No Video/Post - Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L

[thechief73]

Hello,

I have received a Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L(was in working order last use ~6months ago) from a friend and I am having trouble getting it to boot. For starters I have gone through this list of troubleshooting: PERFORM THESE STEPS before posting about boot/no video problems!, even though I new everything on this list beforehand I went trough it anyhow to make sure, no luck.

When I power on the PC, it will either start for a few seconds, reboot and then starts again and stays on until I turn it off, but most of the time it turns on and stays on but with no video signal. That is the reoccurring problem, never have I gotten video out. I have tried different VGA cables and monitors. I have tried to reset the CMOS/BIOS several times and a different battery, no luck. FYI, no on-board video chip, using a XFX-5830.

This motherboard will start-up and the power LED's/fans/network LED's/HDD all come on, but if the Mobo speaker I have works, I get no post beeps to help diagnose the issue. I have tried a P4 650(my old CPU) and a Q6600(Used, not tested by me as of yet, but my P4's replacement) in it, same issue. I have left everything the same and just swapped the newer motherboard with the old, and the old one works perfectly the new does not.

From what I have tried so far, I thought it may be an issue with the PCI-E x16 slot, but I doubt that would keep me from getting post beeps out of it. I also thought maybe a past BIOS setting is causing the no-boot but clearing the CMOS should have fixed that.

This is a tough one, I have tried everything I can think of. I have disassembled and re-assembled this PC several times and spent many hours this weekend trying to get it to post but so far, no luck.

Any help or advice is much appreciated, Thanks.

 

[mosox]

What power supply?

 

[MrBig55]

The biggest cause of no post but computer stays on is memory bad seated (and power supply failure cause people buy them on the cheap too often). Could you remove memory sticks and reseat them? Also try different slots, and one stick at a time. It takes minutes to do that and with luck it will be the cause to your problem.

I say that cause when the computer shuts itself down after seconds and reboots, I think it's trying different memory timings but it's not working (a computer is pretty dull so it cannot know why it isn't working though it tries different things). May be memory related. Try that first.

Also if you could get a hand on computer parts, like a graphic card, other RAM and power supply it MAY rectify the problem right away.

Please answer mosox by letting us know your power supply model.

Good luck!

 

[thechief73]

I Have used a Antec 500w NeoPower and a Corsair 850HX both work in old system fine, new system will not boot.

Mr.Big. I have tried the memory trick, it is listed in the link I provided as well. I have tried every stick individually, all the slots and combinations, no luck. FYI, the RAM sticks are being seated properly. The memory speed is supported by the Mobo, but it maybe still be a incompatibility issue, I cannot test this without wasting money on ridiculously over priced DDR2. I have Ramses(I think that's the name, they are long out of business I believe) and PNY modules, both 2x1GB DDR2 5300/667 kits.

I have no access to other parts I have exhausted all those options before posting. If I cannot resolve the issue without buying more parts, as old parts cost more than current gen. new ones, I am just going to sell the CPU and call the Mobo a loss and that will be the end of it. The point was to build a interim PC by using a gifted Mobo, a second hand CPU, and use all the other current parts I have on hand to save money until sometime next year when I build a all new system.

Thanks.

 

[mosox]

Try the mobo on a wooden table or some other non conductive material with one stick of RAM. Place the case next to it so you can use the power button or start by shorting the PWR pins on the mobo front panel connectors with a screwdriver.

 

[thechief73]

Well... I finally got the time to bread-board the system and this issue was not resolved. Still no video being put out, far as I know(I am not sure if this 90's PC speaker still works) no post beeps and the system will stay on for a few seconds then restart it self, this time though it shut itself down shortly after the restart.

Any thoughts?

 

[jsc]

The following is part of my standard troubleshooting reply. If you know for certain that the PSU is good, you can safely ignore the PSU section.

The following is an expansion of my troubleshooting tips in the breadboarding link in the "Cannot boot" thread.

I have tested the following beep patterns on Gigabyte, eVGA, and ECS motherboards. Other BIOS' may be different, but they all use a single short beep for a successful POST.

Breadboard - that will help isolate any kind of case problem you might have.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboarding

Breadboard with just motherboard, CPU & HSF, case speaker, and PSU.

Make sure you plug the CPU power cable in. The system will not boot without it.

I always breadboard a new build. It takes only a few minutes, and you know you are putting good parts in the case once you are finished.

You can turn on the PC by momentarily shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes to. You should hear a series of long, single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence indicates a problem with (in most likely order) the PSU, motherboard, or CPU. Remember, at this time, you do not have a graphics card installed so the load on your PSU will be reduced.

If no beeps:
Running fans and drives and motherboard LED's do not necessarily indicate a good PSU. In the absence of a single short beep, they also do not indicate that the system is booting.

At this point, you can sort of check the PSU. Try to borrow a known good PSU of around 550 - 600 watts. That will power just about any system with a single GPU. If you cannot do that, use a DMM to measure the voltages. Measure between the colored wires and either chassis ground or the black wires. Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=youtube_gdata

A way that might be easier is to use the main power plug. Working from the back of the plug where the wires come out, use a bare paperclip to short between the green wire and one of the neighboring black wires. That will do the same thing with an installed PSU. It is also an easy way to bypass a questionable case power switch.

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU.

If the system beeps:
If it looks like the PSU is good, install a memory stick. Boot. Beep pattern should change to one long and several short beeps indicating a missing graphics card.

Silence, long single beeps, or series of short beeps indicate a problem with the memory. If you get short beeps verify that the memory is in the appropriate motherboard slots.

Insert the video card and connect any necessary PCIe power connectors. Boot. At this point, the system should POST successfully (a single short beep). Notice that you do not need keyboard, mouse, monitor, or drives to successfully POST.
At this point, if the system doesn't work, it's either the video card or an inadequate PSU. Or rarely - the motherboard's PCIe interface.

Now start connecting the rest of the devices starting with the monitor, then keyboard and mouse, then the rest of the devices, testing after each step. It's possible that you can pass the POST with a defective video card. The POST routines can only check the video interface. It cannot check the internal parts of the video card.

If you manage to get the system working, this is a good place to start overclocking:
Shadow's Gigabyte motherboard OC guide:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-245679_11_0.html
It's for an EP35-DS3L

 

[thechief73]

*SIGH - Just accidentally clicked a link after typing out a reply , lets try it again*

Hello JSC, thanks for the post.

I have recently bread-boarded the system and it produced seemingly the same issue, but it shut itself down shortly after it restart itself this time(see last post). The only thing I have not tried is leaving the GPU out while trying it, since the board has no on-board video, I figured I should just install it right away.

I have tried two known to work PSU's(see above posts) and both gave the same results. I am also using my Antec 300 that the system I am on now is in, so I know the power switches are good.

I have gone through this list of troubleshooting: PERFORM THESE STEPS before posting about boot/no video problems! If I recall correctly I believe I seen you post numerous links to this when I frequented the forums late last year, that's how I remembered it and even though I new most everything on this list beforehand I went trough it anyhow to make sure, no luck.

From the beginning I have thought it to be the PCI-E slot that it giving me the trouble, as for the GPU I am using, its helping me type this right now, so its good.

I will try the steps of bread-boarding that you have listed and leave out the GPU this time, hopefully the Mobo speaker I have right now works(from the 90's), I ordered one last week but its coming in from China and wont be here till sometime in August. And maybe if I am feeling ambitious I will test my PSU's, just to be sure. May be this weekend before I update the post, since I have some crazy work hours.

Thanks for the overclocking link, I will defiantly check it out in due time.