Latchup problem with an ICH5 chip on a P4P800-E Deluxe motherboard

[Ian]

Hi all,

First, excuse my bad english.

I just want to let you know all the problems I had with my Asus
P4P800-E Deluxe motherboard. Maybe my experience will help other people
who have the same problem.

We tried 5 motherboards before I find that there is a lot of post about
this latchup problem. I did a lot of research in october 2004 (this is
the first time it occured for me). But at this time, no one except me
had this problem. So I thought that the problem was with my computer.

First motherboard has burnt after 45 min of operation. Just after I
plug hearphone in the front panel connectors. Result: Change
Motherboard.

Second motherboard has burnt after 3 weeks of operation. Just after I
close the front door of my computer case. Result: Change Motherboard,
case and power supply.

Third one has burnt after 4 months of operation. Just after I plug an
USB cable (with nothing on the other side) in the front panel
connectors. Result: Change all the components in the computer except
case and power supply.

Fourth one has burnt after 3 hours of operation. Just after I reboot
the computer with a « Reboot now » button (not the power or the reset
switch on the case). In this particular case, the front panel
connectors were not connected, but only the back USB plate that come
with the motherboard. At this time, the computer was plug on an UPS.
Result: Change Motherboard and video card since it burnt too.

The fifth one was in the computer at the store when I found that a lot
of people had this problem (latchup problem related to ESD with the
ICH4 / ICH5 / ICH5R chipset). So I asked to have another model of
motherboard.

This is the first Asus motherboard I have (or rather the first five...)
and my first experience is not good at all. Why Asus continu selling
this model of board ????? I bought my computer in october 2004 and
since then, I could used it only 4 month (on almost one year...). This
is really really disappointing !!!

If you need more information or something is not clear, email me.

Bye, hth

 

[Newz]

First, excuse my bad english.

Looks fine to me.

I just want to let you know all the problems I had with my Asus
P4P800-E Deluxe motherboard. Maybe my experience will help other
people
who have the same problem.

I know about the latch up problem. I have a P4C800-E Deluxe brand new
in its box sitting on my shelf, and I can't bring myself to install it
at the moment.

One thing that is missing from all these posts is basic information
about the power situation where you are. What I would like to know is:

- What country are you in?
- Is your computer properly earthed?
- Is your house properly earthed (no joke, some houses aren't)?
- What UPS did you use (if any) and did it have earth fault
indicators?
- Is your monitor on the same wall or UPS outlet?
- Is the floor of your room carpet or hard flooring?

As this is a problem of static electricity or free floating currents,
this would be important to know. There are still people out there
whose P4C800 boards are running with no trouble at all, so there must
be some common factors we can find?

As a user of ASUS boards since 1999, I can assure you that they are
mostly reliable, fast and pretty robust actually.

G,
Friso

 

[Ian]

Thanks for your answer.

First of all, I forgot to mention that the third time the motherboard
burnt (when I pluged USB cable), I had 2 computers (power on) plugged
into the same power outlet that used the same
mouse/keyboard/speakers/monitor with a KVM switch. I don't have any
problem with this other computer (a PIII 450 Mhz). The fourth time,
they were also plug with this configuration with the exception that my
new computer (the one with the problem) was plug into to UPS Outlet and
the other directly into the power bar

- What country are you in?

Canada (province of Quebec)

- Is your computer properly earthed?

The first three times, I built the computer myself. But the forth time,
the store where I bought my computer built it for me. So I assume that
the ground was ok

The first 2 times it burnt (2 different place in the house), the power
outlet where the computer was plugged was grounded. I can say that
because the power bar I used have a building wiring fault indicators
and it was off. But the power outlet where it was plugged when it burnt
the third and fourth time has a wiring fault. But again, I have two
computers plugged in this power outlet and my other one does not have
any problem and I repeat that the first two times, the power outlet was
grounded and the problem occurred. So I don't think the problem comes
from there.

- Is your house properly earthed (no joke, some houses aren't)?

Hum !! Really good question...

- What UPS did you use (if any) and did it have earth fault indicators?

It's an APC Back-UPS ES Series 350VA 200 Watts and yes it have a
Building Wiring Fault indicator

- Is your monitor on the same wall or UPS outlet?

Yes the same power outlet. But the first time it burnt, I had another
monitor.

- Is the floor of your room carpet or hard flooring?

Hard floor the first, third and fourth time it occured. Carpet the
second time

As this is a problem of static electricity or free floating currents,
this would be important to know. There are still people out there
whose P4C800 boards are running with no trouble at all, so there must
be some common factors we can find?

I noticed that this problem does not occured with older motherboard
(before october 2004). Like I mentionned in the beginning of my post,
when this problem occured the first time (in october 2004) I did a lot
of search on the web but I didn't found nothing. But since december
2004, there's a lot of posting about this problem. As this mobo comes
out in early 2004 (maybe before), and there's no problem before october
2004, maybe they changed something in the board around october 2004 and
this cause the problem ??? It's just an assumption

As a user of ASUS boards since 1999, I can assure you that they are
mostly reliable, fast and pretty robust actually.

My next boards will be an Asus P5GD2. So they had another chance to
prove that there products are good ;-)

G,
Friso

Thanks again for your answer.

 

[jerham]

Scares me too, since I am running a P4c800 e deluxe, is thst what you
have? I would like a spare, would you like to get rid of it?

 

[Ian]

No, I had a P4P800-E Deluxe, but anyway, all the boards that burnt are
back to the store. So I don't have any spare. Sorry and I hope that you
will not have the same problem as me.

Bye.