PROBLEM!! Using PCI Card On A8N-SLI Premium

[Sillysod]

Hi,

I have just bought an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium mobo, along with a AMD Athlon64 4200+ X2 CPU. I built the system, & having ran out of funds to buy the PCI-E card, I just thort I could use my spare old PCI card, just for now (just to be able to use the computer, no games). I am using 2 X 256 PC3200 RAM in dual channel, an 80GB HDD & a thermaltake 430W PSU. When I try and turn on the comp for the first time, I got artifacts on the screen and a _ symbol flashing at the top of the screen. I then restarted & I got one long beep and 3 short beeps after that (repeated again after 4-5 second pause). Ive tested all the hardware on an other computer and all is fine, used different PSU, RAM and PCI card and to the same result. If I try to turn on the comp with no RAM at all, I get the same beeping, but with 2 shorter beeps after the longer beep, instead of 3. If i reset the CMOS, i get the artifacts again.

Am I correct in thinking that I can use a PCI card in the mobo that is really tuned for PCI-E? Could it be a dead mobo?

Many thanks!

Sam H

 

[PC eye]

Check to make sure your bios settings are set for pci and not AGP! That right off would see problems. The one long and multiple short beeps do usually point at a hardware like the video card or memory. On the board there with the Phoenix-Award bios you can easily suspect the card or bios setting.

That model board has seen problems to add to that however. Last spring I was asked to look at a new build with the same model when nothing happened when turned on. There was plenty of power there when seeing all fans running and an initial blink of drive lights but...? That board and the second sent to replace were both... D..O..A...! Your bios beep code shows that your board isn't quite one of those since it has pointed at the card most like as the problem.

 

[Sillysod]

I would make sure it was set to PCI display, but I do not have a PCI-E card to do this in the first place! I cannot get into the bios. I would have thort a basic PCI card would work in most computers new or old? I will probably just have to wait till I get a PCI-E card .

Thanks for your suggestions!

Sam

 

[PC eye]

If you get a clear enough screen and can get into the bios you simply switch the PCI/PCI-E setting to pci once there and choose the exit and save option if the F10 key doesn't work. That will save the setting there for using the card you have. But without even seeing the initial post screens the card is most likely toast.

You are already hearing the hardware fail code with the multiple beeps. You're going to happier with a good PCI-E model anyways. Even with the wrong setting in the bios a working card would still display the post and bios setup screens. The problems with the incorrect setting there would be seen later when loading Windows.

 

[Sillysod]

Its not the normal post at all, its just some random blocks with a flashing line in the top left of the screen (& very Seldomly displays anything). I have tried the card in my other computer & it works fine. Ive also tried another working card. I will get a PCI-E card, but im just worried that the board is dead & not just a problem with the pci card.

Many Thanks for your posts PC eye

Sam

 

[elitehacker]

Do not buy a PCI Express card yet. Try another PCI card, a PCI card should just work in any motherboard with a PCI slot provided that you have the correct settings.

 

[Sillysod]

I can't set the settings for the PCI card as stated before What do you recommend I do? I could just buy the cheapest PCI-E card from ebay and try that?

Thanks for your help!

Sam

 

[elitehacker]

"I then restarted & I got one long beep and 3 short beeps after that (repeated again after 4-5 second pause)" that is the typical beep sequence for no video. Well can you borrow a PCI express card? Is the motherboard still under warranty, if it is and you ask really really nicely, maybe the place you bought the card from may let you test it with a PCI express card so you don't have to waste your money buying a new one.

 

[elitehacker]

Also just as a side note, the reason for your low 3dmark score is not limited to your CPU, its actually what a typical 6800GT will get. The 6800GT is an aging card so don't expect much from it.

 

[Sillysod]

I will just buy a very cheap PCI-E card from eBay and if it doesnt work I will sell the card. But I would have thought a PCI card would work in almost any comp? Would it select to display from the PCI card automatically seeing there is no other graphics adaptor?

Many thanks peeps!

I will change that elitehacker, I dont own that computer any more anywayz! Been along time since i've been on computerforum!

 

[PC eye]

Have you tried the card in different slots? For no display seen when powering up a system Asus has a set of steps to follow provided the default display doesn't require a PCI-E model card installed. The support page seen here refers to shutting down the system, unplugging the ac cord, all power connections on the board itself, unplugging all drives, and setting the board up again with only the video, keyboard+mouse, and just the supply plugged back in. You also need to clear the cmos while setting it up this way. http://support.asus.com/troubleshooting/troubleshooting.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

Here's a few pages from that model board's user manual to look over on getting things going. http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6857/a8nslipremiumjo3.jpg

The image here shows the screen for changing the PCI/PCI-E setting. http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/4665/a8nslipremiumbiosij3.jpg

The Asus support will have the manual online for review at http://dlsvr02.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socket939/A8N-SLI%20Premium/e2435_a8n-sli_premium.pdf if you don't have the orignal onhand.

 

[elitehacker]

Exactly, like what I said before, remove ALL non-essential hardware, and give that a try.

 

[PC eye]

That model board for some reason was a little twitchy since it came out. I hope you are not going to run smack into the same type of problems with the one there. If you get nowhere when moving from slot to slot where you know the card is good it's your choice from there. You will want a good PCI-E model anyways. But if still under warranty swap it for the A8N-SLI Deluxe or A8N-SLI models. I wrote off the A8N-SLI Premium last year.

 

[Sillysod]

Thats brilliant I will try all the steps you have mentioned & see what I get.

Many thanks for all your help and your time!

 

[Sillysod]

Hi,

I just took everything off the motherboard apart from the essential. Then cleared the CMOS. Turned it on and i got "Starting Setup..." or something like that with distorted graphics underneath it. Then just the flashing line at the top left of the screen with pink random squares in the lower centre of the screen, and it froze on that. Now if i try to boot the system, I get the beeping as if there was no graphics adapter present at all. I’m not sure what the problem is? Maybe it just doesn’t like old crappy PCI cards? I have tried 2 working cards on my other Abit athlon64 system. I’ve re-seated the CPU and applied new compound, tried different components (apart from CPU as I only have one skt939). The problem is I bought the motherboard from eBay second hand & am not sure if I can send it back as it has been a few weeks since purchase. Should I buy a very cheap PCI-E card in you're oppinion(s)?

Thanks to all for your advice & support! Its very well appreciated

Sam

 

[pies]

just for kicks what kind of card is it and are you running windows xp just maybe that card cannot support xp and did you load the drivers for it

 

[Sillysod]

I don't even get a post on it, but the cards do work on another computer & do load up XP with out problems .....

 

[pies]

is there another pci slot on the board you can try if so see what happens if you hadnt tryed that already
if you remove the card and boot do you get the same beep code?

 

[PC eye]

just for kicks what kind of card is it and are you running windows xp just maybe that card cannot support xp and did you load the drivers for it

The model card there is a 6800GT as mentioned earlier and can run on an XP system with the correct drivers installed. The cmos having been cleared may have set it to PCI-E by default on that model? That remains to be seen.

You are better off going with a PCI-E model even if a lower end card for determining where the problem is. At least with a display being seen you can even try updating the bios as well as seeing if the pci slots are working the way they should. Even you decide to go with a new board to correct this you will want a PCI-E model for the most part. I could advise going for something better then a sheapie for use on a new board if needed and something you will be better off with.

 

[elitehacker]

Bid on a very cheap budget PCI E card and see where the problem is.