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After Replacing Mobo: PC Powers On but No Display Signal, Keyboard LEDs Flashing

1K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  UncleAJ 
#1 ·
I tried to avoid resorting to making a thread, but I gave up my entire July 4th holiday to troubleshooting this mess... I'm tapping out. Just looking for some guidance!

I wanted to upgrade my CPU from an i7 2700k to an i7 6700k, The current mobo (ASUS Sabretooth P67) didn't have the right socket. Picked up an ASUS Z170-E and some new GDDR4 RAM (Two 8GB Ballistix sticks) from a local Micro Center. I set aside today for the mobo replacement process.

I spent most of the day troubleshooting the PC failing to get to POST, but turns out I'm a dummy and completely missed the 2-pin connector for the main power button. So seeing the lights light up and the fans spin was huge progress for me. I walked out of Micro Center with a new PSU just on the CHANCE that my current PSU was to blame (despite the fact it worked perfectly fine this morning before I started this whole process), but I'll be returning it today.

So where I'm at now is: the PC powers on, but my displays aren't getting any signal. And the only form of feedback I'm getting is the LEDs on my Corsair Strafe keyboard behaving very strangely. All of the keys flash in an oscillating pattern from right to left, like ocean waves. The last time I saw that was a similar no-display issue that I resolved by re-seating the RAM. No such luck this time.

Things I've already tried:

  • Re-seating the RAM sticks, including leaving only 1 stick in the board instead of both, in all four of the slots.
  • Unplugging the VGA cable from my GPU and plugging it into the VGA port directly on the mobo.
  • Powering on the PC without the GPU connected at all.
  • Unplugging everything from the rear panel except the VGA cable and power cable, then powering on.
  • Unplugging everything, including the power cable from the PSU, then holding down the power button for a full minute (apparently discharges electricity), then plugging everything back in and powering on.
  • Searching the web for various permutations of "corsair strafe LEDs blinking" to find out what the heck that means. (Results are sparse. There are some mentions of ONLY the Scroll Lock key blinking which apparently indicates being in a BIOS mode, but that doesn't apply to me.)


Things I haven't tried yet:

  • Getting audio feedback from the motherboard speaker. (I don't have one... never have. Micro Center didn't have any in stock, but I just ordered one from Amazon and it'll be here tomorrow.)
  • Clearing the CMOS. (Very skeptical about having to go this far since I just took this mobo out of its packaging today, but I looked into it. The manual states "Unplug the PC, then short circuit pin 1-2 with a metal object or jumper cap for about 5-10 seconds." What? When I search the web for guides about resetting CMOS almost all of them mention removing a battery first, and you just want me to go right in there with a paperclip or something? I'm going to be 100% SURE that's necessary before going that far.)

My Specs:
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 8M Skylake Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1151
  • CPU Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212... uncertain of specific model
  • Motherboard: ASUS Z170-E LGA 1151
  • PSU: Corsair HX850
  • RAM: Ballistix GDDR4 8GB x2
  • GPU: Gigabyte GTX 970 G1, GDDR5, 4GB
  • Hard Drive: Western Digital WD20EARX 2.0TB
  • OS: Windows 7 64-bit
  • Monitors: ASUS VW246 and Dell S2415Hb
  • Keyboard: Corsair STRAFE


Still holding onto hope I'm just missing something obvious and that nothing is damaged. Much appreciated, everyone.
 
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#2 ·
First things that come to mind when you say you can't POST (no splash screen just darkness and the monitor LED light turns back to orange right?). Motherboard, CPU, and RAM. To narrow down a bit of steps tell me what happens when you turn on the computer? Does your Computer turn off after a little bit or does it stay on for as long as you want it to with just lights and fan being powered? On the other hand, have you already tried both monitors with one being an external test?
 
#3 ·
UPDATE:
I exchanged the motherboard and RAM for fresh versions just to narrow down the possibilities of the culprit. Took extra precautions when installing everything. Still no display signal. At this point, it's either a bad CPU, or I'm still missing something super obvious. Or there's a compatibility issue somewhere that pcpartpicker.com isn't picking up. Regardless I RMA'd the CPU back to Newegg for a free replacement. Now to wait a week.

I put the original mobo back in, so I'm back up and running for now. All the components are still working fine, so good to know I didn't damage a GPU or monitor cable or something along the way.



Thank you for replying.

Computer stays powered on as long as I want until I force it to shut down by holding the power button.

What do you mean by "external test?"
 
#5 ·
Update! Finally had time to take another crack at this.

I'm working with a second round of fresh parts now: mobo, CPU, RAM and a new mobo speaker for providing feedback.

Still no display.

But thanks to the speaker I now know where the hangup is: ASUS support website lists my beep code pattern as "No memory detected."
[Motherboard] Table for ASUS BIOS beep codes

I went ahead and tried seating the RAM sticks one at a time in every possible combination of slots, no difference in any of them.

