New build - Bad board?

[Captain Spaulding]

Setting up a test bench PC from scratch.

MB - ASUS P8Z68-V LE
CPU - 2500K
HD - Crucial 128gb SSD
No graphics card

Set it all up switched on and started to install windows 7, installs fine. Once installed I update the BIOS and the firmware on the SSD all fine. Then the fun begins.

I start to run windows updates, then reboot, when it comes back it gets to Windows login screen I enter my password and it suddenly it powers off and restarts. It keeps doing the same thing. In safe mode I can login but then sometimes it powers off and reboots again at random.

Swapped the PSU Corsair CX430 for another brand new spare, no change. Swapped the RAM to another stick, no change. Unplugged everything except mb, ram, and HD same problem. Reseated CPU no change.

I reinstalled win 7, 2nd time the graphics looked odd, black line down the centre of the screen, I swapped the monitor onto a working PC and it was fine, strange thing was when I put it back on the line had gone.

HBCD and puppy linux both run fine which is odd.

So I'm thinking maybe bad board, CPU or HD?

Anything I might have missed? What would you RMA first?

 

[TLE]

Looks like you have covered the bases to me. I think my next step would be to install a standard hard disk and install windows back on and see how you go.

It does sound more like the MB though. I haven't had a great deal of experience yet with SSD's.

It's unlikley to the be the CPU, more likley the MB or SSD.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

I just tested the SSD in a laptop with a clean install of windows 7 and it runs fine, with updates etc.

So I'm thinking bad MB or CPU, will swap the MB first.

 

[oldtech]

Double check your bios settings - my guess is the update changed the drive settings.

 

[Knightsman]

see if you can reload the old bios settings. I have been seeing this a lot latetly, something quirky with win7 64. Starting to get annoying really.

 

[johnrobert]

Why would you update the bios on a new MB if it isn’t bust don’t fix it
And only do one thing at time

 

[Captain Spaulding]

This is getting annoying now, convinced it was a bad board I RMA'ed the old, new one arrived and same problem, install of Win 7 goes fine then while running updates reboot happens.

I ruled out the SSD drive by using a mechanical drive, same result. Speccy and the BIOS shows the CPU temp running normal 20-35 deg.

Sometimes after rebooting the MB comes up with the message "ASUS surge protection was activated due to an unstable power supply".

I have used two PSU's both brand new and both Corsair CX430, one thing I notice when I shut down windows but leave the PSU on I get a very high pitched whine on the PSU units.

One other thing I did notice as well once after rebooting after updates it started up with loads of multicoloured lines on the screen much like a video card issue but then switched to normal graphics.

So I'm thinking:

- Possible both brand new PSU units are bad (unlikely but these power surge messages are pointing towards a power problem)
- CPU is bad
- Memory is bad, I have 4 x4gb sticks Corsair CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B happens even when I have just one stick in and alternate it.

This is bugging me now...

 

[Knightsman]

If it does it only after windows updates, then there is an update that's causing it. Reinstall windows, and flag the update it does it on not to update.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

If it does it only after windows updates, then there is an update that's causing it. Reinstall windows, and flag the update it does it on not to update.

It's not just updates sometimes it does it just after entering your password at login, sometimes when running other programs, normally when something is going on rather than idle.

 

[kevinjhaag]

It's not just updates sometimes it does it just after entering your password at login, sometimes when running other programs, normally when something is going on rather than idle.

Is this before or after updates are installed?

If it does it only after windows updates, then there is an update that's causing it. Reinstall windows, and flag the update it does it on not to update.

Yeah, I agree with Knightsman. Maybe its a Microsoft driver thats incompatible with a piece of hardware. I don't know about others on TN, but once I have a perfectly running machine, I don't ever let windows updates update a driver. Seems to always screw something up in someway or another. I always use the hardware manufacturers drivers in all cases if they are available.

Kevin

 

[Mr.Mike]

Have you considered that the onboard GPU may be at fault? Or perhaps their's some issue with windows update that ASUS knows about. I would query the manufacturer before doing anything else.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Is this before or after updates are installed?



Yeah, I agree with Knightsman. Maybe its a Microsoft driver thats incompatible with a piece of hardware. I don't know about others on TN, but once I have a perfectly running machine, I don't ever let windows updates update a driver. Seems to always screw something up in someway or another. I always use the hardware manufacturers drivers in all cases if they are available.

Kevin

Did another fresh install, this time with the intention of not installing any driver updates, ran the install rebooted, logged in, installed LAN driver from motherboard disk, a min later it reboots itself, when it restarts BIOS reports a power surge message again.

Safe mode with networking seems to work OK, I can't reproduce the reboot. So a clean install without running any updates still reboots itself.

