check! Phrase seemed descriptive enough to me ,sorry I'm not as articulate as you, just trying to get some help.
Dan

 

[bilbat]

I apologize - I'm wound a little tightly lately - I've been working on my dad's truck for, like, forever (at least three weeks now); it's disrupting my life, my work here, every other thing... I've got thirty or forty cuts on my hands and forearms, a dozed nasty bruises, and a couple knuckles ground away - enough to make anyone somewhat mean!

Contacted Gateway, warranty over, $125hr. tech help.

Sounds like a pretty lucrative racket they've got going on!

So, elsewhere, I promised you a 'cogent answer'; let's see if I can provide one?

In this situation, I usually propose the 'standard strip-down', to eliminate as many possible problems all at once... This can be done 'in-the-case', or out: the advantages of 'out' (pull the MOBO completely, & lay it on an insulating surface - the box it came in is ideal, the bag isn't - being 'anti-stat', it is somewhat conductive) are that it eliminates problems with grounding, and the possibility of an incorrectly placed standoff (which you should check carefully - as you replaced the MOBO, it's entirely possible that the 'pattern' of standoffs is slightly different - and an 'extra' one installed is a major problem, can ruin a MOBO, at worst case...); the advantages of the 'in-the-case' is that it avoids problems with the 'reach' of power and front panel connectors, plus tests your grounding system - and it's way less work!

The standard 'strip-down':

Power down at PSU switch
remove everything except
CPU and heatsink/fan (check carefully that the fan retaining pins are fully inserted, completely locked, and not cracked)
one stick of RAM, in slot closest to CPU
video card and monitor connector (if more than one PCIe slot, again, in slot closest to CPU)
all power plugs - 20+4 or 24, 2x2 or 2x4 ATX power, graphics card power
case speaker and power switch connectors
keyboard (don't need a mouse at this point)
place jumper on RST_CMOS pins
remove jumper from RST_CMOS pins
power up at PSU switch
power up by depressing case power switch
If you get video, enter BIOS with <DEL> (may need a <TAB> to get to POST screen, if 'splash' screen is enabled)
Select and execute "Load Optimized Defaults" - save and exit, reboot
power down
reinsert other components, one at a time, testing each time after addition...

 

[jsc]

To completely eliminate possible case problems, breadboard your system. It will be a lot of work, but you are a the point where you have done all the simple stuff.

It will look something like this:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-262730_13_0.html
You can turn on the PC by shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes on.

 

[bilbat]

Here's another photo:

 

[jsc]

Dan, I have 3 Gigabyte boards (EP45-UD3P, EP45-UD3L, and EP35-DS3P), all with CPU's OC'd to at least 3.6 GHz. And I have built two more non-OC'd systems with GB boards. Have not had a bit of trouble with any of them.
----------
Building computers since 1977.
Overclocking since 1978 - Z80 (TRS-80) from 1.77 MHz to 2.01 MHz

 

[Dan 68]

Dan, I have 3 Gigabyte boards (EP45-UD3P, EP45-UD3L, and EP35-DS3P), all with CPU's OC'd to at least 3.6 GHz. And I have built two more non-OC'd systems with GB boards. Have not had a bit of trouble with any of them.
----------
Building computers since 1977.
Overclocking since 1978 - Z80 (TRS-80) from 1.77 MHz to 2.01 MHz

Good to Hear jsc, I not giving up yet, even though it's frustrating! See my post to bilbat and comment if you care to. :lol:

 

[Dan 68]

Hi Bilbat,
Sorry we got off on the wrong foot.
As per your instructions I tried it in the case first. No luck, same as in my prior postings! Just to be sure of no shorts to case, I bread boarded out of case (Pic.) same as above!
Intel Board (the bad one) had a speaker on it, the Gigabyte don’t, nor does the Gateway case have one! Found speaker on a older machine and luckily it’s plug is the same, hooked to Gigabyte Board. After powering up, speaker produces one long beep (6 to 8 seconds), pause maybe 30 seconds, then repeats. Users Manual for Gigabyte Board, nearest thing it states is Continuous long beep = “Graphics card not inserted properly”, only graphics board, is onboard*! I’m going to check that beep again!
See the pics of CPU Sockets and difference I’ve noted, please comment if you can!
My CPU setup had screws on the Intel Board, with a mount on back with metal screw stand ups that came thru the board, it was stuck on with double sided tape (pic). I removed and mounted on Gigabyte Board in order to have a way to mount CPU/Heat Sink & Fan. Fit seemed to be fine!
Please comment on the thermal compound on the CPU (see pic). I know others I’ve removed, both are evenly coated. This one has just a tad on the top, so CPUs not in full contact with Heet Sink. The metal screw stand ups mentioned above stick up above the board (front) a tad, thought I’d put it back on bad board to see if it the same, if its even on old board, may require some filing so Heat Sink can contact CPU.
If I can’t get pics to go on one round I’ll send them separate! Failed
I hope this isn’t too long winded, if so I apologize!
I appreciate your help.
Dan

* manual footnote on onboard graphics = The DVI-D Port does not support D-Sub connection by adapter.

Guess I'm not allowed to send Images, some other way I can get them to you, I think they'll help.

 

[bilbat]

I'll post a tutorial on getting images to display later - in the meantime, you can email them to me as attachments to bilbat@wi.rr.com (If they're digital camera images, please resize them by 50% in each dimension - I don't know what the limit on attachment size in my email account is, but I'm sure there is one!)

 

[Dan 68]

Hi Folks, I havn't been able to get this thing to post I'm back and forth with Gigabyte again. I recieved the following, so thought I'd give it another try!

(If you did not get the answer you were seeking, we suggest that you add details to your question. By doing so, you will get renewed attention to your issue.
Thank you for contributing the Tom's Hardware community
The Tom's Hardware community team )

Any other Ideas
Thanks
Dan