Random freezes with Asus Rampage IV Extreme after updating to BIOS 4502

[RamGuy]

I'm not entirely sure what's going on with my system.. Ever since I updated to BIOS 4502 on my Rampage IV Extreme it's been freezing on me at random.. It might freeze while booting within a few seconds before reaching the BIOS, or it might boot into Windows and be just fine for several days before freezing.

After updating to Windows 8.1 a few weeks back after grabbing the RTM ISO from Microsoft Dreamspark my system have been reporting various issues with some kind of USB devices even though all my USB devices seems to be working just fine and connecting them to other systems is providing no such issues, it even reports this without any USB-devices connected at all and Device Manager claims there are some issues with a USB HID device for five seconds, then it's fine for about five seconds, then it claims there are some problems for five seconds and it keeps going like this forever. I tried to delete the ASMedia USB 3.0 drivers, install the newer v1.16.20.0 ones but it doesn't make any difference. I have no such problems on my server running Windows Server 2012 R2 (basically the server version of Windows 8.1) and it also features a Asus Rampage IV Extreme motherboard and it's also updated to BIOS 4502.


I've tried to revert back to older BIOS released without any luck, I also tried the latest 4503 release but it's all the same. I tried to re-install Windows 8.1 from scratch and after numerous freezes during the install I finally managed to get through the setup, installed all the drivers and got all the updates install but it's still the same USB related issues and it freezes at random. The only thing I've noticed is that things have started to get progressively worse, now my system don't seem to be able to run for more than max 15 min before freezing, earlier it would at least be able to run for a few days at best but no more. In the beginning I suspected it to have something to do with Windows 8.1 as it seemed like I could run memtest86+, various Linux Live-CD's forever without issues but now it's halting and freezing even before the Windows loading kicks in and during memtest86+ my display might go black or the system might just shut down for no apparent reason.


There is, and there never has been any overclocking involved at all. I've always ran everything at stock, the only thing I've done is setting the RAM to 2133MHz @ 9-11-10-32 @ 1.65V, increased the current capability of the CPU and RAM to 120%, the various power options to Optimised and the Load-Line-Calibration to Medium and changed various on-board controllers and boot settings and that's it. Now it won't even work with safe default settings or anything and at times I have to shut down the power supply for several minutes in order for it to get through the BIOS boot at all.



I have no idea what's going on, and even though these USB related issues existed before I updated from 4206 to 4502 (I updated with a hope of fixing the USB issues as the update stated to "1 Enhance compatibility with some USB device." my system was at least running stable 24 / 7, but ever since I did this update it's been all nonsense and now my system is utterly useless.


The motherboard, RAM and PSU is less than six moths old, I've been running Rampage IV Extreme since release but got another board and placed my old board in my server which seems to be running fine (but it has a defective on-board audio, but I don't really care much) and got new ram and PSU while I was at it so it seems strange that any of this should cause problems already.


My system consists of:

- Asus Rampage IV Extreme (BIOS 4503)
- Intel Core i7-3960X
- 2xCorsair CMD8GX3M2A2666C11 (normally running at 2133MHz @ 9-11-10-30 @ 1.65V)
- Gainward GeForce GTX Titan
- Corsair AX 760i Plantinum 760W PSU
- Creative Titanium HD Audio Card
- Samsung 840 Pro 500GB SSD
- Intel 320-Series 160GB SSD
- Intel 510-series 250GB SSD
- Corsair Link Cooling and Lighting Kit
- Corsair Link GPU Kit
- Razer DeathAdder 2013 Edition Mice
- Ducky Year of the Dragon Mechanical Keyboard
- Samson C03U Microphone
- Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter
- nVIDIA 3D Vision USB-adapter
- Logitech C910 Webcam
- Asus Xonar Essence One External DAC (connected using SPDIF / Optical from Titanium HD)
- Windows 8.1 Pro x64 UEFI Installation

[jimmytim]

did you use xmp profiles?

the 3xxx/42xx bios has different (AUTO) secondary timings compared to 4?xx bios

when I updated my bios to 4601 (RIVF) the xmp secondary timing is completely wrong by default (AUTO), so I had to manually enter them (reading from tools>asus spd info in the bios) or I will have bsod/lock up in windows

remember, e.g. it's the secondary timings (48-171-2-7-16-8-8-32-11) that you need to check, not the primary timings (11-12-11-30-2)

[RamGuy]

Myk SilentShadow wrote:
Quick question, did you clear the CMOS between swapping the RAM between the systems?

