MSI 790FX-GD70 not Booting, FF code

[EXCellR8]

I'm having a lot of trouble with my motherboard lately, and i cannot figure out why it's not booting. I'll post the full specs to get that out of the way...

AMD Phenom-II X6 1090T
MSI 790FX-GD70 (not winki ed.)
8GB Corsair DDR3-1600mhz
ATI FirePro V5700 (x2 in CF)
1 500GB HDD + DVD-Drive
Corsair CX500 PSU

This setup was working fine for a little while, but I powered the system down completely around two weeks ago (power supply switched off) and since then I cannot boot without clearing the CMOS and loading default settings @ POST screen. If I go into BIOS and do anything after I save the computer doesn't POST/boot at all and I get the "FF" code on the motherboard. If I clear CMOS again and restart, it will POST again and will only boot Windows if I strike F2 and load defaults...

I have no idea what the problem is and I have tested both the PSU and RAM. One thing I did notice is when I used my power supply tester the -5v LED did not illuminate when the main 24-pin connector was attached. However the +12v and all other LEDs did so that was a bit puzzling. Like I said the computer was working just fine for days on end but now it will not boot, or is not holding BIOS settings even though I swapped CMOS batteries.

I've been told that the CPU power connector could be loose but I've checked that and the RAM is good. I also tried a 1333mhz module and the same thing happened so it's not a compatibility issue. The only way to get Windows to start is by loading defaults but if any settings are touched the board doesn't want to go. I'm not overclocking and I've been clearing the CMOS properly so I don't understand this situation at all; would like some help. I may try a more powerful PSU but I wanted some input first. I used a spare 520w unit I had lying around (tests fine) and that didn't help either. Is there anything else I can try before I go out and buy a replacement?

Thanks in advance for any contribution; sorry for the long post

 

[Stuka87]

Pull one of the video cards. If it is the PSU, that may very well drop it low enough to alleviate the problem.

If you clear the CMOS, and then boot, without changing anything, will it continue to startup and shutdown without issue until you do change it?

 

[EXCellR8]

^no it wont actually, very frustrating. another thing i did notice is the graphics cards fans will actually stay at full speed occasionally when the motherboard fails to POST. i'm not sure if that's related to the actual problem but everything was working great before. without changing or reconfiguring any hardware the system has become very problematic all on its own it seems. i think i'll order another PSU just in case, because this one seems to make a little excess noise and the whole test worries me a little bit.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Fans staying at full speed is normal if it doesn't get past a certain test point in the POST process.

Pull the second card before you do anything else and see what happens. That's the first thing I'd do.

Also, is that 8GB memory 2 4GB sticks or 4 2GB sticks? maybe pull half the memory as well, you may have developed a bad stick that is giving fits.

FF is initializing CPU, by the way.

 

[EXCellR8]

the 8GB is made up of four 2GB sticks, but even with running just one the problem persists.

i don't know what to do... i have removed one of the graphics cards and tried a more powerful PSU and the board will not hold settings or POST without clearing CMOS and setting defaults. once that is done Windows runs fine, and the system appears to be stable, but once it's restarted or shut down it won't POST and boot normally.

i think i may try a BIOS update

 

[deimos3428]

It sounds like there is a setting that isn't correct that is being reintroduced/not wiped after clearing the CMOS. To be 100% sure it's not an issue with the CMOS configuration, or some other form of black magic, I'd try pulling the power cord and battery and just leaving the whole thing sit for a overnight without power.

You might also try the suggestion at the bottom of this thread, as it seems to match your symptoms: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/271932-30-790fx-gd70-problems

 

[mb103051]

may try flashing bios if its stable enough to do that...may be corrupted...

 

[EXCellR8]

Flashed BIOS with the latest revision via USB which worked just fine... yet the problem persists. This is ridiculous I've never had a board that just stopped working before. I'm not great with AMD boards, but it's obvious that something is very wrong with it. Oh well, I'll try to tinker around with it a little more but it looks like I might be getting my money back on this one.

Thanks for the support

 

[mb103051]

my dfi shows ff when post is done and all is well...are u sure ff is a problem code?

 

[EXCellR8]

yes, because when the board POST normally the FF changes to a series of other codes and then a regular number. "FF" is just the code that states that the CPU is initializing. when it gets "stuck" i get no signal to the monitor and since there is no speaker i cannot tell what is actually wrong.