EggXpert

Hey everyone,

I bought an Asus P5Q Pro for a system I'm building.  Got everything put together and powered up.  Fans came on, but nothing happened.  No POST, no nothin'.  So I started swapping parts around to track down the problem.  CPU in another machine worked fine.  Video card in another machine worked fine.  Tried different memory (both 1GB and 2GB dimms in just about every combination imaginable, including only one dimm at a time) and a different PSU with the MB and still the same problem.

Naturally I assumed the MB was bad, so I sent it back and had it replaced (along with the CPU since I bought them as a combo).  Now the new one is behaving exactly the same way.  I've read a number of 1-star reviews from people saying they had multiple DOAs with this board, but I'm skeptical.  I really think it's gotta be something else.

I've read some posts from people saying memory may be an issue.  Some say this board has issues with certain Corsair RAM, but I only ever buy Corsair so I don't have anything else readily available to test with.  Someone also said voltage may be too low on the MB and that lower power RAM needs to be used to boot up so the voltage can be changed in the BIOS (all the dimms I've tried are 2.1V).  That seems ridiculous to me--is it?

Does anyone have any ideas/experience with this board?  Should I go buy some low-power non-Corsair RAM to try to boot up with?  I do have some 1.9V Corsair in another machine that I'm going to try, but any other thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Specs:

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

Memory: CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX - Retail

PSU: OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

Video Card: EVGA 256-P2-N751-TR GeForce 8600 GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Fist I would try to build it on the out side of the case and see if it will POST. If it does there is something in the case shorting out the connection on the motherboard.

If it Does not POST then it will be the RAM.

 

sometimes ppl forgot to plug in 4 pin power connector of the motherboard, if you PSU has 8pin connector, maybe you need a 8pin to 4 pin adapter.

The 8600 series won't work on the P5Q series. Reading on another forum that talked about the board, someone else was having that problem. The board is lacking PCI-E 1.1 support. Though the board has PCI-E 2.0, which is suppose to be backwards compatible with 1.1; ASUS left it out..somehow. I was frustrated myself having a XFX 8600GT XXX 256mb card that works perfectly in other machines, but put it on a P5Q board...forget it. I was only able to determine that it was the board, and not the card by testing a ASUS 9600GT card on the board, which has PCI-E 2.0 support, that I borrowed. I was testing on P5Q Deluxe, but it the same chipset on the P5Q Pro.

So, the only thing to do is to ditch you 8600gt and get a newer card with PCI-E 2.0 support. I just ordered an ASUS 4850 from newegg last night. I know it sucks to shell out more money, if you don't have it, on a new video card when you know perfectly well that it works great. But, that the solution... I did for a moment get my 8600gt working when I updated the BIOS to 1306, then swapped the 9600gt out and put in my 8600gt in for moment; but after I turned off the computer and tried turn it back on...nothing.

I hope this helps, b/c I was in the exact position you were for a few weeks now, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I even RMA'd the board and swapped out RAM and CPU, just to figure out it was the board and no PCI Express 1.1 support.

demck85:

The 8600 series won't work on the P5Q series. Reading on another forum that talked about the board, someone else was having that problem. The board is lacking PCI-E 1.1 support. Though the board has PCI-E 2.0, which is suppose to be backwards compatible with 1.1; ASUS left it out..somehow. I was frustrated myself having a XFX 8600GT XXX 256mb card that works perfectly in other machines, but put it on a P5Q board...forget it. I was only able to determine that it was the board, and not the card by testing a ASUS 9600GT card on the board, which has PCI-E 2.0 support, that I borrowed. I was testing on P5Q Deluxe, but it the same chipset on the P5Q Pro.

So, the only thing to do is to ditch you 8600gt and get a newer card with PCI-E 2.0 support. I just ordered an ASUS 4850 from newegg last night. I know it sucks to shell out more money, if you don't have it, on a new video card when you know perfectly well that it works great. But, that the solution... I did for a moment get my 8600gt working when I updated the BIOS to 1306, then swapped the 9600gt out and put in my 8600gt in for moment; but after I turned off the computer and tried turn it back on...nothing.

I hope this helps, b/c I was in the exact position you were for a few weeks now, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I even RMA'd the board and swapped out RAM and CPU, just to figure out it was the board and no PCI Express 1.1 support.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  That was exactly it.  I plugged a 2.0 card in and the thing booted right up.  Man, that's so silly.  I figured since 2.0 was *supposed* to be backwards compatible and the video card worked in a 2.0 slot in another MB that it couldn't be the issue.

