PCBEater

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Jul 23, 2012
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I have an ASRock H55DE3 and I recently had an issue with the RAM(Crucial Tactical 2GB 1333 PC 10600) freezing randomly everywhere. I set the RAM down a speed from stock and it stopped until I started overclocking to a certain speed. I recently also discovered a QVL list(which I didnt know existed) that didnt have my RAM on it so I assumed it was the problem. Last time the board POST was before I set the RAM back to its stock speed(while on overclock to 1825) my CPU is a Intel Core i5 750 and it was at 3.4 I think. I got new RAM from the QVL list(CORSAIR CMX3) and it still doesnt POST, I get RAM missing beeps when I remove them though all other components tested without problems

I need some answers as to what may be causing the board not to POST.
 

davec80

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Apr 15, 2012
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Oh boy. Trying to figure out a way to answer this one politely...

OK, just the facts. You need a good motherboard, a good CPU and a good power supply to POST. If anything else is bad or missing, you'll still POST, but with errors. EXAMPLE: You remove RAM, the system POSTS and gives you a RAM missing beep. (that's part of POST).

If your POST is not proceeding to the point of initializing the GPU (and thus you have no video)...that would indicate that there is a basic problem with the motherboard or the CPU.

Ordinarily, it would be safe to assume that the CPU is good, as they almost never fail. But seeing as the CPU was overclocked, it's a number one suspect for a failure point now. IT professionals will tell you that Overclocking is OK. Electronics engineers will tell you to never overclock. Not even slightly. Who do you think is right? Your CPU is permanently damaged, that much is 100% certain. It could *also* be the cause of your system not POSTing.

In short...your original RAM was probably good, your replacement RAM is good. Your problem is in the CPU, motherboard or power supply (in that order).

 

PCBEater

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I didnt give enough details but thanks for the reply. The CPU has always been overclocked. The Mobo stopped POSTing when I set the RAM speed back to stock. So your saying the RAM damaged the CPU? The board has always had problems with the RAM which I suspect now is incompatible. I guess I was wrong assuming people would be able to get what I was refering to when I removed the RAM(which was for diagnostic purposes if you didnt know).
 

suteck

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Then let's back up a few steps. You haven't touched the cpu or cooler correct? Hopefully not so we can leave that be for now. You say it has been/was working up until you changed the bios? Have you tried resetting the bios back to factory defaults by unplugging the power source, pushing the power button a few times to remove any stored energy and removing the cmos battery for several seconds?
I set the RAM down a speed from stock and it stopped until I started overclocking to a certain speed
I take it you mean you were overclocking the memory again when it stopped correct? Or you were overclocking the cpu? Do you currently have the new memory or the old memory in the slots? Have you tried putting the old memory back in at the stock speeds to see if it would post that way? Which Corsair CM3X did you get? There should be some more numbers with that. Like CM3X2048-1600C7DHXIN or CM3X2G1600C9DHXNV. I would reset the cmos, put in only one stick of the new ram in slot DDR3 B1 white slot (manual says) or try A1 white slot if first shot don't work. And reboot pressing F2 or delete to gain access to bios. If you get there you will have successfully booted to know your components are working.

Let me know what you get and we'll go from there.
 

PCBEater

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since I set the old RAM speed back to stock speed(while on CPU overclock) the board stopped POSTing after that. and FYI the board does the same thing its been doing since before it stopped POSTing completely like when I turn it on it doesnt POST until after 2 or 3 hard resets(thats if it stops responding which is moderately often), the GPU(Radeon HD 6870) fans are throttling up and down, sometimes max all the time, other times idle. this was with the first RAM(Crucial Tactical. before when the system did POST it would freeze randomly no matter what I was doing(even in the bios) if I try to set RAM timings the bios goes crazy with continuous memory error beeps

The second RAM(CM3X2048-1333C9DHX) I bought because I assumed at the last minute the RAM was not compatible like an idiot, same results. The blue RAM slots(A2,B2) never worked with the first RAM(turns on for 15 seconds then shuts off and repeats, NOW it does this with all four slots since setting that stock speed on CPU overclock) I think the board might of required dual channel(with compatible RAM) for what I was doing. AND the board has always been boot looping as well(turning on for a half second and shutting off for 5 seconds)

tried every slot with every combination thought of, when it stops boot looping, I can get missing RAM POST beeps from bios, insert RAM and complete silence, and shuts off after 12 seconds(instead of 15 if the RAM is not in the blue slots) new RAM doesnt make a difference, I even removed the bios chip if you can believe that..still boot loops.
My theory is the PSU must be shutting off the board for a fault somewhere since the components dont have time to initiialize, probably not even the bios
 

suteck

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Pulling out the bios chip won't do anything unless you change it out with another one. Have you tried setting everything back to stock settings, (except ahci if that's what you installed you OS on) and using only 1 stick of the new ram like I suggested?

It actually sounds like an unstable overclock on the cpu to me. I know you said it ran fine and that the cpu has always been overclocked. But you also said that you've always had these issues with the auto-restarts and hard restarts and the computer freezing up even while in bios. What program did you use to run the stress test for the CPU overclock and how long did you run it? It does sound like issues I have while working on stabilizing a new overclock on one of my boards.. So I say let's start from scratch and see if we can get it running like clockwork under normal circumstances first, then work on the overclocking side down the road.
 

PCBEater

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Jul 23, 2012
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I ran prime95 for an hour I think last time it POSTed, 3.4 GHZ passed. CPU never had problems aside from testing overclocks, which was me setting clocks. The CPU was only at 3.4 and it passed an hour run, moderate overclock on stock voltage. I ruled out the CPU as a problem completely a long time ago, The RAM was really the only problem(or its relationship with the motherboard/CPU). Those problems persisted even before I even considered overclocking just to let you know. I singled out the RAM from Prime95 tests with RAM and without, I only had 1 stick to begin with