My Gigabyte experience (long?)

[BarkingGhostar]

Three years ago I bought my first non-Abit motherboard. I had great success with Abit after a bad first time experience with Asus. When I have success with a manufacturer, I tend to try them again.

But like Asus, I have to wonder if my first time experience with Gigabyte may be a sign, or just an exception. When I first built this particular PC I went with the 1st Generation Core i3 processor (LGA 1156) and a GA-H55-USB3 (Rev. 1).

From the start I should have known something was amiss with this new build as the damn thing wouldn't even power own successfully (cycle through pre-POST) unless I connected the 4-pin power adapter even though Gigabyte said this was only needed when using Intel's Extreme Edition processor--far from my low-ball i3, eh?

Moving beyond that I completed the build and handed the PC over to the wife as it was for her. I discovered six months into it that she was having to periodically power cycle the PC because it would lock up. I learned how to run W7 memory test and discovered the expensive RAM at the time (4x2GB for $330) had two bad modules.

I yanked the two bad sticks and the system became stable. About 8 months past and the pair of HDDs using the on-board RAID mirror had a drive fail. Really, WDC? I yanked that drive and replaced it with another. But the instability issues seemed to creep back in and finally I had enough and bought the wife an iMac and haven't had much of a problem since.

But a few months ago I decided I needed to step off my aging XP PC and I put the W7 PC back into use. Dear lord its been hell. I frequently get BSOD with the accompanying minidumps, which Blue Screen View reports one of three chronic OS related issues.

Yet those BSOD issues are also being trumped by ever increasing application issues such as my inability to update the MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) application, and I'm not talking about the definition file.

I have since replaced all RAM, HDD's, broken the RAID into standalone disks, PSU, installed a standalone older video card (to stop using the i3 video--thinking maybe it was in part an issue), but the resulting mess has yielded a worse experience issue since my Asus days (c. 1996-7).

So, I am started fresh. Not going to be re-using anything. Fuck it. But now I need to venture into the unknown. Do I trust Gigabyte again, and if I do should I make sure it is a Rev.2 board? Do I re-trust Asus? Try someone new?

And the hassle of reinstalling W7, Office, CS5/LR5, etc. just makes my cringe. I'm getting too old for this shit (not really, just too lazy).

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Oops, I should say that I am not overclocking anything. I've tried using premium products with this one build experience being far from stellar.

 

[paul878]

Please list your system specs and full components list.

It sounds like you never identify the root cause of the problem from the beginning of you build, hence you continue to have problems after problems.

Always toughly test all components when you first get them, cpu, memory, disk, etc.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

From the start I should have known something was amiss with this new build as the damn thing wouldn't even power own successfully (cycle through pre-POST) unless I connected the 4-pin power adapter even though Gigabyte said this was only needed when using Intel's Extreme Edition processor--far from my low-ball i3, eh?

You have been misinformed. Connecting the 4/8pin CPU auxiliary power has been mandatory since the very first P4 Willamette.

As for RAM/HDDs test them thoroughly when you get them. But even then it sometimes takes a while for errors to materialize.

Also have you checked the PSU? It could be bad...

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Intel Core i3 530 Retail Box/wHSF
On Chip (i3) Graphics --> Gigabyte HD6670 standalone video
Gigabyte GA-H55-USB3 Rev.1 Motherboard
OCZ RAM (4x2GB) --> Corsair XMS (4x4GB)
WDC WD500AAKS (2 in Mirror RAID) --> 1xWD500AAKS --> 1xSeagate ST3500630AS
LG HL-DT-ST UH08LS10 Blu-ray Reader/DVDRW Writer-reader
Antec Sonata case with Antec 500W PSU
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional with SP1 & All Critical Updates

 

[Ketchup]

Two things jump to my mind from your post.

1. I would never buy a product made by OCZ. They make cheap components that don't last and I am surprised they are still in business. The only thing that RAM is good for is to take advantage of the warranty and sell the replacement sticks on Ebay.
2. A lot of your problems sound like something that could be attributed to a power supply.
3. The hard drives - these things happen, especially if you have a bad power supply, and disks constantly spinning at 7200 RPM. All the motherboard does is write/read data from it.

Personally, I have had very good luck with Gigabyte boards, both in my own rigs and those I have built for others. I would not shoot them down based on the experiences you have told us about.

