Gigabyte EX58-UD3R reboot loop

[udderdude]

I got a Gigabyte EX58-UD3R recently. It was working fine, no problems. I attempted to add some extra RAM to it, but it didn't work, never POSTed or beeped. So I turned it off, took the extra RAM out, everything else was exactly the way it was before.

Now it has the infamous reboot loop issue. I turn it on, it starts for about 4-5 seconds and turns off, then turns on again shortly after. No POST, no way to get into the BIOS. I did see the "Recovering BIOS ..... " message appear at one point, but it hasn't appeared since.

I've tried resetting the CMOS by taking the battery out for 1 hr and putting it back in, starting with 1 stick of RAM, starting with no RAM or videocard, etc. Nothing seems to help.

Any ideas? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[bilbat]

Sounds like trashed CMOS parameter block; reset the CMOS by use of the back panel clear CMOS button (see page 24 of your manual); assuming you can then get into your BIOS, do a "Load Optimized Defaults", and you should be good to go...

 

[udderdude]

Thanks for the reply, but according to http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2009/03/16/gigabyte-ga-ex58-ud3r/1 , the rear CMOS clear button is not on this motherboard. And page 24 of the manual talks about fan connectors.

 

[bilbat]

Sorry - inadvertently looked at the wrong manual (collection is up to ninety-nine, now...); clear CMOS by putting a jumper block on the CLR_CMOS pins:

or shorting the pins for a second; pulling the battery won't work if the PSU is still hooked up...

Another class of GB reboot loops can be 'cleared' by holding the front pannel power button depressed until the thing quits trying to reboot, leaving it powered down, switching off and unplugging the PSU, then holding the power button depressed again for ten or fifteen seconds; reconnect and power back up...

Yet a third class are caused by 'errant' USB devices; GBs are notoriously 'picky' about what they'll tolerate plugged into their USB ports:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/260350-30-gigabyte-ep45-problemo
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261902-30-gigabyte-tale

 

[udderdude]

Thanks for the tips, I will get back to you. I already tried unplugging every USB device from it. Although all of those USB devices were working fine with it before this happened.

 

[udderdude]

Tried clearing the CMOS by putting a jumper across the clear CMOS pins. Not sure how long you're supposed to leave it there, but I took it off after a minute or so. It did not fix the problem, after removing the jumper and turning it back on, it was still in the reboot loop. I also tried the suggestion with holding down the power button, that didn't seem to work either. Any other ideas?

I discovered that if there's no RAM, it doesn't go into the endless reboot loop, but still fails to POST.

 

[bilbat]

Do you have a case speaker installed? Any beeps? What, exactly, is happening when the reboot happens? Do you appear to be getting into, or through, the POST?

I'm thinking it's time to remove and 'flip' the MOBO; it has happened a number of times before, that someone is either reseating existing/seating new RAM/video cards, and either cracks a lock pin, or dislodges an incompletely seated and locked heatsink/fan fastening clip/pin; the MOBO will repeatedly power up, and attempt to POST, but as the HSF can't properly 'spill' heat, the CPU trips PROCHOT, and goes immediately into thermal shutdown (and with incomplete HSF/TIM coupling, you'd be amazed how blindingly fast this happens - I can't recall, off-hand, what the 775 specs say, but an i7 has, according to Intel, one-half second after a PROCHOT trip to 'molten silicon!); does a restart, rinse, lather, repeat...

 

[udderdude]

I don't get any beeps. It does not appear to be getting to POST. The case doesn't appear to have a speaker.

I am pretty sure it's not a processor overheating issue, as I can start it up with no RAM, and it will sit there forever, not going into the reboot loop.

 

[bilbat]

I am pretty sure it's not a processor overheating issue, as I can start it up with no RAM, and it will sit there forever

...and that's pretty much what it will do, without RAM - sit there forever! The first couple functions of the BIOS' 'boot block' are to initialize the 'hook-up' to the memory (and, with these platforms, I don't even think it has to initialize the IOH, like it does on 775s, where the memory controller resides on the northbridge), 'ennumerate' it, and copy the BIOS to RAM for execution; this is how the boot block handles recovery of a bad BIOS - if it can't accurately 'checksum' the working copy of the BIOS in EEPROM, it 'reverts', and copies the BIOS shipped in ROM (which you can't 'futz' with, short of a soldering iron!) to RAM for execution, with a couple 'flags' set, that tell it to tell you about the BIOS situation, and offer you options to correct it... With no RAM, the system never fully iniatializes, nor POSTs, nor runs... Another thing worth checking (though the usual 'tell-tale' is initialization with 'missing RAM'), is the tiny pins/hooks/connectors, whatever you wanna call them, in the socket, being bent -(more of an 1156 problem, though) they are so delicate, it only takes the lightest little disturbance to bend them, usually with bizarre, and sometimes shifting, results... Intel inspection procedure here:
http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-030850.htm

 

[SavageCIvE]

@udderdude
Hey I was having the exact same problem.
Went back to the store and exchanged it for Asus, Couldn't get OSX to run on Asus.
Took it back to get EX58-UD3R a second chance. Didn't work again.
I though what are the odd i got 2 bad Mobo, so i dried attaching all the power cables from my old Vaio on to mobo and it powered up no problem.
I figure maybe it can be picky or sensative to PSU, try getting a new power supply unit that how i fixed it


-Gygabyte EX58-UD3R
-i7 920
-EVGA 9800 GTX
-Kingston 1333 DDR3

 

[udderdude]

Thanks for the reply, however the power supply I was using previously was working fine with it, so I don't see how it suddenly started disliking it. Possibly I can find a backup power supply to test it out with.

The power supply is a Corsair TX750

 

[CrestfallenDesign]

i understand i will be resurrecting this post from the year 2009 but i am experiencing almost the same problem, i took my ram out of the white slots. re-inserted them in the blue slots, tried to power up and nothing happened. i figured well they must be in the wrong slots so ill put them back now my computer attempts to start but reaches a point where something is wrong and stops, leaving a blue and amber light next to the ram bays i have no idea what happened as i havent changed anything else?

 

[nikorr]

i understand i will be resurrecting this post from the year 2009 but i am experiencing almost the same problem, i took my ram out of the white slots. re-inserted them in the blue slots, tried to power up and nothing happened. i figured well they must be in the wrong slots so ill put them back now my computer attempts to start but reaches a point where something is wrong and stops, leaving a blue and amber light next to the ram bays i have no idea what happened as i havent changed anything else?

Make a new thread, that's the best way to get helped!

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr