ASRock Z77 Extreme4 - Please Help! No Boot, No Debug. RAM, CPU, GPU and PSU are fine.

[PilotRaider14]

So I just purchased a Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Mobo. It arrived yesterday to replace my old z68 motherboard that got a corrupt BIOS, USB components don't work anymore. I hooked everything up and double checked that all was fine before I fired it up. I stayed up all night yesterday trying to fix it until 4am but to no avail. I even came on here and noticed other people had several similar problems with this motherboard but for those that it works they say it's a great board.

So heres what happens:

- 2 CPU Fans attached, One spins Full Speed, Other spins once and stops.
- No Dr Debug codes displaying.
- No keyboard lighting coming on.
- No video being sent out to monitor.
- Hard Drive spins up
- CDROM Drive is accessible
- Power switch on Mobo works
- Switched from GPU to Integrated Gfx and still nothing.

Setup:
Antec 300 Case
Corsair Vengeance 8GB RAM DDR3 1600MHz
Intel Core i5 2500K
1TB HDD and 840 EVO SSD
NVIDIA GTX 760 2GB
620W Antec High Current Gamer PSU

I took my Z77 out of the case and placed it on a box of cardboard to make sure it wasnt shorting out. It wasnt because even my old Z68 motherboard being on cardboard would still come on and show me the BIOS.

So to rule out my components, I went ahead and tested them on my brothers MSI Motherboard which is LGA 1155 and Z68 as well. This was very tedious work but I did the following:

- Tested CPU along with brothers RAM on his mobo. Passed into Windows 8.
- Tested CPU along with my own RAM. Passed into Windows 8.
- Used brothers heatsink fan, tested mine as well on his and working fine. Passed
- Used brothers PSU that is working on his mobo on my Z77 and nothing happens.

- Checked CPU 4/8 power cable. Snug
- Checked motherboard 24 pin connector. Snug
- RAM and CPU/Heatsink alignment.
- SATA Connectors connected.
- Swapped out the motherboard battery with a new CR2032 battery.
- Tried clearing CMOS, but no difference.
- Checked CMOS jumper in correct position.

So my CPU, GPU, RAM ans PSU should be fine Im guessing from my tests.

That only leaves the motherboard to be suspicious of but I'm wondering if there is anything else that I can do? Im thinking about RMA'ing the board back for another Z77 or should I get something else? My budget is $160 with shipping, I can't find LGA 1155 motherboards locally in my area anymore because they are end of life ive been told, and I don't have the money right now to upgrade to an LGA 1150 with a new CPU. On my brothers Mobo everything loads fine, sigh.

Any suggestions? I would really like to be online right now and this has me feeling quite upset and down in the dumps... :/

 

[IamTimTech]

Well written, you did your work, good job. It is highly likely that you have a faulty motherboard.

I would RMA or return it.

 

[PilotRaider14]

Thanks, I tried. If I send it back do you think I should get the same motherboard or what would you recommend? Thanks.

 

[IamTimTech]

Thanks, I tried. If I send it back do you think I should get the same motherboard or what would you recommend? Thanks.

Your board seems very well reviewed so I would say try to get another one of that board. If the problem persists it is possible, though unlikely that you still have a hidden problem preventing your machine from posting, but at least you will be certain it is not the motherboard.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I own that board , get the same one , it's the best selling Z77 on the market.

 

[PilotRaider14]

Thanks for the replies. Ill decide to get the same one then. Sounds like a promising board if I can get it to work. Got my box ready, just need to call tomorrow for my RMA number. Ill keep you all posted if it was the motherboard.

Now for the game I hate the most, the waiting game... o_0

 

[PilotRaider14]

Well guys I am pleased to announce that I have received another z77 Extreme4 motherboard.

I spent a couple of hours hooking everything up again, and when I powered it on, I got NOTHING. I stood there puzzled and wondering why it would not work. I just stared at the motherboard for a second and then thought back to my first build from a couple years ago.

Well I grabbed my brothers PC again and only this time I decided to grab his Heatsink/Fan and place it on the Z77... well what do you know... TADA!! Lights working, and video posting on the monitor! 😀 I was glad it was up and going but I didn't want to use a stock Intel CPU Cooler, lol.

I had figured out that the problem was heatsink. So then I thought why isnt my Hyper 212 EVO working then? I re-placed the EVO on my motherboard and once again NOTHING... I thought about running down to Frys Electronics to buy a new Heatsink for a moment. But I decided to hold off and see if I could fix it.

Now, I had reseated the heatsink like 4 times and made sure it was super tight...

Well, *buzz sound* going too tight aint right!

That's right folks, if you tighten down your heatsink too much it can cause your PC to not boot. But apart from the tightness, the tightness was causing my motherboard to short out and that was two problems in one.

I began to get error code 55 on the Dr. Debug display. Which indicates a problem with memory. I checked the modules but that wasn't even the problem. I then proceeded to loosen up my heatsink and what do you know, VOILA! System boots up into BIOS and then proceeded into Windows 8. So if you get error 55 check that heatsink, not just memory.

Man, what a relief! Now that makes me wonder, did my z68 really have a problem or was it the tightness of the heatsink? Im going to install my brothers heatsink on it and find out with his CPU. When I had stated that I used my brothers heatsink I used his heatsink in his case on his motherboard but with my CPU to rule out the CPU as having gone bad which rarely happens.

Well the problem was under my nose the whole time. Using a Hyper 212 EVO is heavy for the motherboard especially if you run your PC upright. When you finish installing the EVO with your PC laying flat, you might have to play around with the screws again once you place your PC upright. My PC was shorting out while I was in Windows, so I played around with the screws to where they are still snug on and work well. Also remember to not warp your motherboard by screwing one side too tight of the heatsink. This is a big piece of metal, I went ahead and cut out small pieces of electrical tape and placed them on the backplate screws.

So now I'm in BIOS and with a temperature of 29*C at stock speed. No more shorts happening, as I've had my PC running in the BIOS for over 30 minutes now, so its working solid. I plan on overclocking my CPU back up to the 4.5 GHz that I had it at before. Wish me the best!

I hope this will help someone out whom is having similar problems. That is why I came back to write all of this, for that particular person.

You are welcome.