790i lockups galore

[Simster]

Well, I've just about given up on this board! I've been fighting this thing for almost three months trying to get it stable. It suffers from continuos lockups on a daily basis weather I'm using it or it's sitting idle.

Here's my setup:

790i Ultra PO7 BIOS
8 Gb Corsair CM3X2G1600C9DHXNV (4x2) Running 9,9,9,24,2T@1.8
Q6700 running stock timings (266 x10, 1066 FSB)
XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 (running latest driver)
Vista Ultimate 64 bit

I've been adjusting the memory voltage from recommended 1.8 up to 1.9 without any difference in behavior (lockups only - no BSOD). Does anyone else have this same setup that could offer some BIOS settings that will make this thing stable or am I SOL??? What program can I run to monitor the voltages to see what they are actually running?

I've tried all kinds of different settings for the memory timings, FSB Auto timings, linked, unlinked, Auto, etc. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

[shamus5178]

I know your pain mate, I had a few probs with mine. I had random lockups and I solved it by changing my ram from 2000 4 x 1GB to 2 x 2GB 1800. I also had 2 x 9800GX2 and changed these for 2x 280 GTX. result was no more lock ups. I knew the ram was the primary issue but quad SLI was a ***** to get stable and the 280's run at more or less the same performance.

Stick with it, this is a nice board when it gets to its happy place :)
Shamus

[XFX Tech]

The first thing I would do is load defaults in BIOS and then manually set the voltage, main timings, and frequency. Run memtest86 for an hour on each stick individually. If everything passes than I would start with two sticks. Run with the settings you have now and see if it is stable. If you continue to get lockups than swap them for the other two and see.
If both sets of two run stable than you may need to give the SPP and MCP voltage a small bump. If you continue to have problems than we can take a look at the board.

[Irsh]

Have you tried another video card?

[Simster]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll start the memory testing out today and get back to you. I do have the BIOS set to defaults except for the memory timings and voltages.

Irsh- I haven't tried another video card, but if the memory tests don't lead me anywhere, that will be my next test.

-Simster

[Simster]

Well, I ran Single stick memtest and all single sticks passed using slot 1. Running paired sticks using slot 1 and 3, both pairs passed. I placed all four sticks in and the first test locked the computer up within 2 seconds (running 9,9,9,24,2T@1.8v). I upped the volts up to 1.85 (testing each increment) and got the same lockup right away. I'm now testing the matched pairs in slots 2,4 to see if it locks up, but the first test using these slots is still running without any problems.

My question is, shall I leave the voltage at 1.8 and bump up the SPP and MCP voltages or bring it up along with the SPP and MCP?

-Simster

[Simster]

Well, no matter what the voltages were set at on the SPP and MCP (I didn't put it into the red) MemTest won't run with all four sticks. Do I need to RMA the board now????

-Simster

Note: It's been running without a hiccup since Saturday now with only two sticks of memory in.

[Infiniti3d]

I'am for sure now that this board never runs flawless on 4 sticks ram or two sticks ram on very high speed (1800-2000mhz). 2X1 GB 1333mhz wil give you the best stability you can overclock to 1600mhz and thats about it ( i tested three different 790i ultra's ,four set of Ram all same result) It locksup, and mainly on the higherspeed memory the windows install gets corrupted. The rest is superb so stay away from 4 sticks or the higherspeed rams and you be save.

[Simster]

So do I RMA the board or am I wasting my time?

XFX Tech - Your opinion?

-Simster

[Simster]

XFX Tech, are you still with me???? The board won't run with 4 sticks in so do I need to RMA this board or will this board even run 4 sticks?

[Simster]

okay, so I started a support ticket (two, in fact, by accident) for this problem (ticket no.192098) with XFX tech support and I only received one responce from someone that didn't even read the ticket properly. If I were able to, I would ship this thing back to the retailer and get my money back! How can you put a board on the market this expensive, won't run with 4 sticks of memory at stock timings, and not receive the support that is needed! This was the first and last XFX board I will ever purchase! What a joke.

-Simster :explode:

[Methious]

Might help a little if you post up your system specs.

For instance the ram specs, the settings and voltages you have on them.

I run the 790i, and have had 6 sets of ran run across it and haven't had any problem that couldn't be solved with a little tweaking.

With 4 sticks of ram you might need to increase the NB volts a little to accommodate the 4 sticks. Also set the ram timings manually as well as the voltage to eliminate any error.

With XMP capable ram, the XMP usually only works with 2 banks populated, so if it's an XMP profile your using Nix that and set manually.