Clearing the CMOS after every SWAP.

jimmytim wrote:
did you use xmp profiles?

the 3xxx/42xx bios has different (AUTO) secondary timings compared to 4?xx bios

when I updated my bios to 4601 (RIVF) the xmp secondary timing is completely wrong by default (AUTO), so I had to manually enter them (reading from tools>asus spd info in the bios) or I will have bsod/lock up in windows

remember, e.g. it's the secondary timings (48-171-2-7-16-8-8-32-11) that you need to check, not the primary timings (11-12-11-30-2)

I have no idea what the secondary timings are supposed to be as Corsair have no mention of anything other than the CAS latency on their website so exactly how am I supposed to obtain the correct ones if the AUTO settings and XMP AUTO settings are providing the wrong ones?

This doesn't really make much sense anyway as both RAM kits seems to be working perfectly fine with the exact same settings on my server also featuring a Rampage IV Extreme @ BIOS 4503 so why should my desktop be any different? And like I said I get no errors running memtest86+ whatsoever, it's just my desktop suddenly decides to shut itself down after a while in the middle of the test (still no errors) so it seems like the RAM itself is doing just fine but something else is making my system just power off right out of the blue.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

have you felt the cooling block of your H100 and the tubes immediately coming from it? any sign they are warm?

You could also take the PSU powering the server and try it on the other board...just to rule out a dodgy PSU.

I hate to say it but 4 boards going south is too much coincidence or bad luck if you know what I mean. Anything in common between those builds? PSU? I mean it is possible but it does make one wonder....is your power supply stable...ie to your building...

[RamGuy]

Well, its booting at least. But the USB error is still there, USB Input Device (and it shuffles through ALL OF THEM one by one) is showing the "!" warning sign and Windows is telling me that "This devices cannot start. (Code 10). (Operation Failed) The requested operation was unsuccessful).

And like I said my server does not have any of these USB related errors what so ever. And they keep poppin' up even without any USB device connected at all. So I guess switching the BIOS didn't really do anything to solve my various problems.

[RamGuy]

And there was my server done with it's fist successful pass with the suspecting RAM, all four of them running 2133MHz @ 9-11-11-31-2T @ 1.65V seems to be working just fine. Honestly it's not looking like this is RAM related at all, there is something messing up with this motherboard, whether Corsair Link or my PSU have something to do with it I don't know but I'll test it by using my servers PSU later today.

[RamGuy]

I will try to rip my build apart later today just to rule out everything.. The funny thing about my builds and my faulty boards are that they don't really have much in common to be honest. I was also suspecting my PSU upon my second board going haywire, but since then both RAM, PSU, graphics card, cooling and case have been replaced and these boards are still haunting me.

My very first board died after about two months, and it took my Intel Core i7-3960X with it. No one could really figure what was going on but I got the board and the CPU replaced and at the same time I moved from a Antec Quattro 1200W something gold PSU to a Seasonic Platinum 1000W PSU which is now running in my server as I got myself a Corsair AX 760i (Platinum) when I decided to go for the Corsair Link Cooling and Lighting kit when I got a new case a few moths back. All these PSU's are supposed to be of top, top quality and the electricity in Norway and in our house is outstanding with full overvoltage protection in every led so it's highly unlikely that voltage is causing it, especially since I gave up on overclocking after the first board got out the window.


I'm going to try, just for the sake of it to switch to BIOS nr2 on the motherboard, it's still running a modified version of BIOS 4206 which never gave me any of these problems just to see of that works out as all these problems started after updating to 4502 and reverting has not helped one bit. If it's not working I guess I have to mess around just in order to rule out every possibility later today and the go ahead an RMA the board once again, luckily we have some really good RMA routines in Norway so getting things replaced is quite efficient.

