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Once upon a time in the Asus Hell's World

loup
Level 9

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!

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9 REPLIES 9

loup
Level 9

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!

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 :

IMG_2313.jpg

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

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.

13900KS / 8000 CAS36 / ROG APEX Z790 / ROG TUF RTX 4090

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

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.

13900KS / 8000 CAS36 / ROG APEX Z790 / ROG TUF RTX 4090

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
Customer Service Agent

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.

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
Customer Service Agent

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.