New MB; can't even get into BIOS setup

[Steve Conover]

Help please.

I just assembled a system using the P4C800-E Deluxe with 1GB DDR
RAM and a Pentium 4 (2.8GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache). Shortly
after the power comes on, the Vocal POST Message says, "System
failed due to CPU overclocking."

The ASUS manual recommends the following action (p.3-2):
"Check your CPU settings in BIOS and make sure you only set to
the recommended settings."

Sounds good, but I can't get to the BIOS before it fails.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Steve


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[sheer]

Try resetting CMOS

 

[Steve Conover]

Tried it; same message, same blank screen. Might it have
something to do with my ATI Radeon 9600 XT card?

Try resetting CMOS

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
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[Tod]

Maybe something is grounded funny, mounting screws maybe too tight.
Also remove any cards that are not needed from the PCI slots.
Could just be a bad motherboard ?
Try contacting ASUS, see what they have to say.

 

[sheer]

Did you use paste for the CPU heatsink? Check not spread over parts of the
CPU ie too much paste.

 

[Paul]

Tried it; same message, same blank screen. Might it have
something to do with my ATI Radeon 9600 XT card?

If it did, the POST would say "System failed VGA test".

Have you plugged in the 2x2 ATX 12V power connector ?
Are the fans spinning etc ?

Paul

 

[Steve Conover]

The CPU had a thermal pad instead of paste.

Did you use paste for the CPU heatsink? Check not spread over parts of the
CPU ie too much paste.

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Steve Conover]

Yes, 12V connector is plugged in, CPU fan and chassis fan are
spinning. Front panel power lights come on. I do have a new
SATA hd that is spinning (no IDE drives). Floppy spins at power
up, just before I get the vocal POST message.

Steve

If it did, the POST would say "System failed VGA test".

Have you plugged in the 2x2 ATX 12V power connector ?
Are the fans spinning etc ?

Paul

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Bob Willard]

Help please.

I just assembled a system using the P4C800-E Deluxe with 1GB DDR
RAM and a Pentium 4 (2.8GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache). Shortly
after the power comes on, the Vocal POST Message says, "System
failed due to CPU overclocking."

The ASUS manual recommends the following action (p.3-2):
"Check your CPU settings in BIOS and make sure you only set to
the recommended settings."

Sounds good, but I can't get to the BIOS before it fails.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Steve


Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

Yeah, I had that problem with my P4C800 E Deluxe -- not every time,
but on some boots. Since it felt like the system was short of
power, my solution was to remove power and signal cables to my
non-boot SATA HD until I could get the BIOS stable and XP installed.
You might try removing all non-essential devices.

By the way, my system is now stable, with both power-hungry HDS and
a pretty hot AGP card, a 3.0 GHz Prescott, and a pair of 512MB RAMs
in dual-channel mode. Booting problems were, apparently, just
teething pains.

 

[sheer]

Can only suggest check the cpu is not damaged.

The CPU had a thermal pad instead of paste.




Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Paul]

Yes, 12V connector is plugged in, CPU fan and chassis fan are
spinning. Front panel power lights come on. I do have a new
SATA hd that is spinning (no IDE drives). Floppy spins at power
up, just before I get the vocal POST message.

Steve

Examine the paper label on the BIOS flash chip. My board shipped
with 1014, and I cannot imagine an old BIOS to be the problem,
but I'm running out of other things to suggest. Look up P4C800-E
and see for your processor, what minimum BIOS is required.

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

If you have another "P4 ready" power supply handy, you might
give that a try.

Also, you might try assembling the system on a piece of
cardboard, and add one component at a time, while listening
to the Voice POST. The Voice POST will run, even when there are
no components plugged into the motherboard. A minimal system
is motherboard, PSU, and power switch. Perhaps something is
shorting to the bottom of the motherboard. Listening to the
Voice POST messages changing as you add components one at a time
might tell you something. When the keyboard is unplugged you
might have to wait 30 seconds or longer to hear the message that
there is no keyboard, so be patient when waiting for a message.
Add CPU, ram, video card, keyboard/mouse and see if you can
get into the BIOS. Only connect drives if you get past that
point. Do a "Load Setup Defaults" in the BIOS menu if you get
there.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Steve Conover]

Thanks, Paul. I'm grateful for the help.

