This is not really a question, but after searching DAYS and not being able to get a stable post on TWO separate systems, I found an odd quirk with ASUS mother boards. I decided to toss this rambling post up because these are atypical issues that took some real dumb a$% sleuthing to figure out, and if I can help someone else trouble shoot, it was well worth the ramble.
First off, I have built ALOT of enthusiast machines over the last few years. Really never had any problems. I built a rig for my brother in a Cougar QBX last summer. An i5 6400 with an ASUS Pro Gaming ITX board. System ran fine but he tossed in a Strix 980ti in and that card got hot.
He decided to switch to a NZXT Manta and switch his cooler to a push-pull Evo 212. He doesn't build pcs so I go to help. Get the new rig together, and low and behold, fans spin for half a second and the rig shuts right down. No warning LEDs go off. So, off to the races I go, unhooking perfs and bread-boarding. Finally, down to nothing but the CPU cooler, I pull the EVO. Now, I have installed ALOT of coolers. I know the pitfalls, but the standoffs on the cooler near the memory scrapped the membrane covering some circuitry next to the memory modules, and was shorting the system. Some electrical tape later (covering where the cooler standoffs are,) and system boots and is stable.
So, I go to my rig. I decide it needs a quick cleaning. Running an i7 6700K OCd stable to 4.8, 32 gb mem and a gtx 1080. System runs great, stupid quick. I decide to add a bit more storage for my plex server and drop in a 5TB HDD in the 5 1/2 bay slot. Hook up my power and sata data cable, go to fire it up..... error code 55 on my Maximus VIII Ranger board. Funny, I never touched my memory and the system has ALWAYS been stable. I open the back of the case, and notice an unused SATA data cable pressing up against the back side of the MOBO where the mem kit sits.
So, lesson to the learned and unlearned. Take your time building a rig. When you add or change hardware, or even a regular cleaning, make sure everything is tight, but not too tight and that everything is in it's place.
First off, I have built ALOT of enthusiast machines over the last few years. Really never had any problems. I built a rig for my brother in a Cougar QBX last summer. An i5 6400 with an ASUS Pro Gaming ITX board. System ran fine but he tossed in a Strix 980ti in and that card got hot.
He decided to switch to a NZXT Manta and switch his cooler to a push-pull Evo 212. He doesn't build pcs so I go to help. Get the new rig together, and low and behold, fans spin for half a second and the rig shuts right down. No warning LEDs go off. So, off to the races I go, unhooking perfs and bread-boarding. Finally, down to nothing but the CPU cooler, I pull the EVO. Now, I have installed ALOT of coolers. I know the pitfalls, but the standoffs on the cooler near the memory scrapped the membrane covering some circuitry next to the memory modules, and was shorting the system. Some electrical tape later (covering where the cooler standoffs are,) and system boots and is stable.
So, I go to my rig. I decide it needs a quick cleaning. Running an i7 6700K OCd stable to 4.8, 32 gb mem and a gtx 1080. System runs great, stupid quick. I decide to add a bit more storage for my plex server and drop in a 5TB HDD in the 5 1/2 bay slot. Hook up my power and sata data cable, go to fire it up..... error code 55 on my Maximus VIII Ranger board. Funny, I never touched my memory and the system has ALWAYS been stable. I open the back of the case, and notice an unused SATA data cable pressing up against the back side of the MOBO where the mem kit sits.
So, lesson to the learned and unlearned. Take your time building a rig. When you add or change hardware, or even a regular cleaning, make sure everything is tight, but not too tight and that everything is in it's place.