Hello,

I have been having the following issue for a while. I will describe it below:

1) I upgraded to a EVGA GTX 560ti 2GB (From 260 216 Superclocked). When I turn off the PSU or unplug it, then power the PSU on/plug it in and press the power button my PC boots fine every time. I can play games such as BF3 and ArmA 2 for hours with no issues.

2) However, a normal shutdown from Windows and then turning the PC on without turning off the PSU/unplugging first causes an issue. The POST beep is delayed, however it eventually does POST. However, there is no video displayed. The video card's fan is still spinning. I can hear the HDD accessing, loading into Windows most likely.

3) I ordered a replacement from EVGA. The 3rd card worked flawlessly in terms of powering on for about a week. Today the issue described above occurred again. I tested it a few times, and the issue persists.

4) I doubt the video cards are the issue at this point, so I bought a new Antec Earthwatts 650 PSU (check newegg for specs). This did not fix my issue. It was as if my old Earthwatts 500 was in my PC. I doubt both PSUs have the same issue.

5) Put my video card into an entirely different PC, also with an Antec Earthwatts 500 (3 years old). It powered on fine 3 times, and BF3 worked fine. I doubt my video card is the issue.

I think it is safe to assume that the PSU(s) and video card are fine. This leaves me to believe my motherboard is the issue. How can I determine/test the motherboard? I have the latest BIOS for it (1402) and it has been working fine until I received my first GTX 560ti if we assume the BIOS are the issue.

What other things might be causing the issue?

I am guessing it might be an issue with the motherboard, though it worked fine with the GTX 260 Superclocked core 216. If it is a PCIe-related issue on the motherboard, would clearing the BIOS and reinstalling the latest bios version resolve the issue? I should also mention that there is no apparent physical damage or obstruction on the PCIe slot itself. I will also note that the original BIOS versions for my motherboard will not support my CPU (AMD 965), and I have no CPU that will work on the original BIOS version. If I were to revert to the original BIOS with the AMD 965, will I be unable to get into the BIOS/ASUS EZ Flash to update them?

Edit: After putting the video card back into my PC, I put the entire PC onto a different surge protector and outlet. It worked fine for two normal starts/shutdowns, however on the 3rd attempt the same issue occurred. So I doubt my outlet or surge protector is causing an issue either.


System specs:
Antec Earthwatts 500
Antec Earthwatts 650
ASUS M3N78 Pro Motherboard 1402 BIOS (latest)
Corsair XMS2 - 4x DIMMs, 8GB total
AMD 965
WD FALS HDD
Samsung 223F DVD/CD Drive
2x case fans
1x PCI Card
Viewsonic 19"
Win 7 Pro 64bit


System #2 that I tried my 560ti in:
Antec Earthwatts 500
ASUS M4A88 T-M
AMD 1090T
2x SATA HDDs
Win 7 Pro 64bit
4x DIMM DDR 3, 8GB total
2x case fans
1x DVD/CD drive
Samsung 24"

Trying my old GTX 260 216 Superclocked. 4 shuts downs from Windows with normal boots. Perhaps my motherboard can not support the GTX 560ti 2GB? I doubt it as it worked fine for a week... be it seems there is an issue with the video card.

I am thinking it is a BIOS issue, but as stated before I can not update my BIOS as there are no new versions. On the EVGA forums they claim there are new BIOS for the GTX 560ti 2GBs. How do I update video card BIOS? I've never done or even heard of that before.

With the gpus and PSU out, you are looking at the board, which could be one of several issues. My main guess is that you have a minor cap (capacitor) problem, storing too little or too much current. Unplug the psu, remove the battery from the motherboard, switch the jumper pins to manually reset the CMOS chip. Then, reattach the battery, and hook up the PSU. Power the board and hopefully you can get to the BIOS to use the tools, to overwrite to the newest BIOS. Then repeat the procedure. If your screen does not after resetting the CMOS, inspect the caps with a multimeter. Look for anything missing, or broken and measure each current. If this is beyond your skills, return the board to ASUS and get a replacement.

Will resetting the CMOS reset the BIOS? The issue might be with the 560ti as I only get the power on issue with it... not with the 260 or integrated.

After getting the new PSU the 560ti occasionally powers on normally, however it seems it will only work once before I have to turn off the PSU again. However, the 260 and integrated powered on and off up to 5 times each with no issues. So I really doubt it is the PSU, but the video card and motherboard both still seem like the source of the issue to me.


Is it possible that the 560ti is not compatible with the motherboard? I would find that unlikely since this one worked fine for a week...

It is unlikely but possible you have run into a set of rare problems, like over-voltage distribution to the PCI-E socket. Yes, resetting the CMOS, resets the BIOS (the CMOS chip is where the BIOS is stored). You need a clean, hard reset to your BIOS. You can also clear mains and cap charge by unplugging the 560Ti, wait 24 hours and plug back in. If this does not work, what I would next suggest is likely to be too complicated (since it involves a multi-meter and a soldering iron). RMA the board.

S! - Jay

I'll try resetting the CMOS. I realize it will clear my settings, but will the driver version stay the same?

The drivers that are installed are software (computer code that channels commands between the operating system (like Windows 7) or application (like a game) and the hardware (like your 560Ti)). This has nothing to do with the software installed on your motherboard's CMOS chip, which initiates your computer's startup. Your graphics drivers will not change from the BIOS being reset.

I think he means to ask if the BIOS version is reverted to the original...

No, just the settings are cleared.

BIOS Battery issue/fail? and the BIOS Goes back to default, which is On-board Video as a Boot Priority?

Once for me and once for a friend, a similar sounding issue was the BIOS battery (as mentioned above). Easy/cheap to change the battery and see how things go.

After that, I personally would buy a new motherboard and rebuild my system -- rather spend the time doing that -- as I might never find a better solution no matter how long I try. Not everyone would feel that way