I'll just have to get a 2.0 card and send this one back.  I am definitely going to write a review on the P5Q to warn people about this.  Thanks again!

Wow, that really sucks. Surprised that ASUS of all manufacturers did this.

I'm having a similar problem, only I have a PCI-E 2.0 card. 

 Specs:

E8500

P5Q PRO

2x2GB GEIL DDR2 1066 RAM

EVGA 9800 GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130397)

 

Any other known problems with this board?

Same issue here.

I was able to confirm that my Video Card works by putting it in a friend's machine.  My RAM is listed in the manual explicitly as compatible and I tried swapping them out one stick at a time as well to test them, still no luck.  Also I pulled the video card and tried to boot, same thing (no beep codes or anything).  So I eventually just sent it back for RMA as DOA.  We'll see when I get it back if it works this time.

It seems like people are having the same issues. I almost bought this too. Now the message I am getting is dont?

I dunno if I'd go so far as to say that. It still *should* be a good board.  I will wait until I get my replacement for my final opinion though...

Have the same problem this is my second board. The first board the holes for the heatsink were not aligned properly to allow heatsink install. The misaligned holes damaged the push pins on the heatsink. Since the board was RMA I bought a better heatsink think that would handle the hole problem which it did.

Now the second board won't post after returning 3 video cards because they were showing no power to the card paid more attention discovered by mouse and keyboard weren't being powered either. Have PCI-E 2.0 4850 video card, recommended ram Geil 2X1gb. Power supply 750 watt, processor E8400 the heatsink fan powers on, case fans direct connection to power supply power on. But every PCI-E 2 card shows no power to the card even though I have used 6 pin power plug.

Now I don't know what to do I might have to eat the cost of this board since I wonder if a 3rd board would be any different.

Sorry this is so long but this is not the first system I've built but it's the system from hel.

Damn I have the same problem I just RMA my board back. After reading how many DOA boards I should just got my cash back went with another brand looks like a lot of people are having a lot of DOA's with the p5q series of boards.

Just build a system a month ago with an Asus P5Q Pro (It had a great layout and many good reviews at the time, at a great price) and ATI ASUS HD4850, it works, so it definantly seems to at least work with a PCI Express 2.0 GPU...I can always switch out the HD4850 with my extra 7600GT and see if its an issue, but seeing as how its all over the net and google, this definantly is an issue...

Thanks for this info...May just sticky this so other folks know too...

Respectfully,

PROACEX1

Hi folks I have the asus P5Q Pro with 8500cpu,4gig gskill ddr 800 4.4.4.12 and a evga 8800 gts 320mb I think the gpu is not a 2.0 card. So far all seems ok hope i'm not going to run into trouble later.

Eh, I wasn't aware of this issue.

I sure wish that I had seen this thread before I bought my parts.  I have a HD3850, second one actually.  Did an rma with the first one.  Same problem as everyone else.  I think I'm past my 30 days too!  I was certainly expecting better from Asus.

Had no idea about this issue until I read this thread

I was going to get a P5Q Pro and HD 4850 for a system for my wife. I know that is OK, but since she does not play games would an HD4650 or HD4670 be just as good for a lot less? I assume that they are PCI-E 2.0 and would POST OK. I think they have two DVI connectors for her two Monitors.

My present PC was assembled near end of 2007 around an ASUS P5N32-E SLI 680i mobo.   E6420 CPU, EVGA 8800GT, 2GB Corsair XMS DDR800, Antec NeoPower 480, XP Home.   Around same time I assembled a PC for a friend from identical parts but around an ASUS P5K-E mobo (P35).   His never had a glitch, not a crash, playing all the same games as me.   My PC was a total wreck, dumping me out to desktop, freezing cold requiring a reset or BSOD-ing in almost every game and not just game.   Premiere had issues.   Recently it got especially bad, once freezing doing nothing in a screensaver, and a couple times self rebooting in the middle of a backup.  I since updated the PSU to a 700W OCZ since my aging Antec showed drooping voltages in the BIOS - no dice.   My case is a well-ventilated CoolerMaster, with temps under 50C under load, and given how unstable the system is alrready, no OCing was done.  So I finally decided to replace the mobo with one based on an Intel chipset, and decided that P45 is the way to go.   

