Misteria of the Old Computer Or Constantly Looping On Pre-memory north-bridge initialization is started

Hardware Hub
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After 12 years useof my computer. Now finally see this error - “pre-memory north-bridge initialization is started” (Bios code15)

5 RAM sticks was tested as faulty.
3 RAM sticks was tested and now it is working.

All the rams are working perfectly before yesterday when I received BIOS error loop constantly on 15.
The only solution that I find is with 3 RAMs.

Is it bend CPU? I did not make any changes to cpu or coolings.
Is it mainboard? Do nit know.
Is it PSU? The same.

Ny the way. I have manage to fix the problem with 4 rams. After power off. I need to remove one stick and end with 3 workig rams and 5 faulty. When I sad faulty. Those rams are fine on other system.

What is thereal reason why good old computers start be defective? No body know. I have this computer and now it is working only with very slow and old rams. The new and performance DDR3 not want to boot and show bios error code 15. May be old bios set wrong voltage? End client can not set voltage due to computer not want to boot in the bios. Something is not correct and we need a new bios for old mobo.

Gigabyte we are waiting some answers. Please take a look this video

/shorts/CAh41ORzz9U?feature=share4

Screenshot_20230626_170945_Samsung Notes
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Mainboard: GA-Z77X-UD5H (rev. 1.0)

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sounds like the northbridge is failing.
likely due to age of the motherboard and being stressed by mismatched memory timings.

as you did get it to work with half the ram sticks.
you will likely find in a few months/weeks/days you will have the same issue and have to halve the amount of ram sticks again.

if this is the case then you need a new motherboard as you cant replace the northbridge easily if at all.

2 Likes
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I need to replace one chip and that is all?

Just to confirm. Where is this chip located? I find only southbridge. Then clean and repasted it.

GIGABYTE Z77X-UD5H

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4

This means what? Pro servers 99% sure they will start to be failing after 10-15 years of use?
My mobo is 10 years old. It is working perfectly until yesterday. This computer is older then my son. This computer is like my second son. You tell me what? It is gona to die? No-o-o-o-o-o!!!

This is wrong!!!

5

i have no idea mate.
i looked a bit deeper and there is no northbridge on that board. it was abandoned by intel at the beginning of the core i series cpu’s. with all the memory controller stuff was built into the cpu.

which likely means its your cpu. not a chip on the board as i first thought.

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At least we are now known something for sure. This mobo not have northbridge.

I inspect cpu. Not find any bend or missing pins. By the way pins are on the socket. This CPU not have pins. This mean what? CPU is bend? Intel desktop is socket is fiasco. They use brackets which bend CPU after long period of use. I need to find some mainboard and to test cpu.

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no mate the cpu is basically done if its the mmu that dying.
the memory management unit on the cpu.

because you were running mixed ram and timings the mmu has been stressed. after 10 years+ its decided enough is enough by the looks of it.

its likely not a physical fault with the mount or pins but instead wear and tear in the silicone dye itself.
if you have another 1155 cpu try that and see if everything works.

if you get the same error then its probably the motherboards chipset memory controller which handles out of spec ran oc profiles above what the cpu supports natively. in this case turn off any oc xmp profile in bios and see if you can boot with all the ram you had previously.

but the fact you removed half the ram and it started working again.
kind of implies its the mmu on the cpu. so as i said, if you can test with another cpu.

1 Like
8

The system suddenly stopped, without being opened first? So unlikely to be a pin, bend, or flex issue, I think.

If a CPU socket pin was bent/deformed/ dirty, any effects would have been noticed shortly after last installation.

Good advice

And if you can, test your CPU in another machine

Just because a memory error reported, Does not always mean the Memory itself is bad, could be anywhere along the chain from CPU, to socket, through the capacitors, out to the memory lanes, to the actual ram sockets.

I personally, would test each of the socket, and sticks.

If only 2 of the sockets work with any of the sticks of ram, I would just guess the other two sockets are faulty, and settle for less ram for the rest of the time I use the machine.

It might just be one socket (or it;s path back to CPU) is faulty. Might be all. sticks, but you can only use less than all four now.

I suspect the system has given good life, and should be planned to replace.

If you tested the different RAM sticks, and know 5 are good (and 3 are bad) then, maybe look to replace just the motherboard, but at this time, I would say, spend some months to save teh money instead, and look at upgrading the system.

You don’t need a super expensive brand new system, as the current is fine, so a newer, used/pre-owned system (like, 5 years, instead of 12) might be better?

It’s not my system though.

You could diagnose which socket is bad (if any) and then work out if there is some brace that popped a short, or surface mount capacitor that blew.
It may be for $3 in part, you can fix the board, maybe, but it might take $150 labour hours to find out. Which itself would be fun, and I recommend, after you upgraded the system, in case anything further breaks.

It sounds like you really value the system, so for sure, have a look at maybe some youtube videos, where they repair system boards.

but first, identify of the problem is the CPU, or the board first.

