No onboard audio on motherboard

[smakme7757]

I've had my MSI Z77A-GD65 motherboard for about 2 weeks (so it's brand new). It's been working fine. Overclocked my 3570K to 4.2Ghz and all was well. Anyway my friend wanted to test my Xonar DX card so i swapped it into his PC and i turned on my onboard audio - No sound.

Anyhow after a long process of trial and error, talking to MSI support and their support forum it was concluded that the onboard audio was defective. At best i got static from the front audio port, but nothing at all from the back.

Now i sent back the motherboard to the place of purchase with the reason being that the onboard sound is defective. Today i recieved an email saying "return declined: bent CPU pins", And that's it. Now i took a picture of the motherboard before i sent it so i can check if they are trying to pull a shifty, but can bent CPU pins stop the onboard audio from working? If so, it must only be a single pin because i inspected the socket before i sent it back and didn't see any.

I'm not really sure what to do? The place won't swap it or take it back and it's a brand new board.

I feel like i just have to buy a new board which is a realy PITA.

I suppose the big question is: Can a bent CPU pin stop the onbaord audio from working?

 

[Raincity]

Is it possible that you bent the pins during the CPU removal for the RMA. Also did you ship the board back with the socket protective cover secured properly?

 

[smakme7757]

Is it possible that you bent the pins during the CPU removal for the RMA. Also did you ship the board back with the socket protective cover secured properly?

Yea i did. I inspected the socket and took a picture of it before i replaced the cover and sent it back.

But considering the motherboard worked fine before i sent it back and only the audio was defective, could a bent pin cause that?

 

[Vectronic]

I would highly doubt that one or more bent pins would effect audio and nothing else, Audio comes off the Southbridge/PCH.

Excluding the possibility of the Realtek chip being dead... I would be more inclined to think it was a software/driver/BIOS thing.

I take it you still have the board (or got it back?) or are they holding it for ransom?

Either way, do check before/after pics because it's really easy for them to just say "oh bent pins" it's almost a cliche really.

On a side note, pin-out layout for Sandy Bridge (PDF)... I know you have a 3570K, so do I...but, could be useful if not just interesting... pin-out starts at page 88.

 

[Raincity]

I doubt it, but then I am not an engineer. It seems the vendor is just using the common bent pin excuse to get out of issuing you a refund or replacement board.

 

[smakme7757]

The board is getting sent back today, so i havn't recieved it yet.

My troubleshooting for the Audio chip was extensive.
On/Off in BIOS
Various versions of the Realtek drivers and MSI branded drivers as well as various settings within the drviers themsevles.

I have a forum thread over at the MSI forums where they were extremely helpful. However the conclusion was that it was a dead Audio chip.

It's unfortunate that they would use "Bent Pins" as an excuse and it's sort of what i'm leaning towards. In my email back to their customer support i asked if they actually tested the faulty Audio chip as that was the whole reason for the return. The board was working perfectly.

So far it seems like they opened the socket took a look, packed it up and sent it back. Thankfully i have a picture of the socket with my DSLR which should give enough clarity to inspect the socket.

 

[Vectronic]

Hopefully, they didn't bend the pins too much and it will still work. A board that otherwise works fine except onboard audio is a pretty useful board.

 

[smakme7757]

Hopefully, they didn't bend the pins too much and it will still work. A board that otherwise works fine except onboard audio is a pretty useful board.

It certainly is.
I can't understand how it wouldn't work when i get it back. If it doesn't that would be extremely dissapointing.

 

[Dstoop]

You sent it back to the retailer, and they said no dice.

Can't you just RMA it with MSI directly at this point? I would be weary of using a board with a dead onboard audio long term. That usually seems to be the first thing that goes on a motherboard in my experience, and who knows what sort of interference its actually sending all over the place. Other things may be defective as well that you just haven't had the misfortune of running into yet.

 

[Vectronic]

RMA to MSI directly may work.

Dead onboard shouldn't affect anything else, if something else starts failing, then it might be a sign of PCH death.

Looking at the board, it appears to be at the very upper left corner, next to that mounting hole, and the external/front audio connection. (did you test that too?... if unplugged will the rear I/O ones work?)

Confirmed with this image (what's that chunk of metal doing there? lol), and an even better image. (4.6MB... wish I could find a picture of my board that good).

 

[smakme7757]

The front audio connector was the only place i got any sound - static. The back panel didn't work no matter what.

I just looked at the picture i took before i sent it off - Lucky me, i took it with the socket shield on .

Looks like i just lost $200, that sure was quick. It just seems like such an easy out for them to say "Bent CPU pins". Also Returning to MSI will cost me around $60 due to shipping prices here in Norway, so i'd rather just buy a new board.

I dropped into my usual retailer and picked up the same board again and they gave it to me on special when i told them my story which was a nice gesture. To be sure we opened up the box and all the pins were in order . So i'm going to get my PC online again.

I'm not sure what i'll do with this other board though. I might give it away to someone i suppose.

 

[Vectronic]

No spare parts to throw together a second (third) system?

I have two of my boards, toasted the first one (entirely my fault) but I keep it just in case, and for reference.

There isn't too much that can be swapped, but there's enough to make it potentially worthwhile: capacitors, switches, the LED/error display, heatsinks, etc can be easily swapped if need be. With a better soldering iron, VRMS, resistors, transistors, etc.

 

[smakme7757]

No spare parts to throw together a second (third) system?

I have two of my boards, toasted the first one (entirely my fault) but I keep it just in case, and for reference.

There isn't too much that can be swapped, but there's enough to make it potentially worthwhile: capacitors, switches, the LED/error display, heatsinks, etc can be easily swapped if need be. With a better soldering iron, VRMS, resistors, transistors, etc.

Yea that's also a good point, i suppose it might be worth hanging onto. if they havn't butchered it, it should still work pretty well.

I've already got another system which is running Hyper-V so i don't need another system at the moment. But i guess it's worth more in case i need to salvage something.

Interestingly enough i'm going to a soldering course at uni this semester as part of our Computer Engineering course .

But certianly some good suggestions, making the most out of a fairly dismal experience!