keylog said:
I updated the bios to X58A-UD3R FF from X58A-UD3R FA two days before.
Today my computer froze again inside Windows and then for the first time it could
not boot at all, giving a short beeps sound. According to the motherboard's manual
this was "Continuous short beeps: Power error".
I just started to think that I found the problem and it must the PSU unit that is fault.
But I decided to open the case and check the memory modules. The computer was able
to boot again only when I put off all the three memory modules and put them back
again. (I put off one memory module at a time and tried to boot the computer each
time). After I put the memory modules back again the computer boots ok.
Now I am confused again. Do you have any other speculation??
Thanks again.
I don't really know what a "Power Error" is. The thing is, the power supply has
its own "Power Good" kind of signal. And the motherboard regulators also can
have status signals, indicating their respective outputs are close to full
voltage. The motherboard won't come out of reset, unless those Power Good
signals are all asserted. So to a certain extent, if the power levels were
bad, the motherboard would just give a black screen (stuck in reset).
The motherboard has the option of reading system voltages with the Hardware
Monitor. To check that, enter the BIOS, and go to the Hardware Monitor page
and check the voltage readouts there. The BIOS may highlight values it is
unhappy with (values which it considers out of range). The ATX spec may allow
+/-5% deviation from the ideal value. The hardware monitor used crude measurement
techniques, and a multimeter may give better results, when you actually need
to verify voltages.
Things I'd try:
1) Re-seat processor. Remove the heatsink, clean off the paste, pull the
processor out of the socket. Look for damage, burnt pins or the like. Be
careful, not to get paste or residue into the socket pin area. Inspect
the gold pads on the CPU. If the socket is working properly, there should
be tiny scratch marks on each pad (proving there was contact with the "points"
in the socket. Reapply thermal paste, reinstall the heatsink/fan. If you don't
have thermal paste, you'll have to pick up a tube of it.
The purpose of re-seating the processor, is to try to solve a contact problem.
*Don't* use abrasives on the processor. Similarly, there is *no* cleaning
procedure for the LGA1366 socket. If the socket is fouled with debris, it's
a writeoff. The processor could be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, but if
you use abrasives, the super-thin gold plating would be ruined. Gold is too
expensive now, for companies to be applying 50 micron coatings.
2) Strip system to minimum hardware, and test a bit at a time. The beep
codes received, should correspond to the error type. For example, if
you get "short beeps" when all three RAM sticks are removed, and also
get "short beeps" when some RAM is present, perhaps the short beep code
is actually a memory error ? With no video card, and some good RAM present,
you should receive a different code for the missing video card. Be careful
to always shut off the power supply at the back, before swapping any hardware.
You could also consider testing with a PCI Port 80 Test Card, but only
do so if you already own one. They're not a good investment, due to the
inability to get accurate tables of code values, to allow interpreting
the displayed value. I don't see a table of values in your manual for
example. (Some motherboards come with a Port 80 two digit LED display,
soldered onto the motherboard, to perform this test function.)
3) Enter the BIOS and check the settings. It could be, you haven't set something
that the hardware needs. On an LGA1366, there isn't much room for Vdimm adjustment,
due to the limited 1.50 to 1.65V suggested operating range. If you have purchased
memory which needs more than 1.65V, you'll need to set the memory to more
slack timing settings, to have it work well. Normally, a three DIMM "kit"
for an LGA1366 system, will stay within the 1.65V limit.
Things we can't really resolve that way:
1) Unknown kind of AYX power supply issue. Swap in another one (even one with a
lower power output rating) for a quick check. Does the system become more
stable ?
2) Consider the possibility that the motherboard is defective.
Paul
It means there is a real