I’m sure I’ll catch a lot of flack from the Intel fanboys out there on this one. And that’s fine. You’re all entitled to your biased opinions. But for the sake of this post let’s keep the “i7” and “noob” comments to a minimum. This is all about compatibility and experimentation.
A few months ago I purchased a brand new AMD FX 4170 processor. From what I’ve heard from my fellow nerds this thing can be overclocked from its stock 4.2Ghz on all four cores to over 5Ghz with proper cooling. I wanted to try this for myself, and it’s a cheap build. Many Intel fanboys would sneer here and “blah blah blah i7”, but I’ve done it for you. Moving on.
I bought the shiny new FX-4170 processor Asus M5A78L-M LX motherboard, 8 gigabytes of RAM, used an Antec 650W PSU out of a side build, purchased a motherboard, and put it all together. And (drum roll, please), got nothing. Nada. Zip. No POST, no video, no beep from the onboard speaker. Anyone with any build experience knows that no sound is not good.
If there’s one piece of advice I could give to a new builder, it would be to test everything before you put it in the case. Here’s my usual M.O. for a new build:
- Set the motherboard on the box it came in. Nothing else. Never use the antistatic bag, as it conducts electricity.
- Connect your power supply as required, plug it into the wall, and use a screwdriver to touch the two pins on the mobo control panel that would turn on the computer.
- If the motherboard gives you three short beeps, then it’s working so far. Some motherboards have different codes, but three indicates a RAM failure.
- If you got the beeps, you can insert your processor and heatsink, then your RAM, and video card if no onboard video is available. If there is onboard video, use it for now. We put the mobo together now to avoid flexing the board due to the pressure it takes to insert some components. There’s no back support in a case.
- Test everything again. If it fires up and you get video and/or BIOS, then you can start putting the entire system together.
- Now check your standoffs. These are the brass screws that stick out on the inside of your case. Check where the holes on your mobo are and add or remove standoffs accordingly. Standoffs provide grounding for the motherboard, so use the same amount as your motherboard requires. If you have extra, remove them or risk a short.
- Insert your motherboard into your case, wiggle it into place so everything lines up, and put the screws in loosely so you can adjust the board. It’s better to do this with the case on its side.
- Tighten the screws down finger tight. You don’t want to risk warping or cracking your motherboard. Now you can install the video card if necessary and install your operating system. After that you can add components and peripherals to your heart’s content.
Troubleshooting the problem with beep codes on the next page…
So here’s a short chart of the most common POST error codes when it comes to AMI BIOS:
| Beeps | Description |
| 1 | A single beep from an AMI based BIOS means there has been a memory refresh timer error. The solution is often to replace the RAM in the computer. |
| 2 | Two beeps means there has been a parity error in base memory. This is an issue with the first 64KB block of memory in your RAM. The solution is usually to replace the memory. |
| 3 | Three beeps means there has been a base memory read/write test error. Replacing the RAM usually solves this AMI beep code. |
| 4 | Four beeps means that the motherboard timer is not working properly. A hardware failure with an expansion card or the motherboard itself could be the cause of this beep code. |
| 5 | Five beeps means there has been a processor error. A damaged expansion card, the CPU, or the motherboard could be prompting this AMI beep code. |
| 6 | Six beeps means that there has been an 8042 Gate A20 test error. This beep code is usually caused by an expansion card that has failed or the motherboard that is no longer working. |
| 7 | Seven beeps indicates a general exception error. This AMI beep code could be caused by an expansion card problem, a motherboard hardware issue, or a damaged CPU. Replacing the faulty hardware usually fixes the cause of this beep code. |
| 8 | Eight beeps means that there has been an error with the display memory. This beep code is usually caused by a faulty video card. Replacing the video card usually clears this up. |
| 9 | Nine beeps means that there has been an AMIBIOS ROM checksum error. Literally, this would indicate an issue with the BIOS chip on the motherboard. However, since replacing a BIOS chip is sometimes impossible, this AMI BIOS issue is usually corrected by replacing the motherboard. |
| 10 | Ten beeps means that there has been a CMOS shutdown register read/write error. This beep code is usually caused by a hardware issue with the AMI BIOS chip. A motherboard replacement will usually solve this problem, although it could be caused by a damaged expansion card in rare situations. |
| 11 | Eleven beeps means that the cache memory test has failed. Some piece of failing hardware is usually to blame for this AMI BIOS beep code. |
Which brings us to my error on the next page…
Which brings us to my error. No Beep. Which usually means either a bad or incompatible CPU. After some research on the Asus M5A78L-M LX motherboard I found that it was compatible, but only after a BIOS update. However, as the motherboard stated that it only supported CPUs up to 95W and mine was 125W, I was doubtful. I sent the motherboard back to my supplier and they updated the bios for free, then shipped it back. I put the system together again and low and behold… Nothing! Not even a chirp. Regardless of the website’s claims, a BIOS update doesn’t change the wattage capabilities for CPU support.
So I a couple days ago I got a new motherboard in the mail. This one an MSI 970A-G46, which fully stated that it supported my processor and all its 125 watts of electricity-sucking power. The former motherboard, and Asus, was put back in the box for a later build. I put it together and got a successful three beeps with no memory or CPU installed. I put the CPU and RAM in, with a PCI-E video card as this motherboard has no onboard video. And low and behold… Nothing! Again.
I did some research and found that while this motherboard did support my processor fully, it had to have another BIOS update. Neato. But as I already had one motherboard going to waste and one sitting there needing a BIOS update that couldn’t be done without a lower level processor, I decided to order a new processor and update the BIOS myself, leaving me with an extra CPU for a side build project; two birds with one stone, if you will.
The point is that even though the website says they support your processor, it might not be true. Why Asus thought that their motherboard supported a higher wattage CPU than what the motherboard was rated for is beyond me. And I contacted the PR rep at Asus about this, with no response. The MSI board, after a little research, did reveal that it would support the CPU with a BIOS update, and went up to 125 Watts to begin with.
he point here, and one that I forget myself sometimes, is to read. Read, read, research, and read. If you’ve never encountered this before or this is your first build, it can turn you off to the joys of putting together a PC with your bare hands. To hand pick each and every component and know that the game you’re capable of building something that would cost twice as much if you bought it already put together. Once the new CPU comes in, we shall see if everything is operational or if I have to start writing scathing reviews on hardware.
Stay tuned to see how the build turns out with the updated BIOS in part two…