Cold boot issue: Ambient Temperature effects ability to boot????

[PSUPef2k]

Ok, so I have been having a cold boot issue that when my PC is off for a while, it takes a reset or two to get it to post. Once it comes up though, it is fine. Now, this becomes increasingly noticable, and more resets are required as the ambient temperature in my room decreases. Yesterday it was pretty damn cold in my room, and it wouldn't post at all, just constantly giving the memory error beep code. I have run memtest on the memory and it is fine for 8+ hours, so that is not the problem. CPU is not OC'd either.

So, seeing as temperature effects the bootability so much, I think "Lets introduce some heat to the environment and see if that helps." I get a hair dryer and aim it in the side intake panel while turning it on. 1 reset later, it boots up fine!!!

Needless to say this is frusterating beyond belief, and I have never heard of temperature impacting a component so much, and I don't even know what component is at fault. The memory seems fine, could be CPU memory controller (but I doubt it), motherboard is possible, PSU could be at fault but all rails were verified, so I am truely at a loss. Stats are shown in my sig. Any thoughts/suggestions/advice would be appreciated.

What sucks is I don't have another mobo/cpu/psu that I would be able to swap out and test each component, so I may have to take it to a local shop for diagnosis, which I'd like to avoid due to cost.

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

I've had temperature issues with hard drives, but it doesn't sound like that's the problem here. I would still try booting with another PSU if you can locate one, maybe from a friend.

The chips shouldn't be affected by the cold this way, so I'm guessing it's a discrete component, like a capacitor/inductor on the motherboard or in the PSU.

 

[Slammy1]

Cold boot issues are usually PSU.

 

[humanure]

I have the same motherboard(a8r-32mvp), and sometimes I have to reset it once to get it to post. I do not get any beep codes however. Sometimes the fans spin up, opticals, etc, but post never starts. I've heard that sometimes capacitors can cause this, heard of using a hair dryer to heat them up if a board or PSU won't start. I'm thinking it has to be the caps, I've only had to do 1 reset and mine will start, but I don't live in a real cold environment(SC). Give them some power for a moment, they warm up, post starts. I haven't been real happy with this board since the start, POST has always been sluggish to start versus others I've had. My PSU is brand new so I don't think that is an issue.

 

[PSUPef2k]

I'm pretty sure it is either the MB or PSU at this point, it is just narrowing that down that is the issue. I would be suprised if it is the PSU because it came highly reccomended. However, tonight I will try heating the PSU with the hair dryer instead of the MB and see if that makes a difference. No matter how long i left it on before resetting it yesterday, it still would not post without the hair dryer being used. It was that cold I guess. Either way, once I figure out which is to blame i'll warranty that item and hopefully all will be well. Overall, I hate this motherboard and probably won't buy another ASUS board anytime soon.

 

[Operandi]

I?ve heard sometimes bad capacitors need to be warmed up before they will work semi-properly. That is really the only thing I can think of since normally heat is always the enemy.

 

[PSUPef2k]

Originally posted by: Operandi
I?ve heard sometimes bad capacitors need to be warmed up before they will work semi-properly. That is really the only thing I can think of since normally heat is always the enemy.

Right, but capacitors on the mobo, PSU, or video card even?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: PSUPef2k

Originally posted by: Operandi
I?ve heard sometimes bad capacitors need to be warmed up before they will work semi-properly. That is really the only thing I can think of since normally heat is always the enemy.

Right, but capacitors on the mobo, PSU, or video card even?

I would say PSU but Seasonic seems unlikely so I would check the board first. Video card is possible but probably least likely.

 

[humanure]

it is a motherboard issue most likely, since we both have seen the same problem. unlikely that we just happen to have the same motherboard and both have bad PSU's.

 

[PSUPef2k]

When I heat up the PSU with a hair dryer immediately prior to boot it doesn't help. However, when I heat up the mobo for a min and then boot, it comes up fine. I think I am going to put in a warranty request to ASUS today.

 

[corkyg]

I have a client with this problem, and it has been isolated to a power supply issue with her video card. A really cold boot takes about 3 tries in a row - it hangs during the Windows load at about 9 animated bar iterations. Once it gets past 12, it is good. Reboots are always good.

It's an old Slot A AMD Asus K7M, and not worth fixing. She's saving for a new one.

 

[pkme2]

I presumed that you already flashed your bios. Right?

Next, I think your mobo is suspect IMO. I find it difficult to envision the Seasonic as being problematic.

I had an older AMD mobo with the identical problem. I took it out of storage to build a Linux rig, and finally file 13th it.