[Simster]

Might help a little if you post up your system specs.

For instance the ram specs, the settings and voltages you have on them.



As posted in the very first post:


Here's my setup:

790i Ultra PO7 BIOS
8 Gb Corsair CM3X2G1600C9DHXNV (4x2) Running 9,9,9,24,2T@1.8
Q6700 running stock timings (266 x10, 1066 FSB)
XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 (running latest driver)
Vista Ultimate 64 bit

I've been adjusting the memory voltage from recommended 1.8 up to 1.9 without any difference in behavior (lockups only - no BSOD). Does anyone else have this same setup that could offer some BIOS settings that will make this thing stable or am I SOL??? What program can I run to monitor the voltages to see what they are actually running?

I've tried all kinds of different settings for the memory timings, FSB Auto timings, linked, unlinked, Auto, etc. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

I've also done the following:
Well, I ran Single stick memtest and all single sticks passed using slot 1. Running paired sticks using slot 1 and 3, both pairs passed. I placed all four sticks in and the first test locked the computer up within 2 seconds (running 9,9,9,24,2T@1.8v). I upped the volts up to 1.85 (testing each increment) and got the same lockup right away. I'm now testing the matched pairs in slots 2,4 to see if it locks up, but the first test using these slots is still running without any problems.

My question is, shall I leave the voltage at 1.8 and bump up the SPP and MCP voltages or bring it up along with the SPP and MCP?


And this:

Well, no matter what the voltages were set at on the SPP and MCP (I didn't put it into the red) MemTest won't run with all four sticks. Do I need to RMA the board now????

Note: It's been running without a hiccup since Saturday now with only two sticks of memory in.

So, any more ideas????????????????????????????????

[Speed Seeker]

Hi guys, I am a recent purchaser of a XFX 790i ultra board on the recomendation of a friend. Since I powered this unit up, from day one it has given me nothing but pain and grief.
I was so frustrated in this board to the point that I even looked for a product disclosure stating something like "May cause deep frustration, loss of sleep and money". Not to mention telling us all that the board may not run at all. There is no sign of any backup in australia, trying to get a straight answer involves passing a number of obstickles, first of which is getting a reply.
I managed to get my MOBO up and running, OS loaded, and the drivers from the cd loaded, even the 9800gtx drivers. But that is where it ended. I left my unit on while I went to see a client and when I returned, I saw my pc in what appeared to be sleep or hybernation mode. I must mention that I had previously burnt the ISO file for the BIOS update but hadnt loaded it.
As you would expect, I lit the space button, enter key, and then the CTRL ALT DEL keys. All of which had no effect. I powered down the unit by turning off the power and rebooted it. Guess what, nothing, I noticed that there was no power light on the front pannel however there seemed to be power to the board as all fans were working and inner lights i.e. top of mobo 3 leds. the led for cpu over heat wasnt lit. I left it at that point for a day with no change while I looked for clues and joined forums like this on in search of answers. I even did the ticket thing but no reply as yet.
I have tested the cpu, ram, display card, HDD's. All worked perfectly on another machine.
Ok, I know your saying what are your machines specs, here they are;
- MOBO XFX 790i Ultra
- Galaxy 9800GTX
- OCZ 2 x 2gb 1333 DDR3
- 3 x SATAii 750GB Western Digital Hard Drived
- 1 x 1 TB Seagate SATAii
- Thermalgate Toughpower 850w with cable management

So there you have it. I also not that nowhere in any documentation does it say that you cant populate all the dimm slots or that in order to load a OS (Vista) you can only use one stick till its fully loaded.
Here in australia, full probuct disclosure is a law, and more importantly is the fact that you should be able to purchase equipment and providing you follow the instructions in the manual, you can reasonably expect that you will have a working computer. Not have to wade through all the forums and help/tech sites to w"work around" all the inherent problems/limitations that this board seems to have.
Another question; how can a company sell a item when they know it is full of problems. Isnt that where product disclosure comes into it. Sorry, but I am a corporate litlgator and this sort of this realy makes me angry

[Simster]

You should find new friends...just kidding...:ahhhhh:

I feel your frustration. I've been trying to get this board straightened out for over three months now and the support system is lacking by any stretch of the imagination. I agree with you that it is ignorant for a company to put something this expensive on the market and not even support it to the fullest, let alone design it so it can't even handle having all the memory slots populated. My next step is to get tech support on the phone to see if I can get anywhere that way.

