Foxconn Quantum Force Black Ops X48 OC Guide (56k Warning)

[Telo]

Yes. It starts to boot and then freezes at error code 54 and just beeps over and over.

Are you holding down the Clear CMOS button [without the power cable in] for at least 5 seconds?

[ceevee]

Are you holding down the Clear CMOS button [without the power cable in] for at least 5 seconds?

Yes absolutely. (and repeatedly )

This was the exact same problem before, it will not post with these 2GB sticks, and every time the board resets itself to the stock defaults the board will not post.

The ONLY way I got it up and running before was to put in cheap 2x1GB RAM and then go into the BIOS and set everything for my 4x2GB RAM. Then I hit "save & Exit"

Right after "Save & Exit" when it had shut down I pulled the plug, then I pulled out the cheap RAM and swapped in my nice 2GB sticks.

Then I plugged in back in and turned on and it booted.

But sometimes it seems now when it crashes it is setting the board back to defaults and then there is nothing that can make it post short of the swap trick I used before.

The problem is that that cheap RAM is no longer here so Im screwed.

if anyone can help that would be great.

[Telo]

Yes absolutely. (and repeatedly )

This was the exact same problem before, it will not post with these 2GB sticks, and every time the board resets itself to the stock defaults the board will not post.

The ONLY way I got it up and running before was to put in cheap 2x1GB RAM and then go into the BIOS and set everything for my 4x2GB RAM. Then I hit "save & Exit"

Right after "Save & Exit" when it had shut down I pulled the plug, then I pulled out the cheap RAM and swapped in my nice 2GB sticks.

Then I plugged in back in and turned on and it booted.

But sometimes it seems now when it crashes it is setting the board back to defaults and then there is nothing that can make it post short of the swap trick I used before.

The problem is that that cheap RAM is no longer here so Im screwed.

if anyone can help that would be great.

You can try just one 2GB stick then, can't lose nothing more than a mere 10 seconds of your time.

[ceevee]

You can try just one 2GB stick then, can't lose nothing more than a mere 10 seconds of your time.

I tried this before the other day and it didnt work, but tried it again just now anyway.

1x2GB in the white slot = freezing on error code "26" or "2b" (not sure which it is supposed to be saying)

1x2GB in the blue slot = freezing on error code "26" or "2b"

So same thing in either slot.

oh and its not beeping like crazy anymore.

[loonym]

Unfortunately it's not only the foxconn having that problem with certain corsair ram. For some reason they require more voltage to post than a lot of mobo defaults provide.

[ceevee]

Unfortunately it's not only the foxconn having that problem with certain corsair ram. For some reason they require more voltage to post than a lot of mobo defaults provide.

When I got it working before I set the RAM to 1.9V and then swapped it in and it posted.

However it is not just the Corsair, I also had this problem with the 8GB of OCZ 1600Mhz RAM before. I RMAed the OCZ ram because I thought that the OCZ was broken and bought the Corsair. Little did I know the same problems would continue...

Seems like the higher end 2GB sticks need more voltage to post and this MB is not giving it to them.

---edit---

I'm calling a buddy and going to lean on him to loan me a stick of RAM out of his PC.

[Telo]

Unfortunately it's not only the foxconn having that problem with certain corsair ram. For some reason they require more voltage to post than a lot of mobo defaults provide.

SHlT, if that is the case, I'm out of ideas man. Sorry.

[FuriousSalesman]

This board has an error checker, but I can't see to find an error list? Did I inadvertently lose it?

[ceevee]

This board has an error checker, but I can't see to find an error list? Did I inadvertently lose it?

Nope, its not in any of the documentation, and its not posted online either.

I think we are supposed to somehow guess what they mean.

Also I have gotten the board up and running again after I stole a stick of RAM from a friend.

All I had to do to get it to post was put the RAM at 1.81V, save, exit, and swap.

They need to update the BIOS to automatically put more volts. This board is only volting the memory at 1.63V default, which apparently is not enough to get high end 2GB sticks to post.

---edit---

And I have gotten it to 6-6-6-18 1T @ 1066Mhz which is actually pretty tight timings for 8GB of DDR3, even though it won't let me increase the Mhz much.

[Tony]

The bios needs to get off 1T default, 2T is needed for dual rank 128x8 IC's even just using 1 if booting at 1333 or higher.

[ceevee]

I have been able to get the board more stable but am getting different readings from different utilities.

I have set the BIOS to 400FSB (1600Mhz), 9X multiplier (3.6Ghz), 1:2.665 RAM ratio (1066Mhz).

EIST is OFF. C1E is OFF.

Here is what cpu-z and coretemp show (they both disagree with the BIOS):



So cpu-z is showing VERY low volts when cpu is set at 1.32v in BIOS. It is not showing ANY overclock, when BIOS says 3.6Ghz.

Coretemp is showing same 3.6Ghz as BIOS, but it is showing the wrong multiple (8x when it should be 9x). It is also showing the wrong FSB (450 when it is set at 400 in BIOS).

Does anyone with more knowledge know what is actually happening in this scenario? Which of the three (BIOS, cpu-z, coretemp) is wrong here?

[Telo]

I have been able to get the board more stable but am getting different readings from different utilities.
I have set the BIOS to 400FSB (1600Mhz), 9X multiplier (3.6Ghz), 1:2.665 RAM ratio (1066Mhz).
EIST is OFF. C1E is OFF.
Here is what cpu-z and coretemp show (they both disagree with the BIOS):
So cpu-z is showing VERY low volts when cpu is set at 1.32v in BIOS. It is not showing ANY overclock, when BIOS says 3.6Ghz.
Coretemp is showing same 3.6Ghz as BIOS, but it is showing the wrong multiple (8x when it should be 9x). It is also showing the wrong FSB (450 when it is set at 400 in BIOS).
Does anyone with more knowledge know what is actually happening in this scenario? Which of the three (BIOS, cpu-z, coretemp) is wrong here?

