Once upon a time in the Asus Hell's World

[loup]

Hey there, 

Just a quick note to reference this previous post here. I previously experimented with my Thunderbolt 4 chain on the ROG Strix X670e-i, but it was disastrous. So, I decided to switch to Intel. Here are my peripherals:

• Motherboard: Asus ROG Z790-I
• CPU: Intel i7 14700k
• GPU: RTX 4080 Super FE
• RAM: Kingston Fury Beast 64GB 6000MHz CL36 AMD EXPO
• PSU: Corsair SF750
• Watercooling: CoolerMaster 240 ATMOS
• Case: Formd T1

I specifically chose this motherboard for its Thunderbolt support to switch all my peripherals between my gaming PC and my MacBook Pro. Here is my setup:

Gaming PC:

• PSU to power outlet
• Thunderbolt 4 to Caldigit TS4+ hub:
  • 240Hz monitor (DisplayPort port)
  • 75Hz monitor (USB-C port)
  • Audio interface UAD Apollo x4 Thunderbolt 3 (Thunderbolt 4 port)

Currently, everything works except PCIe Tunneling. When I connect monitors to my Thunderbolt 4 hub, no signal is displayed. PCIe Tunneling is enabled in the Thunderbolt Control Center, and "Discrete Thunderbolt Support" is also enabled. The iGPU works fine. Interestingly, if I connect a monitor via USB-C to the Thunderbolt 4 port on the motherboard (not the Caldigit hub), the monitor turns on.

I don't understand why connecting monitors to the Caldigit hub via USB-C or DisplayPort doesn't work. I've searched everywhere but found nothing. Some posts suggest routing with a DisplayPort cable from the GPU to the USB-C port on the motherboard, but it surprises me that it doesn't work directly. Even on the ROG Strix X670E-I with AMD architecture, the monitors worked (although it crashed quickly, but at least the signal worked).

I'm determined to find a setup that can switch between a MacBook and a desktop PC without issues. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[loup]

Alright, I'll admit I'm starting to lose patience. After leaving the Windows world that I used my entire life about 8 months ago to switch to MacOS for work, I didn't think my return to Windows would be so chaotic. But really! So here's the news:

PCIe Tunneling works, Thunderbolt 4 works, screens and other peripherals on the Thunderbolt hub also work, which is good news, it almost feels like a dream! EXCEPT, it seems this drop of happiness comes at a price. That of abrupt crashes, without error messages, without warning, of software/games/services and others. Indeed, the first thing I noticed when trying to install Valorant on the PC is that it cannot run without the "vgc" program (anti-cheat I believe). But it seems this program crashes and so the game cannot be launched due to protection and anti-cheat issues. I thought it was a problem with Riot (developer of Valorant) so I contacted Riot support. But in another game the same thing happens to me "Backrooms: Escape Together", after a few minutes of play, the game stops dead, without error or warning, it just stops. So I think, well, it's not just Valorant. And then, it occasionally happens the same with Google Chrome, or even ARMOURY CRATE. It stops dead as if nothing happened. I also have lot of blue screen... SO ONCE AGAIN, an unusable setup. I'll be honest with you, I can't take it anymore, I'm a student and I put all my savings into this PC where I've already tried with AMD then Intel, bought 3 Asus motherboards, and in the end it still doesn't work... my god Windows...

I've reinstalled Windows, the drivers, the games, I've tried everything.

So a small detail that might be important and maybe a lead, but in my change of motherboard and processor I kept the same AMD Expo certified RAM sticks (which still seem to be compatible with Intel, I haven't overclocked or anything to avoid any issues from there, but you never know).

Once again, I'm sending out a message in a bottle, if anyone has the slightest idea, even a hint, I'll take it!

[loup]

And also, major design issue with the CoolerMaster 240 Atmos water cooling system. There is a problem with the LGA 1700 backplate that cannot fit completely because one of the corners gets blocked by small MOSFET transistors :

It's impossible to install the water cooling without an imbalance. Really, it's A LOT!

[Silent_Scone]

Yes, it appears that the board doesn't respect the ATMOS install footprint (although it is quite large compared to most coolers).

We should probably give R&D a pass as it is a Mini ITX board.

[loup]

Yeah but I really need this cooler for my build (with Formd T1), because is pretty tight. I’m gonna try to custom the back panel from the watercooling

[Silent_Scone]

Hi @loup 

Do you have XMP/EXPO enabled, and is your kit PN present on the Motherboard's memory QVL?

Perhaps try with overclocking disabled to see if the launch issues in Valorant and other titles persist.

[loup]

Hi @Silent_Scone, sorry for the late response.

I've disabled every overclocking feature to prevent any problems. Unfortunately, my kit isn't present on the memory QVL. Is there a way to verify if this is the cause of the issue? I've already bought 3 motherboards and 2 CPUs to fix my problem, and I don't want to buy something else for nothing, please. 😂

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @loup 

Could you please confirm your current BIOS version?
If you connect all devices individually instead of using the Thunderbolt 4 hub, does the issue still occur?
Based on your previous and current cross-testing experiences with the motherboard, a similar issue persists with the same hub. 
Would you consider cross-testing with a different hub?

Thank you.

[loup]

Hi again @Jiaszzz_ROG 😂,

I have the latest version : 2402 (but also try with 2301, same)
Without using at all Thunderbolt 4, I still have the issue (crash, "vgc" from Valorant stop, etc...) so I dont think its because of Thunderbolt this time. And this hub cost me 500e I can't change it for another one just for testing ahah (I'll end up working at Asus otherwise 🤣)

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @loup 

Having said that, you have previously cross-tested the X670E-I and, according to your concluding description in the thread, the linked devices function correctly when connected directly to the Z790-I rather than via the Caldigit hub.
If you are unable to further verify whether the hub may be faulty through cross-testing with another, please consider contacting the hub supplier for further assistance with setup or configuration advice.

Thank you.