[Problem] p5q se2 won't post with core 2 duo

[Taishar]

Several months ago after a hardware failure, I had to put an old P4 CPU that I had laying around into my ASUS p5q se2 mainboard.

I recently purchased a core 2 duo e7500 to get me through until I can afford a decent upgrade. My bios is up to date and the mainboard supports the CPU. Upon putting in the e7500 I could not get it to post. The system powers up, no error beeps but will not post.

I am using 4 1gb sticks of Kingston DDR2 667.

I have tried unplugging all other hardware. I have reset the cmos. I have tried several bios versions. I have tried multiple power supplies (have a 700 watt in at the moment).

The only different result I can get is without ram I get the 4 beeps for no RAM inserted.

Knowing how unlikely it is the the CPU was DOA is it possible that the RAM is compatible with one CPU and not the other?

Unfortunately I do not have access to another PC in order to test the CPU. I am running out of ideas short of a DOA CPU or some kind of RAM problem.

The system works fine with the same hardware but with the P4 in.

Any help would be appreciated thanks.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Try booting the computer with one RAM stick at a time and test it in every ram slot and see what happens.

So long as you have DDR2 ram in a ddr2 board/ddr3 in a ddr3 board, there wont be incompatibilities with RAM and CPU. Technically you can run DDR2/3 in its respective board and it will work its just whether or not the motherboard manufacturer has optimized its board for that specific RAM.

Do you have the CPU in correctly? Have you tried taking the CPU out and putting it back in?

If you can, assemble the computer outside of its case on a piece of cardboard (or even the motherboard box) and see what happens. It could be a short.

 

[Mussels]

sounds like a DOA CPU to me.

 

[Taishar]

Thanks for the reply

I have tried all 4 RAM sticks in every config in all slots.

It cannot be a short as the P4 CPU works in the exact same setup. The CPU was inserted correctly and I think I tried taking it out and putting it back in about 20 times.

Thanks for the advice.

I am hoping it is DOA, I just don't want to send it back and have them say it is fine. Think I
need to find a computer to test it in.

 

[Mussels]

the only thing i would suggest is to manually set the FSB and ram speeds to low settings (and the multiplier setting to one that the C2D supports) and then shut down, swap CPU's and power on again.

its possible the automatic settings for FSB and ram are whats causing the problem.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

If what mussels suggested doesnt work, then yeah its DOA.

 

[Taishar]

Thanks heaps

Thanks a lot for your help guys.

Just manually set my DRAM freq and FSB with no luck.

I'll try and find a PC to throw it in and test it then send it back.

Once again thanks a lot for your help.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Anytime. Good luck.

 

[Taishar]

no idea

I am baffled by this one.

I took the new CPU to a computer shop and the guy was nice enough to throw it into a system for me and test it. It is NOT DOA. It worked fine.

He gave me a stick of different DDR2 and that doesn't work either. I found a stick of kingston DDR2 800 and that also doesn't work (the RAM all works fine with the old P4).

I have taken the mainboard right out of the case and am running it open air.

If I change BIOS values and reboot and swap CPU, the PC boots then shuts down and then boots in a loop, it seems to shutdown right when it would normally post. By resetting the CMOS the loop stops and it remains powered however does not post.

Once again the old P4 posts every time and doesn't have any issues.

I'm thinking the only remaining option is some kind of mainboard issue or damage.

I have built 100's of systems but this is just got me totally stumped.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Then I would try and RMA the board and see what happens then. Youve tried everything else.

 

[Geofrancis]

my friend has that board and it is very very picky about what ram it will run with a core 2 chip

 

[scaminatrix]

I've seen this before on TPU.
2 people had a CPU and mobo each, exactly the same CPU, exactly the same mobo.

CPU A worked in mobo B but didn't work in mobo A.
CPU B worked in both.

It's possible that any other E7500 will work in your mobo, just not the one you've got.