Can't get my i7 build to load windows. Gigabyte board problems? (solved)

[Alienwho]

After having trouble with the ASRock X58 board last week not posting, I returned it to Newegg and ordered the new GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R. It posted and everything seemed to be okay except the BIOS read my i7 920 as 133x21 (instead of 20) and said it was 2.8Ghz. Ok strange, I go into the setup and it shows it as 133x20 @ 2.66, Whatever.

So I have some initial problems installing windows because it would hang on the "loading windows setup" screen for a while. I figured out it was the 3 1/2 floppy was enabled in the BIOS and was causing that screen to hang. I fix that and install windows just fine until...

The first real reboot into windows when you are supposed to do the settings like choose timezone/etc. it didn't load. I have two monitors hooked up and one monitor went into power savings mode while the other one sat at a black screen with a white cursor that I could freely move around. No keyboard strokes would bring up anything.

I'm at a loss here. I've built 5 AM3 systems in the past 2 months with absolutely no problem, now I try to build myself an i7 and I can't even get a windows installation. Is there something about the i7's I am missing? Some secret BIOS setting everybody needs to change to get it to work? This is killing me because I do not want to go through another RMA. The board SEEMS to be working. Is it possible I have a bad i7?

Hardware, all brand new:
i7 920
6GB kit Gskill 1600
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R
Radeon 4870(been using this for a year)
OCZ somethingXtreme 700W

Here is my list of things to try when I get home tonight:
Try removing all USB's and booting
Try disabling legacy USB support
Try upped the QPI voltage to 1.295
Try upping memory voltage to 1.6
Try an overclock setting
Try booting into a linux live cd
Try installing linux on that same partition that I'm currently installing the windows partition and see if that works.

<edit>I thought it may have been the PSU, so I pulled my antec 650 out of another computer and it had the exact same problem. And the OCZ PSU ran the other computer just fine.

<edit> it was the dual monitor hookup that threw it off.

 

[Alienwho]

Now that I think about it, last time I installed windows 7 I had to disconnect one of my monitors before the setup would load. It threw me through a loop because I never had to do this with XP. Once the install was completed and drivers were installed the dual monitors worked fine.

I'll have to try this tonight. I REALLY hope this is the problem.

 

[Jd007]

I have the Gigabyte EX58-UD5 board with an i7 920, and I can tell you that the multiplier showing up as 21 is not a problem, it's just the way Gigabyte implemented Intel's Turbo Boost technology.

I run a dual monitor (on a 4850) with Windows 7 as well, and have never encountered the problems that you have. I doubt it's a dual monitor problem, since during setup and boot the monitors are simply mirrored.

First I would increase the memory multiplier to match your RAM speed. The default speed for an i7 is 1066, so increase the multiplier until you get 1600 for your RAM kit. Also adjust the timings according to the specifications stated on the RAM sticks. These are all the adjustments that I had to make in the BIOS. My board detected all my hardware just fine.

I don't think it can be caused by a voltage problem, so I wouldn't touch the BIOS voltage settings. I also wouldn't try overclocking (other than upping the memory multiplier) until the OS is properly installed and the entire system is stable. It's also most likely not a PSU problem.

 

[Axon]

Check your RAM timings and voltage. My ASROCK extreme hates anything other than 8-8-8-24 and 1.65v. Make sure your RAM can run that before you do, of course.

 

[Alienwho]

I've already tried all the ram timings such as default, and manually changing it to 9x9x9x24 (specs on package) as well as only booting with one stick of ram at a time. No change.

I really remember something strange about the monitor situation from last time and I have seen some people recommend trying it so it's worth a shot. I know it seems like something that would be totally out of the ordinary and wouldn't cause a problem which is why it's so obnoxious

This thread here seems similar to the problem i am having.
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...r/thread/c69206ae-14c7-47d2-a44b-7fadf179ad9a

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Just unplug 1 of the monitors in case it is causing a problem and flash with the F2 BIOS from 1/19/2010. Maybe part of the BIOS is corrupt? Maybe you have SATA settings in BIOS not matching what works with the HDD? Just some shots in the dark, you know some things to consider which I hope help solve this issue.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Is the hard drive completely blank? Is only one HD attached?

I've never gotten Vista to install properly when there were existing partitions, for 3 different CPU / motherboard combinations. Win 7 = Vista 2.0

 

[jae]

I may very well be mistaken, but I swear I remember reading something about people having trouble installing it while using HDMI or DVI cable. May be thinking of something else though. :-/

 

[Alienwho]

Is the hard drive completely blank? Is only one HD attached?

I've never gotten Vista to install properly when there were existing partitions, for 3 different CPU / motherboard combinations. Win 7 = Vista 2.0

If the video situation doesn't work, this is my next option. I"ll have to back up the drive and then format it completely and try the reinstall.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

If the video situation doesn't work, this is my next option. I"ll have to back up the drive and then format it completely and try the reinstall.

I installed 7 on a HDD that had 4 partitions on it (Vista) and it worked flawlessly. What I did: 4 parts -> delete all parts -> create 2 parts -> install on 100GB part. Works great.

 

[Alienwho]

Alright well the problem was the video. I only plugged in one monitor into the first video port and of course it booted right into windows. Now that I've got the drivers installed it all works fine.

Thanks for the help everybody. It's funny how I post a question while totally stumped, and then I answer my own question 5 minutes later. I probably wouldn't have remembered that was the solution if I hadn't posted though.