At the rist of sounding like a broken record - 680i lt problems

[sewildman50]

680i lt (original purchase)

1. Put everything together.
2. Turn on PC, boots to splash screen and freezes.
3. Hit reset, no video.
4. Put card in second PCI slot, PC boots, but I am told to put the card back in the first slot. Put the card back and still no video.
5. Troubleshoot video card and rule out as source of problem (worked when installed in floor model at Futureshop).
6. Troubleshoot RAM and rule it out as source of problem (single stick of RAM from machine at work that's known to work does not solve problem).
7. Put mobo, RAM, and video card together with PSU outside of case to rule out short as source of problem (still no action).
8. It is reasoned that the processor works because HD and DVD both spin on startup(not sure if this is faulty reasoning).
9. RMA'd ($40 in shipping) and determined by XFX to be faulty.

680i lt number 2

10. Receive new motherboard.
11. Put everything together. Start up machine and get into BIOS. Leave machine for a few minutes while I gather my thoughts. Come back and I'm unable to maneuver in BIOS. Check keyboard connection (OK). Hit reset....no video....again.
12. Reset CMOS multiple times using jumpers. Nothing.
13. Check all the cables multiple times and multiple monitors multiple times. Nothing.
14. Try single stick of RAM in each slot. Nothing.
15. Message XFX support...again...and told that I should try my PSU in another computer. I actually try it in both of my older computers without issue (750 watt PSU by the way).
16. Last night I removed everything from the case...again...and assembled to rule out a short. Still nothing
17. Out of frustration, put every component except for the PSU back in its original case.
18. I have also checked the processor slot to make sure there aren't any bent processor pins.

To be honest, since I've tried everything with both motherboards multiple times, we are down (this time) to it being a processor issue or a motherboard issue. I know it's not the PSU, RAM, or video card.

I may have missed a few of the steps I tried but my fingers are tired from troubleshooting this issue.

Please! Someone restore my faith in this product. I will not be paying another 40 dollars to RMA this second mobo, since shipping charges will then almost be the amount I paid for it in the bundle the mobo came with. I will siimply cut my losses and choose another brand.

[sewildman50]

Forgot to post my specs...

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66 GHz
Mobo: XFX 680i lt
RAM: OCZ PC 6400 DDR2 (2 X 1Gb)
Video Card: XFX GeForce 8800 GT 512Mb
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Mini Typhoon
Power Supply: Just recently changed it to Raidmax RX-700SS (700w modular)
HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 SATA 500GB
Case: Ultra X-Blaster ATX

[coxmaster]

Reason: Quad Cores are not supported unless you have the updated BIOS..

[masterchief3k]

have em send you one pre-flashed and problem solved

[sewildman50]

If that is the case, then why wouldn't someone have informed me of that from XFX?

Second, am I to assume that if I put, for instance, a core 2 duo processor in instead that it should fire up OK?

[Methious]

If you have or can borrow a C2D you can try it in the board and if it works you can flash it to the new bios.

There's really no way to know until you try and see if it has the new bios or not. If it doesn't then that's the problem (probably), if it does it's faulty.

[coxmaster]

Yes.. this is really the case. ALL 680i LTs only support Dual Cores until they get the new BIOS update.. which they usually ship with

[sewildman50]

Are you saying they should be shipped with an updated BIOS (as I believe they should) or that they are probably still shipping with the BIOS that needs to be flashed?

Either way, I guess I should try to get my hands on a socket 775 processor to test out in this thing.

The inherent problem I see is if I ever encounter BIOS issues and have to reset the board to the original version, I will need to have a spare non-quad core processor around just to get it back to the update that will accept the quad core. True or no? If true, talk about your monumental wastes of time.

[XFX Tech]

Only 45nm quads are not supported on 680 boards. The 65nm like he has will work out of the box. I am confident that any 680 we ship out of here would have the latest BIOS on it anyway. My guess would be that something has to have damaged at least the second board. I would still say that it is most likely the power supply. Did the older machines have similar power draw to this one? It looks like you have a second power supply now since you said 750 in the first post and 700 in the second. I will speak from experience that two boards with the same exact issue means something else is causing it.

[sewildman50]

I ended up using my Raidmax 700 watt modular power supply as a replacement.

The original 750 watt psu that came with my barebones kit is now in my older athlon setup. 700+ watts is more than enough for my new setup and both are functional in other systems. It does not make sense to me that a Power Supply would damage one board and not two others, regardless of the resources required by any of them. It seems to me that if a power supply does not have sufficient wattage to power a system, then the system will not run. My current system requires much less power than is available in both PSUs. I am not running SLI, I don't have an excess of system fans, only one hard drive and one DVD drive, etc.,, etc.

Bottom line: Not the power supply IMO.

I too would have thought that same issue with both boards must mean that the problem has to lie with one of my components. That is, until I type "XFX 680i lt no post" into Google. I would like nothing more than to find out one of the other components is the problem because then I could solve this. So, if there's something other than the power supply or using a different processor (as I am attempting to do) that you can suggest, I'm wide open.

I'm not hating on XFX, just frustrated and unhappy with my available options at this time.

[sewildman50]

The bottom line is...

I tried a Core 2 Duo on this motherboard with two different brands of RAM and it did not work. This board is dead, again, IMO.

Contrary to the opinions expressed earlier, I do not think the power supply is or was ever the issue.

I will not attempt to RMA this one, since I don't believe another $40 in shipping will guarantee success this time either. I will just choose another brand.

Fool me once....

A very unsatisfied customer.

[sewildman50]

Nevermind.

Got sick of the runaround.

Bought an Asus board.

Bottom line: no problems with exactly the same component setup as with the XFX board.

So the issue is only resolved by buying a different brand.

Anyone for frisbee? I've got a nice new square one to toss around.

[Irsh]

So by $40 shipping you had to pay to send yours back and pay shipping to get the new one? Or your initial purchase of original board plus return and XFX payed to send you the new one?
I'm not liking the sound of that especially with the rep these boards have.

[sewildman50]

I'll keep my editorial comments to myself but here are the facts:

1. I purchased a XFX 680i LT motherboard as part of a barebones kit from Tiger Direct.
2. This motherboard was DOA, discovered only after a week and a half of attempted troubleshooting.
3. Sent the motherboard to XFX via UPS at a cost of $40.
4. Motherboard deemed as "faulty."
5. Replacement motherboard sent out.
6. Receive "new" motherboard two weeks after I sent the faulty one out.
7. "New" motherboard does almost the exact same thing as the first one.
8. Attempts to troubleshoot the new board with XFX reps met with a general theme "It must be one of YOUR components (because our QC is beyond reproach)." *OK a little bit of editorial content in there*
9. Another two weeks wasted with troubleshooting.
10. I make the decision to not bring the shipping total to two-thirds of the original price of the motherboard to receive another board that has no guarantee of working. I cut my losses and buy the board of another mfg, which works great with all of the same components used with the other board.

My opinion of XFX is not completely tarnished, however. I do have a XFX 8800gt in my new build and it is running sweetly. Motherboards on the other hand....