So either I managed to get a second busted mobo or second faulty set of RAM despite astronomically low odds, or... the RAM I got isn't compatible?

They're 2 8GB DDR4 2400 1.2V sticks (Crucial Ballistix), and the official ASUS specs claim that should be fine. (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z170-E/specifications/)

One friend pointed out to me that their voltage might be too high and I'd need to adjust that in the BIOS, but besides the fact I need a working display to use a BIOS at all, I'm not seeing any indication of 1.2V being out of the question based on the brief research I did into the subject.

I did find an official ASUS Qualified Vendor List for DDR4 2400 memory, and Crucial is listed there, but only for 4GB sticks. I'm using 8GB sticks...
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170I_PRO_GAMING/Z170IPG_2400_QVL151106.pdf

The board clearly supports 8GB sticks from other vendors so it'd be quite silly for this all caused by me picking the wrong vendor, but I suppose it's possible. Anyone else think that's absurd?

Regardless I'll try swapping the RAM for a model listed on that official list and see what happens, as I've run out of ideas otherwise.
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you're getting memory error beeps, then memory is the problem. It's best to stick to qualified models for assured compatibility and stability. The QVL you linked to is not for your motherboard. The one for your motherboard is here https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z170-E/HelpDesk_QVL/ and this http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170-E/Z170-E_DRAM_QVL_20160316.pdf to be specific. One of the qualified 8GB DDR4 2400 models is Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR4-2400 UDIMM | BLS8G4D240FSA | Crucial.com.

Hint: use the part number of qualified memory to find them on (online) stores.

If using 2 DIMM slots (2 memory modules), it's recommended that you use slots A2 and B2 for better compatibility. Take note of the advisory notes at the end of that QVL document.

-The default DIMM frequency depends on its Serial Presence Detect (SPD), which is the standard way of accessing information from a memory module. Under the default state, some memory modules for
overclocking may operate at a lower frequency than the vendor-marked value

-Memory module with memory frequency higher than 2133 MHz and its corresponding timing or the loaded XMP Profile is not the JEDEC memory standard. The stability and compatibility of these memory
modules depend on the CPU’s capabilities and other installed devices.
Source: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170-E/Z170-E_DRAM_QVL_20160316.pdf pg 6.

2133 MHz is the standard frequency of DDR4 memory. Frequencies higher than that are non-standard and are for overclocking (are overclocked). Modules marketed with higher frequencies than 2133 MHz may not run at those frequencies by default. Overclocking is required to have them running at their marketed frequencies. Overclocking memory may affect stability, and gains in performance are hardly noticeable. You may only notice performance increase in benchmarks!

The CPU's (and memory controller's) capabilities are determinants of supported memory configuration. According to the specs sheet of your CPU found here Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-6700K Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz) Specifications, it only supports DDR4-1866/2133. I strongly suggest you use qualified 2133 MHz DDR4 memory for better compatibility. I'm not saying 2400 MHz memory won't work, but it may not work if configured to run at 2400 MHz.

The CPU and memory controller will configure the 2400 MHz memory to run at 2133 MHz (if the modules support lower frequencies than the marked/stock value), and you may be tempted to overclock it to run at its marked frequency of 2400 MHz, but this can have negative effects such as what you're experiencing right now. Perhaps the current modules you have cannot even run at lower than the stock, non-standard 2400 MHz frequency and your CPU doesn't support frequencies above 2133 MHz. Your friend's suggestion to lower the voltage is the equivalent of underclocking the memory to run at lower than the stock frequency of 2400 MHz, and to do that you need to be able to get past POST and enter BIOS setup, but in this case you can't, plus what's the point of buying overclocking memory and end up underclocking it just to get it to work properly with your CPU? Instead, you'd rather just buy memory of standard frequency (2133 MHz) that is supported by both your CPU and motherboard (QVL).
 
#7 ·
Thank you for all of that info Stancestans. I've spent this entire day since waking up doing research and making three trips to MicroCenter and back.

Here's my running list of memory sticks I've tried, in the order I've tried them:
  • Crucial Ballistix Sport LT Gray 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 UDIMM 1.2V (BLS2K8G4D240FSB) - Recommended by a MicroCenter store clerk when I picked up the Z170-E board
  • Crucial 16GB Kit (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 UDIMM 1.2V (CT4K4G4DFS8213) - Listed in the Z170-E QVL on ASUS' website, and also the only DDR4-2133 memory available at my local MicroCenter
  • Two separate Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR4-2400 UDIMM 1.2V (BLS8G4D240FSA) - Listed in the QVL of the Z170-E manual that came in the box
  • Crucial Ballistix Sport LT Red 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 UDIMM 1.2V (BLS2C8G4D240FSE) - Listed under Crucial's online guaranteed compatibility list for the Z170-E
All duds :( And yes I tried both one stick by itself, and made sure they were in the A2 and B2 slots according to ASUS' manual. I'm finding it hard to believe that after this many attempts, the issue is still incompatible memory, but if that's what the beep code means, that's what it means.


