Maximum PC

I have an MSI X58 Pro (Not a Pro-E) that I've been running an i7 920 in since I built this thing way back when.

I was recently given an i7 970 and when I went to install it my machine wouldn't post. I don't get any beeps or anything, my fan's spool up but that's about it.

I made sure to do a bios update and clear the cmos before I did the swap as this is a newer chip then what I was running, but I didn't expect this kind of problem. I've done some googling but can't seem to find any information on what the problem might be. I haven't contacted MSI yet, but that's my next step after checking here.

Can anyone help me out?

I guess that's the reason why it was free... hehe

Anyhow, try to post without any ram modules in the dimm slots, see if it is getting hung on the memory. It might go through post and give you a memory error since... well you won't have any. If that works, that's a good sign. Try in single channel mode with one module in and setup your bios manually.

Have you checked the manual to see if that cpu is compatible with the motherboard?

Nasty

If the 920 ran fine there's a strong likelihood that either the 970 is hosed, or the socket was damaged during the swap. I'm just going to assume that you oriented the CPU correctly, so check the socket for bent pins. It only takes one pin out of order to cause a problem like this.

Also, be certain that the CPU heatsink isn't cranked down too tight if you're using an aftermarket solution. Check all of the normal things too like cable/card seating and the like.

This may seem like an elementary approach, but honestly if your machine works with one CPU and not the other, there's probably little else you can do at this point. The likeliest culprit would be that CPU. Like JBaz already said, there may be a reason it was a gift.

@Nasty - I already checked. X58M CPU compatibility chart...

http://us.msi.com/product/mb/X58M.html#/?div=CPUSupport

@JBaz

Proc was new, box was sealed. The guy owed me a little bit of cash and ordered two of these on accident, so he gave it to me instead of having to pay the restocking fee to send it back.

Not sure why it would hang on the memory with the new proc when it runs fine with the memory on the old proc, But I'll give that a shot next time I decide to try it.

@Nasty

This proc didn't exist when I bought the board. In fact, it is very difficult to find this board on MSI's site. This was one of the first i7 boards, I built this machine when the i7's still had that freshly released smell....


@Vigilant


That's the wrong board, it's this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130221


It's possible the proc might be bad, I'll see if I can find another system to drop it into.

Socket is fine, I use this computer every day and I haven't had any issues with it. It booted right back up when I stuffed the 920 in it.

I pulled the chip and reset the heatsink twice.

CPU was fresh out of the box, I saw him pull it out of the shipping container and brush off the packing peanuts. It could be a DOA?

took all of 15 seconds to find it on their site...

http://www.msi.com/product/mb/X58-Pro.h ... v=Overview


They added gulftown support in the Bios 8.A version. The latest is the 8.F; what version are you running? I'd still bet its an issue with your ram setting since most of the time if your system can't even complete a post, its usually hung on ram or the cpu doesn't work with your board. Your board should work for this since other guys on OC.net and Hard ocp forums run the same old board with gulftown chips.

I would probably venture over there and ask your question from guys who run the same hardware. Probably some obscure procedure, setting or trick to get it to work. If not, I'd email MSi for support. You have a 3 year warranty on it.

Jbaz, he said in the first post, the first thing he did was update the bios and the latest as you pointed out is 8F, posted in 2011.

I have never been able to post a system without ram, this is a new one on me.

I agree, he should call the manufacture and get their opinion.

Nasty

Well we can all speculate what bios he has or what he considers is "to be the latest" if he said he had issues trying to find the product listing on the website...

I didn't say a system would be able to go past a post, but ram issues or a bad cpu are the only things I know from personal experience that could cause an issue to not pull any error codes, "hang" and not complete the post cycle. That and insufficient power, but that's apparently not an issue.


Watch, its probably something simple and stupid.

Without the ram he should get a beep code and he didn't say if he got beep code at all when the machine was first having issues. That would help.

Nasty

@ Nasty

First post, I never got any kind of beep code.

Running 8F.



I have a sneaking suspicion that MSI's update utility might be blowing hot air up my arse based on what ya'll are saying. Let me see what the BIOS itself says and then I'll report back.

or, take it over to the guy that you got it from, he has a machine that is running the same processor, switch, if his machine does not work with your cpu then it must be the cpu. if it works without issues in his machine, then your motherboard might be suspect, be it bios or whatever.

Well well, what do ya know, turns out my bios wasn't updated after all.

Acording to the Live Update utility I was running 8F, but that's not what was actually installed.

It looks as if the MFlash utility wasn't actually updating the bios, just overwritting itself with the save file it was making of the current bios.

Anyways, after making a bootable flashdrive and throwing the update on there (because MFlash is apparently unstable according to MSI and the interwebs) we seem to be running just fine.

Thanks all for the input!

oh yeah, MSi flashing program is glitchy as hell. I had to use nvflash to update my gpu firmware instead of their crappy program. Its funny because they allow you to download the actual new gpu bios but they took the old install program down to do a bios flash on a usb stick.

Heh, go figure.

Well, that being said, I not have an i7 920 that I need to find a home for. It looks like the 1366 boards are not so slowly going out of date, is it worth building the wife a system around the 920 or should I dump it in the trade section and go with a SB chip?

You wife would be real happy with that chip in a new motherboard for sure...do it!....and you will gain points!

Nasty

But is it worth doing when that socket is pretty much dead at this point? 1366 is also triple channel, aren't all the new boards dual?

just buy a used board on ebay for cheap. Triple channel > Dual channel. But the lga 2011's are quad.

1366 is still relevant since they still have the hexacore's and xeons for that chipset still, but they are slowly dying. It'll just be 2011 and 1155; maybe a new one in a year or so knowing Intel. Haven't looked at xeon's if they'll stick with 1366 or get a new socket (or use the 2011, but doubtful since its made just for the large amount of pcie 3.0 lanes)