EP-9nda3j Headaches..

[Chozo4]

Greetings all, I'm new here and have been searching high and low for the last couple days attempting to find out what could be the problem. I found you guys and thought you might be able to help me.

I recently obtained an EP-9nda3j Mobo in an attempt to build a 64-bit system... only to get headaches out of it and a big POST 6D hangup at the end.

First, I installed the mainboard barebones with just the stick of ram, a gfx card, and the cpu\hs. Initial startup began my headaches.

1) The mainboard for some reason will not pass the CF/FF post unless the JCMOS jumper stays in it's *clear* setting (white block/black block shorted).

2) At that point it brings me to a bad CMOS checksum error. EPoX's flash utilities did *NOT* work when using verson 8.33a. It would read the floppy only to sit there with the type\filename entries blank and hang.

2a) Using an older version (8.10a) yeilded desirable results and would write the BIOS. Next problem ended up being failed writes randomly. Eventually fully wrote after attempt 13 or so. Drawback is that the many of the supplied BIOS did not seem to work and still returned bad checksums.

2b) Being that EPoX flash utility 8.10a is the only one that worked, i couldn't use the BETA version of their bios unless i renamed it to the same BIN name as an older one. That successfully wrote then booted into the boot screen.

3) Now at the boot screen, Once it cleared the ram and indicates the clocking (wrongly) it just hangs there with error code 6D and nothing more. Magic health at the bottom only gets in 2 updates at this point before it locks up.

4) The mainboard still will not pass CF/FF with the JCMOS jumper in the default position and only in the 'clear' setting would it pass the initial POST.


So now, I have a couple questions... what do I do now? I'm at a loss. I've always used older EPoX boards as I've really trusted the quality. However, this one board seems to be more than I can chew. I even tried the old 'unplug everything and remove battery for 1 hour' idea. Also let it boot with no GFX card and still ended up with POST 6D hangup.

Also an oddball thing while trying to get it even up to the BIOS load screen. During a few post attempts, i was greeted with an odd 'windows-like BSOD' labeled **Earthbound** with some sort of fault in ... HAPPY VILLAGE? No drives or anything of the sort yet attached at the time.

Specs are as follows:
AMD 64 4000+ (San Diego Core)
OCZ PC-3200 512mb EL DDR (2-3-2-5) - Sitting in Dimm Bank #3
EPoX 9NDA3J mainboard. (bios v05.08.10)
RaidMax ATX 12v PSU [model:RX380-k (KY-480atx)]
S3 Savage 2000 64mb GFX (best other agp i've got at the moment)

...Hangs at POST code 6D. Anyone have any solutions?

[CX23882-19]

Originally Posted by Chozo4

S3 Savage 2000 64mb GFX (best other agp i've got at the moment)

Do you have any other graphics card you can try/borrow? The Savage 2000 won't work on some newer boards (I'm not sure whether this applies to the 9NDA3J).

[tdamocles]

Originally Posted by Chozo4

3) Now at the boot screen, Once it cleared the ram and indicates the clocking (wrongly) it just hangs there with error code 6D and nothing more. Magic health at the bottom only gets in 2 updates at this point before it locks up.

What does it post the ram timings at when it tries to boot?

Tom

[Chozo4]

Originally Posted by tdamocles

What does it post the ram timings at when it tries to boot?

Tom

During the test it says and locks up after...

Memory Information: DDR 400 @ 200 Mhz  , 2T Single Channel, 64-bit
                    TCL:2 Trcd:2 Tras:7 Trp:3

Meanwhile, the RAM is 2-3-2-5 normally (or should be) right out of the box.

Perhaps it's just an incomatibility with the ram stick? Only one I have though.

Also, to reply about the Vid Card. I get the same 6D post error without a vid card too so I don't think it's gfx card related.

