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Asus Z170 Deluxe Faulty?

Stormsys
By Stormsys
in Troubleshooting
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Hi Guys.... 

 

I just upgraded my rig to skylake, 6700k, asus z170 deluxe and 32gb(4x8gb) Dominator Platinum @ 2666Mhz.

 

So as I turned the system on for the first time, the motherboard would hang sometimes on a black screen before the "press del or f2" screen and sometimes on the "press del or f2" screen. the on-board LED stuck at QCODE "99". a quick search around the internet suggested this was a bricked or corrupt bios, in fact it seems I'm not the first to face this issue.

 

Anyway thankfully Asus included a bios flashback feature, this allows you to recover the motherboard bios regardless of the state its in by using a predetermined usb port and a predetermined bios file name. I was uble to get the system back in working condition and upgraded to bios version 0901. My troubles didn't stop there however.

 

After installing a fresh windows, i noticed some odd behaviour, as i was installing AI suit the installer froze installing the USB drivers. i rebooted and managed to install it the second time around. after a few BSOD later(driver_state_ something or other) i located a problem with the Asmedia driver, causing system cpu spikes and random programs crashing. i had to unplug all usb3 ports, and remove and reinstall the driver to fix this... and so you guessed it my problems did not stop here...

 

 

I began looking at overclocking, turned on XMP and what not but a few BSOD later(memory_management) at random intervals, i mostly traced these back to then "AI SUIT" did not start with windows, i decided to run memtest86. everything was fine until test #4(Block Move 64) on the first pass i got 738 errors on this test... i let it run overnight in the morning i was up t 1400+ all on test #6. i repeated the block move test without XMP and it seemed to work...(didn't do too many passes ...)

 

Then began the process of elimination, so lets take motherboard slots in order and label them 1, 2, 3 and 4(from left to right). i took two ram sticks, i re-enabled XMP, and tried it in slot 2+4 and repeated the block move test - the test passed two times. i then took the other 2 rams and did the same - the test passed.

 

next i tried slots 1+3, again the tests passed.

 

Finally i tried slot 3+4 and i got hundreds of failures again, same for 1+2 and 3+4(basically when operating across both channels).

 

I can only personally conclude that the board is faulty, what is your opinion guys?

 

p.s. Occasionally the board hangs on shutdown after the monitor is off, even with XMP off. 

 

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I think it is a software issue on your end.

 

I'm willing to bet you had the internet connected to the machine?

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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Posted

same for 1+2 and 3+4(basically when operating across both channels).

 

isn't it usually that 1 and 2 would be on the same channel and 3 and 4 are on another? if this isn't true for this board, then it would seem your board may be at fault here. 

Troubleshooting a pc will make you believe in gremlins.

--Thread killer--

 

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isn't it usually that 1 and 2 would be on the same channel and 3 and 4 are on another? if this isn't true for this board, then it would seem your board may be at fault here. 

 

In most modern boards at-least the ones i've used recently the pairs as 1 slot apart and colour coded. so 1+3 are same colour and 2+4 are same colour.

 

The mobo manual is here:

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170-DELUXE/E10627_Z170_DELUXE_UM_V2_WEB.pdf

Page 1-7

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I think it is a software issue on your end.

 

I'm willing to bet you had the internet connected to the machine?

 

The usb thing maybe... doesn't explain the memtest86 (booted from usb).

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Posted

In most modern boards at-least the ones i've used recently the pairs as 1 slot apart and colour coded. so 1+3 are same colour and 2+4 are same colour.

they used to do it the other way around, this has been the most confusing thing to keep track of as they update, it used to be ingrained the other way around lol. But yeah, then your board is having trouble dealing with Dual channel i'd think, or your DIMM slot is damaged. You may have to RMA the board

Troubleshooting a pc will make you believe in gremlins.

--Thread killer--

 

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Posted

The usb thing maybe... doesn't explain the memtest86 (booted from usb).

Well, I have 3 arguments with that whole idea. First, is the memory on the QVL list? Second, you're using a out of date BIOS/UEFI so of course it is going to be unstable. And third, you're overclocking DDR 4 RAM with pretty average memory modules.

 

Edit:  According to ASUS these are the only stick that will work in that board from corsair at that speed.

 

CORSAIR CMD128GX4M8A2666C15(Ver4.31)(XMP) 128GB (16x 8GB ) DS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD16GX4M4A2666C15(Ver4.23)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD16GX4M4A2666C16(Ver4.23)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD16GX4M4A2666C16(Ver5.29)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD32GX4M4A2666C15(Ver4.23)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD32GX4M4A2666C15(Ver5.29) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMD32GX4M4A2666C16(Ver4.23)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK16GX4M4A2666C15(Ver4.23)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK16GX4M4A2666C15(Ver5.29) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK16GX4M4A2666C16(Ver4.23)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK16GX4M4A2666C16(Ver5.29)(XMP) 16GB (4GB*4) SS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK32GX4M4A2666C15(Ver4.23)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK32GX4M4A2666C15(Ver5.29)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 15-17-17-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK32GX4M4A2666C16(Ver5.29)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 16-16-18-35 1.2

CORSAIR CMK32GX4M4A2666C16R(Ver4.23)(XMP) 32GB (8GB*4) DS - - 16-18-18-35 1.2

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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Posted (edited)
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Well, I have 3 arguments with that whole idea. First, is the memory on the QVL list? Second, you're using a out of date BIOS/UEFI so of course it is going to be unstable. And third, yare overclocking DC R 4 RAM with pretty average memory modules.

