Mobo/CPU/RAM issue on initial upgrade.

[The Fish]

Hi all.

Invoice no 2192739. Also on the order was a 2TB WD drive and two HDMI cables. Along with major upgrade of a MSI z87-G41- PC Mate Mobo, i5 4670K and 8GB of Crucial 1866 RAM.

So put in new mobo bundle, replacing S775 mobo and Q8400 Quad and 4GB DDR2 RAM. Nothing to screen - no output what so ever. Tested as follows:

Tried swapping SATA cables/slots on single SSD, and new drive.

Different graphics card, monitor, monitor lead and then the onboard HDMI out.

Checked all seating of RAM, CPU and PCI cards.

Removed all cards, USB cnxns etc and kept just basics, one SSD etc.

Put in old mobo combo and it works again. New drive formatted and all good.

So tell me if I missed anything please but RMA looks the way forward tomorrow. Can't test new mobo, RAm or CPU as they are S1150 and Haswell Ci5 and DDR ram and I don't have any compatible machines around. So is it the lot that goes back? Can't see any other way reallY. Comments good Scan folk?

Oh so far, this has been a bad experience Scan - I echo ikonias comments on stock control in after sales service. A duff part is just the luck of the draw though in fairness. I'm over the wasted 4 hours now ;-).

Thanks

Alun.

[The Fish]

Hi all.

Invoice no 2192739. Also on the order was a 2TB WD drive and two HDMI cables. Along with major upgrade of a MSI z87-G41- PC Mate Mobo, i5 4670K and 8GB of Crucial 1866 RAM.

So put in new mobo bundle, replacing S775 mobo and Q8400 Quad and 4GB DDR2 RAM. Nothing to screen - no output what so ever. Tested as follows:

Tried swapping SATA cables/slots on single SSD, and new drive.

Different graphics card, monitor, monitor lead and then the onboard HDMI out.

Checked all seating of RAM, CPU and PCI cards.

Removed all cards, USB cnxns etc and kept just basics, one SSD etc.

Put in old mobo combo and it works again. New drive formatted and all good.

So tell me if I missed anything please but RMA looks the way forward tomorrow. Can't test new mobo, RAm or CPU as they are S1150 and Haswell Ci5 and DDR ram and I don't have any compatible machines around. So is it the lot that goes back? Can't see any other way reallY. Comments good Scan folk?

Oh so far, this has been a bad experience Scan - I echo ikonias comments on stock control in after sales service. A duff part is just the luck of the draw though in fairness. I'm over the wasted 4 hours now ;-).

Thanks

Alun.

For those interested: Spoke to Scan this lunchtime. As speed is the essence here, we both agreed in the absence of being able to test all components separately, the mobo was the chief suspect. I therefore bought same board again, delivery Friday being the key. If it all works RMA the faulty mobo Monday. Just one thing I did forget to check was trying a one stick of RAM in either slot - will be doing so tomorrow if same issue occurs. Helpful thanks Darren in customer services and Gareth F in I think Sales. ;-)

[The Fish]

I recieved the replacement today. After it was delayed another day because of another email at 7.30 saying the extra USB cables were out of stock. So the whole order delayed again. Gareth did at least ring at 9 to tell me and get it out for today with no carriage charge. Full comment on that in after sales service. On chatting I did check with Gareth and found I had forgotten to test individual modules of RAM.

Got replacement today. Same issue!! After full testing I found both boards would boot if DIMM 2 was not populated. That's about 6 hours now in total...Either I'm very unlucky or it's a batch issue. Never had an issue with MSI before but this one has been a nightmare. Still upgrade not completed and will have to rebuild again. I look forward to chatting to Scan Monday am and getting this resolved finally with another brand of mobo. Am I out of order for expecting a pick up on the boards when the new one arrives? And not having to pay for the new one? As obviously I am due credit on two boards?

[The Fish]

Spoke with Gareth number 2 at Scan just now. He is sorting an RMA and Scan will pick up. What to do about another board - obviously not getting that MSI board again at the moment. End thoughts - no one has bothered to reply on here from Scan. No one is acknowledging the stock issues which are the real problem here - two failed Mobo's isn't a Scan issue frustrating though that is. I have to buy another Mobo while Scan keep my money all week until those refunds hit my account. Scan is a large business I am a one man business. I can't afford to let that happen every week. So I am looking locally for today - if not I think Dabs as no one at Scan seems to care about this apart from Gareth number 2 at Scan.

