[SOLVED] Old motherboard with an RTX 2060 - post codes included

[mezcal14]

I just spent 2 hours trying to troubleshoot this, was hoping perhaps you guys may have some ideas.

I built a computer in 2012 with an Intel DX79TO motherboard and GTX 670. The computer is obviously super old, and I intend to build a new one later this year when RTX 3080 cards become available. Having said that, I've really been enjoying Call of Duty: Warzone, and wanted to temporarily upgrade my old GTX 670 to an RTX 2060 to see if I can squeeze out any fps gain in the short term, and then build an entirely new rig this fall.

I checked compatibility on PC Part Picker, and it seems this old motherboard should work with the RTX 2060. However, I cannot get the computer to POST with the 2060. I am getting the post code EB, which for my board indicates "Calling video BIOS". I've tried both PCI-E slots, and no dice. Everything boots up just fine with my old GTX 670. Complicating matters is that Intel recently discontinued support for their motherboards. I am using what I believe to be the last BIOS update they supplied, which was in 2014.

The video card fans are spinning. I have a 650W PSU that functions just fine with the GTX 670 during taxing rendering (for its capability, at least!), let alone startup.

Interestingly, at one point during this process I did get the 3 long beep sequence during POST indicating a memory problem -- I am not sure if memory or the video card initialize first in the POST process. I took everything (video card and RAM) and re-seated them, and it went back to the same old EB error.

Any ideas? Is it possible that the motherboard is "compatible" in the sense that it possesses the correct PCI-E slots, but the BIOS architecture is simply too old that it cannot communicate with the video BIOS of the new card? I'll take any ideas I can get here. Thank you.

 

[Barty1884]

Any ideas? Is it possible that the motherboard is "compatible" in the sense that it possesses the correct PCI-E slots, but the BIOS architecture is simply too old that it cannot communicate with the video BIOS of the new card? I'll take any ideas I can get here. Thank you.

Yes, that's certainly possible.

Do you have any options for "UEFI boot" within the BIOS? You'd need to reinstall the 670 installed to check....

An Intel board from 2012 is interesting. Intel boards tend to sit between OEM (Lenovo/HP etc) and consumer retail (MSI, ASUS etc) in terms of support. OEM's can be the worse in terms of BIOS compatibility with newer components, and consumer boards the best (generally). Intel boards tend to be a crapshoot, with no rhyme nor reason.

 

[mezcal14]

Yes, that's certainly possible.

Do you have any options for "UEFI boot" within the BIOS? You'd need to reinstall the 670 installed to check....

An Intel board from 2012 is interesting. Intel boards tend to sit between OEM (Lenovo/HP etc) and consumer retail (MSI, ASUS etc) in terms of support. OEM's can be the worse in terms of BIOS compatibility with newer components, and consumer boards the best (generally). Intel boards tend to be a crapshoot, with no rhyme nor reason.

Thank you for the tip! I had never heard of UEFI booting before. I checked it out and then went into BIOS and was able to activate it. Plugged the 2060 in and...no POST.

I appreciate you trying to help me. I suspect it's just that this motherboard is simply too old.

Your note re: Intel is an interesting one. I actually had to RMA it when I first purchased it because it was't compatible with one of their own processors. They sent me a new one of the same model but from a different batch and voila -- worked like a charm. At the time this was a well known issue - bizarre. Live and learn I guess. Here I thought Intel would be just as good as an ASUS, MSI, and what have you.

Thank you again for trying.

 

[Barty1884]

Here I thought Intel would be just as good as an ASUS, MSI, and what have you.

Functionally, at the time, they'd likely on par with the locked boards from most known vendors.
Long-term support however, including BIOS updates etc, is another issue alltogether, unfortunately.