Just got me old rig running, now it won't even post, infinite start stop cycle.

[DWD1961]

Gigabyte X58
i920

Sorry for the long post. I wanted to make sure I give all the information I could.

I don't know what happened. In my thread started a couple weeks ago I was explaining that I was necroing my old 7 year garaged gaming rig.

Then in this thread ( https://hardforum.com/threads/the-o...o-on-an-older-thread.1989898/#post-1044424777 ) I explained that I was now having the same problem as so many others with this board, that one channel was not using RAM. BIOS sees it, but cannot enable it. It's a fairly common problem with the X58 chip set from many vendors.

Anyway, I removed the CPU a couple of times and looked for bent socket pins, with a magnifying glass, and found nothing. Reseated and cleaned everything with copper on it, including RAM. Tried all of the settings, even tried shimming the CPU clips with thin cardboard, as one person suggested int the original 2010 thread about RAM disappearing.

Nothing worked. So, I gave up and just will use the 8GB of RAM reporting, For the older games I want to play and have old, mature accounts, it will run fine (Mortal Online, EVE, MWO).

So I zipped it all up , after installing the very first consumer SSD, and old Intel 40GB model (LOL), and began the process of getting stuff loaded into Win10. Then last night, it went into it's sleep mode, and I could not get it to recover. (I already CMD'ed and disabled hibernation.)

I have an old PS2 mouse plugged into it (just so I can make sure I get into the BIOS and start the Windows load process without having any troubles), but when I clicked the mouse, nothing would happen. So I used the USB keyboard, and the MB would power on, no video, then go off. Tried the case on off button again, and same thing. It would just power on, then shut itself off.

I had to shut it off at the AC power to get it to shut down. I booted it up again and put it to sleep, then the same thing happened. Pulled the plug, and I was going to switch from S3 to S1 sleep in the BIOS just to see if that solved the problem.

Now, it won't even post! It goes into a loop after hitting the start button. The power comes on in the MB, then immediately goes off, and it will continue as long as the power is on.

Any ideas? I'm stumped on this because I know it could be any number of variables, including a power switch sticking on the case, although I hear the power button to its Click-click when pushed in and then let out again.

At this point, the only thing I know to do would be to get my old X58 board--that I had to RMA for the same RAM problem--and install that and see if the problem goes away.

So, just to recap:

--Initially, it posted.
--Repasted cooler. Posted dine. However, missing that last channel of RAM, 2 banks.
--Took the CPU out inspected socket and CPU for bent pins/burn marks, nothing I could see.
--REassembled and started, post perfectly.
--Load Win10, posts to Windows fine.
--Worked on BIOS setting to try and get RAM to post all banks. Never could, and gave up.
--Plugged in an old Intel 40GB SSD, logged into windows and started setting up software. Opened a CMD and disabled Hibernation.
--Computer goes into sleep mode. USB keyboard wakes it, but it immediately shuts itself off.
--Rebooted, logged into Windows, same sleep problem. (On both occasions I had to shut off the power to get it out of sleep.)
--Tried to start the system, and now it comes on, then within 3 seconds shuts itself off, then comes on and repeats.

Just now:
--Took out all HDs, RAM, and Vid card. Cycled three times and gave me a C1 error.
that's a memory error. Back to the bench.
--Just tried it with different Ram sticks in slot #1 and each time it would give me a C1 error.

I'm stumped.

Edit: wanted to say that before it posts C1, it gives me 88 also. I didn't think that was a code, just all of the LED lights coming on, but in some other forum someone said it was a dead CPU, dead MB, or dead PSU. But that 88 is a real code.

Edit: Not the case power button.

I'm about ready to tear this MB out and make a frisbee out of it, and install the other Gig x58 board I had to have RMAed way back in 2010 for the same thing. Never tested it when I got it back.

 

[horrorshow]

Remove CMOS battery and re-insert to clear the BIOS.

....Turn off sleep??

Then just use dual channel mode for your RAM in the working slots/banks.

 

[DWD1961]

Remove CMOS battery and re-insert to clear the BIOS.

....Turn off sleep??

Then just use dual channel mode for your RAM in the working slots/banks.

"Turn off sleep?" It won't even post.