BIOS chip says 1014, and that's the minimum for my MB/processor.

ASUS support told me it's probably one of three things:
1. bad RAM
2. power supply too small
3. bad MB

I have two (twin) sticks of 512MB PC3200 Corsair RAM (1GB total).
Removed one; no change. Moved them from the A1+B1 slots to the
A2+B2 slots; no change ("System failure due to CPU
overclocking"). Bad RAM? Still don't know, but Corsair is
supposed to be quality stuff; besides, a new MB is less expensive
than 1G RAM, so I'd try a new MB first.

I just now replaced the Antec 380W power supply with their 430W
box; no change.

I'll give your step-by-step method a shot over the next couple
evenings. If that doesn't help, I guess I'll have to conclude
it's the motherboard.

Steve

Examine the paper label on the BIOS flash chip. My board shipped
with 1014, and I cannot imagine an old BIOS to be the problem,
but I'm running out of other things to suggest. Look up P4C800-E
and see for your processor, what minimum BIOS is required.

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

If you have another "P4 ready" power supply handy, you might
give that a try.

Also, you might try assembling the system on a piece of
cardboard, and add one component at a time, while listening
to the Voice POST. The Voice POST will run, even when there are
no components plugged into the motherboard. A minimal system
is motherboard, PSU, and power switch. Perhaps something is
shorting to the bottom of the motherboard. Listening to the
Voice POST messages changing as you add components one at a time
might tell you something. When the keyboard is unplugged you
might have to wait 30 seconds or longer to hear the message that
there is no keyboard, so be patient when waiting for a message.
Add CPU, ram, video card, keyboard/mouse and see if you can
get into the BIOS. Only connect drives if you get past that
point. Do a "Load Setup Defaults" in the BIOS menu if you get
there.

HTH,
Paul

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Steve Conover]

ASUS said it might be a power problem, too -- but I just replaced
the 380W with a 430W box, and it didn't help. The SATA couldn't
be drawing enough to dent that, could it?

Steve

Yeah, I had that problem with my P4C800 E Deluxe -- not every time,
but on some boots. Since it felt like the system was short of
power, my solution was to remove power and signal cables to my
non-boot SATA HD until I could get the BIOS stable and XP installed.
You might try removing all non-essential devices.

By the way, my system is now stable, with both power-hungry HDS and
a pretty hot AGP card, a 3.0 GHz Prescott, and a pair of 512MB RAMs
in dual-channel mode. Booting problems were, apparently, just
teething pains.

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Steve Conover]

Paul,

Thanks for the suggestion. I think it might be bad RAM. I left
the MB in the case, but unplugged everything to get to the Trial
1 config. Here's what happened:

Trial 1: (MB+PSU+Power switch) "No CPU installed."
Trial 2: (+CPU) Long beep + 2 short beeps. (Manual: "3 beeps=
main memory read/write test error.")
Trial 3: (+RAM) "System failed due to CPU overclocking."

Does that sound like bad RAM to you?

Steve

Examine the paper label on the BIOS flash chip. My board shipped
with 1014, and I cannot imagine an old BIOS to be the problem,
but I'm running out of other things to suggest. Look up P4C800-E
and see for your processor, what minimum BIOS is required.

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

If you have another "P4 ready" power supply handy, you might
give that a try.

Also, you might try assembling the system on a piece of
cardboard, and add one component at a time, while listening
to the Voice POST. The Voice POST will run, even when there are
no components plugged into the motherboard. A minimal system
is motherboard, PSU, and power switch. Perhaps something is
shorting to the bottom of the motherboard. Listening to the
Voice POST messages changing as you add components one at a time
might tell you something. When the keyboard is unplugged you
might have to wait 30 seconds or longer to hear the message that
there is no keyboard, so be patient when waiting for a message.
Add CPU, ram, video card, keyboard/mouse and see if you can
get into the BIOS. Only connect drives if you get past that
point. Do a "Load Setup Defaults" in the BIOS menu if you get
there.

