IX38 QuadGT Bios Nightmare

TopHouse · #1 29-05-2008, 00:16

Installed the latest bios on my Abit IX38 Quad GT, caused me a total nightmare! My memory is 4 x 1 gig corsair CM2X1024-8500C5D Dominator, it's the earlier revision which is 2.2 volt, I believe the later stuff is 2.1 and I hear there's even another revision that's 1.8. Anyway, I get the bios, did it with two floppies then did a clear cmos, would the thing reboot? Not a chance! I was contantly getting C1 errors all the time, no matter what i did, one stick in any slot, still C1, tried everything I could, numerous cmos clears, battery out, clear cmos with jumper for 10 minutes with battery out, holding 'insert' key in, nothing worked, telephoned Abit support who are now on a freephone number in Holland, the guy there kept trying to tell me it was faulty memory despite me telling him the chances of 4 modules going down was practically impossible, he could offer no other advice!

So, did numerous searches on the net, found a possible solution, ended up driving over to PCworld and buying a 512 stick of cheap 6400 DDR2 for 14 pounds, put it in the board, it booted, allowed it to update dmi etc after all the bios clearing etc, then closed it down, reflashed with the previous bios (taking no chances), then cleared cmos again, rebooted, set up bios but upped the mem voltage to 2.225 rebooted praying that the cheapo memory would work with the upped voltage, it did (phew) closed down again, inserted my corsair, booted and got back up and running. It took hours of time and a lot of stress!

Searching around i see a LOT of people are having the same issues with high performance memory in this board and it always seems to be the same C1 error, why after the bios revisions it's had are people still having to make it boot with crap mem then set it up to accept their expensive high quality reputable brand memory?

Funky · #2 30-05-2008, 05:03

This is not exactly IX38 specific issue. It happens with many boards when coupled with memory that is incapable of booting at 1.8-1.9v

You should have just upped the voltage on new bios and inserted your sticks instead of flashing back to older version 12.
It would have worked.

Clunk · #3 30-05-2008, 05:14

Oops, sorry, I missed this one

Funky is right, it could be the low voltage problem, but my money is on a faulty stick of RAM, it's classic board behaviour when a stick is either dead or dying.

supershanks · #4 30-05-2008, 07:33

Using old generic memmory to get round C! errors is the common solution, used generally . C! errors are where memory can't be detected, doesn't mean that memory is bas. On the x38 Quad I generally found that thw C1 error came with a failed overclock and/or bios corruption.

I found best solution was :-
1) 6) Fix For General Instability & No post/Boot
2) Flashing with a different Command Line Changed Bios command Line

luck

TopHouse · #5 30-05-2008, 11:16

def not faulty Ram, as I said, i tried one stick in every slot, I have 4 x 1 gig sticks so it was 4 times 4 tries, did all the battery out and clearing cmos stuff. Funnily enough, during my research, it wasn't long before i discovered that Corsair had done another 2 revisions of this same ram after mine, mine is labelled at 2.2 volt, the next edition was 2.1 volt and i believe there's now a 1.8 volt version, and Corsair has always had a reputation for liking it's voltage.

However, it still doesn't change the fact that an experienced board maker like Abit shouldn't have this problem on what is practically their flagship board.

supershanks · #6 30-05-2008, 12:57

Quote:

def not faulty Ram, as I said, i tried one stick in every slot,

No as I said

Quote:

. C! errors are where memory can't be detected

which doesn't mean ram is bad , bios can't find it. There are a few boards which have had problems with c1 errors at 1 time or another. The DFI LP UT P35-T2R had similar issues.

Have you tried 7) Kiefer's 13 Final yet , from changelog it fixes a few issues.

TopHouse · #7 30-05-2008, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by supershanks

.

Have you tried 7) Kiefer's 13 Final yet , from changelog it fixes a few issues.

Is this a custom mod from the latest abit one? I remember years ago when the ST6 R was the best abit did and then the IC7-G. there were some good custom bios's from the likes of Tom Geery and Richard Hopkins, not heard of those two for a while, Richard Hopkins was a VERY knowledgeable guy.

In fact the other 2 PC's on my home network contain the above boards, the IC7-G was replaced by this new IX38 build.

supershanks · #8 30-05-2008, 15:12

If you follow the kinks, it's on Abit's FTP. I know what you mean about custom mods , but they don't usually come with such a comprehensive changelog.

It's Abit Official 13. Whether it's an unlucky number , I don't know, but if it srts out the items listed it can't be bad.

luck