Crosshair V Formala-Z No NIC

[Nisitiiapi]

I bought a new Crosshair V Formula-Z several months ago and finally got everything together and installed recently and the NIC isn't working (from first boot up). I've seen others have posted about this as well and I've tried everything in those threads, but to no avail.

The NIC does not even show up as hardware in the OS (lspci does not list any NIC and lspci | grep Intel only reveals Intel HD Audio). So, it's just like it is disabled in BIOS, though it's not (checked that). The LEDs on the back of the NIC never come on -- not even during initial power on before going into OS. So, it's basically like the NIC is totally dead regardless of BIOS settings.

Here's what I've checked and tried:

• BIOS setting is "Enabled"
  
• Updated BIOS to newest version (and retried different BIOS settings)
  
• Cleared CMOS (several times)
  
• Changed NIC setting from "Enabled" to "Disabled" and back again to see if there's any difference
  
• Tried installing drivers in OS
  
• Enabled booting from NIC to see if any difference
  
• Checked cable, tried known good cable and known good connection to router
  
• Set everything to default in BIOS
  

Nothing has made any difference -- no NIC shows up in OS and no LEDs on the back of the NIC. I didn't try flashing the MAC address since the NIC doesn't even seem to show up as existing (how could the MAC get flashed if the NIC can't be found?). I haven't done any overclocking or anything and, as noted, reset the BIOS to defaults. Here's the info my setup:

Mobo: ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z
CPU: FX-9590
RAM: G.SKILL Trident X DDR3-2400 2x8GB
VC: XFX Radeon R7 260X Core Edition
SSD: Samsung 850 PRO 128GB
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2
OS: Linux Mint 17.2

I hate to have to RMA, but I'm wondering if I'm at that point. Any other ideas or options I might be missing to get the NIC working would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[hax0rmort]

Rma. 😕

[Nisitiiapi]

That's my fear.... Though, I'm wondering if I should just RMA online or do the phone call and get a case number... I may just do online -- I think the last time I RMA'd an ASUS board it was a Socket A, so that was like almost 15 years ago.

[blppt]

My on-board was working for a while, but at some point it disappeared, pretty much like your situation. I chalked it up to me scratching the traces at some point during my many swaps of the mobo between my 750D and Bitfenix Outlaw cases. Several BIOS updates later, it still hasnt come back, but I replaced it with a PCI-E Intel Gigabit CT card, and that works fine, if you dont want to bother with an RMA.

[Nisitiiapi]

I had that thought early on myself. An Intel PCI-E gigabit card isn't too expensive. And I'm using phase change, so I'd have to remove all the insulation around the CPU. It's just art eraser, but it may be a pain to take it off and get it on another board. I also considered ordering a new board, doing the insulation switch right there and then selling the board I get back from RMA. Still haven't decided which way to go.

However, do these boards have a history of failing NICs? If so, the separate NIC card may be the way to go if there's a potential for a new board to end up with a failed NIC.

[blppt]

Nisitiiapi wrote:

However, do these boards have a history of failing NICs? If so, the separate NIC card may be the way to go if there's a potential for a new board to end up with a failed NIC.

Maybe, but I've always attributed my failure to me not being careful enough mounting/dismounting the board in the cases, so I may not be normal. The NIC did work for a long time before it finally died, though.

[hax0rmort]

Nisitiiapi, PLEASE don't settle for a PCIe x1 NIC card. You bought the top tier AM3+ motherbaord. Make sure your equipment works. If this isn't working, then what else doesn't work? Right? Some really technical indepth tweak setting in the BIOS might not be working and you'll never know. I would absolutely NOT keep this motherboard and do whatever I had to to swap it before your receipt expires or RMA with ASUS immediately.

DO NOT SETTLE!

[Nisitiiapi]

hax0rmort, you have hit exactly on my thinking opposing using a PCIe NIC, as I debate it. I don't like the idea of sticking in a NIC when the board is supposed to have one -- and it is contrary to my bit of perfectionism.

I'm thinking about ordering a new board, RMA'g the old board, and then selling the board that comes back from ASUS.

[BADBONESJONES]

I had the same thought about my used Formula V Crosshair that I bought from ebay and the NIC wasn't working. Even though there was a gigabyte lan card supplied with it I wasn't happy so I sourced a ROG Thunderbolt lan/audio card from Germany and I was chuffed to bits. Far better than sending the motherboard away

[Nisitiiapi]

BADBONESJONES wrote:
I had the same thought about my used Formula V Crosshair that I bought from ebay and the NIC wasn't working. Even though there was a gigabyte lan card supplied with it I wasn't happy so I sourced a ROG Thunderbolt lan/audio card from Germany and I was chuffed to bits. Far better than sending the motherboard away

That sounds like a nice alternative.

I got a new board in the other day and the NIC on it is fine and working like a charm. So, I'll be RMA'g the other board. Thanks all.