Build Trouble: Strangest Problem I've Encountered

[whubbard]

Okay,

So I put together a pretty nice build and when I turned it on, it booted. I was setting the BIOS settings and it froze. Big Deal, I restarted the machine and this time, no boot, no post beep, nothing, so I open up the case and the Asus P6X58D has a Red DRAM light flashing. I assume it's a memory issue so I go grab the RAM from my other i7 machine (which has been problem free for 6 months) and still no boot still Red flashing DRAM light.

I leave for a 10 day vacation.

I return and hit the power button. It boots, okay. I start installing windows 7, good so far. I leave as it installs and when I return the computer is again, frozen. Same issue now, won't boot, won't post, flashing DRAM. It restarts itself about every 10 seconds. Also its clearly not getting far in the 'turn on' as the video card fan runs for like 1/2 second before stopping.

So right now I'm thinking RMA the motherboard. Are there any other suggestions? Anybody had a similar problem on the P6X58D?

Thanks,
West

[David M]

Try it with just one stick of RAM in the correct slot. Disconnect everything unnecessary. Does it POST?

Will the PSU run with a jumper between the green wire and a black wire on the 24 pin connector?...and everything else disconnected? If yes, start connecting things one at a time.

Then start adding individual sticks of RAM...one at a time.

Be sure to set your BIOS back to its default settings each time you have a failure to start by pulling and re-seating the CMOS battery.

If none of this works then pull everything out of the case and try starting your computer outside of the case.

[glc]

Full specs, please.

PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

[whubbard]

Well I took it all apart and rebuilt it...now it's working fine (for how long, I don't know).
I still don't know what the actual issue was, and I'm worried it's going to be something that comes up in the future. I'm going to run Prime95 and see what happens.

Only issue I am currently worried about it my 5V rail is running at 4.57, sure it's within 10% but I don't like it. Thoughts? Related to my issue?

Here are full specs for those interested:

ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366
Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (Model F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ)
Crucial CT128M225 2.5" 128GB
CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-650HX 650W
XFX GT240XZHFC GeForce GT 240

EDIT: Down to 4.47V, I think I'm going to RMA it. Other rails are normal (3.31 and 12.02)

[glc]

That MAY be a problem with the voltage regulator circuits on the motherboard, not the power supply. You can verify by using a digital power supply tester. You need 5% tolerance, not 10%.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16899706001

[whubbard]

Here are the readouts:

(Motherboard Issue?)

[glc]

If that's the readout from a digital PSU tester with the 24 pin connector plugged into the tester, it's a motherboard issue if your monitoring software says it's only 4.5 volts.

[whubbard]

Alright then. Thanks again glc. I'll RMA the motherboard and see where that leaves me.

[whubbard]

So I've put in the new board and it is running smoothly...but the 5V rail according to ASUS PC Probe is still hovering between 4.25V and 4.73V. Maybe it is the PSU...

[glc]

Probe the +5v with a DVM, see what it says.

[whubbard]

I spliced open the cables on a SATA power cable and got some weird results with my DVM (It's a fluke 77, and I know its accurate)

The five wires should be:
3.3V
Ground
5V
Ground
12V

What I'm getting is:
12V
Ground
0V
Ground
12V

What's up with that?

Also where else can a get at a 5V testing point? I just assumed that the SATA power cable was the best spot.

[David M]

The red wire on a 4 pin Molex connector is 5 volts positive. The same goes for the red wires on the 24 pin motherboard connector.

Orange is 3.3 volts and Yellow is 12 volts. Black is ground for any of the voltages.

Look at the cables coming out of your PSU. They are all color coded. Just use a pin that is not in use.

The pinout configuration for a 15 pin SATA power connector is here...
http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/...A_Power_pinout

Drives use 12 and 5 volts but not 3.5 volts.

[whubbard]

I have a modular PSU so it's all black, but I still know which wires are which.
4 Pin Molex should be:
12V
Ground
Ground
5V

Mine is:
12V
Ground
Ground
0V

um....
Maybe my PSU needs the 12V rail on the connector to pull some current before it 'turns on' the other voltage rails?

[whubbard]

Got It.

Corsair changed up their cables at some point so I guess I was using the ones meant for my older supply. I've found the cables meant for this supply now and I'm getting 4.59 on my Fluke. Dead on what PC Probe is reading. I'm going to leave it hooked up and see if it swings around like PC Probe has been. I'm guessing I'll give Corsair a call though because 4.59V seems out of the norm for them.

EDIT for those wondering:
Old cables used a 2x3 main connector.The SATA cable had the bottom middle pin missing supplying (3.3V, 5V, 12V, and 2x Ground). The Molex cable had bottom middle and right pins missing supplying (5V, 12V, and 2x Ground).

New cables use a 1x5 main connector. Supplying the same thing without the SATA cable needing to be missing a pin. The new Molex cables are now only missing one pin off the end (3.3V).

The new PSUs still have two 2x3 female connectors on them, but I'm not sure what they are used for. I'm guessing that the whole top row is ground and the whole bottom row is 12V. (EDIT 2: Yep, found the cable, PCI-Es. All 12V and Ground.)

[David M]

Read Post 12 again.

[glc]

Dave, Corsair doesn't color code their modular cables.