urgent help needed w/ asus a7v333: "system failed cpu test"

[GusS]

got this board today, tried it with my old T-bird 1.4 and it wouldn't post. I hooked up my speakers to the line out of the onboard sound and got the "system failed cpu test" message. I tried manually setting cpu speed via the jumpers, tried the jumper free setting, cleared out the RTC RAM via removal of the battery and shorting the jumper w/ a screwdriver head, changing the cpu voltage jumpers (currently at 1.85), removing all cards & ide devices, messing pretty much with every jumper in the manual, unplugging everything except for the motherboard. (my PS is an antec 300w). Thinking the 1.4 was damaged or somehow incompatible, I then tried sticking in a brand new boxed Athlon XP 1800+ and got the exact same thing. I don't know what else to do ... I have a feeling it's not a case of the mobo being defective... yet.

any ideas?

I also tried removing both 256mb sticks of PC2100 DDR memory to no avail (could the 266 mem be a problem? if it was indeed a memory problem shouldn't it say system failed memory test?)

much appreciated

 

[pizon]

Does the cpu fan run? Try Video card, cpu and mem. only and make sure all are seated including power supply connector. Turn off vocal post, and listen for beeps. Make sure video card mem. and power supply are in good working order. Then maybe need RMA. Good luck! I just bought this board but have not set up yet. post what happens.

 

[JonTom]

Hey Gus -

Sorry I don't have an answer to your problem, but I do have a question that I hope you can answer for me.

What kind of audio connections are offered on this mobo? Are there optical and/or co-axial digital inputs and/or outputs? If you have the board in front of you, I hope it wouldn't be too much of me to ask you to check...

Thanks in advance, and good luck.

BTW, it sounds like you may have a defective board - what makes you think it isn't the board? Do you have the memory clocked at the correct speed ie: for 2100?

Jon

jon@jontom.ca

 

[geno2k]

Guss I have the SAME exact problem the only difference b/w your's and mine is that I have tested it with my TB 1.33 instead of ur 1.4
the rest is the same thing I think we have defective boards at first i thought it was the ram but after I read that it also supports athlon TB's and I tried testing it with a working TB and all I get is the system failed cpu test bs I gotta sit with u on the rma line... Anyone with a fix to this please post!

 

[GusS]

Well guys,
it has been a nightmare story with no happy ending unfortunately..

I brought the card back to the store, and got a replacement. First thing I did was to plug in just the PS, CPU, HSF, memory and speakers. I *think* it posted (had no screen), just my speakers hooked up.

I then shut down & installed all my crap and I got the failed cpu test message again. I was unable to resuscitate it after that. So I went to the store with my case, and had a guy there try every possible thing, including using a different processor, memory, power supply, all to no avail. We then tried a 3rd card and it initially worked, but then stopped working after a few reboots. One thing that I learned about ASUS cards is that if you turn them off while in the BIOS it takes em a while before you can restart.

Finally I gave up, and we tried an A7V266-E and it posted from the get go, and that's what I ended up with, since they didnt have any other kt333 boards & only this and the msi kt266a :/ (no refund policy, and I needed to be up and running by this afternoon badly). Seems like this batch of the A7V333 suffers from rushed product sydrome.

A note: the first revision of the manual contains 3 errors as far as the default jumper settings. 2.0 seems to have been updated to fix this.

JonTom:
you have the standard 3 1/8" external connectors, 4 pin CD, AUX, MODEM connectors, line in/out connectors, 6-1 pin SPDIF_C digital audio connector. I did not have the addon SPDIF module.
Not sure if this answered your question.

 

[USBOLT]

I have tried 2 XP 2000+ processors on two A7V333 mb. The same result on both boards--system will not boot with either. I have installed a 600 mhz Duron processor and the mb booted just fine. The A7V333 mb can't handle the XP processors. I have the the latest BIOS rev. 1005. I could not find any information at the ASUS wbe site regarding this issue. So I sent them a mesaage--hopefully they will look into the matter.

 

[neters]

well i wish i had read all of the boards and groups ive read in the past 9 hours last week before i purchased my a7v333. i just replied to a post from last month asking the person to post what the final verdict on their issue was with their a7v333 (it was in this board).

we have a a7v333, athlon 1900 xp, mushkin 2700 ddr and the blasted thing will only run at 1200. if we try to set it to 1600 we boot to the "system failed due to cpu overclocking." i don't know if its a heat issue (dont think it is) or if it a power supply issue (might be.. not sure) but we've been working on it all night now. it seems there are a lot of little issues with this board and various issues with processors not running at the speed they should be... you would think that asus would address these issues with a little more fervor ( i can't find diddly squat on their site about this and tech support isn't around on the weekends).

humph... =[

 

[neters]

well i wish i had read all of the boards and groups ive read in the past 9 hours last week before i purchased my a7v333. i just replied to a post from last month asking the person to post what the final verdict on their issue was with their a7v333 (it was in this board).

we have a a7v333, athlon 1900 xp, mushkin 2700 ddr and the blasted thing will only run at 1200. if we try to set it to 1600 we boot to the "system failed due to cpu overclocking." i don't know if its a heat issue (dont think it is) or if it a power supply issue (might be.. not sure) but we've been working on it all night now. it seems there are a lot of little issues with this board and various issues with processors not running at the speed they should be... you would think that asus would address these issues with a little more fervor ( i can't find diddly squat on their site about this and tech support isn't around on the weekends).

humph... =[

 

[zStealth]

I too wish I would have read this thread Here's my experience. I purchased the A7V333 and a Athlon XP 1800. Following the strict guidelines for installing everything, I could not get past the "System Failed CPU test" I tried everything and decided that it had to be the CPU. I went back to the basics. I started with the board by itself, got the "No CPU found". Then mounted the CPU, got the "System failed CPU test" Went out and bought another CPU, boxed this time from a reputable store in town. Came home, and still got the "System Failed CPU test" once I mounted the new CPU. Chances are, both of the CPU's were not bad. SO, ran back to the same store and bought another A7V333. Mounted the boxed Athlon and got pass the CPU test! Installed the memory, VGA card, hard drive, CR-ROM drive. Finished installation and after loading the OS decided to add my new sound card. Upon restoring power to my system, began receiving the "System failed CPU test", again. Removed the card, but still get the "System failed CPU test" Went back to just the CPU, *sigh* and still ... "System failed CPU test"

I gather the ASUS board is extremely sensitive to changes. I have the latest BIOS 1005, then 1006, and even the beta 1007. No avail. I really like ASUS. I will buy them again, but this board in my limited experience is not ready.

If someone has had better luck, let me know!~