 

[Gorrillasnot]

I have had bad luck with a Gigabyte board but that was way back in the socket 939 days.
I built a i3 (Ivybridge) PC for my sister several months ago that had stability issues and would frequently freeze up. I eventually found the problem to be her DVD burner. I RMAd it and they sent me a replacement..it lasted another 4 months or so and now I am currently waiting for the second RMAd drive to be delivered. The brand of the DVD drive is LG.
I noticed you are using a LG brand drive as well. I would try unplugging it and see if that helps. It might not help but its a quick and easy thing to try.

otherwise i'd say look into the PSU

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I've got one hard drive in the system. Its been on the Gigabyte controller and also the Intel controller. No second hard drive has been in this PC during my time (last 6 months) trying to troubleshoot the issues.

I bought the OCZ memory three years ago when this PC was first built. It was completely replaced with Corsair XMS in the past 2-3 month. I would respond to the PSU aspect as 'being a first' but then again the bad OCZ memory was a first, too, as was a WDC HDD death within 2 years (usually last 5-6 easily).

I am stunned that in the time frame of Windows 7 that OS still cannot interface with the system board to identify potential voltage issues, originating from the system board or PSU.

I think I need to move on. If I consider Gigabyte again it will only be with Rev.2 boards--after all, isn't a Rev.2 board a correction to the Rev.1 boards? I won't be looking to salvage anything (nothing can be trusted).

But if I am forced to go through the dance of reinstalling everything I guess I must do it on this POS first. Thanks all.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

I've got one hard drive in the system. Its been on the Gigabyte controller and also the Intel controller. No second hard drive has been in this PC during my time (last 6 months) trying to troubleshoot the issues.

I bought the OCZ memory three years ago when this PC was first built. It was completely replaced with Corsair XMS in the past 2-3 month. I would respond to the PSU aspect as 'being a first' but then again the bad OCZ memory was a first, too, as was a WDC HDD death within 2 years (usually last 5-6 easily).

I am stunned that in the time frame of Windows 7 that OS still cannot interface with the system board to identify potential voltage issues, originating from the system board or PSU.

I think I need to move on. If I consider Gigabyte again it will only be with Rev.2 boards--after all, isn't a Rev.2 board a correction to the Rev.1 boards? I won't be looking to salvage anything (nothing can be trusted).

But if I am forced to go through the dance of reinstalling everything I guess I must do it on this POS first. Thanks all.

SO what kind of PC are you wanting to build? Gigabyte and Asus are really about the same as far as the latest platform of motherboard go, they are about the two best motherboard company's.
Depending on your needs, if you google you will find certain issue's with each company. As your coming from the H55 I assume you want a small set up.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Well, I do no PC based gaming (consoler), but I do some light photo editing. I would imagine any of the intro-level stuff is suitable, but it is more of a concerned on how not to fall into the same pot hole a second time.

 

[kasakka]

My experiences with Gigabyte are based on the Z77 boards but from what I can gather they do way too many models that have a plethora of subtle differences. I had a GA-Z77-DS3H first, until I noticed that it does not allow manual Vcore setting in BIOS for overclocking. This was not mentioned anywhere on the box or manual btw. Then I got a GA-Z77-UD3H which I still use and its quirks are that very few of the USB ports are tied to the native Intel controller, instead others are on the VIA VL800 chip that requires drivers for them to work (so for example a USB keyboard connected to non-Intel port won't work in BIOS). The DS3H also had a Realtek sound chip while the UD3H uses a VIA VT2021..not that it really matters as both are crap.

That said, the UD3H has worked really well and it is also the first mobo that has allowed me to build a 100% working Hackintosh.

 

[Jabrono]

Any manufacturer can have similar problems.

My experience with Gigabyte has been mostly positive. My secondary rig has a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 Rev3.0 and an AMD 955 BE @ 4.1GHz with no problems for 6 months. It's been a solid rig. I have a Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H sitting in a box that the 990FXA replaced; another solid board with no problems.

My main rig now runs an ASUS Sabertooth simply because Gigabyte doesn't make a board the calibre of the Sabertooth. If they did, there is a good chance I would be running that. Of course ASUS has been just as solid for me as Gigabyte. The only company I've really had problems with was Maxtor and their crappy hard drives.