Yet anothe first boot issue!

[Steve H]

Hi, just joined and this is my first post. Found the website a few weeks ago and have been reading it while deciding what I wanted to build.

This is my first complete build since the late nineties, second overall. I HAVE done some bare bones a bit more recently.

evga h-55 motherboard (has built in graphics which is all I need)
intel i7 870 2.93
G.Skill ddr3-1333 8gb (4GBx2) (F3-10600 CL9D-8GBNT)
Thermal Take case
diablotek PHD series 650 Watt PSU
Western Digital Caviar 500 GB HD
Samsung cheapie DVD writer
Windows 7 64 bit OEM if I ever get that far

On boot, I get POST code 2E "initialize output devices" (I assume video which I'm not getting) along with 8 beeps which apparently is "display memory read/write failure".

I have joined both evga and g.skill forums but they won't let me post yet. So...any ideas? I found out today that the memory I bought is not listed for my motherboard. Is that possibly my problem? The sticks are in 1 and 3, I've switched em and I've tried em one at a time in slot 1 but same results each time. (I bought the memory because Newegg had one of their daily specials.)

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Steve

[zburns]

On boot, I get POST code 2E "initialize output devices" (I assume video which I'm not getting) along with 8 beeps which apparently is "display memory read/write failure".

You have a particular brand of BIOS, such as, 'Phoenix' or 'Award' and there is a version #. If you can post the BIOS type or brand and version, it might help. If you have Phoenix, go to this link for their codes; there are multiple causes for 8 beeps depending on how they sequence: http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/phoenixbeep.htm

Several of the causes are some type of RAM failure and one has to do with video initialization, one with CMOS failure. There are a number of eight beep possibilities on Phoenix.

Your manual on the mobo will state the 'brand' or 'author' of the BIOS; also, your mobo manual will tell you (but not the version perhaps); you should also see it on the first page of the BIOS as you enter it. Look carefully at your manual and see what it says about the onboard graphics; since you have no video card, that puts your mobo manual into fully describing your 'graphics' capability. Your message: "display memory read/write failure" does look like something to do with video. If this is correct it would sound like you have a wiring error or some kind of set up error -- both of these possibilities sound strange to me because hooking up your monitor to get video from your mobo should be extremely foolproof I would think.

Also, you have eight beeps. Try to describe how the sequence goes. For example, eight steady beeps with the same time between beeps, or 2 beeps, then 2 beeps, then 4 beeps -- this is what I mean by sequence. So name of the BIOS and version #; a description of the beep sequence.

[Steve H]

It's an AMI Bios. There is a two character LED display on the board that goes through some numbers/letters for a few seconds and stops at "2E"; the book has a list of AMI Post codes and 2E is "initialize output devices". When it stops at 2E, I get an alert, like a long beep, then 8 shorter beeps all in a row, no pauses. So now that I've listened to it again, it MAY be, one long and then eight short beeps.

There is a sticker on what I assume is the BIOS chip on the board that I'm going to try and describe below.

686
AMIBIOS
c. 1999
XG39
9 7 1 1

I can find no version number in the book. And thanks for responding. I have a similar post on evga's forum but although it's been looked at, no one has responded.

[zburns]

I found your manual on line but it be tomorrow before I can scan thru it. In looking up your BIOS author, AMIBIOS (Ver 08.00.16 was on one screen in the online manual which does not mean much. What matters is what your first BIOS screen shows as version #). Found this when I googled AMIBIOS: http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml Under the AMIBIOS section, found this: '8 Short Beeps Your video card isn't working. Make sure it is seated well in the bus. If it still beeps, either the whole card is bad or the memory on it is. Best bet is to install another video card' . Obviously not applicable to you since you do not have video card, but the eight beeps probably pins down it being a video problem definitely.

Still need to know your version #.

[Steve H]

Sorry if this is duplicated. I seem to have lost my reply somewhere.

I looked at the beep code site you found and either 8 short. or 1 long and 8 short is still a video problem on AMI. So either way...since I'm not sure which I'm hearing. I was so hoping to not have any problems with this. Now I'm wondering if the board is bad. I may have an old video card around here that I can try in a PCI slot but i'm not positive that I have a known good one.

Thanks for your time on this.
Steve

[zburns]

I was about to tell you to look at your screen and read the bios version off the first screen but you have no video. You do know your monitor is ok, I assume? Assuming you are hooked up ok, monitor ok, etc., the fact that you do not get even a flash on the first bios screen sounds like your mobo graphics chip. I will still look thru your manual this morning and see if anything pops up.

You are really in a pickle without being able to look at a screen and see the BIOS. So as long as everything stays dark, the only thing you can do is try a compatible video card or change the mobo out. This assumes you know for a fact that everything is hooked up correctly, particularly your monitor.

[zburns]

Another idea. Page 15 of the manual I am looking at says you have the 24 pin mobo cable (from PSU) plus an 8 pin cable with plug for cpu power. The following is what the manual says about that 8 pin plug:

"PW12, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection, is used to provide power to the CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated."

This sentence clearly states or implies that your cpu power only comes from this 8 pin 12V connection to the mobo. Assuming this is correct, and if this 8 pin plug from your PSU is not plugged into the mobo (the mating mobo connector will be close or next to the cpu) then your cpu is essentially turned off.

The 24 pin plug has the PSU 12 Volts on it also, however, what you do not know is whether or not the mobo PC Board 'wiring traces on the board' provide a connection over to the cpu -- according to what I have read (8 pin para above) the 24 pin plug has nothing to do with the cpu, so the 8 pin plug must be plugged in for the cpu to work. Last comment, make sure your 24 pin plug is 'seated fully' in its mating socket. Hopefully, you will find the 8 pin plug 'not plugged in' and that will solve your problem.

In the manual, on page 15, there is a picture of the 24 pin plug, and, below the 24 pin plug, they talk about the 8 pin cpu plug but provide no diagram or picture. Also, there is no diagram or drawing in this on line manual that outlines to scale the entire mobo and its components (at least I have no seen one yet).

[Steve H]

Hi again.
It's not the 8 pin plug. I found out the hard way about PW12. I had to take back the first power supply I bought since it didn't have the 8 pin plug. And I have checked both plugs on the motherboard, they are seated.

I have two replies over on the EVGA forum. (My motherboard is an EVGA.) They both say I need a video card since the i7 doesn't have built in video capability. (I know some i5's and maybe some others do have it.) But, in my case, I thought the video was on the MOTHERBOARD, not the processor. So now I am not sure, have to do some MORE research or try a video card.

Thanks again for your help. I have things I need to do today so I may not get back to it for a bit. I really need to find a working video card I guess.

[RickyTick]

The H55 motherboard does NOT have onboard video. If you don't have a dedicated video card installed, then that's the reason for the error codes and beeps. If you're not a gamer, just buy an inexpensive card around $50 and you should be good to go.

[Steve H]

Okay, they (the EVGA forum) have convinced me that I need a video card.
So please don't spend any more time on this. And I certainly appreciate your time and help.
'course if THAT doesn't fix it, I may be back!

Steve

[Steve H]

Thank you too RickyTick.

Yeah, I'm now convinced I need a video card. And yeah, I just need the most basic video for this project.