Gigabyte s-series bias

[noel_61]

my machine fails to startup, power is on fans,disk and dvd drives all power up but processor does not
could this be fixed with a bios update.

 

[linuxguyit]

Hello Noel,

This issue cannot be fixed with a BIOS update, as the computer will not boot up to BIOS (according to your note). You can try a BIOS reset via the jumper on your motherboard. If that does not fix your issue, try reseating your RAM, trying it in different slots (1 stick at a time), reseating your video card, or check to ensure that your connections are all firm and secure to your motherboard. (4 pin CPU, 20+4 Pin Main connector, video card connectors if any, etc.)

 

[jpmucha]

You'll need the system booting in order to be able to do a BIOS update.

Do you get anything on the screen? Does the computer 'act' like its booting (system does the 'normal' single beep... drives spin up... Floppy light comes on... Hard drive lights flash like its being accessed)? I've had calls from family members where it just ended up being the monitor input set to VGA instead of DVI... It happens... If you disconnected the supply recently, did you reconnect the ATX12V (4/8 pin connector by CPU)? CPU fan plugged into the right fan headers? If there are no signs of life, something in the hardware may have failed. Lately, it feels like power supplies are giving out more than ever before... but it could also be the mobo, RAM, or CPU.

WARNING: Ground yourself regularly and have basic PC assembly knowledge before messing around with parts as I'm about to suggest!!! Handle parts by the edges and try at your own risk!
If its acting dead, try to boot a barebones setup (only plug power to motherboard with CPU, single stick of RAM, and GPU in it... speaker and power switch to mobo... monitor to GPU). See if it boots. If nothing... try the other stick of RAM. If nothing there... removing all RAM should get a series of long beeps (depending on BIOS manufacturer), and removing graphics card causes a long and 3 short beeps (also depending on BIOS). If absolutely nothing does anything... a new power supply is what I'd try next...

Some other readers here may have a more streamlined process, but those are my starting steps in a paragraph.

Good luck and becareful with that RAM

 

[jsc]

Work systematically through our standard checklist and troubleshooting thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-posting-boot-problems
I mean work through, not just read over it. We spent a lot of time on this. It should find most of the problems.

If not, continue.

I have tested the following beep patterns on Gigabyte, eVGA, and ECS motherboards. Other BIOS' may be different, but they all use a single short beep for a successful POST.

Breadboard - that will help isolate any kind of case problem you might have.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboarding

Breadboard with just motherboard, CPU & HSF, case speaker, and PSU.

Make sure you plug the CPU power cable in. The system will not boot without it.

I always breadboard a new build. It takes only a few minutes, and you know you are putting good parts in the case once you are finished.

You can turn on the PC by momentarily shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes to. You should hear a series of long, single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence indicates a problem with (in most likely order) the PSU, motherboard, or CPU. Remember, at this time, you do not have a graphics card installed so the load on your PSU will be reduced.

If no beeps:
Running fans and drives and motherboard LED's do not necessarily indicate a good PSU. In the absence of a single short beep, they also do not indicate that the system is booting.

At this point, you can sort of check the PSU. Try to borrow a known good PSU of around 550 - 600 watts. That will power just about any system with a single GPU. If you cannot do that, use a DMM to measure the voltages. Measure between the colored wires and either chassis ground or the black wires. Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=youtube_gdata

A way that might be easier is to use the main power plug. Working from the back of the plug where the wires come out, use a bare paperclip to short between the green wire and one of the neighboring black wires. That will do the same thing with an installed PSU. It is also an easy way to bypass a questionable case power switch.

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU.

If the system beeps:
If it looks like the PSU is good, install a memory stick. Boot. Beep pattern should change to one long and several short beeps indicating a missing graphics card.

Silence, long single beeps, or series of short beeps indicate a problem with the memory. If you get short beeps verify that the memory is in the appropriate motherboard slots.

Insert the video card and connect any necessary PCIe power connectors. Boot. At this point, the system should POST successfully (a single short beep). Notice that you do not need keyboard, mouse, monitor, or drives to successfully POST.
At this point, if the system doesn't work, it's either the video card or an inadequate PSU. Or rarely - the motherboard's PCIe interface.

Now start connecting the rest of the devices starting with the monitor, then keyboard and mouse, then the rest of the devices, testing after each step. It's possible that you can pass the POST with a defective video card. The POST routines can only check the video interface. It cannot check the internal parts of the video card.