PANICKING - build won't POST, no beeps, no clue

[strongflower]

Hey all

I have done several builds over the last couple of years for myself and friends, and never has this happened to me. I went to power on the computer for the first time after the build and found repeatedly that the fans (on CPU and PSU) and lights turn on for a few seconds and then stop. Then they come back on for a few seconds and stop. This continues. I can force a beep code by removing the RAM, but with a DIMM in it doesn't happen. I just continously resets. No video output at all.

Specs:

Gigabyte Z77-D3H
Intel i5 3570 @ 3.4 Ghz, 6 MB cache
Samsung 840 Series 250 GB SSD
8 GB Patriot Viper @ 1600 Mhz
500W PSU

i) I've tried another confirmed working 500W PSU in it - same problem. I cant see why 500W wouldn't be enough power?

ii) I left a screw hole empty. It was in a hard to reach place and I didn't think it would matter. Could this have short-circuited/fried my board? Checked to see if there were any extraneous stand-off screws touching the bottom of the mobo... there were not.

iii) I've disconnected all peripherals, etc. I've also disconnected all headers except the power switch.

iv) I've seated and reseated the CPU. It seems completely fine. I went in and tidied up the thermal grease to be safe, but there wasn't any extra slopped around anywhere. The stock fan seems to be mounted properly. I actually instyalled this exact processor in a build last week with no issue... (into a different mobo)

v) I've removed the mobo from the case and it's sitting on top of its box now with a DIMM, the CPU, the power switch plugged in, and the power supply hooked up (both cables). Still the same issue.

The last Gigabyte board I used myself I noticed had BIOS ver. F6 on it. According to the CPU support list, the i5 3570 was supported since F7. Could this be my issue?

I haven't bothered to clear the CMOS yet. I don't see how it relates, but I'll do it if you thiink it'll help.

PLEASE help. Someone spent a lot of money on these parts and I need to give them a computer! (And since I do this as a free service, I'm hoping I don't need to replace anything out of my own pocket... :/ But if it's somehow my own fault...)

 

[AMD Radeon]

complete troubleshooting
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-boot-video-problems

 

[strongflower]

Thank you, but I already went through all these. A couple times. No love, still stuck in the boot loop. Could the motherboard just be a lemon? I'm seeing a lot of people online complaining about boot loops from gigabyte mobos.

 

[Kursun]

Are you sure you have the latest bios?
On gigabyte's site the latest version for your board seem to be F18 (and F19 beta) for both rev1 and rev1.1
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4327#bios

 

[strongflower]

I'd love to get F18 on there, seeing as i now see that F18 is the first version to support my CPU. How do I update the BIOS without POSTing? i dont see how it can be done unless i had another compatible cpu to use in the interim... and i unfortunately do not.

I figure it's either this or, when I first turned it on, I'm pretty sure I hadn't screwed the last screw in. Would that really be enough to cause a short that would fry the board?

 

[Kursun]

I don't think you had a short.
I would try putting only bare essentials, only one ram stick, no ssd or hdd, no fans (case fans, maybe even cpu fan, gpu fan...), and try to power on.

If you could see the bios screen I think gigabyte boards have the option of updating firmware at bios screen.

Otherwise you'll need to find a compatible cpu to do the update.

 

[strongflower]

you really recommend trying to boot without the HSF? I dunno if it will without a CPU fan in place actually.

I would LOVE to see a BIOS screen. lol

Thanks for the posts... I guess I'm off to find a CPU. Or return this mobo and get another.

 

[Kursun]

No, I don't recommend booting without the cpu HSF.
I mean HSF mounted on the cpu but its fan not plugged in...
Without its fan operating the HSF should be enough to take the heat away for some time. You will try it only for a few seconds anyway.

But of course without the HSF itself, it won't work at all.

 

[strongflower]

Progress!

I cleared the CMOS and started over. It looks like it was one of the memory modules causing the boot loop, because with one of the two in slot 1, it POSTS, but not with the other. Why clearing the CMOS helped, I'm not sure. Maybe I hadn't seated the CPU correctly in the first place, or maybe it was bad on arrival.

Either way, I made it to BIOS. I loaded optimized defaults and rebuilt peripheral by peripheral. Everything appears to be in order so I'm installing Windows 7 now.

2 Problems:

- It's still doing a cold boot reboot (one iteration) on every startup
- I don't feel like it's running very quickly (admitting that there is only 4 GB of RAM in there right now)

Is it because I need to update the BIOS to F18? (Since the CPU is supported under BIOS version F18, and I've seen on other posts in this forum that the recommended fix for a cold boot reboot is an update)

 

[strongflower]

Welp - I'm dumb.

The BIOS is already at version F18. The USB Mouse doesn't work and windows crashed on boot :/ lol

 

[jonjonjon]

because with one of the two in slot 1, it POSTS, but not with the other.

what do you mean by that? only one of the two sticks works in slot 1? if you plug the other stick in slot 1 does it work? or are you saying it wont post if you have both sticks plugged in at the same time?

run memtest86.

 

[strongflower]

With a specific one of the two, if it's plugged into slot 1 it boots. If the other is plugged in alone or with first (in other words, plugged in at all), it will not boot. I think the solution there is just return the DIMM kit for a new one.