R4E not posting after shutdown, an xperience -- but WHY?

[estrulian]

Hi,

I've read many threads on this same issue. I thought I would create a new one nevertheless to describe what happened and what I did mostly because I want to know WHY??? while I explore what I want to do with this build.

I am if anything an amateur learning as I go along :cool:

The essentials,

build date: February 2013
CPU Intel i7 3820
Mobo Asus Rampage IV Extreme
RAM Corsair Vengence DDR3 1600 4x4GB
CPU Cooler Corsair H100i
GPU Asus GTX 660Ti
PSU Corsair AX1200
Boot HDD Crucial M4 256GB SSD
OS Windows 8 Pro x64

Did not try OC features or mess with the BIOS. Everything stock except for updating drivers on GPU. Stays on 24/7.

Been using it since build. Light loads. No glitches except one where it didn't power up after two days of shutdown. I removed the plug to the PSU re-inserted and it switched it on. Didn't even think of it until now when the R4E just refused to POST.

June 4 - normal shutdown from OS as I was traveling for a few days. Switched off power from the mains as well.
June 8 - system would not POST.

Here is where the fun begins.

On standby ONLY the START, reset, BIOS led, GPU power leds remained lit when the PSU is turned on. Apart from that nothing, not even a fan. It just would not POST.

First I tried the RAM. Nothing. Removed all the sticks. Re-inserted. Nothing. Single stick. Nothing.

Then I started looking for fixes. Tried a myriad of different configurations with my RAM after stripping down to to just CPU and RAM. Tried one stick of RAM, one stick of RAM in different DIMM sockets, 2 sticks of RAM, checking the pins and re-seating the CPU, checking all connections, unplugging everything from PSU, switching BIOS chips, clearing CMOS.... removing battery.. leaving battery out for sometime.

Also, flashed BIOS1 with most recent update 4102 via USB. Had to convert .CAP. Was happy to see the BIOS led flash, atleast something was working!! But still refused to Power on.

Tried outside the case with only CPU and RAM in different configurations. Clearing CMOS, switching BIOS, Slow Mode Switch, Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely no response on the START button or reset Button. Only the BIOS switch button and GO but would respond. GO button when pressed for a few seconds lit up and stayed lit until PSU was powered off.

After a week of mucking about I put everything back in the case. Starred at it for sometime long trying to decide what to do next. What should I replace??? I didn't have immediate access to a CPU, PSU or DIMMS to swap and see if they worked. I know the H100i worked because i tried it by shorting the PSU (without the PSU being connected to the Board).

So I left it on standby. With one DIMM in C1 socket, furthest from CPU and closest to the START button. I thought maybe my R4E would turn on by itself after it figured it has a consistent source of power. It was kinda a last hope and the only thing I had not tried, i.e. leave it plugged in. The R4E is known to have a life of its own right?? So no harm.

At 0258hrs about 4 hours since I left it on standby and just as I was falling asleep, the R4E literally roared to life!! I had hooked up just the monitor after reassembly for one last push on the START button. I turned on the monitor and there I was starring at the ASUS BIOS UEFI!!!!!

I reset it to see if it would turn on and it did! I started powering it off and putting in 1 DIMM at a time and starting it up. It worked. Next the HDD OS and I booted right up to the OS. Switched BIOS and it still booted into the OS. Stable for the past 7hrs. Debug LEDS read AA.

Interesting OBSERVATION: System date and time was the date it was shutdown last and probably exact time it was shutdown. 4 June 2013, 1808

So now the big question WHY?? and If its turned off for a long period will it not power up again?? Could the BIOS setting to stay shutdown in the event of power failure be the cause. Does ASUS know why? So many people seem to have had this exact same problem.

After all the reading I've done I am inclined to think that it is not a hardware issue. Many people have had the boards tested and returned back to them.

Any ideas? Any suggestions on where I can find out more?