 Here is where P5Q Pro comes in.  I like Asus and decided to give them another go.  Yes, I saw all the problem reviews, but hey, out of 400+ reviews, over 80% are 4-5 eggs.   So I decided to cross my fingers and ordered - along with some Corsair Dominator DDR1066   (on the QVL list).   Will see how that works out.   I decided on a P5Q Pro cause any higher iterations (E, Deluxe, Premium) are chock-full of things I don't need, but have same share of problem reviews.

The real question:  if not an ASUS then who?   I scoured reviews for about every P45 board - Gigabyte, MSI, Foxconn, DFI, Biostar - all have about same share of one-eggs, some even higher.  One notable exception is Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R, with only one 1-egg and other 62 are 4-5, and that one is what I'll get should P5Q turn out bad.   Which would be a real shame for ASUS...

scorrpio:

.....  So I decided to cross my fingers and ordered - along with some Corsair Dominator DDR1066   (on the QVL list).  

 

Same here and hope to order on BF the P5Q Pro and E8400 (I wonder if they send E0 stepping now?). HOWEVER, I was looking for the memory you said was on the QVL and I do not see it. I see Corsair TWINX4096-8500C5DF and it is the one that they allow 4 sticks if you want it (Col C). Where was the Corsair you ordered on the QVL?

 

TIA

 It is TWIN2X2048-8500C5D

 I actually went on a limb here.  Realizing that ASUS can hardly keep up with every single kit Corsair might offer, let alone update all the manual PDFs, I decided to also check QVLs for other P5Q versions.    The English manual for P5Q PRO is dated 6/19/2008, and indeed does not explicitly list this specific kit, but it does list CM2X1024-8500C5D, which is essentially half of the above kit.   

 I checked P5Q-E, manual dated 8/25/2008 - and sure enough, it specifically lists this kit.  To be on safe side, I decided to go to a lower end model, and checked P5Q SE.   Its manual is  dated 7/31, and does list CM2X1024-8500C5D, suppoted in either 1, 2 or 4 slot configs.  P5Q deluxe QVL (dated 7/25/08) lists the kit.   Finally manual for regular P5Q, dated sometime in May 2008 (before Pro) lists only same models as the Pro.

 All above leads me to believe that no listing of a particular kit has to do with QVLs being stale rather actual lack of support.   With that in mind, however, you may notice that BIOS updates available for P5Q Pro are 11/12/08(1501) and 10/06/08(1406), and 1406 specifically addresses memoy compatibility.   Based on what I see in QVL, and depending on when board left the factory, it is entirely possible that the board will fail to POST with both modules in, and will first require booting with a single module, flashing the BIOS, after which both modules will become usable.

 If all of the above turns out incorrect...  I guess I'll just exchange the mobo for a Gigabyte one.

Well, I was looking at the Gigabyte as well. But the lack of support and some of the issues scare me. I DID find that Newegg lists the TWINX4096-8500C5DF and it comes with a fan and now has a $40 rebate! It also allows 4 sticks.  Very hard for me to find it!

I may order this stuff TODAY because of the rebates. They expire Nov. 30. I was going to wait for BF but then the rebates will be NG. That is because NewEgg shows invoice as date they shipped! So November rebates will be NG as they sure will not ship on Saturday or Sunday!

Update:  got my P5Q Pro yesterday.   Got everything assembled, it posted just fine.   Unlike my ailing P5N32-E (680i), which could not get the CPU over 6x multiplier, this one recognized E6420 for what it is and set it to its proper 8.    DDR1066 RAM booted in dual-channel like a charm.   I did not have to flash the BIOS - it already had the October version, and I decided that I'll keep it as is for now.    Installed XP, all the drivers (chipset, network, video, audio etc), did full Window update, installed NIS, configured a few things - no problem.  

One interesting thing I noticed:   the P5Q does not have any cooler on the MOSFETs above the CPU, and south bridge sink is not linked to anything.    However, P5N32E-SLI has a nice copper heatsink on those MOSFETs with a heatpipe connecting to the south bridge sink.   And the entire thing - both sinks and the pipe - will fit the P5Q willy-nilly!  Pin holes align perfectly.   That should give me some OC headroom if needed.

Great to hear! I am getting mine delivered next Monday. A P5Q Pro and an E8400. What BIOS came with your P5Q Pro? There seems to be a question re: E0 support. One says that IF you get a Proc with E0 Stepping and the BIOS is less that 1004, you can not even flash it. Others say that is not true. If it is less than 1004, some CPU features will not work but you can at least flash it. I just wonder which is true and if the NewEgg board comes at 1004 or greater it will not matter. I hope that Newegg sells so many of these that pre 1004 BIOS would be long gone.