 

I am using bios 0901 its the latest released 5th this month,The exact model of ram is on the QVL but it shouldn't matter with this grade of hardware and thirdly its one of the more expensive brands + models of ram available on this platform.

 

P.s. i am only trying to clock it at ADVERTISED on the box speeds of 2666mhz no more. using XMP.

 

P.p.s: it's a quad kit, sold as working together (CMD32GX4M4A2666C15)

Edited by Stormsys
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Posted

I am using bios 0901 its the latest released 5th this month,The exact model of ram is on the QVL but it shouldn't matter with this grade of hardware and thirdly its one of the more expensive brands + models of ram available on this platform.

 

P.s. i am only trying to clock it at ADVERTISED on the box speeds of 2666mhz no more. using XMP.

 

P.p.s: it's a quad kit, sold as working together (CMD32GX4M4A2666C15)

It doesn't matter how much you pay.  Compatibility is still a thing that you cant buy your way out of.

 

Regardless, that model you listed is on the QVL list.  It IS plug and play, nothing else is needed out of you.

 

I thought you said that you rolled your BIOS back via the BIOS Flash Back?  That should take it back to 0504, the original version of the BIOS.

 

Additionally, if you have bad RAM when you flash the BIOS it could cause something to go wrong in the read and write process.

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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It doesn't matter how much you pay.  Compatibility is still a thing that you cant buy your way out of.

 

Regardless, that model you listed is on the QVL list.  It IS plug and play, nothing else is needed out of you.

 

I thought you said that you rolled your BIOS back via the BIOS Flash Back?  That should take it back to 0504, the original version of the BIOS.

 

Additionally, if you have bad RAM when you flash the BIOS it could cause something to go wrong in the read and write process.

 

Bios Flashback is Asus' name for their bios corruption recovery feature- it allows you to load a bios onto a USB with a predetermine name, you place the usb in a predetermined port and the motherboard will re-flash using that bios regardless if the current bios works or not. the version of the bios you put on the usb is the version that it will try to install, in my case 0901.

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Bios Flashback is Asus' name for their bios corruption recovery feature- it allows you to load a bios onto a USB with a predetermine name, you place the usb in a predetermined port and the motherboard will re-flash using that bios regardless if the current bios works or not. the version of the bios you put on the usb is the version that it will try to install, in my case 0901.

It use to not be that way. Okay, so then I'm actually going to lean towards it being either a faulty IMC or incompatible hardware. 

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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It use to not be that way. Okay, so then I'm actually going to lean towards it being either a faulty IMC or incompatible hardware. 

im assuming IMC = integrated memory controller, Yeah thats what one of the guys on the phone told me. im going to RMA the board, and if it still has an issue on my next board il rma the cpu...

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let me know what you find out.

im assuming IMC = integrated memory controller, Yeah thats what one of the guys on the phone told me. im going to RMA the board, and if it still has an issue on my next board il rma the cpu...

Please spend as much time writing your question, as you want me to spend responding to it.  Take some time, and explain your issue, please!

Spoiler

If you need to learn how to install Windows, check here:  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/324871-guide-how-to-install-windows-the-right-way/

Event Viewer 101: https://youtu.be/GiF9N3fJbnE

 

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  • 2 months later...
Posted

This board, to this date is still having BIOS issues. Bought this few weeks ago and regretting it every single moment.

ASMedia controller, SATA6G_E1 disconnects and reconnects my drive momentarily all the time doesn't matter I connect SSD or HDD to it, https://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20151112155113638&board_id=1&model=Z170-DELUXE&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

 

Apparently it's a BIOS issue for me, could be hardware issue as well so I am talking back and forth with ASUS Support where they take their time in responding until they tell me if it's BIOS or hardware issue. It's such a shame really as I overlooked Gigabyte G1 Gaming mobos over in favor of Z170 Deluxe just to have all these BIOS issues months after the release of the board considering it's their high-end board.

 

... oh and not to mention terribly long boot times, oh god .. my 4790k was booting in 12-15 seconds at max with 850 EVO and this Skylake build? boy oh boy .. takes over a whooping sixty seconds that is also only if it doesn't get stuck in reboot loop (which seems to be fixed by now, after tinkering around with it though but mainly related to high speed memory modules.)

 

Please do let me know your experience with this board so far, OP.

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K /Cooler: Custom Loop /Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Formula /Memory: G.Skill Trident Z 64GB (3000 MHz) /GPU: Zotac GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme
Storage: 2x 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD + 120GB Kingston v300 SSD + 4TB WD Black + 3x 2TB WD Red + 500GB Seagate Barracuda /Chassis: Corsair 900D /OS: Win 10 x64
All powered by Corsair AX1200i
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