To be totally honest I would much rather get both my CPU and motherboard out the window and move to a Intel Haswell based system instead as I'm starting to give up on this whole LGA2011 platform which is obviously not on my side. A nice server / workstation grade motherboard and a Intel Xeon E3-1270 / 1275 v3 based platform is rather tempting after all this nonsense.

[RamGuy]

For good measure I tried to disable the ASMedia USB3.0 controller in the BIOS as I've heard rumours that it might cause problems with Windows 8 / 8.1 but I'm still facing the same USB related nonsense even with the ASMedia controller disabled in the BIOS.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

OK it sounds like you have been doing all the right troubleshooting steps anyway....the psu swap will be a last step but as you say the top quality components you'd think they were OK. Does seem like it is a hell of a lot of bad luck then 😞

I would be tempted to install an OS on the good system along with chipset and MEI drivers and transfer that over to the build with the problems....after flashing the BIOS.....after unplugging all power and battery for a night.

[Protocol]

Been there with this problem actually... Rampage Tweak Mode 1 in the DRAM Timings menu will help a ton. Also, set manual timings like all of the pros have mentioned here in this thread.

Most importantly, 4206 is really the BIOS you should be on for SB-E. The 45xx series have a SB-E multiplier bug in them that will keep you at or below the factory "turbo" clock. Experienced it myself when I tried 4503 a few days ago. Promptly returned to 4206.

Other than that, I think everyone has covered everything pretty thoroughly. Don't be afraid to only run 1866 or 1600 - that gains of 2133 are minimal at best. You are only running dual-channel as well, whereas the X79 is really geared towards running quad-channel.

[RamGuy]

I've got Windows 8.1 up and running, all up-to-date, all software installed and I'm back to the point whereas my system seems to be "stable" as long as it don't hang while booting, I've yet to have any freezes after my machine has successfully booted into Winows, which is a good thing.

There are some bugs though, there is something seriously wrong with how this BIOS is working towards Windows 8.1, first of all it reports only 12 out of 16GB and I know for a fact that all 16GB is installed, I doubled checked each RAM module on the motherboard and CPU-Z is also reporting all four in Quad-Channel, 16GB RAM so there is something really fishy going on with how the system reports to Windows 8.1, I also got this "1 MHz" BUG whereas my system BIOS for some reason is reporting my CPU as 1 MHz to my Windows 8.1 System Properties. What's even more awkward is that CPU-Z reports the memory as being 1333MHz, 9-9-9-24-107-1T even after I enabled XMP with 2133MHz, 9-11-10-27-2T in the BIOS so either CPU-Z is terribly mistaken (I highly doubt it) or my system BIOS is simply not outputting my settings correctly.


I don't really care all that much about that, as long as the performance is there and it's running stable I've stopped caring. The only problem I'm faced with now is this dreadful USB-error, my Windows audio is pretty much outputting this annoying "USB device disconnected", "USB device connected" sound effect nonstop, it's not even done with it's first go before it starts over with a new one. I seriously had to disable then Windows Sound Effects in order to actually be able to hear anything else on my system. So it's time to troubleshoot and get this freaking problem out of the way!

It's pretty much the exact same problem I reported a few posts back, it's only escalated so it's going on 24 / 7, non-stop all the freaking time. What's happening is that under Device Manager you've got this thing called "Human Interface Devices" where you've got two named "HID-compliant consumer control device", two named "HID-compliant device", two named "HID-compliant system controller" those seem to be doing just fine. Then I've got one named "Razer DeathAdder" which is my USB mouse, then I have five named "USB Input Device" and these are the ones causing problems, as the last one of these are showing a yellow error sign and when checking it Windows states "The device cannot start. "Code 10") (Operation Failed) The requested operation was unsuccessful), after after a few seconds it's suddenly reporting "The device is working properly.", then it goes a fefew seconds and we are right back with "The device cannot start. "Code 10") (Operation Failed) The requested operation was unsuccessful) and it keeps going like this forever. It's only this specific line in Device Manager that seems to be causing the trouble and it's location is reported as "Port_#0002.Hub_#0007" but I have no idea what this means, what kind of device this is and what's causing it. Is it really a device itself or might it be the actual USB controller messing around? I don't really know but it's annoying as hell. All USB devices seems to work perfectly so I have no idea what's going on but it needs to stop!


Any ideas what this might be all about?