Is my new Core i7-920 broke?

[weeeric]

Hi
I have just built a new system

Antec Black Twelve Hundred Tower Case
Antec 850w Signature PSU
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 MoBo
Intel Nehalem i7-920 S1366 2.66GHz
Corsair 6GB 1333MHz DDR3
GeForce GTX 285 650MHz 1GB DDR3 Graphics
2x Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 500GB

When I switch on the system tries to start but stutters to a close after 2 seconds, then tries to start again - cycling this over and over until I turn it off. If I unplug the 4x2 12v CPU power supply the system will keep going although nothing is happening of course.

Does this mean that my new cpu is broke?

thanks for any help.

eric

 

[aigomorla]

did u put on your heat sink?

can we have a picture of your entire system? maybe you wired up something wrong...

 

[Quiksilver]

Sounds more like motherboard or PSU is shorting out...

 

[weeeric]

hi aigomorla

Yes the heat sink and fan are in place.

I have placed a photo here.
http://www.finetuna.com/i2afcm

thanks
e

 

[weeeric]

Quiksilver can you elaborate on that pls

thanks
e

 

[Quiksilver]

Either there is an extra standoff or there is something metal (eg. case itself or a screw) is touching the motherboard causing it to short and do a endless boot loop. Or There is just something wrong with the power supply. I don't know how to elaborate any more on that, just check and re-check everything you've done making sure all the cables, scews, standoffs, etc. are in their proper positions and that nothing is installed wrong. I am leaning more towards you have a bad motherboard though.

Also, why the crappy Hitachi drives out of curiosity? Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung drives all out perform them :X

 

[daw123]

Have you tried running it with the MB outside the case?

This would tell you if there was a short with the MB inside the case.

 

[weeeric]

Thanks Quicksilver.

The hard drives are the least of my worries at the moment. Any of them are about as much use as a spinning plate on a stick

 

[weeeric]

Good idea about mobo outside - I'll give it a try

 

[weeeric]

Just a thought - This is the first machine I have built without a floppy drive. Could it be that the mobo needs a floppy drive when cycling through the bios config?

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: weeeric
Just a thought - This is the first machine I have built without a floppy drive. Could it be that the mobo needs a floppy drive when cycling through the bios config?

No, you don't need a floppy disc drive connected. I ran my PC (GA-EX58-Extreme MB) without a FDD for a couple of weeks. You will need a long FDD cable (45cm long plus) if you are using a FDD because of where the FDD socket is located on the MB (bottom left when MB is installed in the case).

If you do have FDD connected make sure that it is connected correctly (red stripe on FDD cable connected to pin 1 on the FDD and MB sockets). In my previous rig, I connected the FDD cable the wrong way to the FDD (because the socket was keyed both ways). I turned the PC on and it immediately switched itself off. I then realised my mistake, re-connected it the right way and it worked.

 

[weeeric]

Just tested the MoBo outside the case and it behaved exactly the same as it did inside the case. I think I have to change the MoBo. damn!

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: weeeric
Just tested the MoBo outside the case and it behaved exactly the same as it did inside the case. I think I have to change the MoBo. damn!

At least you have found a possible solution to the problem.

 

[Zap]

Maybe the CPU is a D0 and the mobo BIOS needs an update first?

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: Zap
Maybe the CPU is a D0 and the mobo BIOS needs an update first?

BIOS version F5 onwards has D0 compatability, but thats not to say that older BIOS versions won't work with a D0.

http://www.giga-byte.com/Suppo...el.aspx?ProductID=2958

My Extreme shipped with the F4 BIOS and it worked with my 950, so I don't think having an older BIOS would stop it from working.

Edit: In the OPs case it would be a bit of a problem if the BIOS requires flashing, since his PC doesn't stay on long enough to flash the BIOS.

 

[averagecdn]

Could be that the cpu is not seated all the way. check the power supply, try disconnecting everything except for the necessities, double check the memory to make sure its seated properly. You never said if it was posting or anything. Is it posting... any noise?

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: averagecdn
Could be that the cpu is not seated all the way. check the power supply, try disconnecting everything except for the necessities, double check the memory to make sure its seated properly. You never said if it was posting or anything. Is it posting... any noise?

Sound advice: Just connect the PSU, MB, GPU, CPU, HSF, one stick of RAM and HDD together.

Remember to re-seat the HSF. Remove the HSF and CPU. Clean the CPU IHS and HSF with this or something similar using cotton buds and coffee filters. Make sure both mating surfaces are clean. Re-apply the TIM (Arctic Silver 5, etc.) to the CPU IHS using the Arctic Silver 5 application method. Re-seat the HSF making sure all four plastic push pins are locked into the MB correctly.

If that doesn't work, try another stick of RAM in another slot.

If that doesn't work, try the GPU in another PCI-E slot.

If that doesn't work, you need to start testing with replacement components.

Remember to check all connections between tests, before you move on to the next one.

Also look for the error codes on your MB (a two digit / letter figure). FF means there isn't an error. Look in you MB manual for the other (error) codes.

 

[taltamir]

it can be the PSU, RAM, CPU, GPU, or Mobo... just to name the main potential culprits... replace them one by one until it starts working.

 

[weeeric]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, all really useful although I don't have any luck at the moment.

daw123 - I get and error code 6F which the manual tells me is "Initialize floppy controller". This is why I asked about the necessity of a floppy drive in an earlier post.

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: weeeric
Thanks for all the suggestions guys, all really useful although I don't have any luck at the moment.

daw123 - I get and error code 6F which the manual tells me is "Initialize floppy controller". This is why I asked about the necessity of a floppy drive in an earlier post.

Edit: The issue could be memory related; are you using the correct DIMM slots (white slots for 3 RAM modules and NOT the blue slots). Note that my PC wouldn't post when I was only using three RAM Modules in the wrong slots; I can't remember what the error code was. Swapped the modules to the other slots and it works.

This theory is backed up by this thread:
http://www.insanelymac.com/for...x.php?showtopic=139730

It looks as if the MB error codes are bogus (I refer you to this thread.)

I have found the LED post codes to be not that useful also, i've never had big problems where i was stuck and couldn't post but i've had the floppy related error code 6F when it was definitely a memory problem. It's like the LED display isn't quite keeping up with the data being processed so it crashes out before it's on the right code or something.

...I have found the LED post codes to be not that useful also, i've never had big problems where i was stuck and couldn't post but i've had the floppy related error code 6F when it was definitely a memory problem. It's like the LED display isn't quite keeping up with the data being processed so it crashes out before it's on the right code or something.