 

[jbartlett323]

Did another fresh install, this time with the intention of not installing any driver updates, ran the install rebooted, logged in, installed LAN driver from motherboard disk, a min later it reboots itself, when it restarts BIOS reports a power surge message again.

Safe mode with networking seems to work OK, I can't reproduce the reboot. So a clean install without running any updates still reboots itself.

power surge sounds like power issue, but strange results. I would recommend trying a 600+ watt PSU. Maybe that board pulls more than the 430 likes.

Could be processor issue, but doubtful. Def not a motherboard issue now. new board on latest BIOS though right?

Is your RAM clocked right? I know some of the past generations had issues of this nature, ended up being that when set to "Auto" BIOS wasn't feeding the RAM enough voltage or setting SPD correctly in general. Settings these settings to factory standards manually would fix the issue. might be worth a try...

 

[kevinjhaag]

when it restarts BIOS reports a power surge message again..

I've seen this power surge message before on the ASUS boards. In the BIOS, you can disable the power surge feature. Sorry but I can't remember what I did to fix this. I have ran into this exact issue before with the rebooting. I might have installed a bigger power supply like a 600 WATT power supply. But for now, try disabling the power surge feature in the BIOS and lets see how it acts after that.

Kevin

 

[Captain Spaulding]

I've seen this power surge message before on the ASUS boards. In the BIOS, you can disable the power surge feature. Sorry but I can't remember what I did to fix this. I have ran into this exact issue before with the rebooting. I might have installed a bigger power supply like a 600 WATT power supply. But for now, try disabling the power surge feature in the BIOS and lets see how it acts after that.

Kevin

I already tried with the power surge feature disabled, still the same just no message from the BIOS on reboot. I can get my hands on a 750W PSU tomorrow I know works so I'll give that a go.

Strange thing is it never happens during install, never so far in safe more, or never so far with any kind of live CD in. Only when running post install.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Just tried another fresh install this time from a Win 7 disk with SP1 already on it, same result this time rebooted before I could even install the LAN driver. Same power surge message in BIOS, I'm thinking this must be PSU related, I'll see how the bigger PSU goes tomorrow.

 

[kevinjhaag]

I already tried with the power surge feature disabled, still the same just no message from the BIOS on reboot. I can get my hands on a 750W PSU tomorrow I know works so I'll give that a go.

Strange thing is it never happens during install, never so far in safe more, or never so far with any kind of live CD in. Only when running post install.

Do you have "Automatically Restart" on System Failure, Enabled by chance? It should be on a clean install. If you disable it, do you get a BSOD when it reboots. I'm interested in the BSOD message. But then again, it shouldn't matter on a clean install of Windows. But it may give you some sort of idea maybe. There is a good chance that this is why I only use Gigabyte MB's nowadays. The weird little issues I would get with the ASUS MB's sometimes. I usually get combo CPU with Free Motherboard combo and I have had more issues with the ASUS than Gigabyte motherboards. I would try the bigger power supply first. Then if that doesn't do it, if you can, try a Gigabyte MB. Good Luck my friend.

Kevin

 

[Captain Spaulding]

power surge sounds like power issue, but strange results. I would recommend trying a 600+ watt PSU. Maybe that board pulls more than the 430 likes.

Could be processor issue, but doubtful. Def not a motherboard issue now. new board on latest BIOS though right?

Is your RAM clocked right? I know some of the past generations had issues of this nature, ended up being that when set to "Auto" BIOS wasn't feeding the RAM enough voltage or setting SPD correctly in general. Settings these settings to factory standards manually would fix the issue. might be worth a try...

I think I owe you a massive thanks!!!

Your memory settings comment got me doing some research and I found a couple of posts where people with 1600MHz memory have had to go into the BIOS and in the AI tweaker section change the settings to XMP instead of auto.

One of the posts:

"Not sure if this will solve your problem, but might put you in the right direction. I have pretty much the same setup; i5 2500k, asus z68 v pro, 1600 corsair . The exact thing was happening to me after running auto tune. I went into the BIOS AI Tweaker and set the AI overclock tuner back to X.M.P. because auto tune put it in manual. (I set it to X.M.P. originaly because after reading some reviews of the board on the internet, it was explained in order to utilize the memory at 1600 instead of the board default 1333 it needed to be there). After setting it to X.M.P it boots normal. The only difference is 4.2 ghz (100mhz) instead of 4.3 ghz (103 mhz). Prime and Intel burn test reported all is well."

I changed to X.M.P and manually selected 1600 (it was set to 1333) and since then it's been stable. Touch lots of wood!!! Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I love this place

 

[jbartlett323]

Awesome!!! Glad i could help!