Strange problem with Asus P5E3 Premium and QX9770

[sandygws]

Well, my latest order from Scan arrived this morning at a respectable 10am and thanks to Paul I’ve finally got all the bits and bobs to build a computer.

The problem is, I can’t get the darn thing to post!

When I switch the power on, I get all the correct lights and noises and the Express Gate boot screen (sometimes).

Then the system shuts down.

I’ve played with the memory, reset the CMOS battery, etc, etc – it makes no difference.

I’m fresh out of ideas at this point and wondered if you wise folks had any suggestions. I thought that maybe the P5E3 needs a newer BIOS than the shipped version (to support the QX9770). The problem is that I can neither check the current version nor flash it to a newer version ...

Here’s a list of the main components:

Asus P5E3 Premium Wifi
QX9770 Yorkfield
4GB (4x1GB) CorsairTwinX XMS3, DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600)
Corsair HX1000W PSU


Any ideas?

[Noxvayl]

Thats bloody annoying... I checked the specs on the motherboard and it supports that CPU with the shipped BIOS. Send it back to Scan for an RMA is all I can recommend.

I had an Asus motherboard and it did the same, sent it back and it was faulty. Then the replacement failed 2 months down the line so I sold it and purchased Gigabyte... 5 months on and its still working 100% and one hell of an overclocker as well. I'd recommend other brand names to Asus as myself and friends have all had bad experience with them. Gigabyte, MSI and Abit are all better alternatives imo.

[sandygws]

I've now tested the mobo and CPU with another PSU - still the same.

Switches off either before or just after I press "Delete" to enter the BIOS. Therefore I can't even check and/or modify BIOS settings.

I'm guessing the problem lies with the mobo, but it could also be the CPU - or both.

At £1,100+ for this mobo and CPU, I'm not a happy chap.

Can someone at Scan please comment before I send it back for an exchange or refund ...

[Lee H]

Please log the issues you are experiencing at the link Here and the guys in technical/returns will be able to give you more assistance or even an RMA to get this sorted out.

[Wiczy]

Have you tried to boot with just one stick of ram inserted?

[LegacyOne]

Did you take off the cap on the 8 pin CPU connector to use the 8 pin CPU plug from the PSU and that it is not the 8 pin PCI-E plug?

Maybe try another Graphics Card.

[sandygws]

Thanks for the reply Lee. I'll troubleshoot over the weekend and then RMA the board and CPU if I can't get it up and running.

Right now I'm running just the bare essentials - mobo, CPU, 1 stick of RAM - on my desk!

Same problem - boots for 15 seconds or so, then shuts down.

The only connections to the board are the 24-pin ATX and the 8-pin CPU plug.

I've also tried using another graphics card - a brand new NVIDIA 9600GT.

I'm almost out of ideas.

Grrrrrrrr

[sandygws]

One other thing:

Could it be that the PSU is trying to boot with standard DDR3 1.5v?

The Corsair DDR3 I'm using operates at 1.8V VDIMM.

[sandygws]

I figured out the problem just in time to give everyone a Friday afternoon chuckle at my newbism:

I DIDN'T INSTALL THE HEATSINK SO THE PROCESSOR WAS THERMALLY SHUTTING DOWN!



Lucky I didn't fry the CPU and my £910.51

Thanks as usual to Scan for both super fast delivery and great customer service. Note to Paul: just post my cheque to the usual address

I'll go and whip myself now with the PSU Power Cord ...

[Lee H]

Thank god it's not an Athlon XP without the thermal control as they had a tendency to pop without the cooler & fan attached.

[sandygws]

Tell me about it.

It's been running smoothly for around 30 minutes now and the Noctua NH-U12P heatsink is working great:

CPU Temperature = 37 degrees

MB Temperature = 34 degrees

... and that's with just one NF-P12 installed and no case fans (yet)!

[Madafwo]

I apologise but this has to be done...



It is the techy way, we always look for the complicated answers before the simple one, is there any reason you were testing wihtout a CPU cooler on the board? Seems quite strange TBH.

It has made me chuckle slightly. Glad it's sorted now mate.

[sandygws]

Madafwo, you are 100% right.

Boy do I feel like a dick.

I spent almost £4K on components this week for my first build - probably not the best idea.

To be honest I didn't actually know a heatsink was a prerequisite.

Doh!

[Madafwo]

£4K on your first build?

Jesus...

That's a lot of money to spend on something when it's your first time. I'm sure if anything goes wrong the guys at Scan we be able to help, just be extra careful when putting everything together to make sure you don't damage anything, that'd be horrible.

[sandygws]

Hey, we all spend a fortune on our "first time" one way or another!

But's that moving off topic

[Madafwo]

Hey, we all spend a fortune on our "first time" one way or another!

But's that moving off topic

Speak for yourself...

Packet of Marlboro and a Burger King ... Classy

My first system was a grand, and that was 3 years ago.