[SOLVED] Relatively New Build - Nothing but problems

[BehemothJackal]

That sounds like the motherboard is defective (assuming you tested with the IGP to rule out the video card). You should RMA the board.

On it. Will report back in several weeks when I get my replacement part, if anyone cares at that point lol.

Several weeks? Holly shiz! For me it took like 4-5 working days, but granted in my country we don't return it to the manufacturer, we send it to the company that sold the product us and they RMA it.

I'm in Japan right now, so it'll take a bit hehe.

[yogibbear]

Dumb request...

Have you tried using the stock heatsink/fan instead of the H80?

[Arclight]

[...]I'm in Japan right now, so it'll take a bit hehe.

Pictures or it didn't happen XD

[BehemothJackal]

Pictures or it didn't happen XD

Delivered

http://www.misawa.af.mil/search/imagese ... bogdanovic

[BehemothJackal]

Update 2/9/12

Got the new mobo in today. Same exact issues. 4 sticks of RAM infinite power on power off, 3 sticks goes through POST, but freezes at "Starting Windows" during Win 7 installation. Processor the culprit?

[Arvald]

Update 2/9/12

Got the new mobo in today. Same exact issues. 4 sticks of RAM infinite power on power off, 3 sticks goes through POST, but freezes at "Starting Windows" during Win 7 installation. Processor the culprit?

I had same board and similar issue, my solution was to reseat the RAM (was not going in easy) and relaxed the memory timing.
Sound like your issue. Have you made sure to set HD access to AHCI?

[Arclight]

Update 2/9/12

Got the new mobo in today. Same exact issues. 4 sticks of RAM infinite power on power off, 3 sticks goes through POST, but freezes at "Starting Windows" during Win 7 installation. Processor the culprit?

Oh dang it.

Ok let's take a step back. Slim chance both bords were faulty and/or more than one defective hardware causing the issues.

1. I didn't recheck all the posts but did you run Memtest on the RAM (one stick at the time?). Do that for at least 8 cycles for each module (do not test them in dual channel mode).

You said you tested without the SSD, so...let's rule that out for the moment but don't connect it yet, keep only the HDD till you find the first culprit (SSD could be causing issues also so let's take it step by step).

You also didn't mention if you tested with the monitor connected to the IGP instead the discrete video card.

2. BSODs? What kind? Can you post a picture with the codes? That might tell somebody something

3. Temps. Did you monitor them? What are the highest registered?

At this point i'm suspecting the RAM, but obviously i have been wrong before.

[BehemothJackal]

I'm at work right now (it's 12:56pm here) so I can't really get cracking on it. I'll try tonight when I get home and will report on all tests/findings.

[Perm]

Hey guys - normally I don't register for boards based on a single issue, but I felt compelled to hop on and steer you guys in the right way. I've had the asus z68 pro since it basically came out last summer. I have an intel SSD (128gb) and that is DEFINITELY the issue. All of the speculation about RAM, proc, mobo, etc, etc... after extensive testing and web searches, I'm 99.9% positive that it has nothing to do with what is happening.

There is some kind of issue with these boards regarding the MARVEL and INTEL controllers and SSDs. It's like anytime there's an SSD present the two RAID controllers don't play nicely with each other or something?

I've had on and off problems since I had the board. After the last firmware update this winter things seemed to be better, but out of the blue today I started having issues again. I'm about to just toss the SSD out of the system so I can get back to normal.

My next course of action is going to be to turn off the MARVEL controller altogether and go with the 3.0 INTEL only.

The current SATA devices I have:
Intel 128gb SSD
Western Digital 1TB 7200RPM
cd/dvd r/rw drive

Anyway, not sure this helps a whole lot... but hopefully gets everyone focused on the same potential problem here.

[Perm]

Figured I'd follow up my own post with a new BIOS revision that popped up less than a month ago. (Still with there were some way they would automagically notify you of new BIOS versions.)

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_ ... /#download

The description of the new BIOS is pretty crappy, but I can tell you that they definitely changed how the Intel and Marvel SATA controllers work in BIOS as well as how you prioritize and setup boot options.

