LP DK P45-T2RS or TURBO - freeze after post

[CounterZeus]

Hi there fellow tpu'ers.

One of my friends is having a weird issue with his mobo (I'm c/p'ing from him).

His specs are:
DFI LanParty DK P45-T2RS || Intel Q9550 || 4GB GSkill PC8000 || Gainward HD4850 512MB GDDR3 || Thermaltake Toughpower 650W

You guys have any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Last week, my computer failed all of a sudden, pc was just idling.
When the powerbutton is pressed, the mainboard beeps once (as is normal), the screen turns on and I see a uncomplete POST-screen (award/phoenix info on top, CPU type/speed and bios version on the bottom, nothing about memory, hard drives,...), after that the pc just freezes. I can't access the BIOS and nothing happens.
The code on the debug-LED stays on 50.

I got my manual, looked up the debugcode and it has something to do with the USB. I tried all the tips (unhooking all USB-devices, CMOS clear, changing the jumpers for USB standby voltage iirc).
Nothing helped.
There was also a weak smell of something burning (nowhere as stong as a burnt PSU e.g.). Since I couldn't notice anything odd on the CPU or mainboard, I removed the chipset/VRM cooler and noticed that one of the mosfets was white.

I requested RMA with DFI NL and a few hours ago I received another board.
So I install everything and try to boot, but he same thing occurs again: 1 beep, half a POST-screen, freeze, code 50 on debug-LED.

No burnt mosfet this time and can't smell anything.
Also changed PSU/RAM/VGA, so that can be ruled out.
The mainboard is supposed to be fixed and can't see anything wrong on the CPU (is it possible it wouldn't work without anything visible damage?) or socket.

 

[sneekypeet]

Im my little handy book of post codes, it shows that 50 is "Write all CMOS Values Back to RAM and Clear" for Award Bios. Does he have an extra stick of ram he can try to boot on, other than whats in the rig? Assuming the bios chips are OK, since he just got a new board

 

[CounterZeus]

he has no other RAM, but I see him on Saturday, then he can use mine to try. I'll post something if it works out or not.

 

[sneekypeet]

not saying my booklet is GOD, but it has been very handy over say the owners manual

Maybe a bit of time with google can help explain what I have in quotes, and possibly lead to an easier fix.

 

[CounterZeus]

This is what happened: after doing the following thing (as mentioned on dficlub forums):

Unplug the NIC / LAN connector from motherboard and look in manual for setting Usb power to come from +5VSB (power removed of course) and while still shut off completely as in remove power from wall outlet and jumper CMOS to the clear position for about 15 mins. REapply power from wall outlet to power supply and then jumper CMOS back to pins 1 and 2 and see if the board will boot to bios.

another code was displayed then (but not always the same), but it pointed out to a memory problem. After testing with different RAM (another friend had some spare RAM), the same code 50 appeared...

A dficlub mod checked the repair logs and the board should be OK.

 

[CounterZeus]

Well, it's been quite some time now, but my friend RMA'd the board again. Came back last week and does exactly the same. One of the techs tested (successfully) the board for several hours so the problem has to be somewhere else.

what we know:
x pc is working fine with another set of mobo/RAM/CPU (old board with opteron)
x I tested the RAM myself on my pc; no errors
x mobo has been tested for hours; after two RMA's we can assume it has no problems

Someone hinted that the PSU might have a problem with voltages, so he tested with a borrowed PSU and gives the same problem...so either that PSU is faulty too or it's still something else.

Last guess: it might be the CPU, somehow it could have been damaged when the mobo "blew" up. Still, it wouldn't explain the strange USB error on the debug led.

Now, because that CPU is so darn expensive (and it's not 100% sure it's the CPU), he's probably going to buy an AM2+ mobo to reuse his RAM of his current pc and either a phenom x2 555 (try to unlock, if not, OC the hell out of it), a cheap x4 or x6.


Edit: after testing with another board, his cpu and rma'd board seem both broken...