I was here before: DC5800 upgrade to e8400 not working

[Brandan Cromartie]

I have not one but two e8400 processors that I dropped into the board of a DC5800. The board does support the processor. I am currently using an unsupported processor, an e6600, in the slot and it works.

The BIOS for the machine is up-to-date. Since I made the thread oh so long ago on the 13th of the month I considered the CPU was bad. It isn't the CPU though because I have two of the same one and neither works. Lightning striking twice and all it's unlikely with the same symptoms.

I drop the CPU in, click it down, and try to turn on the PC. The PC turns on for a moment and then immediately shuts itself down. There is no beep code. I checked the board, it is fine because it works with the other CPU, the CPU has the same temp and wattage demands as the e8400 as well so there's really no reason why this does not work.

I can't figure it out! There's nothing else I can do and I'm tired of wracking my brain so I fugred if anyone knew anything about CPUs and why they don't work when you drop them in correctly, because it only fits one way, and then try to turn it on and fails to do so it'd be you guys.

By the way I breadboarded and checked off all the lists and guides I could find. I am just not willing to believe I got two bad versions of the same thing. Thanks in advance.

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

are you talking about the HP DC5800? when you upgrade the BIOS it was from the HP site?

Yes. Everything I got in relation to the computer on this issue including the BIOS was from official sources. The BIOS version is 768F2. I think that is the appropriate BIOS.

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

according to the HP web site it was offered with the E8400 and its doubtful they would use two motherboards in one model

you got the BIOS from here?
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3658094&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3658082&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=4059#120

Yes I did.

Should I try again?

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

i would try the HP support forum.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/

It shall be done.

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

Back again. They don't know. I have a question that works in general: If the microcode on the BIOS is bad will the computer still POST?

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

bad as in you tried to flash your BIOS and it went wrong? it would not post most likely.

Bad as in it doesn't have the processor in the code and cannot recognize the chip. The machine itself did not have a bad flash, sorry for not being clear on that.

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

Do you think my computer just thinks I'm ugly? Is that it? Is it passing judgment on me? I just can't figure it out. I can't. I wish I knew how to view the BIOS version for the microcode. There's a way to do that, yes?

 

[Brandan Cromartie]

I have yet another set of strange questions, two.

1. In the center of an intel chip socket, specifically 775, what is the metal that is on the inner connectors, not the pins, the connectors that touch the center of the chip?

2. Is it possible that chip A could work in something, but not B, because one of those center islands is missing it's coating? Upon really, really close inspection I find that one island is indeed missing just a bit of that coating and when lining the chips up the 6600 does not touch that island, but the 8400 relies on it. I'm only curious because this makes the board fixable if I had the conductor, which has to be of the same stuff as the others probably to prevent heat problems. Of course if any old metal solder would do...

... clearly I am getting desperate and deranged.