So far so good... but time will tell I guess. I'm not optimistic until I've gone a few weeks without issue. :\

[hieu.noob]

There is some kind of issue with these boards regarding the MARVEL and INTEL controllers and SSDs. It's like anytime there's an SSD present the two RAID controllers don't play nicely with each other or something?

I have every SATA slot in use with 2 SSDs and the same mobo as the OP. I also have had the V-PRO since its release, and these never gave me issue. I did have bad RAM, which memtest weeded out.

[edit]
before someone says pics or it didn't happen: My PC. Trouble shooting a new build is a bitch, but my BSODs were usually memory related.

[Perm]

To be clear, I'm certainly not saying that *all* blue screens are caused by the sata controllers. Of course bsods can be caused by memory, mobos, vid cards, etc...

However, if you do a search for the Asus z68 board he has installed and cross-reference SSDs and the marvel controller, you'll see a litany of issues. It's certainly worth paying attention to that issue first, before going the route of replacing all your hardware in search of a bad piece.

Also, coincidentally I found a firmware update for my Crucial M4 drive last night that seemed to address (yet another) issue with my setup: http://www.crucial.com/support/firmware.aspx

The specific symptom in this case is almost hilarious to read if it weren't so infuriating:
* Correct a condition where an incorrect response to a SMART counter will cause the m4 drive to become unresponsive after 5184 hours of Power-on time. The drive will recover after a power cycle, however, this failure will repeat once per hour after reaching this point. The condition will allow the end user to successfully update firmware, and poses no risk to user or system data stored on the drive.

It's like... really, you guys made a hard drive that locks up every hour after 5,184 hours of use? How in the hell did they manage that? /facepalm

[BehemothJackal]

Update 2/9/12

Got the new mobo in today. Same exact issues. 4 sticks of RAM infinite power on power off, 3 sticks goes through POST, but freezes at "Starting Windows" during Win 7 installation. Processor the culprit?

Oh dang it.

Ok let's take a step back. Slim chance both bords were faulty and/or more than one defective hardware causing the issues.

1. I didn't recheck all the posts but did you run Memtest on the RAM (one stick at the time?). Do that for at least 8 cycles for each module (do not test them in dual channel mode).

You said you tested without the SSD, so...let's rule that out for the moment but don't connect it yet, keep only the HDD till you find the first culprit (SSD could be causing issues also so let's take it step by step).

You also didn't mention if you tested with the monitor connected to the IGP instead the discrete video card.

2. BSODs? What kind? Can you post a picture with the codes? That might tell somebody something

3. Temps. Did you monitor them? What are the highest registered?

At this point i'm suspecting the RAM, but obviously i have been wrong before.

FIXED! RAM was the issue after all. There was one bad stick.

[Forge]

Update 2/9/12

Got the new mobo in today. Same exact issues. 4 sticks of RAM infinite power on power off, 3 sticks goes through POST, but freezes at "Starting Windows" during Win 7 installation. Processor the culprit?

FIXED! RAM was the issue after all. There was one bad stick.

Argh. I'm sorry I wasn't in time to help you, alternately that I didn't read this in time to help myself.

I have a nice X58/i7-920 rig. Had problems with BSODs on an irregular basis, no consistency to it at all. Thought my mobo or CPU was going bad. RMAed my CPU and got it replaced, started a motherboard RMA. Got fed up, went out and bought a Core i5-2500K and P8Z68-V LX. In a semi-related note, I had run memtest86 and memtest86+ on many occasions, running for hours or even days without any errors.

Massive, constant issues, wouldn't POST reliably at any speed, underclocking CPU and RAM no change, got Windows installed (barely) and it immediately started failing piecemeal. Ended up returning the mobo and CPU and going back to my X58. Since I had a bunch of store credit to burn, bought my same ram, but a different packaging, 32GB for my upcoming LGA2011 rig. Now my X58 is much, much more solid. All I did was switch out my Crucial Ballistix CAS10 DDR3-1600 for CAS9. I did notice that the default IMC voltage is much lower (1.3V instead of 1.5V, versus 1.15V default).

Now I wish I'd kept the i5 at least, since that one would do 5GHz on a single core and 4.8GHz on all four. Should have swapped the RAM and kept the rest.

So I think the growing consensus is: If you have an Asus P8Z68 and it's having tons of trouble POSTing/booting/running, look to your RAM first.