[FireRx]

Wow, I asked about this a long time ago on the CMOS battery. Okay, I add a fresh one on the shopping list with the rest of my build. :cool:

[Rampage_Freak]

Im running a new rampage extreme with the stock cmos battery that came with it. Its very weird that your one runs properly with a 3.3v cmos battery.

[lowdog]

Rampage_Freak wrote:
Im running a new rampage extreme with the stock cmos battery that came with it. Its very weird that your one runs properly with a 3.3v cmos battery.

No it's not weird because those batteries are supposed to be over 3v not under 3v

[estrulian]

So like I"ve said in my first post, if I leave the machine plugged in to the mains comes back to life on its own and when it pleases. That's after I shut it down for few hours.

Check this out - my mother's ASUS transformer ee pad would not turn on after about a year of use. Took it to an ASUS service centre while traveling in Malaysia and they said it was a problem with the motherboard. The motherboard would have to be replaced. The better option was to spring for a new tab Samsung this time, compared to the cost of replacing mobo and the time spent on repair. In anycase, my brother tried leaving it plugged for a couple of days and today found it come back to life. It had been dead for a few months! Strange right. Seemed too much like a coincidence that I thought I would post this.

[estrulian]

Same issue yet again. Last night we had a power outage must be a few hours. In the morning I was back to the problem which I had convinced myself was resolved by never shutting down the PC even for a few hours... closing in on a year since and here I am back again -.-

went back to researching, surely someone must have figured this out by now... didn't find anything that I hadn't tried before.. Then I came across this...

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2085336
... interesting a hair dryer... well worth a shot.. it always restarted as long as it had been running... so I tried it and it worked. I guess the 30 centigrade ambient is still a cold start! (sigh)

[Rampage_Freak]

It's been close to a year now. I wanted to get it replaced but I didn't have the receipt. Still laying there the rampage same issue.... Any fixes yet?

[whitey]

I have the same issue, AGAIN!!!

This is my 3rd R4E, the first one had fan header issues so I had it replaced with a new one. The second one developed the no post issue after about 6 months, had it replaced with a new one. Now about nine months later I went to turn on my PC and had the no post issue poke it's head up again on my third board. I came back to the forum today to see if a cause and fix had been found but it looks like nothing has changed since the last time I was here?
Anyway I read the hair dryer post and thought I'd give it a go as I know I tried everything else on the last board with no luck. Used a hair dryer on the top half of the MB for about 30 seconds and then pressed the start button and shazam! Started up and ran fine like it had no signs of any problems. So at least I found a temporary fix to the issue at the moment but I don't wont to use the hair dryer every time I want to turn on my PC.
I find it very odd as I live in the tropics and average min temps at night is 23 degrees Celsius ( 75 degrees Fahrenheit ). It's gets about 31 degrees Celsius ( 88 degrees Fahrenheit ) during the day and I still had to apply heat to the MB for it to start up?

[estrulian]

@whitey same here. i live in the tropics as well and find it extremely strange... the RIVE acting like it were an engine would be an easier concept to grasp if it were cold. The fact that you mention the top half of the board is indeed very interesting, in my case, i applied heat moving around the board... when the case felt warm I stopped... I was poking my hand to feel if the board was warm and knocked the 4 pin connector when it did turn on by itself. I wonder if it has anything to do with the contacts in there. Oh well... I've disabled Win8 fast boot incase the computer was not completely shutting down.. will test when I have time after a few hour shutdown to see if that helps with the RIVE for issue of cold start.

[W4LL4C3]

Exactly the same issue here.

I sent my first borad to RMA and got a new one that has the same problem after 7 months of normal use (the first board functioned normally for 6 months)

The hair dryer worked for me too.

I can not turn off the computer more, when I want to shut down I have to leave in hibernation/suspended mode.

Any fix yet?

PS.: Sorry for my poor english, im form Brazil and dont speak so well (thanks google translate :D).