Phenom and SLI support

Hi all:

I have a system I built based on an M3N32 SLI Deluxe. I wont go
into details how all this happened, but I was using the computer fine with a
single video card for 6 months before it all went to hell. I now have a
Phenom 9600, 2ea ASUS 8800 GTS 512MB, 4GB OCZ Platinum and a 1010w PS. I've
had nothing but a bunch of parts for 3 months because the mainboard will not
work... here's the abbreviated story...

1) Added the Phenom with upgraded BIOS and got everything working fine.
2) Added the second video card, and the system performed like a slide show
in SLI mode (tried everything).
3) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
4) New board (number 2) would not post properly, to be specific;
a. With BIOS 1503 it would start for 4 secs and then shut down,
b. With BIOS 1603 it would not post at all (just all fans and power
on, but no post),
c. With either BIOS I could clear the CMOS (battery and pin) then it
would start up but...
- it was unstable,
- if I tried to change settings in the BIOS it would usually
freeze,
- if I shut the system off, I had to start all over again.
5) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
6) New board (number 3) will power up but will not post. I've tried
everything and cannot get it to post, unfortunately I cannot even get into
the BIOS to try and reload or replace it. Clearing the CMOS RTC has no
effect. In all these cases I do not get any post beep error codes. It's
basically the same as starting up a board without a CPU and memory
installed.

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to resolve this. At $18 a pop I don't want
to keep exchanging boards with ASUS.

Thank, Rick

the way I see it if the board won't post it could be a memory compatibility
problem.
Try a different cpu to see if you can get post. Try different memory, I did
see a phenom
running with a single 8800 using a msi board. If you're on your third board
something is definitely wrong.
"Rick Savoie" wrote in message
...
Hi all:

I have a system I built based on an M3N32 SLI Deluxe. I wont go
into details how all this happened, but I was using the computer fine with
a single video card for 6 months before it all went to hell. I now have a
Phenom 9600, 2ea ASUS 8800 GTS 512MB, 4GB OCZ Platinum and a 1010w PS.
I've had nothing but a bunch of parts for 3 months because the mainboard
will not work... here's the abbreviated story...

1) Added the Phenom with upgraded BIOS and got everything working fine.
2) Added the second video card, and the system performed like a slide show
in SLI mode (tried everything).
3) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
4) New board (number 2) would not post properly, to be specific;
a. With BIOS 1503 it would start for 4 secs and then shut down,
b. With BIOS 1603 it would not post at all (just all fans and power
on, but no post),
c. With either BIOS I could clear the CMOS (battery and pin) then
it would start up but...
- it was unstable,
- if I tried to change settings in the BIOS it would
usually freeze,
- if I shut the system off, I had to start all over again.
5) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
6) New board (number 3) will power up but will not post. I've tried
everything and cannot get it to post, unfortunately I cannot even get into
the BIOS to try and reload or replace it. Clearing the CMOS RTC has no
effect. In all these cases I do not get any post beep error codes. It's
basically the same as starting up a board without a CPU and memory
installed.

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to resolve this. At $18 a pop I don't want
to keep exchanging boards with ASUS.

Thank, Rick

BigJim wrote:
the way I see it if the board won't post it could be a memory
compatibility problem.
Try a different cpu to see if you can get post. Try different memory,
I did see a phenom
running with a single 8800 using a msi board. If you're on your third
board something is definitely wrong.
"Rick Savoie" wrote in message
...
Hi all:

I have a system I built based on an M3N32 SLI Deluxe. I
wont go into details how all this happened, but I was using the
computer fine with a single video card for 6 months before it all
went to hell. I now have a Phenom 9600, 2ea ASUS 8800 GTS 512MB, 4GB
OCZ Platinum and a 1010w PS. I've had nothing but a bunch of parts
for 3 months because the mainboard will not work... here's the
abbreviated story... 1) Added the Phenom with upgraded BIOS and got
everything working
fine. 2) Added the second video card, and the system performed like
a slide show in SLI mode (tried everything).
3) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced
it). 4) New board (number 2) would not post properly, to be specific;
a. With BIOS 1503 it would start for 4 secs and then shut
down, b. With BIOS 1603 it would not post at all (just all
fans and power on, but no post),
c. With either BIOS I could clear the CMOS (battery and pin)
then it would start up but...
- it was unstable,
- if I tried to change settings in the BIOS it would
usually freeze, - if I shut the system off, I had to
start all over
again. 5) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they
replaced it). 6) New board (number 3) will power up but will not
post. I've tried everything and cannot get it to post, unfortunately
I cannot even get into the BIOS to try and reload or replace it.
Clearing the CMOS RTC has no effect. In all these cases I do not get
any post beep error codes. It's basically the same as starting up a
board without a CPU and memory installed.

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to resolve this. At $18 a pop I
don't want to keep exchanging boards with ASUS.

Thank, Rick

I looked on the ASUS site and there is no listing for the motherboard you
list (M3N32 SLI Deluxe). There was an Anandtech article posted in another
newsgroup about ASUS boards with the 780G chipset do not have enough power
to run a CPU needing more than 95W power. When they swapped out the CPU for
a 125W quad core, the boards burned out in seconds. Could this be the prob??

Eddie in Loveland

"For a REAL sponge cake, BORROW all the ingredients."

Fixed that typo down there, my MB is an M2N32 of course... thanks for the
responses already...

(probably a Freudian slip)

"Rick Savoie" wrote in message
...
Hi all:

I have a system I built based on an M2N32 SLI Deluxe. I wont go
into details how all this happened, but I was using the computer fine with
a
single video card for 6 months before it all went to hell. I now have a
Phenom 9600, 2ea ASUS 8800 GTS 512MB, 4GB OCZ Platinum and a 1010w PS.
I've
had nothing but a bunch of parts for 3 months because the mainboard will
not
work... here's the abbreviated story...

1) Added the Phenom with upgraded BIOS and got everything working fine.
2) Added the second video card, and the system performed like a slide show
in SLI mode (tried everything).
3) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
4) New board (number 2) would not post properly, to be specific;
a. With BIOS 1503 it would start for 4 secs and then shut down,
b. With BIOS 1603 it would not post at all (just all fans and power
on, but no post),
c. With either BIOS I could clear the CMOS (battery and pin) then
it
would start up but...
- it was unstable,
- if I tried to change settings in the BIOS it would
usually
freeze,
- if I shut the system off, I had to start all over again.
5) On ASUS tech advice, returned mainboard to ASUS (they replaced it).
6) New board (number 3) will power up but will not post. I've tried
everything and cannot get it to post, unfortunately I cannot even get into
the BIOS to try and reload or replace it. Clearing the CMOS RTC has no
effect. In all these cases I do not get any post beep error codes. It's
basically the same as starting up a board without a CPU and memory
installed.

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to resolve this. At $18 a pop I don't want
to keep exchanging boards with ASUS.

Thank, Rick