ASUS Maximus Extreme problem? please help

[japps]

So I finally get my system all put together...install 32-bit vista and start to install the drivers. (at this point vista is fully installed) The motherboard comes with ASUS InstAll wizard. I start installing and the computer has to reboot. Then the problems start. The system will not recognize the hard drive. In BIOS, during POST...nothing. So I clear the CMOS and start over. Sometimes it recognizes the HDD, other times nothing. And when it does recognize the HDD, I'm prompted to install vista again...and when I go through the install, vista does not recognize the HDD. the HDD is spining up.

So I changed out the HDD to my old 74gb Raptor and xp boots up...so I start to install the drivers and now it won't boot up...says I'm missing a windows 32.dll.

Is this something that is RMA on the motherboard? or can I clear out the BOIS somehow to start over? please help. here's my system:

motherboard: ASUS maximus extreme
CPU: QX6850
RAM: Cellshock DDR3-1800
HDD: WD Cavier SE16 750gb
videocard: eVGA 8800gtx superclocked

thanks in advance

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Well this is one of those fun issues to troubleshoot. There are a few things that could possibly be the problem.

First of all, RAM can sometimes cause flakey issues like this and is easy to test. Go to www.goldmemory.cz and download goldmem and let it run for about 5 hours or so and see if it comes back with any errors.

Then if it comes back fine, go to the WD website and get their diagnositic tools and run it on the drive, extended test if you can.

If that isnt it, it could be, but not likely, be the power supply. If all that fails then I would look towards bad board. But sounds to me like a bad stick of memory

 

[robisbell]

well, I'm going to need more info.

exact model of the motherboard and bios revision.
exact model of the ram.

 

[japps]

Motherboard is the ASUS Maximus Extreme, BIOS is 0403. I will try and flash an updated BIOS.

RAM is Cellshock DDR3-1800

HDD is WD SE16 750gb (WD7500AAKS)

during POST it at first recognizes the HDD on SATA 1 and the dvd on SATA 2...but the the J-Micron PATA-SATA Controller posts and then the HDD is unrecognised. I cleared the CMOS and now the IDE on SATA 1 isn't even recognised.

 

[robisbell]

well, you see, ASUS does not have anything as a Maximus Extreme, went through their Motherboard database 4 times.
and that's not the model number for the ram either.

as for the HDD issue, it's the adapter you're using that's the issue there.

 

[japps]

the motherboard is here: http://usa.asus.com/products.a...model=1862&modelmenu=1

just came out last week...ROG top line.

Ram is here: http://www.memoryc.com/product...Channel_kit/index.html

I'm downloading the latest BIOS now...hopefully it will work. what do you mean the adapter? how do I fix?

 

[robisbell]

I don't consider it top of the line till it's proven itself, may have been the most expensive, but so was the edsel.

I think your issue is partially ram related.
http://www.ec.kingston.com/eco...artno=KVR1333D3N8K2/1G
http://www.crucial.com/store/m...bpoid=0015BCEAA5CA7304

you're going to have to put the old ide drive in a external enclosure, and out only sata drives inside.

and do post the specs sheet, not the sales sheet, sales sheet are pretty but have no real information.

http://www.asus.com/products.a...model=1862&modelmenu=2

 

[japps]

it turns out it was the HDD...the WD 750 was bad from newegg. I took the HDD to a local shop and they checked it out on another machine and confirmed my suspisions. I replaced with another drive and everything was fine. thanks for your help

Robisbell,

My point on saying that the motherboard was "top of the line" wasn't to brag about the price, it was to show you the board (it had just come out last week) after you stated that ASUS had no such motherboard and that you searched their database 4 times when it was easily found. (it has been on their website for over a month now)

 

[robisbell]

I did do a google cache check, they had not updated the spec sheet list when I checked, till that night, probably due to the holiday. how did the shop prove the HDD is defective?

 

[Fenriss]

didn't you also mention that you also had issues w/ the Raptor?

 

[japps]

sorry for the confusion...

Fenriss
I have an old computer that has a 74gb raptor that has all the family photos etc.., (can't reformat) this is the raptor I had issues with since it has XP from a different computer my new build had problems with it. I purchased a new 150gb raptor at Fry's Saturday morning poped it in and everything works great.

Robisbell:
I took the 750 to Best Buy andwhen they hooked it up to another computer the guy heard the same high speed clicking noise I heard. I have been building for 12+years and never heard this loud of clicking. I also never recieved a defective HDD brand new either. But the night before I googled the problem and found a lot of opinions on similar stories that it was the controller in the HDD. So it was more of an educated guess.

although last night I had another issue that sounds strange. I'm running my DDR3 in 2 channel configuration (slots 1 and 3). Last night I got the blue screen of death and had some other issues that seemed like they could be RAM issues. I had the overclock tab in the ASUS BIOS set to "crazy". Everything else was set to auto. I checked CPU-Z and both sticks were running at DDR3-1400 speed with one stick (2x1gb sticks) running at 8-7-6-21 timing, but the other one was running at 4-3-3-9 timing. So I pop back into the BIOS and manually set the timing to 7-7-7-18...run mem-test and everything seems fine now. But what would make memory run asymetrically like that?

 

[japps]

sorry again...here's the RAM:

http://www.tankguys.com/produc...c72804de1a4200a8a214c2

CAPACITY 2GB, STANDARD PC3-14400

DUAL KIT Dual Channel kit (2x 1GB)

MEMORY SPEED 1800MHz (DDR3 1800)

CAS LATENCY CL8

MEMORY TIMINGS 8-7-6-21

VOLTAGE 1.7-1.9V

ERROR CHECKING Non-ECC

FEATURES 8-layer PCB, Micron DDR3 chips

REGISTERED Unbuffered

CONFIGURATION 129Mx8 chips, 128Mx64 module configuration