[BobyJo]

I think something is definately wrong with the board.
It should not even attempt to post if the bios dump jumper is set to dump posisition.
I ruined a powersupply by attempting to boot a board a few years ago, with the dump posisition on. This should not be.
You need to clear up the vid card problem, I suggest RMA the board, this way you should start with a new board and a new video card.
If you have had the board less than 30 days I suggest getting the 9NDA3+ board not the J board.
A bit of difference in hardware is the only difference. Plus a few $

[Chozo4]

OK, I went out earlier and bought a cheap [used] PC2100 128mb stick from my usual store. I had a strange hunch that at the point my board was failing, it could have been my memory stick.

Popped it in alone and VOILA! it works, past the 6D error and beyond the DMI pool check into checking for bootable drives. Pop in my existing 512mb stick alongside it and it also boots fine and also detected successfully despite 2 different ram timings on each. I think I might have gotten a Dual-Channel stick at first without realizing it. That could explain why it will not work on it's own and was causing the 6D error. *sighs*

Now, I believe either the documentation is mismarked or the board could have been mismarked as far as the JCMOS setting goes. That or somehow the pins got switched...

...I put the jumper in the default position and it won't pass CF/FF. I put it back in the "clear" setting [white marked block/Black Block shorted] and it boots but indicates [CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded] to indicate it had been cleared. That I find that odd but it seems the board does function despite the pin's being apparently mismatched.

Documentation and the mainboard silk-screening state...

[w] [b] [b] <--1 (1-2 for default, 2-3 for clear)

The board is acting as if [w] is really pin #1. I still find it strange.. very strange.

[BobyJo]

There was a bulletin put out about the manual being misprinted about the clear cmos jumper.
The picture is wrong, the right way is oposite the way it shows in the manual.
I had forgotton about this, I had this board a couple months ago.
Just remember that reality is backward from the manuel.

[tdamocles]

Originally Posted by Chozo4

I think I might have gotten a Dual-Channel stick at first without realizing it. That could explain why it will not work on it's own and was causing the 6D error. *sighs*

A single stick out of a dual channel set should have still worked... What dimm slot did you have the ocz in when it did not work? Does it work alone now?
What voltage did you have the ram at?

Tom

[Chozo4]

Originally Posted by tdamocles

A single stick out of a dual channel set should have still worked... What dimm slot did you have the ocz in when it did not work? Does it work alone now?
What voltage did you have the ram at?

Tom

My OCZ stick (Double-Sided) was in DIMM Slot 3 and it still does not work on it's lonesome and only when paired with the 128mb (single sided) stick I have it paired with at the moment.

I could not set any voltage being that alone, it would not even get past POST code '6D' while completely locking up just after the memory test (Shown a couple posts up). This was just after a reflash due to the board when I got it had a corrupt BIOS on it (Bootblock v1 anyone?) so it was running whatever default values it had after the flash.

Will check the voltage after I start it back up. About done tiewrapping all the wires and neatening up the innards.

[Chozo4]

Just checked, voltage in BIOS was set to 'AUTO'. Wasn't set to anything special...

Now I'm curious... Perhaps I should set the voltage and timings specifically to the 512mb and try it on it's own then or would that not make any difference since it locks up at '6D' while everything is set to 'AUTO'?

[tdamocles]

Originally Posted by Chozo4

Just checked, voltage in BIOS was set to 'AUTO'. Wasn't set to anything special...

Now I'm curious... Perhaps I should set the voltage and timings specifically to the 512mb and try it on it's own then or would that not make any difference since it locks up at '6D' while everything is set to 'AUTO'?

I just bought some vx OCZ and it ran into that same problem of not booting. It usually just gave me a blank screen. The timings were all wrong on bootup and needed a little voltage.

[tdamocles]

At what timings does it bootup with the 2 sticks in? The pc will always boot to the slowest stick...

[Chozo4]

Originally Posted by tdamocles

At what timings does it bootup with the 2 sticks in? The pc will always boot to the slowest stick...

With both sticks it set itself to TCL:2 Trcd:2 Tras:5 Trp:2
Just the problematic OCZ it was TCL:2 Trcd:2 Tras:7 Trp:3