# Haswell-refresh CPU Compatibility with 8 Series Motherboards



## Hood (May 25, 2014)

I recently built a mini-ITX budget system for a shop PC, but I had to use an H81 board instead of the H97 board I wanted (the new board sold out quickly, and I wanted an Asus board).  So I paired an Asus H81I-Plus with a new-Haswell Pentium G3240 (same price, a tiny bit quicker), after research to ensure compatibility on Asus' website (latest BIOS required).  I built it, and it lit up and ran the fans, but had no video output, so I removed the i3-4130 from my Z87 system and used it to boot it and check the BIOS version on the H81 board.  Sure enough it had an earlier 0708 BIOS, so I updated it to 0805, and re-installed the Pentium, but still no video.  I tried the Pentium on my Z87 system, which is also shown as compatible (with the latest BIOS), and still no video, although both systems run great with the i3 installed.  No bent pins on either board.
  So I had to assume I received a bad CPU, and I RMA'd it for replacement.  My Z87 rig is down while I finish testing the mITX system using the i3, and it cost me $11 to send the Pentium back to NewEgg.  Who ever get's a bad CPU, though, especially from Intel?  I started thinking that maybe it's not the CPU, it's a problem with the 8 series boards and their BIOS updates.  I'm half expecting to have the same problem with the replacement CPU, but I have to wait a week or more to find out.  So I thought I'd ask if anyone here has built a recent system with similar parts( Haswell-refresh CPU + 8 series board), and had this issue even after the latest BIOS was installed.  Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but I never bought a bad CPU before, and it's bothering me.  It's the one part you never expect to be defective, although it does happen.  Anyone else have this issue?


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## ThomasR (Jun 30, 2014)

I am having the exact same issue. I have not changed the bios though and I don't have a processor to put in there to test. My system will light and spin up, but then no bios or post. I am using a 4590S I-5 processor and the same motherboard. I have RMA'd both the motherboard and processor and no luck. starting to think this is not truly compatible. Did you resolve your issue?


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## TheHunter (Jul 1, 2014)

Update using usb flash with powered off pc.

This how you do it by Asus
http://www.asus.com/microsite/2014/MB/New_4th_gen_Intel_processor_compatibility/

or MSI
http://forum-en.msi.com/?topic=119375.0


etc.


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## ThomasR (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks for the reply Hunter, but the instructions for Asus when using the Asus H81I-Plus calls for the user to run a windows based application to update... and my machine wont even post.


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## OneMoar (Jul 4, 2014)

doa cpu's are rare but it does happen
according to asus that board requires bios version 0803 or higher to support the G3240 or any haswell chip for that matter
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1150/H81I-PLUS/H81I-PLUS-ASUS-2001-and-BIOS_updater.zip
you may need to install the i3 update the bios and then try again
if you need to update via does you can use asus's bupdater utility


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## OneMoar (Jul 4, 2014)

ThomasR said:


> Thanks for the reply Hunter, but the instructions for Asus when using the Asus H81I-Plus calls for the user to run a windows based application to update... and my machine wont even post.


then you need a cpu to boot the machine with todo the update


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## Ethnography (Jul 8, 2014)

TheHunter said:


> Update using usb flash with powered off pc.
> 
> This how you do it by Asus
> http://www.asus.com/microsite/2014/MB/New_4th_gen_Intel_processor_compatibility/
> ...


Good information for me because that I also using z87 mobo 
Thanks~~~!!!


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