I don't use CoreTemp, but I have had the BIOS show a FSB/multiplier setting and then CPU-Z show a differrent set as well. I'm leaning towards CPU-Z giving you the right info. Did you reboot to verify the BIOS again?

[Telo]

I'm going to try real hard this weekend to get this PC working how I want it. I've given this setup crazy relaxed times and higher voltage than what I know work on the hardware I got, and still this POS just will not comply. I tell you this though, I'm not going to reward this board with a $400 set of CellShock memory for all the grief it has given me. If anything, I will just RMA it and hold out until the new P45 boards or the Maximus II Formula are released.

[Telo]

Quick question, has BIOS recovery ever worked for any of you? I have never seen it work for me so far. It does change the settings back to default, but it just keeps doing a reboot loop.

[ceevee]

Quick question, has BIOS recovery ever worked for any of you? I have never seen it work for me so far. It does change the settings back to default, but it just keeps doing a reboot loop.

BIOS recovery was a huge part of the PROBLEM for me.

I could not get the board stable until I completely disabled overclock recovery.

The overclock recovery would constantly screw up the settings and lock up the board so that it would no longer post.

[ceevee]

I don't use CoreTemp, but I have had the BIOS show a FSB/multiplier setting and then CPU-Z show a differrent set as well. I'm leaning towards CPU-Z giving you the right info. Did you reboot to verify the BIOS again?

Yes, if that is the case then the BIOS basically doesn't work then.

[ceevee]

I tell you this though, I'm not going to reward this board with a $400 set of CellShock memory for all the grief it has given me. If anything, I will just RMA it and hold out until the new P45 boards or the Maximus II Formula are released.

Heh. Its good to know I am not the only one.

We need to get the word out about this board. Where are all the people that were hyping this here on XS?

Its like they have all gone into hiding.

[Planet]

If you guys are having issues with the board. I suggest you post on the Quantum Force forums that way they can get the Bios Developer to fix it. I had the same issue with the CPU-Z showing something different. Its a multiplier issue in the bios as far as I know. Try disabling the 1/2 multis and it should go away.

[ceevee]

If you guys are having issues with the board. I suggest you post on the Quantum Force forums that way they can get the Bios Developer to fix it. I had the same issue with the CPU-Z showing something different. Its a multiplier issue in the bios as far as I know. Try disabling the 1/2 multis and it should go away.

Hi Cpt Planet. Thank you for your response. I have been to the Foxconn forums but saw very little response there to people's problems. 80% of the threads were unanswered by technical support. I will go there and post anyway though. What really makes me sad is that Newegg will not accept a RMA of this board. SO it looks like I am stuck with it.

Anyway back to my ongoing problems. Here is what I set in the BIOS:


Here is what the Aegis panel, Foxconns own utility says:



So what is the problem here? Aegis panel agrees with CPU-Z, which does not agree with the BIOS. Why doesn't the BIOS work?

[Planet]

What happens when you enable the 9.5,10,10.5 multis. I was having a similar issue with my 9650 and a early beta bios.

[ceevee]

What happens when you enable the 9.5,10,10.5 multis. I was having a similar issue with my 9650 and a early beta bios.

Hi Cpt. Planet. I followed your advice to try the .5x setting. I set it to 8.5x because I am very afraid at this point of anything too high that will make this board crash. When it crashes it doesn't recover and I do not have any cheap RAM here to jumpstart it and do the swap trick that will make it post.

In other words if any setting makes me have to clear the CMOS back to defaults then I will not be able to post again.

Anyway here is the BIOS setting:


Here is what speedfan says:


Here is what cpu-z, aegis panel, and coretemp say:


Here is what Vista says:


I really belive cpu-z at this point because I have run some benchmarks and there is no performance inprovement between setting the processor at 3.2Ghz in the BIOS and setting it at 3.8Ghz in the BIOS. As far as I can tell the BIOS is completely and utterly broken.

I have put in a special request to Foxconn for techinical support. Also aren't there XS members who have worked on this board and helped create it? Where did they go?

[loonym]

The bios needs to get off 1T default, 2T is needed for dual rank 128x8 IC's even just using 1 if booting at 1333 or higher.

So it's really a command rate issue and not voltage? I've seen a couple other boards do this same thing with certain corsair ddr2 kits.

[Kensek]

@CeeVee - I got Newegg to issue me a Full Refund yesterday on my BlackOps. It is on its way back to them and they paid for the shipping back too.

Maybe it's because I buy $5-$7K worth of stuff from them yearly they allowed it. But stick to your guns and demand a Full Refund. I also mentioned I spent some time on the phone with FoxConn's Tech Support and they couldn't help me either. Foxconn even provided me with a new P03 Bios version, but it didn't help any.

[Kensek]

The sad thing is, I now have $600 of DDR3 ram, and no great X48 Mobo to put them in.

[ceevee]

@CeeVee - I got Newegg to issue me a Full Refund yesterday on my BlackOps. It is on its way back to them and they paid for the shipping back too.

Maybe it's because I buy $5-$7K worth of stuff from them yearly they allowed it. But stick to your guns and demand a Full Refund. I also mentioned I spent some time on the phone with FoxConn's Tech Support and they couldn't help me either. Foxconn even provided me with a new P03 Bios version, but it didn't help any.

Thank you for this advice. I have spent $6k in the last two weeks at Newegg so hopefully they will help me out.

I guess I will call back on Monday and ask to talk to a manager.

This is BY FAR the worst motherboard I have ever encountered in about 5 years of building systems, including all the AMD boards I have used too.