GA-890GPA-UD3H

[arkiruthis]

Hi everyone, here is my setup:

890GPA-UD3H
AMD Phenom II X4 965
2 x Kingston 2GB DDR3-1600 CL9 240 (4GB Kit) ( KHX1600C9D3K2/4G )
700W Arctic Cooling PSU

PROBLEM: Basically, when you press the power button, the system and CPU fans come on, the hard drives speed up and access a little, but there is no video output to the monitor at all from the default motherboard DVI output.

This is heartbreaking because I have absolutely no way of knowing what the problem could be.

I have put in an ATI HD4850 to see if there is any output via a PCI card, but still no video output (and it's powered, fan spinning okay).

I have also disconnected the motherboard, taken the CMOS battery out for at least 2 minutes, put it back in and tried again, but still no output to the monitor.

Could it be the Kingston RAM? Having shelled out so much, I'm now reluctant to buy other RAM in case that's not the issue.

At my wits end and desperate for help.

 

[arkiruthis]

Sorry, thread title should be:

GA-890GPA-UD3H no video output, otherwise 'alive'

I'm unable to edit original message title.

 

[bilbat]

Frankly, a poor memory choice - specs say they want 1.7-1.9V to run spec'd 1600; that said, they should be 'starting up' at the SPD's JEDEC standard latency DDR3-1333MHz timing of 9-9-9 at 1.5V - I think AMDs accommodate this... Posted the same suggestion for someone else yesterday - sounds like time for a 'strip-down':

Mind you, there are two ways to do this: you can do it either in or out of the case. The advantages and drawbacks:in the case is easier and faster, but will not find case-related problems, like shorts from extra, mispositioned standoffs, or ground plane problems; out of the case takes longer, and you may run into 'reach' problems - power supply cables and front panel power switch headers may not be long enough; for the power supply, it's usually just a matter of removing four screws to temorarily relocate it; for the power switch, you can just do this (carefully):

You only need to short the pins momentarily - that's all the power switch does...Out of the case also affords you an easy opportunity to 'flip' the board to check your heatsink/fan attachment setup, to be sure all the pins are fully seated, locked, and not cracked... If you do the out of the case, you need to lay the board on a non-conductive surface: the box the MOBO came in is ideal; but - the foam pad it came with, and the bag it was in are not - being 'antistat', they are somewhat conductive, and may induce problems...

Another item worth mention at this point is case speakers: if you haven't got one - get one!
http://www.cwc-group.com/casp.html
A lot of people operate under the misaprehension that the 'diagnostic beeps' should come through the speakers attached to their sound-card/chip - not so! Your three hundred dollar Altec-Lansings won't do you any good here - you have to have a case speaker attached to the front panel header, and, often by this point, it's the only diagnostic info you'll have to go on...

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 (or shorting the 'power' pins...)
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...

 

[arkiruthis]

Thanks for the info bilbat.

I notice Kingston's website actually recommends the 1.5V PC1333 Ram, I made a mistake at the checkout.

But as you say, I should at least be able to see some video output or BIOS stage.

I definately have a working speaker and I've checked that it's plugged into the right pins. I don't get any beeps at all though. Just disks/fans starting up and continuing to whirr away until I hold the power switch for 5 seconds.

I've got the system stripped down to CPU, CPU Fan, 1 RAM block in DDR3_1, 20+4 power, 2x4 ATX and the DVI plugged into the motherboard's integrated ATI HD4250.

When it's at this cold boot powered state, I notice the lights on my keyboard aren't on (nor can be switched on via Caps/Numlock etc.), either when booting with PS2 or USB keyboard.

 

[bilbat]

That's a bad symptom! Sounds like a dead PSU or rail; if you have a modular, check modular 2x2/2x4 connector at PSU end to be sure it's secure; peer into 20+4 end, see if pins look distorted anywhere; some info on further checks in Power Supply - Basic section at end of 'sticky'...

 

[arkiruthis]

I just switched the 700W Arctic Cooling PSU (which was bought to replace what I thought initially was a low power problem) with my previous Tascam 450W and I get exactly the same scenario.

The 700W PSU has modular, but the 450W native 2x4, but as I say, same scenario with both PSUs.

Possible the motherboard is just bad?

 

[bilbat]

Always a possibility; I'll look harder into the AMD init (have sample code), but am pretty sure 1333 = OK, as I think JEDEC SPDs for DDR3 are 800, 1066, 1333 in the first three register sets. Chances of two bad DIMMs = nil; two PSUs tested; not much left to blame but CPU or MOBO... ...bummer...

Good luck with RMA - and I'm not being sarcastic - I mean it - I've had RMA experiences that vary from ecstatic (WD RE 'enterprise' drive) to Chinese (well, Korean) water torture (Zalman PSU)!

 

[FUN_YUN]

Always a possibility; I'll look harder into the AMD init (have sample code), but am pretty sure 1333 = OK, as I think JEDEC SPDs for DDR3 are 800, 1066, 1333 in the first three register sets. Chances of two bad DIMMs = nil; two PSUs tested; not much left to blame but CPU or MOBO... ...bummer...

Good luck with RMA - and I'm not being sarcastic - I mean it - I've had RMA experiences that vary from ecstatic (WD RE 'enterprise' drive) to Chinese (well, Korean) water torture (Zalman PSU)!

I have an off topic question for you bilbat.
Where do you have your harddrive(s) connected to? SATA3_0 or GSATA2? Thank you.
The reason I ask is my brand new F3 spinpoint drives works fine as external drives but when I plug them in SATA3 port, they don't get recognized but they will when I plug them in gsata ports... weird.

 

[arkiruthis]

Do I mark this "Solved" myself, or is it a mod thing?

 

[arkiruthis]

Dear all... is there a smiley that properly conveys utter SHAME and HUMILIATION?

Schoolboy error...

I forgot to lift the clamp on the CPU housing and properly 'clamp' the CPU in.

So now I have an extra Athlon II CPU to go on Gumtree and an extra 2G of RAM (which still comes in handy)

Thanks to everyone for your help, but the solution was me basically being thick as 2 planks. Into the BIOS... and beyond!

 

[bilbat]

This thread was created as a discussion; to be marked 'solved' by selecting a best answer, I beieve it would have had to have been initilized as a question - I'v been 'vague' about thid forever! I think a modreator can 'wave his wand' and fix it, though...