LP Ultra B

Well after 4-5 days straight I am stumped.......Originally last week my MSI K7N2-ILSR board appeared to have killed on me. Everything turns on in the case but my monitor says, "Please check signal cable". Obviouslly I took my video card out, put another in, swapped power supplies, memory, etc.....nothin.

So I bought a DFI LP Ultra B. Upon trying to get this thing going the same thing is happening more less. I did have it working for about an hour or two. But I decided to swap CPU's & it started doing it again (put the cpu I originally was using back in, same thing still!!) I've tried different power supplies, (three). I tried different sticks of memory. I just don't get it. I've tried clearing CMOS with battery out for awhile. Tried the pressing the insert key while powering up & all, nothin, (doesn't even give me the "Lanparty" screen, just hangs with all four diagnostic leds lit up.) I tried different CPU's, video cards, power supplies, memory sticks............ARGH?!

All the four lights on the bottom power up & they stay lit, thats all. This morning for some mysterious/unknown reason. I came down stairs & powered my computer on & BOOM, everything posted. Had to switch my memory around the banks a few different times so it wouldn't hang on the "Testing All Memory" diagnostic/startup stage. Funny thing is, this only hangs with one of my PS's plugged in?!?! I tried another PS & it would get right through that stage?!?!?! All three PS's are fine. I have checked them in other computers without a problem. Video card is fine............I'm completely lost, sorry for the length.......

I'm thinking of returning the motherboard but........It was doing the similiar thing with my MSI K7N2-ILSR, sooo........I have not a clue, any input would be great. Thanks!!

How about your monitor cable or the monitor?

LoL, Sorry forgot to mention trying that route. Plus even if you didn't have a monitor plugged in the diagnostic lights would do something. It just sits there with four of them lit up. I'm just going to return the thing. I mean I have tried every possible scenario. I should clarify & say that my MSI board kind of did the similiar thing, but not really. My MSI board won't even power up.

I did not try a bunch of different scenarios with my MSI board like I did the DFI board. There are a lot of reasons I just went out & got the DFI board. Few of those are.....The DFI board has mounting holes for a heatsink. It also can run a higher FSB & is more compatible with different kinds of ram. It has more vdimm options & cpu volt options. Not a really valid point.......but it's UV reactive in some parts to, lol.

Hi obsolete..

List ALL the components you are using for this system.

The BIGGEST problem for most builders is generic (and small name brand) PSUs. They post but will not properly support these power hungry systems.

What HDD are you using?? Western Digitals have a need to be listed as "lba" or "chs" in bios or they won't work.

Make sure ALL the drivers are loaded.

The DFI LP B and Ultra Infinity boards are probably the best choices presently. Its probably not the MoBoard.

Just some ideas .. Jim

I'm using a AMD Athlon 2500+. Western Digital Raptor 36 gig. ATI 9700 Pro. Antec Truepower 430 PS (I have two that both work, I have tested in another system). I also tried my Thermaltake Purepower 480W PS, which can be found here

Umm......I'm using Creative SB L 5.1. But I took this out while trying to get the pc going, so that makes no difference. I'm also using an ethernet card in the PCI slot which I took out for testing so that makes no difference either.

I am using Corsair PC3200C2 XMS memory, (match 256x2). I also have a set of Mushkin PC3200 "Special 222". Neither of those make a difference as the computer would post without any memory in. It would just hang when performing the Diagnostic Led testing with the 4 leds. It would at least post with the "Lanparty" screen.

See the thing is, it does not even post at all. I get nothing, my monitor shuts off & the four led lights on the board stay lit. Not when I turn it on, one lights up, then three, then two. All four stay lit throughout the time of hitting my power button on. Yes, I have tried a different video card that I know for sure works & I have tried different monitors. I did have it working for about an hour or two until I decided to swap CPU's (Different stepping in two of the AMD Athlon 2500's I have). Then I switched it back cause it was not working. Same thing was still happening, it would not post. I did clear CMOS numerous times, with battery out & for more then 3 seconds with ALL POWER OFF!!

For some mysterious reason on Monday morning when I woke up. I turned the PC on after trying for countless hours the day(s) before. It fired right up?!?! No problems at all, aside from having to switch the memory around between the banks, because it did not like the placement of them. There was some really strange encounters I had, but none the less it was working. Does not make any sense. Only thing I can think of is it's defective. I hate returning stuff. I mean I should have done that after hours & hours of trying to get it to work. But I'm stubborn & I really just wanted it to work. So after a couple of days & hours wasted in those days, thats where I am at.

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Well as no surprise, it was the motherboard, was defective. I just put my new one in today, fired the bad boy up & boom, works just fine, fired up on first time. Thanks to all who helped out & or read my post. Maybe can be used as a future reference for those to come. So happy right now, you don't even know, 4-5 days STRAIGHT of trying things here & there (well I'm sure everyone can relate to some degree if not more)........Then boom, fired up on first try, weeee, lol. Alright thanks guys.

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hey dude your prob was that you erased the bios in both your msi and the dfi lp . i had the msi k7n2 delta ilsr until bout last week and the bios erased while o\c. when the bios is erased with the dfi all of the lights stay lit when the system powers up.

I'll say maybe to that scenario with the MSI board. NOT with the DFI board. I was not even overclocking AT ALL. I had a hard enough time getting it going. It would not even register my CPU the first boot up. This new board did right away. I highly doubt that is the case with the DFI board.

Glad to here you found your problem. Sometimes you get a bad board.

Hey thanks........

I have encountered some other problems. But I'm not all to concerned about it. I just can't use my PCI Ethernet card. I went to play some games online & after a little while of playing "the network connection is lost". lol. So I just hooked up the onboard Realtek. It works, I'm alright with that.