New build, RAM start-up stumbling block

Associate
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12 Mar 2009
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Morning folks!

In the midst of finally getting an upgrade from my AM2+ 720BE and have been building the following core parts:
  • i7-6700k
  • Giga-Byte GA-Z170X-Gaming 5
  • Sapphire R9 390X (this being the one that was on the early Boxing Day offer and what kicked off this whole thing)
  • EVGA 1000P2 1000W
  • 16GB (2x8GB) 2400MHz DDR4 Crucial Ballistix Sport
  • NH-D15 cooler (currently only got 1 fan fitted so I can access the RAM)
  • and the usual peripherals

So, I have come to first power up to check everything is OK before standing the unit up and putting the hard disks etc in and the machine keeps restarting with a diagnostics code '55' - which basically means it cannot find any RAM.

I don't have a second DDR4 compliant machine to drop the RAM sticks in to and I don't know anyone who has gone to DDR4 other than myself. I have tried moving the RAM about through every slot possible (1 stick at a time) and it refuses to go any further through the boot sequence. I had spotted the spec of the motherboard is given as:
  • Support for DDR4 3466(O.C.) /3400(O.C.) /3333(O.C.) /3300(O.C.) /3200(O.C.) /3000(O.C.) /2800(O.C.) /2666(O.C.) /2400(O.C.) /2133 MHz memory modules
On the OcUK site and elsewhere (like the Giga-Byte site).

Here lies the problem, the motherboard is refusing to see the pre-configured 2400MHz RAM and I can't get in to the BIOS to change the settings to remedy the issue (have to assume XMP is off by default or something similar). This leaves me with at least a couple of scenarios:

  1. The RAM I have is dead and I can't prove either way it is or it isn't as I have no stable system to put in to as a test-bed
  2. I need to now buy more RAM at the slower clock to set up the motherboard and presumably to lock it down to 2133 and run the RAM I already have at this slightly lower speed permanently (or until a fi comes along)
    a) I buy a 4GB stick, lock it down and swap out the lower stick for the RAM I already have (£20)
    b) I buy a 2x4GB kit and lock the BIOS down and then drop the RAM I already have in as well and hope that dual channel runs OK with two different pairs of RAM (£39)

So, what would you guys do? Beyond the swearing that has already taken place!?

Do any of you have any bright ideas on how to circumvent this and give me option 3 (get it working OK as it is)? :D

I can't work out how the motherboard is supposed to ever support anything other than 2133MHz if I have to go out and buy a 2133MHz stick (or set) and listing it as supported when the RAM can't be detected just seems ridiculous!

I must be missing something :eek:


P.S. Having had a bit of a Google it appears the same issue has been experienced elsewhere on both this motherboard and the Gaming 7 version. Option 2 is basically what people have done to fix it but it seems stupid to advertise the board as supporting higher frequencies without making it clear you need this extra hardware. The manual inside only says it supports 2133MHz, this isn't what is given on the product advertising and presumably this is all caused by a default BIOS setting issue.
 
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What extra hardware would that be ?

Have you updated the Bios ?

The extra hardware would be any further stick(s) of 2133MHz only RAM.

I haven't tried a BIOS flash yet as the machine reboots when it hits the '55' code and as I have no graphics output from it so far I am a little loathed to risk a BIOS update when the machine may reboot itself part way through the cycle.
 
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Having read through my update options: I can't conduct any of the 3 update methods as it stands anyway as the machine isn't booting up far enough to initialise a flash proceedure.

I am not getting any video output at all from either the onboard graphics (presumably because it has no RAM to try and use) or the R9 390X.
 
Last edited:
Caporegime
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The board works fine with any of the first BIOS releases with faster than 2133Mhz RAM.

• Do you have RAM pushed in fully?
• Clear the CMOS.
• All power connectors plugged in?
• Try one stick of RAM at a time in case one stick is DOA.
• Remove any unnecessary items to get it to boot and into the BIOS, such as drives and VGA cvard and any external USB drives.
 
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Cheers for the suggestions stulid.

Made sure the RAM was pushed in all the way each time and all the power connectors are connected.

Already tried one stick at a time with both sticks in all 4 ports.

Will check I haven't left any unnecessary peripherals plugged in and try a CMOS wipe (think I did that previously but will try it again just incase I have convinced myself I did it).

Will start again from scratch tomorrow night, I think last night I was just getting a bit annoyed and might have missed something simple.
 
Associate
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The board works fine with any of the first BIOS releases with faster than 2133Mhz RAM.

• Do you have RAM pushed in fully?
• Clear the CMOS.
• All power connectors plugged in?
• Try one stick of RAM at a time in case one stick is DOA.
• Remove any unnecessary items to get it to boot and into the BIOS, such as drives and VGA cvard and any external USB drives.

Right, went around everything to make sure the only things plugged in to the motherboard were the most basic motherboard only power cables (checked to ensure fully seated), CPU, CPU cooler, 1 stick of RAM (again checked to ensure fully seated) and the power switch.

Then cleared the CMOS.

Pressed the start button and got exactly the same behavior. Subsequently tested both sticks individually through all 4 slots (clearing the CMOS each and every time, just incase).

Absolutely nothing :(

Check the cpu socket for bent pins.

So, after trying stulid's suggestions I have disconnected the mains and taken the cooler off, I can't see a single bent pin in the socket from any angle.


So, I am completely stumped unless it is the RAM Auto speed setting like at least another couple have experienced here.
 
Soldato
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London
Not sure at what point the buttons on the mobo function but can you press the OC button near the RAM during/before boot? Not familiar with these boards but if that button works to cycle the power on and trigger automatic overclock it might get you in. Worth a shot.
 
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Tried the motherboard buttons late last night once I had re-seated the heatsink, that did nothing for me.

I have had a 4Gb stick of RAM delivered that supports 2133MHz only and has no auto-clock XMP profile and it boots fine with that (unfortunately OcUK couldn't find the stick I originally ordered for this so I have had to wait a couple of days on another supplier but these things happen with small items like RAM).

Time to investigate the BIOS revision and to test the other RAM cards to see if they are DOA...
 
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The BIOS version is F2 as per the thread I linked to on the Giga-byte forums, locking the multiplier down to 2133MHz appears to have done the trick for now...

Still not impressed I have had to buy an extra stick of RAM to get the machine to start that is now completely redundant if I want dual channel to work (and why wouldn't I?)!
 
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