abit nf7-s POST problem

[kreactor]

was adding 256meg pc3200 to existng 512 meg pc2700
encounter POST problem, replaced ram, still wouldn't post

power on pc, fan's on...

one loooooong beep, silence, repeat

not sure if this has an award or ami bios and what this error means? (ram or video issue)

thanks in advance

 

[Fern]

They use Award BIOS. Here's a LINK to a list of beep codes.

Might try clearing the CMOS to get it to post. See your manual for finding the jumper and instructions. Once when pushing an OC too high, I had to leave my CMOS battery out overnight before I could get it to clear/reset.

Note: If you left the aux 5v power on (I.e., did not unplug from wall or turn off PSU with rocker switch on back) and tried to add/remove sticks you may have fried your dimm slot.

Fern

 

[kreactor]

thanx for help but i don't understand the part about the dimm slot/ rocker switch...

now none of the beep code matches my case, but i did read somewhere
that "3 sec (long) beep follow by 2 second silence then repeat" means "cpu
related issue"....

i do know all the memory sticks work since i stick em all in another machine
so what can caused fried dimm slots? perhaps i pressed too hard during installation
and crack the mobo?.....vaguely smell something burnt......

so now i'm figuring if i should remove the cpu and test it out on another machine
to make sure xp2500 chip is still good and get a new $87 nf7-s board (from feb 04, warranty over) and hopefully not f this one up too

OR..... regardless what's dead, i should just leave the socket A chip/mobo route
and invest in the athlon64 route??

 

[Fern]

i don't understand the part about the dimm slot/ rocker switch

You'll notice that when your system is turned off, the little red LED is on. This means even when turned off, there is a 5 volt standby current on the mobo. If you try to remove or replace ram sticks while this 5 volt current is on, you can damage the ram or dimm slots. To prevent this from happening you must unplug the system. Or, you can turn-off the PSU (and 5v standby) by using the rocker switch on the PSU (on the back of your computer). Now, you may have a cheapo PSU which lacks a rocker switch.

Did you clear the CMOS? I would do that b4 anything else.

Unless you've somehow damaged the dimm slot, it should work after clearing the CMOS (there is a jumper for this purpose on the mobo, see your manual or google for the online version if you've lost the original)

Fern

 

[kreactor]

i didn't unplug the power cord from the psu (came w/antec sonata case)
but think i did turn off the psu switch in the back before i was pluggin and unpluggin
vaguely recall.....this was like 4am...

so sounds like that's what happen then, fried dimms....

well time to order a new mobo then......

 

[Fern]

Again, clear the CMOS b4 you blow some $'s unneccessarily

 

[kreactor]

ok thanks again, will look for manual when i'm off....

clearing the cmos = resetting cmos to factory defaults right?

 

[cirthix]

its possible that the bios is corrupt. its known to happen with nforce2 chipsets and pc2700 ram (usually with pc2700+other ram, but it can happen with pc2700 alone). your best bet is if you cant get it to work by clearing bios and trying 100fsb jumper, swapping ram around, then hotflash in a friends computer

 

[kreactor]

http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/manual.php?categories=1&model=6


"3). CMOS Memory Clearing Header This header uses a jumper cap to clear the CMOS memory. ? Pin 1-2 shorted (default): Normal operation. ? Pin 2-3 shorted: Clear CMOS memory. WARNING: Turn the power off first (including the +5V standby power) before clearing
memory. Failing to do so may cause your system to work abnormally or malfunction."



so i switched jumper as directed, how long should i leave it before i replace the jumper
to its original position and retry the memory slots?
what circumstances will i need to pull out the battery as in yr scenerio?



edit: ahhh, found it on another section

Q: Do I need to clear the CMOS before I use a new motherboard to assemble my new computer system? A: Yes, we highly recommend that you clear the CMOS before installing a new motherboard. Please move the CMOS jumper from its default 1-2 position to 2-3 for a few seconds, and then back. When you boot up your system for the first time, follow the instructions in the user's manual to load the optimized defaults.

 

[Fern]

Make sure to unplugg the PC

Usually just a few seconds with the jumper switched is enough. Sometimes can be difficult and it takes longer. IF it doesn't come back to life, b4 you give up on the baord, as a last resort, pull the CMOS battery overnight.

Fern

 

[kreactor]

well tried clearing the cmos w/ jumper, no luck

same beeping sequence whether there are dimms in the slot or not

now looking at 62$ asus a7n8x or another 82$ nf7-s. what u recommend
at this stage w/ the newfangle athlon 64s? versus cheaper investment by continue
using my 1gig pc2700 256meg pc3200 and 6800gt AGP card?

thanks for all yr help

 

[Fern]

I know other's will disagree, but since my 6800GT worked beautifully in games like Far Cry & D3 with my CPU set to FSB166 x 11 multi (Barton 2500+ speed), I'd just replace the mobo. The good/cheapest I know of is the Shutle AN35N-Ultra. It's about $50 new. I think it lacks "SoundStorm" IIRC.

Although I'd love to have a 64bit system to fool around with, the skt A is still strong IMHO, it chews up every game I throw at it with max settings. When the 6800GT can't cut it anymore I'll switch to 64bit and PCIe. I think thats still at least a year away.

But if you have the money and wanna switch, a fried mobo is as good of an excuse as any.

To bad about your board

Fern

 

[kreactor]

well the bright side is the xp2500 cpu is fine....took it out and tested w/ the other
pc's mobo....

still deciding which mobo to get and whether i should spend 82$ to get 1gig pc3200
or just stay w/ the gig pc2700 + 256meg pc3200, is there much performance improvement (not overclocking)