The MB has a dedicated CMOS clear button on it. I'll remove the battery just in case, before I make a recycle bin Frisbee out of it. I have 6 sticks of RAM, and tried all configs including single.

It shows 88 on the MB LED three times, then C1.

Pulled the batter and unplugged it. same thing.

Ripping the Mother Fer out right now, right after I seat the CPU one more time. Maybe I won't. It's obviously unstable,board or CPU, either way. I don't have another CPU so I'll test it with another board. I do have a spare power supply, but I'm going to guess that isn't what it is, and since I have been having mem problems wiht this and my other x58 board, like so many others have..

 

[DWD1961]

I just installed my old Gigabyte version 1 x58 and posted right up. It still shows 8GB of ram though. So, either they didn't fix the problem when I sent it in, which is what I think is the problem, or it's a bad CPU. And, folks, that's why back in 2011 I never took the time to install this "RMA'ed" board in the first place, because I know the games warranty departments play--round trip it, and see if the customer ever calls back. If so, then fix it the next time they send it out. And, who is going to do that when it costs 50 bucks each trip? Anyway,it posted, but with missing RAM again. These boards had defects.

Edit: Plugged in the SSD using the loaded Windows from the newer board, and she posted, then went right to Windows with the LED MB code of FF (meaning all is good). I changed the RAM timings manually to stock and gave the RAM stock recommended voltage of 1.65 and she crapped again, giving C1 and not wanting to post. Luckily it posted into the bios on the second try, and I changed the setting back to "load optimal." Plugged in the drives and loaded windows.

Going to try and play games on it for now untiI can get the $$ to upgrade my entire system, except the PS.

 

[DWD1961]

So everything was running ok with the old RMA board, same RAM problem, but I started playing with RAM and notice if I went to two sticks, it would show half the ram.The other board only showed missing RAM when all six slots were populated.. That got me curious. Long story short, I kept testing Ram and then I decided to take off the heat sinks since one was peeling off anyway. Well, I tore one of the sticks chips completely off the DRAM board pulling the GD heat sink off that glue was so strong in some places. It doesn't matter really because I can only use 1, 3, 4, or 6 sticks, and when all six sticks were in it was showing 8GB Ram, not 12.

So I somehow destroyed two sticks before I noticed. I'm just really tired I think. I thought maybe the heat sinks were shorting out the RAM against each other. I've been troubleshooting this F-er for way too long. Anyway, I took the last 4 sticks I had and put it all back in.I had already done that, and it posted 4GB out of 8GB. This time I put my RAM back in, the last 4 sticks I have, some now without heat sinks (LOL), and the F-er booted and showed 8 of 8GB. It doesn't matter. The system is somehow unstable memory wise.

Conclusion: You have to destroy 4 GB in 2 sticks of OCZ RAM to get the others to post.

Seriously, at this point,I have no clue. Due to lack of funds at this point, I'm jsut gonna run it and if it runs Mortal Online for the time being, I'm happy until $$$ come my way.

Thanks to everyone who helped on my trouble threads.

 

[learners permit]

Blow out the dead spiders in the psu with an air compressor. Check psu rails with voltmeter. Make sure the 3.3v. rail is good I think memory voltage is off that output. I have a spare 920 if ya need it for testing. Just pay shipping and its yours. PM me if interested.

 

[DWD1961]

Blow out the dead spiders in the psu with an air compressor. Check psu rails with voltmeter. Make sure the 3.3v. rail is good I think memory voltage is off that output. I have a spare 920 if ya need it for testing. Just pay shipping and its yours. PM me if interested.

I got it running. Something on the board bricked after tweaking the BOS, so I used my older X58 board and got it booting again. I have no idea why ti did that, and I didn't want to go to the trouble of trying to trouble shoot such and old system. I was playing an MMO that I have played off an on since 2008, so the 8GB or ram was plenty for that old platform MMO. I never could get 12GB to work in either board, for long. Could have been RAM, who knows. But I didn't want to pay for DDR3 RAM for such an old system. It could be a bad pin on the CPU too. Who knows. However, with 8GB of ram, it runs solid under tests for RAM and CPU. It's just an old system.

I did take the PSU apart and inspect it for cap leakage, etc. I found nothing visual.

I have my new rig up now and that old rig is going to get sold here pretty soon.

Thanks for offering the 920 CPU.


This thread is now dead.