Flaky Boot

[weirdlookinguy]

On my new to me/used Intel D915GEV board, sometimes when booting cold, everything will power on and fans will run full blast, but it won't POST. It'll just sit there. No amount of messing with the power button will get it to POST, I have to unplug it from AC power and let it sit for about thirty seconds, then plug it back in. After that, it will work just fine.

I blamed this on the shitty Codegen PSU it was running before, but it's doing it with the nice new AcBel I just put in there.

Any thoughts?

[Scenic]

Re: Flaky Boot

check the small 85°C caps around the chipset.. (and the other ones too while you're at it..)

had quite a lot of intel boards with those caps baked dry causing all sorts of flakyness..

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edit: w00t... post #600

[acstech]

Re: Flaky Boot

Well I guess we ruled out the power supply.

My P45 based board would do something similar. It would post, but just sit there at the post screen with the hard drive light on. To avoid a book, I'll just cut to the solution. The board was undervolting the chipset. As I am running 400FSB, sometimes it would detect the HD correctly, sometimes not. It was kind of marginal. Adding +.075v to the chipset fixed it. I would start by checking voltages, and comparing them to design specs. Something probably just needs a little voltage bump.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Flaky Boot

My original Intel D945GTP did that too. Fans full blast no post and it was intermittent as well.

I RMAd it back to Intel and got a replacement and no more problems I'm using that board now.

I did buy the original board in 04 maybe it had a bad batch of Nichicon caps on it. None of them were bulged though and I didn't have an ESR meter at the time so I didn't check them.

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

I bought a used board to get something decent without spending a whole lot of money, and I got this crap instead. A new C2D/board combo for $250 sounds a hell of a lot more appealing than a never ending repair job with this board .

I'm game for a simple repair, but tracking an intermittent problem is just not worth it to me. Fuck the headaches.

If it's not too bad, I will run it for a few months and at least get my 75 dollar's worth out of it. Thank god the RAM/PSU can go into a new board. It hadn't done it for over a week, but then it did it last night and again this morning.

How do you boost the power to the chipset? And where might I check these voltages?

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

How does this look?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.208873

Thing is, I don't have $300 laying around right now.

[370forlife]

Re: Flaky Boot

You can find much better combos than that.

If you want a AMD Quad core Phenom II:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.211941

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.213865

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.211658

Seems that what you linked is about the best intel proc/mobo combo deal.

[acstech]

Re: Flaky Boot

How do you boost the power to the chipset? And where might I check these voltages?

The answer to both questions is usually in the BIOS. I don't know if it'll be there on your board or not, as I haven't messed with Intel Desktop Boards since about 2001.

If we're shopping, here's what I would recommend:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138128

and...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103680

Then unlock it to a quad core. The odds appear to be in your favor:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1426852

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

I'd rather go Intel. This is gonna sound like a stupid reason, but I've always ran Intel and I just don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling with AMD. Sometimes you just gotta do what feels right, you know?

I wasn't able to find anything regarding chipset voltage in the BIOS :/.

Also this board has two power connectors, the usual 4 pin P4 connector, and also a standard molex connector. During all three of the failed-to-boot incidents in the week I've had it, the extra molex connector on the board had nothing plugged into it. I now have both the P4 connector and the molex plugged in.

You guys think the molex not being plugged in may have cause this?

[ratdude747]

Re: Flaky Boot

dont plug both in! pick one or the other! or thats how a lot of boards were. check your manual.

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

Won't boot with just the molex plugged in but not the P4 connector, so not one or the other.

Manual says only the P4 connector is needed if you have a 2x12 PSU, or that both are needed if you have a 2x10 PSU. By 2x12 they mean a PSU with all 24 pins on the ATX header, by 2x10 they mean a PSU with the old school 20 pin ATX header.

The AcBel is, of course, being the kickass PSU that it is, 2x12. Therefore, the molex connector isn't needed. However, it seems the molex connector is there for extra power (the manual recommends it if you are running 2x10 and using a high-power PCIe card). Shouldn't fry the board, should it?

[ratdude747]

Re: Flaky Boot

go ahead, try it

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

It's been running like that for close to eight hours now.

[370forlife]

Re: Flaky Boot

The molex connectors on the board is usually for older boards to do sli they needed a bit more power. Don't know because I believe this is a board before intel chipsets could do sli and crossfire.

Check your manual, get your model number and search it on intel's site.

[acstech]

Re: Flaky Boot

I'd rather go Intel. This is gonna sound like a stupid reason, but I've always ran Intel and I just don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling with AMD. Sometimes you just gotta do what feels right, you know?

Whatever floats your boat.

Are you opposed to overclocking? If not, here's what I would recommend:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138123

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116072

Lots of bang for your buck with that combination IMO.

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Flaky Boot

No overclocking for me, thanks. Just want something very sturdy and reliable.

Which is why I'm so upset with this machine being flaky. It's a big, lovely Intel board with all japcaps... looked pretty reliable.

Doesn't Biostar use OST on everything?

[370forlife]

Re: Flaky Boot

OST(not that bad any more really,) on the small caps, larger caps are usually all solid or electrolytic UCC's.

[acstech]

Re: Flaky Boot

The last bad OST I've seen was on an ancient board from about 2001. I think the new ones are ok. I've sold enough new Biostar boards that if they were a problem, I'd know about it.

[370forlife]

Re: Flaky Boot

I have two ECS RS482-M754's (one blew a mosfet out of the blue and newegg sent me a new one without needed the other) We took the OST caps off of it, it was a New Old Stock board, I got it in late 2007, its from about 2004ish era, we took the caps out and checked them with a esr meter my friend has. They checked out at .01 ESR still.

[KeriJane]

Re: Flaky Boot

I'd rather go Intel. This is gonna sound like a stupid reason, but I've always ran Intel and I just don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling with AMD. Sometimes you just gotta do what feels right, you know?


Also this board has two power connectors, the usual 4 pin P4 connector, and also a standard molex connector. During all three of the failed-to-boot incidents in the week I've had it, the extra molex connector on the board had nothing plugged into it. I now have both the P4 connector and the molex plugged in.

You guys think the molex not being plugged in may have cause this?

Hi weirdlookinguy

I agree about Intel.... I've tried AMD in the past and while the systems were very "snappy" they just didn't play nice with some of my software. Probably would have been great for Gaming.

Those extra Molex connectors on enthusiast boards are usually meant to provide additional power to the PCIe slots as are the 4 extra wires in the 2x12 ATX connector. It's possible other stuff could be affected so it's probably best to connect it. It not only provides additional power but an extra ground connection.

That little bit of extra extra current capacity might just push something into the realm of operation.

They put it there for just that reason. That board may need just a bit more power somewhere, hence the Molex. They wouldn't have bothered if the P4 and ATX connectors could handle it all under all conditions.

Good Luck,
Keri