HTH,
Paul

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Paul]

Paul,

Thanks for the suggestion. I think it might be bad RAM. I left
the MB in the case, but unplugged everything to get to the Trial
1 config. Here's what happened:

Trial 1: (MB+PSU+Power switch) "No CPU installed."
Trial 2: (+CPU) Long beep + 2 short beeps. (Manual: "3 beeps=
main memory read/write test error.")
Trial 3: (+RAM) "System failed due to CPU overclocking."

Does that sound like bad RAM to you?

Steve

I would have expected "System failed memory test" for Trial 2.
Did you get a Voice POST message for trial 2 ?

I suppose a silly question, is what kind of RAM is it. The manual
says unbuffered ECC or non-ECC memory will work. ECC memory is
72 bits wide and non-ECC memory is 64 bits wide. Generally ECC
requires a nineth memory chip per side of the DIMM, to give the
needed extra eight bits (at least on a 512MB DIMM, with eight
32Mx8 chips on each side). If the RAM is the wrong kind (registered),
I would have expected a beep code - like the three beeps you got
in trial 2.

There are a couple of ways the Voice POST can be triggered into
emitting a message. The "No CPU installed" is done by sensing the
presence of a voltage on one of the CPU pins. The "System Failed
CPU Test" or "System Failed Memory Test" are implemented with a
timer inside the Voice POST chip. If either of those two tests
takes too long, the message is emitted. If the test completes OK,
the CPU is supposed to enter the Voice POST chip and clear the timer.
The "System Failed Due To CPU Overclock" is, as far as I know, under
programmatic control by the processor. The problem is, I don't know
where the "I booted OK" flag is located in the hardware. It could be
a bit in the CMOS battery backed memory (in which case an overclocking
failure would be remembered past a loss of power) or it could be a flag
stored in main memory (low memory).

I found a post in Abxzone:

"I was having trouble with my setup when I first got it. Make sure
your ram is getting enough voltage. I was having that same message
popup of CPU Overclocking failed when I was running at stock speeds.
Turns out my memory was hungry for voltage and I wasn't delivering.
Turn it up .1 volt in the bios to see if that clears up the problem."

so at least one person got that message due to his ram.

So a ram swap or a processor swap are next. Try just one stick of
ram and try it different slots, if you don't have any other ram handy
to test. At this point, even some slow PC2100 DDR memory would be
good enough for a test. That is how people used to escape from
badly programmed high performance memory - use a slow stick to get
into the BIOS, so they could set the memory timings manually.

Paul

 

[sheer]

After thinking about your problem it is most likely a faulty board. Could be
a memory bank, you have tried moving memory to other banks?

Not a good thing you are going through

 

[Bob Willard]

ASUS said it might be a power problem, too -- but I just replaced
the 380W with a 430W box, and it didn't help. The SATA couldn't
be drawing enough to dent that, could it?

Steve

Maybe. I have a 430W Antec PS, yet I could not get my P4C800E deluxe
until I removed one of my two SATA HDs. Since your MB should boot up
and run the BIOS stuff without any HDs, I suggest you fire it up that
way to get the CMOS params straightened out.

 

[Steve Conover]

No voice POST message for trial 2, just 3 beeps. The memory is
Corsair Twinx1024-3200LLPT 1GB DDR400 XMS3200. Also, I reset the
CMOS at one point, so there's nothing there now.

I'll get a new ram stick today and try it.

Steve

I would have expected "System failed memory test" for Trial 2.
Did you get a Voice POST message for trial 2 ?

I suppose a silly question, is what kind of RAM is it. The manual
says unbuffered ECC or non-ECC memory will work. ECC memory is
72 bits wide and non-ECC memory is 64 bits wide. Generally ECC
requires a nineth memory chip per side of the DIMM, to give the
needed extra eight bits (at least on a 512MB DIMM, with eight
32Mx8 chips on each side). If the RAM is the wrong kind (registered),
I would have expected a beep code - like the three beeps you got
in trial 2.