As for your problems, don't expect an answer from your ticket to quick. I had to open a second ticket to get an answer and then the tech didn't even read the info in the ticket (gave a generic reply for anyone with a RAM problem). After a couple replies to his original reply, my responses haven't been answered in over a month! So all I can say is, if you can, I would return the motherboard from where you purchased it and be done with it.

-Simster

p.s. When you start the lawsuit, add my name to the plaintiffs list :lol:

[Speed Seeker]

You should find new friends...just kidding...:ahhhhh:

I feel your frustration. I've been trying to get this board straightened out for over three months now and the support system is lacking by any stretch of the imagination. I agree with you that it is ignorant for a company to put something this expensive on the market and not even support it to the fullest, let alone design it so it can't even handle having all the memory slots populated. My next step is to get tech support on the phone to see if I can get anywhere that way.

As for your problems, don't expect an answer from your ticket to quick. I had to open a second ticket to get an answer and then the tech didn't even read the info in the ticket (gave a generic reply for anyone with a RAM problem). After a couple replies to his original reply, my responses haven't been answered in over a month! So all I can say is, if you can, I would return the motherboard from where you purchased it and be done with it.

-Simster

p.s. When you start the lawsuit, add my name to the plaintiffs list :lol:
hi buddy, yeah, he didnt tell me it was a dog of a mobo..As for the ticket system, I got a reply and to be honest, he never really read the narative, because if he did,he would have known it wasnt a psu issue. I guessthey go for anything but the board as the faulty item. I honestlythink they (XFX and nVidia) are in denial withthis board. I think the word to discribe knowingly selling a itemthat is useless and full of faults for money is called fraud... Look up the definition of fraud. Seems to fit this exactly

[Sh0ckerNXT]

Mine works fine with al slots full you need up the voltage AND TWEAK AFTER THIS IS WHY YOU BOUGHT THIS BOARD!

[typh4u]

I think the word to discribe knowingly selling a itemthat is useless and full of faults for money is called fraud... Look up the definition of fraud. Seems to fit this exactly

So you have never used Microsoft Software?

[Simster]

Mine works fine with al slots full you need up the voltage AND TWEAK AFTER THIS IS WHY YOU BOUGHT THIS BOARD!
Yeah, and if you read my posts, you would see that I've tried all timings and voltages for the RAM. I can run all individual sticks without problems, run just one pair without problems, but CANNOT run all four with stock timings and voltages from stock to hot (including north and south bridge). So, once again, this leads me to believe I have a crapy board that can't run with all four slots populated and I can't get an RMA to have this board replaced.

So if you have better ideas than "AND TWEAK", I'd be glad to hear them.

-Simster

[typh4u]

Yeah, and if you read my posts, you would see that I've tried all timings and voltages for the RAM. I can run all individual sticks without problems, run just one pair without problems, but CANNOT run all four with stock timings and voltages from stock to hot (including north and south bridge). So, once again, this leads me to believe I have a crapy board that can't run with all four slots populated and I can't get an RMA to have this board replaced.

So if you have better ideas than "AND TWEAK", I'd be glad to hear them.

-Simster


Did you run Memtest on each individual stick of memory?

[Speed Seeker]

Hi guys. This is what I have done in order to find the defective item. All tests on test maching ran under both Vista 32 and 64 bit as well as XP.

- Removed and installed the Intel 3.1 CPU to another working system and found it to be error free and free of any detectable faults.

- Removed both OCZ gold series 1333 DDR3 2 x 2048 sticks, tested both individually on my test machine using memtest and then as a pair. No faults after a very exhaustive and time consuming process just to make absolutly sure.

- Removed and tested the Thermaltake Toughpower 850 watt PSU with and without the accessory cables that came with the unit and tested on the same test machine. Volt meter and so forth. All tests revealed that the PSU not only performed correctly but well above the required spec range. (NOTE: Damn fine psu for the money)

- While testing the PSU I tested the Galaxy 9800GTZ in every mode available and at every resolution via all connections and ran flawlessly.

- All drives tested with Western digital and seagate diagnostic tool. No errors found.

One could safely conclude that the faulty item is the motherboard. My bet is on the BIOS chip or the controler.

Cheers guys

Oh update, I have been contacted by Scorptech http://www.scorptech.com.au here in Australia and the board is being RAed back to the retailer for replacement.

[Methious]

You might have wanted to try Vista update KB929777 to alleviate your memory problems.

It's been giving good results with memory on the 790i.

[Simster]

Did you run Memtest on each individual stick of memory?

You're another one of those skim readers aren't you?

[typh4u]

You're another one of those skim readers aren't you?

Nope just missed that post.