Beep code says CMOS error even though fail-safedefaultsettings

[Reos]

Hi i have a problem.

This morning when i started my computer my screen couldnt get a signal and it sounded like the fan on the graphics card was running faster than usual. I tried booting a few times but it could not get a picture.

I havent done anything inside my computer since i put it together 2 months ago and it has been working fine (i have been using it every day).

I opened the case ut and couldnt find any problem, i decided to reset the CMOS. When i started the computer it started up normally except that i get 2 short beeps which according to the manual means "CMOS setting error". I have loaded the fail-safe defaults but i still get the error beep code when i boot.

The computer is running now (im writing this with it) and everything seems fine but i am very worried. Anyone know what could be the problem?

Additional information:
My computer:
Samsung 226BW 22"
Core 2 Duo E6700 2.67GHz
Leadtek WinFast Geforce 8800GTS 640MB
Corsair HX series modular power supply 620W
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 (latest revision i think since i recently baught the parts)
Corsair XMS2-6400 5-5-5-12 Xtreme 2x1024
2x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 16MB 500GB (not in raid)

I havent overclocked anything and i have only been using standard drivers.

And also, the beep codes are very silent and i havent really been listening for them before, it is possible that it has always been beeping like that since i built it.

 

[g-paw]

Not clear if you're still the beeps, if you're not and the machine is running, I wouldn't worry about it. If you are getting the beeps, try updating your BIOS.

 

[Reos]

I didnt think about that, thanks. I updated the bios version just a moment ago with the @bios software that came with the motherboard and i now have "Intel 965P, AWARD BIOS, Ver F12".

I still have the 2 short beeps at the startup though so something else must be wrong

 

[randomizer]

Well you shouldnt be getting more than 1 beep (means a successful POST, and often you only get that after BIOS changes). 2 beeps, hmm.

EDIT: My guess is that "fail-safe defaults" are simply no good. You should tweak the BIOS for max performance, or at least try the "optimized defaults" and see if that fixes it (but even if it does, its best to tweak the BIOS yourself to optimize boot time and general performance). I certainly wouldn't be running fail-safe defaults on a system with as much power as that, you are slowing it down.

 

[Reos]

Well you shouldnt be getting more than 1 beep (means a successful POST, and often you only get that after BIOS changes). 2 beeps, hmm.

EDIT: My guess is that "fail-safe defaults" are simply no good. You should tweak the BIOS for max performance, or at least try the "optimized defaults" and see if that fixes it (but even if it does, its best to tweak the BIOS yourself to optimize boot time and general performance). I certainly wouldn't be running fail-safe defaults on a system with as much power as that, you are slowing it down.

You are right, fail-safe defaults are probably slowing my system down. I have changed to optimized defaults now since i feel that i have to little knowledge to tweak bios (also affraid to loose my waranty). I did fix one problem in bios though, the floppy-drive was enabled but i dont use one so i disabled that setting but that didnt help with the beeps sadly. Maybe i should try contacting Gigabyte support?

 

[Mousemonkey]

You are right, fail-safe defaults are probably slowing my system down. I have changed to optimized defaults now since i feel that i have to little knowledge to tweak bios (also affraid to loose my waranty). I did fix one problem in bios though, the floppy-drive was enabled but i dont use one so i disabled that setting but that didnt help with the beeps sadly. Maybe i should try contacting Gigabyte support?

As well as disabling the floppy drive you might want to disable the floppy drive controller (sometimes listed as FDC) also if you have not tweaked your BIOS at all it might be worth checking that the DDR voltage is correct and not under slightly i.e defaulting to 1.8v if your RAM requires say 2.0v or 2.2v

 

[Reos]

As well as disabling the floppy drive you might want to disable the floppy drive controller (sometimes listed as FDC) also if you have not tweaked your BIOS at all it might be worth checking that the DDR voltage is correct and not under slightly i.e defaulting to 1.8v if your RAM requires say 2.0v or 2.2v

Thanks for the advice, i will do that. I cant find a datasheet for my RAM on the Corsair website but where i baught it it says that the voltage should be 1.9v.

 

[Reos]

It doesnt say in bios what voltage the RAM has, the only thing i could find in bios was PC-health where it says "Vcore OK" "DDR18V OK" "+3.3V OK" "+12V OK" "Normal CPU Vcore 1.27500V". It says in the manual that the motherboard supports 1.8V DDRII DIMMs so i guess that means that the default is 1.8v.

There is a setting called DDR2 Overvoltage Control with the values "normal" and +0.1v ... +0.7v, so i have set that to +0.1v so it should be 1.9v now. This didnt fix the error beeps but the previous setting was wrong anyway.

I couldnt find a setting called floppy drive controller or FDC anywhere. The only two things related to floppy is "Drive A" and "Floppy 3 Mode Support" and they are both disabled.

 

[Onus]

Check the CMOS battery. I know you said you just bought the parts, but it is still possible you got a bad one.

 

[Reos]

Check the CMOS battery. I know you said you just bought the parts, but it is still possible you got a bad one.

How do i check if its good?

 

[utaka95]

Go to Walmart and get another one (battery) and swap it out.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Is this your RAM? :- http://www.corsairmicro.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X2048-6400C4.pdf if so its 2.1v not a lot more I know but it all counts.

 

[Reos]

Is this your RAM? :- http://www.corsairmicro.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X2048-6400C4.pdf if so its 2.1v not a lot more I know but it all counts.

That one is C4, mine is C5. Its very weird that i cant find the datasheet.

All the information i have from where i baught it is the name: Corsair XMS2-6400 TWIN2X2048 5-5-5-12 Xtreme 2x1024 DDR2 PC2-6400 800MHz and that it is CL5 and it says that it requires 1.9v but i dont trust it completely since it was only a webshop.

 

[Mousemonkey]

That one is C4, mine is C5. Its very weird that i cant find the datasheet.

All the information i have from where i baught it is the name: Corsair XMS2-6400 TWIN2X2048 5-5-5-12 Xtreme 2x1024 DDR2 PC2-6400 800MHz and that it is CL5 and it says that it requires 1.9v but i dont trust it completely since it was only a webshop.

I'm sorry that your problem has not been resolved yet but as far as your RAM goes you could try PM'ing XMS Yellowbeard of Corsair support to get the correct specs for that at least.