There are a couple of ways the Voice POST can be triggered into
emitting a message. The "No CPU installed" is done by sensing the
presence of a voltage on one of the CPU pins. The "System Failed
CPU Test" or "System Failed Memory Test" are implemented with a
timer inside the Voice POST chip. If either of those two tests
takes too long, the message is emitted. If the test completes OK,
the CPU is supposed to enter the Voice POST chip and clear the timer.
The "System Failed Due To CPU Overclock" is, as far as I know, under
programmatic control by the processor. The problem is, I don't know
where the "I booted OK" flag is located in the hardware. It could be
a bit in the CMOS battery backed memory (in which case an overclocking
failure would be remembered past a loss of power) or it could be a flag
stored in main memory (low memory).

I found a post in Abxzone:

"I was having trouble with my setup when I first got it. Make sure
your ram is getting enough voltage. I was having that same message
popup of CPU Overclocking failed when I was running at stock speeds.
Turns out my memory was hungry for voltage and I wasn't delivering.
Turn it up .1 volt in the bios to see if that clears up the problem."

so at least one person got that message due to his ram.

So a ram swap or a processor swap are next. Try just one stick of
ram and try it different slots, if you don't have any other ram handy
to test. At this point, even some slow PC2100 DDR memory would be
good enough for a test. That is how people used to escape from
badly programmed high performance memory - use a slow stick to get
into the BIOS, so they could set the memory timings manually.

Paul

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Steve Conover]

Paul,

I bought a cheap memory stick (Kingston 333/256 PC2700) and tried
it in place of the Corsairs. Even tried it in two different
slots. No help. Still get the "CPU overclocking" failure
message from voice POST at Trial 3 (=MB+PSU+Power
switch+CPU+RAM).

So, I guess it's not bad memory causing the problem.

Must be the motherboard. I'll look into what it takes to return
it, unless you can think of something else I should try first.

Take care,
Steve

Examine the paper label on the BIOS flash chip. My board shipped
with 1014, and I cannot imagine an old BIOS to be the problem,
but I'm running out of other things to suggest. Look up P4C800-E
and see for your processor, what minimum BIOS is required.

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

If you have another "P4 ready" power supply handy, you might
give that a try.

Also, you might try assembling the system on a piece of
cardboard, and add one component at a time, while listening
to the Voice POST. The Voice POST will run, even when there are
no components plugged into the motherboard. A minimal system
is motherboard, PSU, and power switch. Perhaps something is
shorting to the bottom of the motherboard. Listening to the
Voice POST messages changing as you add components one at a time
might tell you something. When the keyboard is unplugged you
might have to wait 30 seconds or longer to hear the message that
there is no keyboard, so be patient when waiting for a message.
Add CPU, ram, video card, keyboard/mouse and see if you can
get into the BIOS. Only connect drives if you get past that
point. Do a "Load Setup Defaults" in the BIOS menu if you get
there.

HTH,
Paul

Delete the ZZZ.
It keeps spam
off the server.

 

[Randy Gentry]

It has most likely been suggested somewhere in this long posting and
answers, but have you tried removing the MB from the case
and placeing it on card board ( I usually set the sheet foam packing from
the mb box on cardboard then set the MB on this. With this just setup the
essentials,
Power supply connections, 1 stick of memory, 1 floppy drive, video board,
keyboard, and mouse,. Reset or clear the bios. Remove cpu fan and cpu-clean
surface of cpu and fan and then reinstall cpu and fan (with thin even coat
of heatsink compound. After all of this try to boot and see what happens.
Sometimes just a little speck of solder or something on the mb will short to
the case and all kinds of weird problems can happen. If you can get as far
as the opening readings on the video screen hit the delete key and go into
bios and check all settings one page at a time.. Pay close attention to the
primary bios screen and set all HD settings to "Auto ", and setup floppy
drive just for now and then reboot. Let us know after you have done this and
then you may need to go page by page in the bios (with at least 1 HD
installed-no cd or DVD for now). Check the soft menu for the cpu if you can
reach it (although on your board it is supposed to reset to default settings
after the type of error message that you are getting). give it a try and see
what happens...Aloha