Cold-boot issues with Ultra-D at stock, please help

[benbaked]

Hello,

I'm not sure what is going on here but my Ultra-D has been having cold-boot issues. If I shutdown the computer I usually cannot turn it back on.

I'll press the power button on the case and it'll either:
A) Does nothing
B) The case power light will illuminate, but it will do nothing
C) The case power light will blink quickly, but it will do nothing
D) It will power up.

Sometimes I have to physically turn off the PSU or disconnect the power cord then reconnect it and turn the PSU back on just to get it to be able to boot. When I remove the power cord or turn off the PSU I do see all of the fans move and the motherboard lights illuminate, but only for a split second.

When turning the PSU back on I can tell when I'll be able to successfully boot because the yellow LED on the board next to the DIMM slots will illuminate, most of the time that LED doesn't illuminate when I reapply power to the board and thus I can be certain it won't boot unless that LED is on.

If I have my OCZ VX ram in there it will do the same behavior, except when it actually does power up most of the time it will display no video and instead give me a long audible BEEP, then pause, then BEEP, then pause...etc and will continue. Sometimes with the VX is does boot up.

Yesterday I replaced the VX with a set of Corsair ValueSelect since I've read about these Ultra-Ds having cold-boot issues with high voltage RAM. I'm running the ValueSelect at 2.7vdimm, and I've got all other settings and speeds at stock but I'm still having the cold-boot issues.

I had similar but not identical problems with this X2 on my Biostar Tforce4U board, a board I destroyed and trashed because I thought that the problems I was having with that board were due to a dying motherboard. Maybe it was but maybe it wasn't?

I've updated the BIOS to the latest 4/6/06 version, that did not help things. I've since removed the floppy drive power connector from the motherboard since I read you don't need this connector unless you are using SLI, but removing that has produced no change in the problem.

I am using a 500w FSP Bluestorm PSU on this setup, I've tried with a different power supply (identical 500w Bluestorm) and the cold-boot issues were still present. Is this power supply insufficient for this setup? I'm only running one hard drive and one burner, and when the system is booted up it runs fine and is stable so I'd think it has enough juice. Perhaps I'm thinking wrong.

That combined with both of my routers crapping out, and my cell phone being cutoff, has been a bummer start to the day.

EDIT: It appears to be completely dependent upon whether the yellow light next to the DIMM slots illuminates or not. Just now I shut it down after doing a complete format and reinstall of WinXP. After shutdown the yellow light next to the DIMM slots turned off and I was not able to turn the computer back on.

The interesting thing is that as soon as I removed the DIMM from the yellow slot next to the CPU socket, immediately at that point the light illuminated and I was able to power on the computer. This behavior is reproducible.

It's almost like having two DIMMS inserted will cause this cold-boot issue, but even then it is more intermittent. It appears to happen much more frequently when using two DIMMs instead of one.

It seems like either the board itself is damaged or the CPU (possibly the memory controller) is damaged.

 

[fabulouscoops]

The interesting thing is that as soon as I removed the DIMM from the yellow slot next to the CPU socket, immediately at that point the light illuminated and I was able to power on the computer. This behavior is reproducible.

You should be using the Orange DIMM slots. Yellow will run at 2t timing and is not recommended when using 1 or 2 sticks of RAM.

 

[benbaked]

Hmm, it's always reported as running at 1T with the RAM in the yellow slots.

Anyways, I've just removed the X2 and put my Opty 144 in. This is the first time I've run the 144 in this Ultra-D, and I haven't seen the cold boot issue once. I'm using the two sticks of Corsair ValueSelect in the yellow slots and now it is booting up every time.

So, it looks like something is wrong with the X2. That really sucks because it is a good stepping. What a day already, I hate waking up at 3:30am on my day off.

EDIT: It must be the X2. I just removed the 144 and put the X2 back in, and BAM, it's back to intermittent cold-booting issues.

 

[fabulouscoops]

From the Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra D motherboard manual
http://us.dfi.com.tw/Upload/Manual/lputnf4 847505101.pdf

"A DIMM's SPD is originally fixed at 1T. When modules are inserted
in DIMM 1 and DIMM 3, the SPD must be 2T for better system
stability. We recommend inserting DIMMs in DIMM 2 and DIMM 4."

DIMMS 1 and 3 are the yellow slots, 2 and 4 are the orange.

One thing you could try is to set the timing to 2T and use the yellow slots with your X2 CPU to see if you get a cold boot issue.

 

[benbaked]

DIMMS 1 and 3 are the yellow slots, 2 and 4 are the orange.

One thing you could try is to set the timing to 2T and use the yellow slots with your X2 CPU to see if you get a cold boot issue.

Hmm. I must've missed that part of the manual. I've been running 1T in those slots for months.

I will put the X2 back in later tonight and try as you suggested, thank you for the help!

 

[benbaked]

From the Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra D motherboard manual
http://us.dfi.com.tw/Upload/Manual/lputnf4 847505101.pdf

"A DIMM's SPD is originally fixed at 1T. When modules are inserted
in DIMM 1 and DIMM 3, the SPD must be 2T for better system
stability. We recommend inserting DIMMs in DIMM 2 and DIMM 4."

DIMMS 1 and 3 are the yellow slots, 2 and 4 are the orange.

One thing you could try is to set the timing to 2T and use the yellow slots with your X2 CPU to see if you get a cold boot issue.

I just put the X2 back into the Ultra-D and the cold-boot issues came back. I set CPC to 2T (I'm using Slots 1 & 3) but the cold boot issues were still present.

I'll try with the RAM in slots 2 and 4 this afternoon to see if that clears this issue. For the past two weeks I was using the Opteron 144 and every boot was fine.

I for the X2.

 

[fabulouscoops]

Sounds like a BIOS issue. Is there a better BIOS for X2 CPUs?

 

[Immortal_Hero]

Sounds like a BIOS issue. Is there a better BIOS for X2 CPUs?

I second that, update your BIOS. Sounds like a conflict between you BIOS and your X2.

 

[benbaked]

I'm using the 4/6/06 BIOS, that's the latest release that I see from DFI.

 

[benbaked]

What wattage power supply do I need to run and overclock a Toledo? Is my current PSU sufficient? Thanks.

 

[Super Nade]

You should be using the Orange DIMM slots. Yellow will run at 2t timing and is not recommended when using 1 or 2 sticks of RAM.

I've owned four DFI NF4 boards ranging from an Ultra-D, to an SLI-DR to an expert. This has never occoured with me. BH5 RAM somehow seems to like the Yellow slots, whilst TCCD based stuff prefer the Orange. Initially, I figured it was one of those urban legends that do the rounds, but it turned out to be true.

Make sure your weakest stick is closest to the CPU.

 

[benbaked]

Make sure your weakest stick is closest to the CPU.

Yeah, the extra heat is good for it.

 

[Super Nade]

Its not the extra heat, but perhaps this has something to do with signal integrity and drive/data strength or the requirement that the data transmission line be properly terminated?