Another "My DFI Ultra-D hates me" thread...

[mcnbns]

Allow me to set the scene for you: whilst in the middle of a quick 3DMark03 run with my X800 XL clocked 3 MHz higher than its previous best core speed, the program has an error (not a Windows error) and tells me it can't draw such and such an item. Promptly afterwards, my computer SHUTS OFF and I haven't been able to get it to boot since.

I have spent 6 of the last 24 hours trying everything I can to get my board to boot to no avail. I'm starting to think that my RAM (OCZ PC3200 VX) is dead. I'm using the 510-2 BIOS which doesn't like high latency RAM, AFAIK. I can't get Samsung TCCC to boot, but that's because it wouldn't boot with this BIOS, anyway.

I don't know if anything is dead (I really hope nothing is), but I'm open to any possibilities.

I'm using EMC2's jumper setting for VDIMM, as its helped me get it boot in the past. I've also tried the regular 3.3V setting, and the 5V setting. I will try the modified 3.3V setting, and I'll mess around with the Safe boot jumper later and report back.

If anyone has any ideas at all, please post. I just want my computer to work and it's really pissing me off to have to use everyone else's computer in my house.

Thank you for any info...

[mike]

Just went thru precisely the same dilemma - I messed around for 2 days and rmá'd the 3 day old board...would love to be able to tell you a hint - in my case I tried everything and eventually gave up - getting my new board today - hope I'll have more luck this time...

[mcnbns]

*bump*

Well, it's slightly comforting to know I'm not alone, in an "at least we're all suffering together" kind of way, but I am really mad at my computer.

I spent so long taming the beast and making sure everything was working properly that having one freak shutdown ruin it all makes me very unhappy.

The line between user error and manufacturing defect gets a little blurrier every time a thread like this is posted, and I apologize. I also want for contributing to the already abundant DFI troubleshooting threads. XS, please forgive me!

If there's anyone else with any ideas, please let me know... thank you.

[jkabaseball]

how many red led's come on?

[EMC2]

Have you tried remove battery and AC power, clear CMOS, boot with one stick?

Do you have access to a DMM? If so, look here for points to check.

How many diagnostic LEDs lit when it stops, is the VMem power LED on, does it beep when it stops?

Peace

[mcnbns]

Have you tried remove battery and AC power, clear CMOS, boot with one stick?

Do you have access to a DMM? If so, look here for points to check.

How many diagnostic LEDs lit when it stops, is the VMem power LED on, does it beep when it stops?

Peace

I have not tried the remove battery and unplug power cable method. I've just been turning off the power supply switch and waiting 30 seconds, then changing the CMOS jumper and letting it clear for 5-15 minutes. I will try your method.

I do have access to a very good Fluke DMM (my dad is somewhat of an electrical engineer) and I thank you for linking me up to that post. It's kinda late tonight, but at the very least I'll check the VDIMM point tomorrow.

It doesn't beep at all, it just sits there with 3 red LEDs, taunting me. "I've got enough power to turn on, Steve, but I'm sure as hell not going to boot for you. Lick my wang (metaphorically, of course)." Sometimes, if I'm lucky a fourth LED will blink for a second just after I turn everything on, but that doesn't usually happen.

I also tried both my sticks of RAM in another computer to make sure they aren't dead and they both booted fine. That's one thing I don't have to worry about now.

Thanks everyone for the info! I will report back tomorrow!

[ahmad]

You know that damn 4v jumper has done a lot of damage to my hardware, and I am slowly realizing that its not just the motherboard and memory that got affected.

I was running my winchester at 2.58GHz just fine at 1.55v since the days of my K8N Neo2. After changing the jumper to 4v mode, I have been having to reset CMOS a lot more than I did before (in fact, before switching the jumper, I had done it once before). Memory was going as high as it used to after moving the jumper as well...

Well anyways the past few days my computer has been crashing randomly. Ran prime95, and failed in 10 min (small FFT). Tried up to 1.62v and still fails in 10 min or less. Even my stock vcore OC went from 2470Mhz to 2420MHz now.

Lucky for me I am getting a venice soon, but I might have to RMA both my OCZ sticks (TCC5) and board.

[EMC2]

I do have access to a very good Fluke DMM (my dad is somewhat of an electrical engineer) and I thank you for linking me up to that post. It's kinda late tonight, but at the very least I'll check the VDIMM point tomorrow.

Check Vmem, Vcore, and Vchipset at least

It doesn't beep at all, it just sits there with 3 red LEDs, taunting me. "I've got enough power to turn on, Steve, but I'm sure as hell not going to boot for you. Lick my wang (metaphorically, of course)." Sometimes, if I'm lucky a fourth LED will blink for a second just after I turn everything on, but that doesn't usually happen.

They do like to stick their tongue out on occasion at you If it isn't beeping at the 3 LED point, I have another Q... are you still using original chipset HS and do you still have the foam spacer between the chipset and HS? I ask because when I changed mine out, I had it slightly :banana::banana::banana::banana:ed, shorting something, and it hung at the same point, no beeps (forever solved that one with kapton tape over area under HS).

I also tried both my sticks of RAM in another computer to make sure they aren't dead and they both booted fine. That's one thing I don't have to worry about now.

You might still want to try the "single-stick-boot"...

I will report back tomorrow!

/me turns on flood lights, cues cam

--- amhad ---
Why 5V jumper when you're using TCCx??

Peace

[mcnbns]

EMC2, I tried unplugging that power cord and taking out the CMOS battery to clear the CMOS and then booting with only one stick, but I will try again with the stick in another slot.

I'll break out the DMM and check those points, too.

About the chipset: I replaced the stock paste with AS5, but that was when I first got the board. It's been like that for at least a month if not more, but it's only been acting up in the past few days.

[EMC2]

Be sure to use one of the two slots furthest from the CPU when you try single-channel The two closest to CPU won't work for SC mode...

And you might want to verify that chipset HS hasn't gotten skewed

[mcnbns]

Be sure to use one of the two slots furthest from the CPU when you try single-channel The two closest to CPU won't work for SC mode...

And you might want to verify that chipset HS hasn't gotten skewed

Okay, trying further away slots now... EDIT: with only one stick at a time.

I checked voltages during the time where it just hangs there:
VDIMM - 2.561
Vchipset - 1.515
Vcore - 1.408

Obviously the only one that's giving me trouble is VDIMM.

[mcnbns]

IT'S ALIVE! I just put a single stick of my VX into slot 1 (the one furthest away from CPU) and it booted! I'm going to let it sit in the BIOS while I make a bootable floppy/CD to flash to one of these new BIOSes that don't have cold boot issues... I hope they're right.

[LowRun]

Hehe, what a relief

[EMC2]

IT'S ALIVE!

I just put a single stick of my VX into slot 1 (the one furthest away from CPU) and it booted! I'm going to let it sit in the BIOS while I make a bootable floppy/CD to flash to one of these new BIOSes that don't have cold boot issues... I hope they're right.

Any of the BIOSes released this month (6.18/6.23/510-Fixed) take care of the low Vmem cold-boot issue (I positively verified with meter).

Great to hear IT's ALIVE

[mcnbns]

Any of the BIOSes released this month (6.18/6.23/510-Fixed) take care of the low Vmem cold-boot issue (I positively verified with meter).

Great to hear IT's ALIVE

And I can confirm that 623-2 will let me boot from any state whenever I want. Thank you, DFI!

Thanks for all your help, EMC2!

And also thanks, Pershoot! Your bootable ISO = teh pwn! BIOS flashing doesn't get much simpler.