Bad Motherboard

Hardware Hub Motherboards
1

So during the Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales off Newegg I snatched this build up below

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SainnQ/saved/39YQ

My Motherboard is an Asrock Extreme3 970 AM3+ Rev 2.0

Since building it I've had a world of aggravation.

My USB ports wholesale were unstable. The board only has one USB3 header way back toward the rear I/O Panel but several USB 2.0 ports. All of them I found out are unstable. Despite swapping the USB 2.0 header once already, and reinstalling the Drivers maybe 3 separate times, so I got fed up reset the CMOS with that neat little jumper device on the Mobo. And reinstalled my copy of Windows. The USB Ports continue to be a pain in the ass, but they've quieted down.

I figured I'd tolerate it for a day or so, update my copy of windows maybe there was a windows update that would iron it all out.

Only now, my GPU is starting to flip the hell out, I reinstalled the drivers for that roughly 3 times, and this time around I get graphical artifacting (Looks like an old school NES Cartridge in need of a undusting) I had to boot into Safe mode in order to do this without getting the telltale artifacting & then locking up of my display.

The problem goes away for awhile after I reinstall the Drivers. But I need to figure out just what I'm going to need to RMA.

 

Should I just RMA the entire damn computer? Or RMA the Mobo & GPU, and hell maybe the PSU for good measure? Would Newegg even accept my reasoning for wanting to RMA 3 separate components? I've got nothing Overclocked. Hell the computer runs chill as a cucumber, the GPU only got up to 61c because I'd not messed with the fan settings. And then dropped right down to sub 50 after I bumped the fan up to 60% My CPU only goes up to maybe 45 on full load (Apparently this factory cooler isn't too bad after all)

 

I'm sorry for this massive post. But I'm at my wits end. And this is one of the only places I know to look for some insight.

2

There would be no sense in doing an RMA on all those at the same time, from the sounds of your own post if you read it again, it sounds rather clear that your have an issue with your board.

However, no one knows how you have it put together, I have seen more then 1 time in my life, someone put a board in with a standoff in the wrong place that was shorting out the back of the board.

There could be other issues as well, you could quite easily not have your CPU fitted properly, you may not have your GPU snug and in all the way.

 

After going through all those possibilities, if you still have an issue I would just start with an RMA request of the board.

3

I'm pretty sure I've got it on the stand-offs accurately.

All the various board stand off contact points are labeled in the Fractal R4 case.

4

Well those cheaper Asrock 970 boards aren´t that great of quality. thats also the reason why they are cheap. so if you have issues with it. or it just failed on you, it does not wondering me. ☺

On AM3+ sockets i realy prefer Asus boards in general. they  are good quality, exept the realy lowend ones.