WHAT IS THIS?? XFX 680i -- error code

[perfection]

my xfx nf680i is displaying the -- error code, what does it mean? is this the second time the board stuffed up on me?

its really driving me crazy, windows frooze just before it, so i hard rebooted and now it shows this

[theYipster]

Unfortunately, "--" can mean anything from a loose connection, to a grounding error (make sure no extra screws are touching the board), to a dead motherboard.

If you recently worked inside the case, especially if you just mounted or remounted the cpu, check to make sure that everything is inserted and connected properly, and that nothing is resting or touching the board that shouldn't be.

If this is not the case, or if the above check didn't reveal anything, then you may very well have a dead board. Unfortunately "--" is not an uncommon issue for the 680i. There is one more procedure to try however before you turn it in for an RMA.

First, completely power down the computer. Turn off the PSU switch and remove the plug. Next, remove the CMOS battery and set the CMOS jumper to clear (both should be located near the bottom right corner of your board.) Now, with the RAM removed, battery removed, and CMOS clear jumper set, wait 15 to 20 minutes. Next, re-set the battery and the CMOS jumper. Then, install 1 DIMM into the slot furthest away from the CPU. Turn on your computer and see if that fixes things. If it does, power down once again, re-insert the rest of your RAM, and you'll be good to go.

Note however that even if this does fix the issue, the chances of it happening again are much higher than they were previously. Sooner or later you may very well need to RMA the board.

Good luck...

[perfection]

thanks theYipster! I'll try it, does anyone every have reliability issues with the 680i boards?

It was working fine for about two week, this is a brand new motherboard, but has been lying around for about a month, only opened it up a 2 weeks ago.

I got it back from a RMA, and they sent me a new one. The previous one displayed the A1 error code.

I'll report back

[theYipster]

nVidia 680i boards have been hit or miss... fine for some, very unreliable for others. It really comes down to what RAM people use and how far they push them with OCs... Basically, the hit-or-miss reliability of 680i boards is why people don't generally recommend their use unless SLI is needed and utilized. Then there is no other choice.

[perfection]

nope doesn't fix it :(

[AngryArtichoke]

nVidia 680i boards have been hit or miss... fine for some, very unreliable for others. It really comes down to what RAM people use and how far they push them with OCs... Basically, the hit-or-miss reliability of 680i boards is why people don't generally recommend their use unless SLI is needed and utilized. Then there is no other choice.

Aside from the Vdroop, I really like my 680i. But I've heard of several problems as well. It's a good thing that XFX has adequate RMA services.

[theYipster]

nope doesn't fix it :(

Sorry to hear that. At this time I would say it's time to RMA your board -- it's dead.

If you are never going to use SLI (which is only necessary if you are gaming at a resolution at or above 1920x1200,) then perhaps you might consider switching to a P35 or X38 board. They do tend to be more reliable.

[perfection]

well I'm going to get a Asus P5E X38, is that a good choice, I once heard the that X38 chipset runs hot, how does the stock cooling cope?

[theYipster]

The X38 chipset should run significantly cooler than 680i.

[perfection]

awesome, thanks heaps theYipster, just placed an order and paid for it today. should be coming tomorrow :D

[karl_eller]

well I'm going to get a Asus P5E X38, is that a good choice, I once heard the that X38 chipset runs hot, how does the stock cooling cope?
Haha same, I went from a dead eVGA 680i (although I think this one I broke myself) to a P5E. The P5E is a great board, it's got my quad ticking along at 3.5 Ghz (could get 3.6 stable, but my B3 needed too much voltage), where as my 680i would BSOD or fail POST as soon as I tried anything over 3.0 Ghz.

And I've found the stock cooling on the P5E is fine. NB temps don't go over about 35-40C fully loaded (and this is with 30C room temps), and MOFSETS are kept nice and cool too.

Eller