ROG Zenith Extreme fault - Q-code 68, twice!

[Herbertmt]

Hi Guys,

Just built a new system - Specs essentially 2x 1080TIs, 1950X, Rog Zenith, 64 GB Corsair dominator RAM, 2 X NVME SSDs..

So story starts with attempt one - got it all working, filled up the CPU loop and then went onto getting 8 DIMMs working (we all know this never happens first go so just started the build with 2).

Put Dimm 3 in and booted - (i'd already installed Windows etc by this point) - got a random restart and then failed POST on a Q-Code 68. This is the PCI Host Bridge initialization (with a CHECK CPU error).. Took everything out and even in barebones just no POST (reset CMOS, tried different BIOS etc etc)

So RMA time..

Got a replacement board and CPU, got to exactly the same point in the build but this time had all RAM in and working. Changed the timings using the XMP profile just as performance was lacking on memory.

Restarted, got 3 fast beeps and it auto re-started and then no POST on q-code 68 again.

I've tested another graphics card (older 980ti) another EVGA supernova PSU and different RAM and still failed post.

Now - seemingly from every forum post no-one has ever fixed this and it's RMA, but i guess my question is has anyone ever seen it or know the cause? The only thing i can think of is i have a faulty RAM stick that's causing a short somewhere on the board, but even so i've never heard of that happening and i've built enough systems in my time! 2 RMAs in the same week for the same fault is just a bit too weird for me to accept.

Appreciate any advice or knowledge here!

 

[StefanZ26]

I have exactly the same problem!

My System: AMD Threadripper 1950x, Asus Rog Zenith. 2x MSI Aero 1080, 32gb G.Skill Trident 3200 (4x8 14,14,14,34) and a Corsair AX 1200 PSU

GPUs are cooled in a separate circuit made by Thermaltake hard tubes, 480 Radiator, EK Waterblocks and Thermaltake Pacific PR22 D5 Silent Pump.

CPU is cooled with a XSPC Ray Storm Block, Thermaltake hard Tubes, 360 Radiator, Thermaltake Pacific PR22 D5 Silent Pump.

Needless to say, that I also experienced the problems related to the short socket screws when I tried to install the CPU (YouTube is full of it)!


Whatever, yesterday I performed three 3D Mark Benchmarks. My last try ended with a freeze of my system. Since that I wasn’t able to boot successfully again! I tried everything:

- Removed RAM

- Removed GPUs and installed a small desktop cad (Nvidia gt 640)

- tried every PCIE slot for my desktop GPU

- tried the switches the mainboard provided for disabling PCIE Slots

- tried different RAM (Corsair 3200 -> 16 16 16 36)

- tried to reset bios

- updated bios

- tried Ubuntu live cd

- tried Windows cd

Has anyone an idea?

 

[Herbertmt]

I RMAed both my boards / CPUs. Alex in returns is aware... We found 3 pins on the board that had rust on. The only thing i can think of that i did to both was a firmware update.

I would RMA and get a new board / CPU, keep the bios installed that it comes with (5706 i think) and check for any spots of rust on the MOBO CPU socket before setting up. Been stable for a week now..

Hope that helps.

 

[StefanZ26]

Thanks for super-fast reply! I only updated BIOS after my system couldn’t boot anymore. As written above it worked for almost half a day. Hard to believe that rust could explain that behavior?! I already did some investigation and the internet is full of this (and many other) problems with this crappy mainboard!

 

[goodl]

I'm having this issue and have just started RMA, what happened in the end?

 

[sunnyd76]

Hey guys. Just started getting code 68 on my zenith extreme too. Got 1950x on it with Corsair dominator ram 32gb and superflower PSU.

One thing I noticed which was really wierd was before it started 68ing was that the core speed was ridiculously low (about 0.5- 0.8ghz) when I was in Windows and the CPU temp was 83 degrees on tdie. I saw voltage and it was below 1.0 (around 0.8v if I remember correctly) so no reason for the CPU temp to be so high. But then I tried loading a 8 core basic 3.7ghz profile using the AMD Overclocking app and it crashed windows. I restarted the pc and now no boot and CPU code 68.

Did RMA sort it for you guys? Joke of a mobo this one, disgusted at how much it cost and how **** it's been so far

At this point I really need my pc running again. I'm considering getting a different more stable mobo but I'm worried that it may be the CPU/PSU or RAM. Can anyone confirm if it's a good/bad Idea to get a different mobo based on the code 68 or is it better to troubleshoot further as it could be something else?

 

[sunnyd76]

got an update. I am able to get the system to boot by letting the pc cool off. Possible cause is thermal throttling. I get into windows and all seems to be running okay but then after a short period I notice the CPU temps at idle head upwards of 70 degrees on the tdie and then the clock speed drops below 1ghz.

I have an Enermax LiqTech TR4 360 CPU Water Cooler 360mm on the 1950x and the fans are running on it and I can feel the box on top of the CPU getting very hot but the pipes leading to the cooler unit are cold, not even warm. Maybe the pump is not working? I have the pump (the cable which comes from the black pump box on top of the CPU) connected to the CPU OPT connector and the fans are daisy chained onto the CPU FAN connector on the zenith extreme mobo. This setup been working since 2016 but maybe I've connected the CPU cooler cables to the wrong connections on the mobo? All cables are connected up and not loose.

Any thoughts at this stage? I'm thinking the 'code 68 check cpu' error could just be caused by the CPU overheating and causing windows to shutdown, but I'm no expert sadly

I will create a new thread if needed, sorry to hijack, I wasn't sure if this was a mobo issue

Thanks in advance guys
Sunny

 

[goodl]

Yeah my RMA took about a month all in, my CPU and Board were replaced

 

[tyler_jrb]

got an update. I am able to get the system to boot by letting the pc cool off. Possible cause is thermal throttling. I get into windows and all seems to be running okay but then after a short period I notice the CPU temps at idle head upwards of 70 degrees on the tdie and then the clock speed drops below 1ghz.

I have an Enermax LiqTech TR4 360 CPU Water Cooler 360mm on the 1950x and the fans are running on it and I can feel the box on top of the CPU getting very hot but the pipes leading to the cooler unit are cold, not even warm. Maybe the pump is not working? I have the pump (the cable which comes from the black pump box on top of the CPU) connected to the CPU OPT connector and the fans are daisy chained onto the CPU FAN connector on the zenith extreme mobo. This setup been working since 2016 but maybe I've connected the CPU cooler cables to the wrong connections on the mobo? All cables are connected up and not loose.

Any thoughts at this stage? I'm thinking the 'code 68 check cpu' error could just be caused by the CPU overheating and causing windows to shutdown, but I'm no expert sadly

I will create a new thread if needed, sorry to hijack, I wasn't sure if this was a mobo issue

Thanks in advance guys
Sunny

I would highly suspect the pump is either not getting the power to run or is completely dead.

The pipes and radiator should be warm and high idle temps also back this up as the liquid is just stood and does heat up extremely fast.

I would ensure the cpu fan in the bios is setup correctly. On voltage rather than pwm and see if you are getting an rpm signal from it.

I would also disconnect all other cables and plug directly into the cpu fan header for now until you get it working.

 

[Donnie Fisher]

Surely Your pump should be plugged into a pump header so it runs continuously and not a fan one. Some boards seem to have them listed as pump or water flow and not cpu opt etc