With my local retail options exhausted, my next attempt is going to be ordering this, which is 2133 MHz and is DEFINITELY listed in the manual's QVL. And hey, it's not from Crucial... maybe that's the common thread I've been ignoring. But I'll have to wait until Tuesday to find out.
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Veng...eature_five_browse-bin:677429011,p_89:Corsair
 
#8 ·
As you wait for the Corsair sticks, perform a bench test (out of case) of a skeletal setup, i.e:

Motherboard,
CPU+heat sink,
1 stick of RAM in A2 slot,
CMOS battery,
PSU,
1 monitor connected to onboard graphics (via DVI port) and
System speaker.

Assemble the above listed components outside of the computer case. Place the motherboard on a flat, non-conductive surface, e.g on top of its cardboard packaging. Ground yourself by touching a conductive surface. Always refer to the mobo's manual for detailed instructions.

It seems the DIMM slots on the board do not have retainer clips on both ends, but only one clip on one end. Looking at similar cases online, it's possible to not fully insert a RAM stick and still get the clip to lock into place, leaving the other end (without a clip) not fully inserted. Make sure you firmly push the ram module into place and it goes in all the way on both ends.

Turn on the system by briefly shorting the two pins to which the power switch connects. There are several POST state LEDs on the board. If an error is found during POST, the LED corresponding to the error component stays lit. Report back which of these LEDs stays on.


Source: manual Pg 1-37 (chapter 1 pg 37). Please refer to that page of the document for more details about memory issues and what to do.
 
#9 ·
Sorry for the delay, I lost four hours today to a hunch that my PSU was failing. It's not. Moving on.

Well thank you again, Stancestans, as building outside the case like you specified did indeed bring up a display!






The "one long beep then two short beeps" never happened. The DRAM_LED light was on immediately after shorting the pins, but only for about 10 seconds, then I heard one single short beep and that LED has remained off since. Only the green PWR_LED and red BOOT_DEVICE_LED lights are on.

I never pressed the MemOK! button. Should I do that before powering off and putting everything back into the case?
 
#11 ·
The "one long beep then two short beeps" never happened. The DRAM_LED light was on immediately after shorting the pins, but only for about 10 seconds, then I heard one single short beep and that LED has remained off since. Only the green PWR_LED and red BOOT_DEVICE_LED lights are on.

I never pressed the MemOK! button. Should I do that before powering off and putting everything back into the case?
No, don't press the MemOK button now that you're getting past POST and the DRAM LED doesn't stay ON. That single short beep is music to the ears. The red BOOT_DEVICE_LED is expected because there is no boot device attached.

Went ahead and powered down, installed the second RAM stick, then powered on again. This time it went straight to the BIOS interface. Good sign I think? Board is still outside the case.

EDIT: It also boots into BIOS with the GPU installed, as well as mouse and keyboard plugged in. I guess it's time to try moving everything back to the case?
Adding more RAM changes memory configuration and can cause it to boot straight to BIOS, so that you can verify the new RAM configuration and make adjustments if necessary. In this case, you just need to check if both sticks are detected in their respective slots and the total memory is as expected. You may also note the clock speed/frequency and timing at which the modules are running just for your information.

You can now mount the board inside the case, but install the PSU into the case first. You don't have to uninstall the CPU, heatsink and memory before mounting the board. Lift the board by its sides or by the firmly installed cpu heatsink (easier and preferred). Avoid touching its underside with your bare hands.

You must be wondering why the out-of-case assembly works yet it didn't inside the case. I can think of two possibilities:

1. The board was not properly suspended inside the case and there might have been unintended conductive contact between the case and the board. The only conductive contact between the board and the case should be the metallic standoffs on which the board is screwed and these standoffs must not be present anywhere else other than directly underneath the screw holes of the motherboard. This contact is for grounding.

Inspect the studs/standoffs that hoist the board and make sure none is missing or you have enough (one for each screw hole on the board). Also make sure the standoffs exactly match the screw hole positions on the board, and that there are no extra standoffs that touch the board anywhere else where there's no screw hole. Your case may also come with plastic spacers that help in hoisting the board. Make use of them.

2. You did not firmly press the ram sticks into place while installing them inside the case, possibly due to not enough working space or the board caving inwards as you push since it's literally floating and only held by the standoffs. Building out of case/on a bench is recommended because the bench offers a firm surface for proper installation of components that need a firm push, e.g heatsinks and ram modules, and lots of working room.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Went ahead and powered down, installed the second RAM stick, then powered on again. This time it went straight to the BIOS interface. Good sign I think? Board is still outside the case.

EDIT: It also boots into BIOS with the GPU installed, as well as mouse and keyboard plugged in. I guess it's time to try moving everything back to the case?

 
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