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I do not understand what is happing. I try new ram sticks - DDR3 1333Mhz and it is working now with the new ram sticks. The ram are smallest comparing it with the old ones. Size and speed are very low.

I try the old ram on second computer and wan’t boot.

The most strange in this was. One of the ram work and after power off won’t boot. The computer now work with 3 ram sticks and one dimm is empty.

The second computer now do not wan’t to boot. Try old ram - no. Try new ram which work before and now not workat the both computer.

Really, I do not understand what is happing.

4 old ram sticks stop working on both computers.
4 new ram sticks was working on both computer. After power off. One of those ram stop working on my old computer and on my second computer.

I am now thinking. Is it possible some how old computer to break rams? I can not believe that 5 rams was death almost for a day. The second computer is HP Compaq intel second generation. May be it is too old for test. I do not know what is happing. Seems like it is a ram issue. But why 3 new rams working? One of newest ram was working on both computer. After power off not working on both computers. OMG???

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Gigabyte find the solution of this problem. What smart and clever people are these Chinese.

Quote:

Dear sir,

Unfortunately we cannot be of assistance, because the official support for that particular line of products has ended several years ago.

Best regards,

GIGABYTE team

6/29/2023 11:24 AM

Product Info
Product Name: GA-Z77X-UD5H (1.0)
Brand: Nvidia
Model: i7

How difficult is to made some service and diagnostic app. Client will execute the app and create hardware report. If not boot is available then manifacture can give us some local repair service. Just to diagnostic. This are very old hardware and need support. The current answer mean what? They not support old hardware? Why?

11

mate its time…
the system is killing components by the sounds of it…
if you put the ram in working and then pull it out broken then something on the motherboard broke it.
it might be the cpu.
it might be the motherboard.
you dont know and frankly more testing will likely break more of your kit.
so time to dump pretty much anything that isnt storage… yeah i know you asian lads like to tinker… but it really will be a wasted effort…

like said in the earlier posts your memory controller is failing there is nothing you can do to stop it.
and now its killed more ram… yeah time to call it a day with the cpu, motherboard, ram and psu.
(why psu too, its likely as old as the system so will be aging out itself)

1 Like
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This computer is 10 years old. People have youngest child then my old computer.
My computer is like my son. I have visit so many countries only with my computer. I can replace it with these new and modern computers. For example, what is the offers now:

  • Z790 with i9 (the power consummation is so higher; coil whine vibrates and start electric sound. Do you know AOROGS MASTER mainboard. So much complains.)
  • EPYC with 96 cores or new XEON with ~50 cores. I need to sell my wife for slavery. So high price and performance to vat is the worse than ever. Even Idle have high power consummation.
  • Raysen desktops (the lattes one has explode issue, quote: " AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D & Melted the Motherboard"). The old version is better than new one.

My old computer:

  • performance to vat is perfect score
  • at Idel mode so little power consuming
  • cheap price, very cheap

I will never left my son (computer). The power button on the front of case is broken. Still I love my old computer and will not replace for a new and modern one. I need to find the problem and then to repair my self. I will not give my son to service also. Who is going to give his child to strangers? No body.

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then your wasting your time here. no one can help you.
so dm a mod and ask for this topic to be closed as you have your solution now…

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Hey, there are a bunch of hardware repair forums, but it is out of our wheel house. Good luck with it though, and have fun with the soldering, tracing, bridging, magnifying, cap-swapping, fun that is in store!

Perhaps a community like the Rossman Group, or “learn electronics repair” or such might help, or at least give hints

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Replace your CPU, a chip that old should be very inexpensive on ebay

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Although your motherboard is probably not far to follow in the afterlife

You can get by on haswell pretty nicely still due to higher clocks and avx2 but ivy bridge is getting long in the tooth

2 Likes
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we already suggested he replace his cpu and motherboard.
he didnt like that … its his baby.

@op… seriously mate there is nothing you can do to solve this other than replacing the failed components.

every and i mean every post i found on other forums confirms what i thought at the beginning.
the memory controller on the cpu has failed.
replace the cpu is your only viable option.

i know 2-3k INR outlay isnt something you were hoping for. but its the only solution we can offer.

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People, it’s no fun. Real drama instead. Gigabyte don’t care. No body can answer those questions:

  1. If ram is broken, then why bios not return debug error 55-58? Which is broken ram. Instead return 15 which is what? “Initialization of none existing north bridge.” This is gigabyte fiasco message. LGA socket 1155 not have north bridge at all.
  2. Why 1333Mhz is working? May be for 2133Mhz we need to overclock old CPU. By default, cpu is not supported this kind of high ddr3 speed. When we overclock cpu it will work.
  3. Gigabyte is making bios policy and rules for desktop just to limit desktop users. Support for old goods is prohibited.
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Closing the doors since the topic is not going anywhere, plus the OP has prior suspensions anyway. Feel free to reach out to me if someone doesn’t approve this decision.