P5B BIOS flash failure, help needed

[Pinchy]

Well I got my e6750 today and needed to upgrade my P5B's BIOS to cater for the new CPU.

So I downloaded one of the latest BIOS's (not the latest) from the ASUS site, put it onto my flash disk and went into Ez flash. Ez flash read the file, erased the old BIOS and put the new one on and said it was a success.

When it went to reboot, I didnt get a POST. Just fans spinning up, no POST.

So I tried to reset CMOS and still nothing. I took out the graphics card and booted and didnt even get the error boot code. From here I was almost sure the BIOS was dead and I needed an RMA.

**but** then I took out the RAM modules and booted and it actually made the error message beep code. Put them back in and it still does nothing. So now, I am not so sure it is dead.

Its weird because when I boot I get a strange ticking noise which seems to be coming from the motherboard. It only starts to happen once the POST beep is meant to beep (after those couple of seconds). When the RAM modules were out and it was beeping, I didnt get this ticking from the mobo.

I tried the ASUS crashfree 3 thing, but it just doesnt work at all (whether I put my flash disk in or the motherboard disk).


Really needing help!

Thx in adv.

 

[Kursah]

My P5B deluxe died on me due to failed BIOS chip and I hadn't flashed the BIOS in months! I was so dissapointed...I never once got the Crashfree to work either...it won't unless it can post far enough to say the BIOS Checksum is bad....

I would say remove your CMOS battery and set the jumper to clear for a little bit, like 10 minutes or so...and see what happens...try one stick of RAM...maybe one stick of basic DDR if ya have some...I had to get a 1gb stick of basic Crucial 667 memory to get my P5B to POST when I cleared my CMOS...otherwise it wouldn't boot on my G.Skill HZ's...pissed me off.

Do you still have RMA coverage on it by chance?

 

[Pinchy]

Thankfully I do have RMA on it (Thank you ASUS for 3 year warranty).

But I really don't have time to wait for a new board. If I have to RMA it, I will probably have to buy a new mobo and when the P5B gets back, sell it

Now I have tried everything you mentioned; cleared CMOS with battery and jumper for the entire time I was typing the first post, tried one stick of RAM, tried different RAM slots, tried a brand new stick of 1x2GB RAM and tried a different GPU.

Also that ticking went away after I moved a couple of things (may have been a fan). BTW - everytime I press the power button it acts as if it was just overclocked....fans go on for a sec, then off for a couple of seconds then on again to start up (but no POST).

 

[Kursah]

Well the double boot thing is also after a CMOS reset too...it's just the nature of it..it's in a recovery/reset to stock mode...and that's part of the procedure.

Was the 1x2GB ram still performance stuff? If you can find some plain jane DDR533/667 stuff...l got that 1GB stick for like $20 back when DDR2 was still relatively expensive...and it proved to be very valuable in me getting my rig up and running!

If you do have to RMA through Asus, then it may take a while...so be prepared for that...and if you need a quick choice for a good P965 replacement that is as capable if not better on OC-ing is the P35...I love my DFI...so much better than my P5B!

Like I said, if you can get a stick of basic memory just to rule that out...I went through a few P5B Dlx's and all of them after so much use would no longer boot after CMOS clear using any kind of performance memory...so that's about the last option you have before RMA imo.

 

[Pinchy]

Na the 1x2GB is just generic stuff ($45 worth).

I have reset the CMOS a couple of times without having to change the RAM, though.

 

[Kursah]

Well with all my trials and tribulations with the P5B Deluxe, those are the steps I took before RMA...if it wouldn't boot on a different PSU, GPU, CPU, RAM, then I RMA'd it...sorry to say but I think your BIOS chip is FUBAR'D...

 

[philbrown23]

this is what happened with my abit ix38 quad gt, and it is the bios chip. is it removable?? if so go to biosman.com and order a new bios chip and the extracting tool fro $30 heck buy a few!

 

[Pinchy]

Ok this is just weird.

I decided to put the e2140 from my matx rig into this one. BOOM, motherboard/computer works fine (I am on it now).

I was happy for a second, then realised that the CPU is the part without the warranty. I was also wondering how a motheboard BIOS flash could kill a CPU.

So anyway, I put the e6400 CPU (from this comp) into my matx rig. Boom, that works too. Wtf?

Even more strange is that on the matx rig the CPU still comes up as a "pentium D 000 blah blah" as it did on this comp, even though its an e6400 (verified via GPU-Z). The reason it came up as PD 000 on this comp was the outdated BIOS, but on the matx rig mobo its updated to take 45nm CPUs, let alone an e6400, and it still doesnt come up. I just dont get it.

Also worth noting is that the CPU fan on the matx rig (now with the e6400) wont spin unless I give it a bit of a push. If I push it it spins fine (because I stopped it and it started itself back up) but everytime I restart the comp the CPU fan just doesnt spin (unless I push it a little)

Now this CPU thing doesnt matter to me because I plan on putting the e6750 in this comp (hopefully it works...) and the e6400 in the matx rig. But still, wtf? lol.

 

[DOM]

LOL thats some cazy stuff

Im hoping everything goes good when I get my X3350 tuesday cuz one of my ram sticks doesnt like anything below 2.15v even at 800Mhz but the other can run 1000Mhz cas 4 at 1.8v thats just pissing me off cuz I had to RMA one stick wnt bad, the bitch just put to replace one stick and I have the 2BG kit and now this crap with one only booting with 2.15-2.25v at anyspeed

so if I get no boot cuz of the oc I have to off the side and the ocz ram cooler and that stick okay end of rant

so you going to try the cpu soon ? what bios did you flash it to ?

 

[Kursah]

Ya know now that you mention it Pincy...I did try a newer BIOS version on my P5B Deluxe last fall/late summer...and it was unstable as hell with my 6300...it was set for newer CPU microcode and something else...I figured I'd give it a shot...ended up flashing back to 1101's iirc. I think the one I flashed to was 1123's that gave me issues...I would say flash back to your old BIOS (there's a post somewhere on TPU on how to do it...EZFLash won't allow flashing older bioses, but it's pretty cake to do)...and wait till you get the new chip.

Glad you got it working! Glad you had another CPU to try...I have my 6300 and my G/F's P4 630..that's it anymore for my CPU's.

 

[Pinchy]

Man today is NOT my day :

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=735911#post735911