The worst thing I think about this whole experience is the harsh review I posted of the MSI board on the website is not there anymore. I find that cynical enough to be worthy of Alistair Campbell at his worst. Shame on you Scan.

[Mark@SCAN]

Hi,

I understand both boards are being collected tomorrow, it's extremely strange that you would have the same problem with both boards.

Before the boards are collected please carefully check the CPU sockets for any bent pins as from the description of the fault it may suggest some of the pins are not making contact with the underside of the CPU where the memory controller resides, hence some memory being detected and some not.

Regards

[The Fish]

Thanks for the reply Mark. I have packaged up both boards now so I won't be checking the pins - although I had a quick look at both on disassembly and they seemed to be fine.

I ask again the question regarding stock issues - and the taking down of a bad review. No comment from Scan on these things? Despite repeated asking of the question. How very 2014 corporate of you.

[Mark@SCAN]

Our customer services manager is looking into the details surrounding the stock complaint and I will post her response when I have it.

The reviews on the SCAN website are handled and monitored by a 3rd party and not SCAN staff, I will try and find out why the review from removed.

Not sure what is meant by this comment? "How very 2014 corporate of you."

Regards

[The Fish]

Hi Mark. Thanks for actually addressing the issues I raised - it is appreciated. I think you can tell by the increasingly strident tone of my posts that the feeling of being ignored does raise the temperature. My comment of '2014 corporate' was simply me having a go, which won't help the situation I know. Frustration,simply expressing itself. It refers to the modern way of ignoring customer complaints until they go away. You are not now, so my apologies.

I returned the two MSI mobos today. I have received the Gigabyte one ordered yesterday. This will not post at all. I have checked the pins on the CPU and all appears fine- no obvious bent pins. I did use both sticks of RAM in different slots and still no post. Frankly I am now at the end of my tether. I cannot pin down the faulty part - I suspect the CPU as the RAM did post in single sticks as previously mentioned on the MSI boards. Any suggestions - return CPU? I am running out of money having bought 2 extra mobos than planned and am loath to buy a new CPU.

[The Fish]

Ok Mark - that is three days since I have posted. Any chance of a reply please?

Currently I have had some email back form Scan about the RMA's. Apparently something has been approved and something hasn't. This total lack of customer service is being broadcast to all my customers and anyone who will listen.

All is fine when it an item is in stock and is actually sent. My experience in the last week has been so poor with Scan, it's failing stock system, the lack of communication form all parts of Scan and the lack of service as witnessed by the lack of responses to my posts above.

[Disturbedguy]

You do realise that Scan are a business and can't spend all day answering posts on forums, right?

If it really is that important that you get quick answers, pick up the phone!

[The Fish]

You do realise that Scan are a business and can't spend all day answering posts on forums, right?

If it really is that important that you get quick answers, pick up the phone!

Thanks for pointing that out feller. I have in fact rang this am. Oh Scan are a business.. I see. Does that mean they have customer service then?? Can you show me where that is please, I can't find it here....

If you put up a customer forum, then expect it to be used -3 days is not an unreasonable response time. And when you don't reply customers get annoyed.

[Disturbedguy]

Thanks for pointing that out feller. I have in fact rang this am. Oh Scan are a business.. I see. Does that mean they have customer service then?? Can you show me where that is please, I can't find it here....

If you put up a customer forum, then expect it to be used -3 days is not an unreasonable response time. And when you don't reply customers get annoyed.

Get off your high horse.

They are providing customer service and they have been answering, just not as quick as you would like. As i said, they are a business and these forums are not their only source of contact for people with issues, so they cant have someone sat refreshing the forums all day waiting for someone to reply.

[Mark@SCAN]

Ok, to summarize this, the first MSI board that came back was tested and no faults found, we tested it with memory in all slots which was detected without problems. This is being refunded in line with the DSR's as it was returned within 7 days.

The second identical MSI motherboard you purchased in advance of returning the above has been rejected as something has been rested directly on top of the CPU socket, looks like the stock heatsink + fan it has bent pins and it's also covered in thermal compound see below pictures:



And we have today issued an RMA number for the 3rd motherboard purchased - now a Gigabyte board to come back for testing alongside the CPU supplied on the original invoice which you have suspected to be at fault.

I'm not quite sure what we could have done differently here, we RMA'd the boards (MSI) and collected them on your instruction as they were reported as defective, in order to expedite the process your choice was to purchase replacement components in advance before we had opportunity to test the parts you had reported as defective.

All of the item's returned thus far have been dealt with within our quoted 3 - 5 turnaround.

Regards