Re: P5B Deluxe won't start

Paul wrote:
Clive Lumb wrote:
Paul wrote:
Clive Lumb wrote:
Michael W. Ryder wrote:
Clive Lumb wrote:
Hi everybody,

I am currently upgrading my system and I have just tried to get
my P5B board to boot up for the first time. Unfortunately nothing
happens.
Here's the rig:
P5B Deluxe
Core2 Duo E6600 with stock cooler for testing
2 * G.Skill 1Gig 4-4-4-12 Ram
Entry level Asus EN7300GS for testing
1 Maxtor SATA 250 Gig drive for testing (RAID 5 later)

When I switch on main power, the blue LED lights on the board.
When I press the power button, the onboard LED turns red, the
front panel power LED lights and the cooler fan runs. But that's
it, no beeps no nuttin and the monitor stays in power save mode.

As I have no idea which version BIOS I have on this board (which
is new, but was bought two months ago) I am wondereing if it
needs a BIOS update for the Ram ?
However I have pulled the RAM, which nomally should give me an
error beep ? I have checked the graphics card seating.
I have tried with just one stick of ram (both sticks
individually) Have disconnected drives etc.

Any ideas please, or is the board DOA...?

Did you make sure to plug in all of the power connectors to the
board? Some boards will not post unless all of the power
connectors, especially the 2x2 connector are connected.

Yep, all power connectors plugged in.
Thanks anyway...


Open the processor socket (LGA775) and carefully inspect the pins
of the socket. Maybe the socket was damaged. Did you inspect the
socket well, before inserting the processor ? I have heard of
LGA775 sockets arriving damaged, so it does happen. (And may be
the result of returned stock from customers to the retailer, and
not something the factory actually did. One of the reasons unsealed
boxes should not be used.)

I checked the socket on opening the box, there were a couple of
springs out of position, but just passing a finger lightly over them
put them into place.

Will have to wait until Tuesday when I can borrow another processor
to try in the board.

As for the firmware revision, sometimes there is a paper sticker on
the BIOS chip. It may have a release number printed on it. Asus
probably programs the BIOS chip, before inserting it in the socket,
which is why they would be labeled.

Haven't found any labels - any idea where it should be ?

With no RAM or video, you should get bad RAM beeps. RAM is the first
thing the BIOS checks for. The video test would be after some
good RAM is found. A small portion of the BIOS operates without the
benefit of RAM (has to use registers in the processor), as some time
must be spent programming the RAM controller in the Northbridge.
But after that, the BIOS has more options at its disposal, such as
loading option ROMs and the like.

I will try without the processor (haven't done that yet) and see if
I get a beep, but I"m not hopeful...

Thanks anyway



As far as I know, it won't beep without the processor.

There are a couple ways to make tones. For example, the Super I/O
chip has a "beep" pin. The Southbridge has a "SPKR" pin. Either might
be suited to making a tone. They could even wire them all up if they
wanted. But I think they still need programming, and it is possible,
if the processor cannot start, you won't hear anything.

There was at least one motherboard, where after a certain BIOS
revision, you didn't hear any beep. In order to fix a "feature" in
the BIOS, where the speaker beeped for each USB device connected,
they disabled the speaker output, as a "quick fix". That is easier
than asking AMI or Award to fix it properly.

I'd suggest another look at the processor socket. If you even touch
the pins in the socket, you leave finger oils on them. That might
include
salt for example. Contamination like that would not be helping
matters, and maybe there is again, evidence of mechanical damage. It
could be,
that whatever you corrected, is again crushed.

Paul

Yes, I suspected that no processor means no beep...

I'll give the processor socket (and the processor itself) a clean with
alcohol and a lint & snag-free cloth.

The two contacts that I put back just seem to spring immediately into place,
I don't think it was damaege, rather more just not having been entirely
pushed into their final position.

After the clean I can't really do much more until the local computer shop
opens netx week.

Thanks
CLive


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