P5NSLI - doesn't boot or start unless it's warm (?)

I've been working with a new system built around a P5NSLI that I
bought about a month ago. It's Rev-2, and I've updated the bios to
1001.
I've got 6400 core-2 duo, 2 gb ram, and am using the bios defaults (no
overclocking).

What I've noticed is that the board will not POST from a cold start.
When I first turn it on cold, it will not post at all. If I hit reset
or power-cycle it, eventually after maybe a minute or two it will get
through the POST without locking up, but it will usually hang during
XP startup. After another minute or two it will get through XP
startup and when it gets that far the system works fine.

If it's been running for 10 or 20 minutes and I power it down it will
start right back up no problem.

So it seems that it wants to be warm before it's able to fully start.
Anyone heard of that before? Any ideas?

"Asus Guy" <> wrote in message news:...
> I've been working with a new system built around a P5NSLI that I
> bought about a month ago. It's Rev-2, and I've updated the bios to
> 1001.
> I've got 6400 core-2 duo, 2 gb ram, and am using the bios defaults (no
> overclocking).
>
> What I've noticed is that the board will not POST from a cold start.
> When I first turn it on cold, it will not post at all. If I hit reset
> or power-cycle it, eventually after maybe a minute or two it will get
> through the POST without locking up, but it will usually hang during
> XP startup. After another minute or two it will get through XP
> startup and when it gets that far the system works fine.
>
> If it's been running for 10 or 20 minutes and I power it down it will
> start right back up no problem.
>
> So it seems that it wants to be warm before it's able to fully start.
> Anyone heard of that before? Any ideas?

This board picks bad bios defaults for the memory timings. Slower is not
better if it is too slow for the memory. Also the board only likes certain
(published) memory brands. I would fiddle with the memory timings in the
bios.

Say Cheese wrote:

> > If it's been running for 10 or 20 minutes and I power it down it
> > will start right back up no problem.
> >
> > So it seems that it wants to be warm before it's able to fully
> > start. Anyone heard of that before? Any ideas?
>
> This board picks bad bios defaults for the memory timings.
> Slower is not better if it is too slow for the memory.

Even when it's using SPD timing?

> Also the board only likes certain (published) memory brands.
> I would fiddle with the memory timings in the bios.

Well, I'm using Kingston KHX6400D2LLK2/2G.

There are 4 memory slots on this board - 2 yellow and 2 black. Is
there any difference between the yellow and black? (I know the 2
stick I have should go into either the yellow or the black, but is one
better than the other?)

My P5NSLI bios defaults did not pick up and use the SPD timings (found using
reporting software). My two 512 mb memory sticks are in the black sockets -
I believe that's what the manual said do...I found directions somewhere.

"Asus Guy" <> wrote in message news:...
> I've been working with a new system built around a P5NSLI that I
> bought about a month ago. It's Rev-2, and I've updated the bios to
> 1001.
> I've got 6400 core-2 duo, 2 gb ram, and am using the bios defaults (no
> overclocking).
>
> What I've noticed is that the board will not POST from a cold start.
> When I first turn it on cold, it will not post at all. If I hit reset
> or power-cycle it, eventually after maybe a minute or two it will get
> through the POST without locking up, but it will usually hang during
> XP startup. After another minute or two it will get through XP
> startup and when it gets that far the system works fine.
>
> If it's been running for 10 or 20 minutes and I power it down it will
> start right back up no problem.
>
> So it seems that it wants to be warm before it's able to fully start.
> Anyone heard of that before? Any ideas?

Sounds almost certainly like a Power Supply Unit issue to me. I have a setup
that does the opposite ie wont post or reboot when it's warm/been running a
while but let it cool and it works fine. A different brand of PSU doesn't
exhibit this issue with the rest of the hardware unchanged. Have you a spare
PSU you can test it with (perhaps borrowed out of another PC)?

Paul

Paul Murphy wrote:

> Sounds almost certainly like a Power Supply Unit issue to me.

First, here is an update.

We're talking about P5NSLI, Rev 2, flashed with 1001 bios. From a
cold start, when powered up, it will just sit there, no keyboard LED
flash, no beep, no post, no video. If I leave it in that state for
about 3 or 4 minutes and then hit reset, the system starts just fine -
it beeps, I get the post, it starts XP and is rock solid. If I do a
warm power-down, I can start it back up no problem.

I have replicated this with another system with a different P5NSLI,
different CPU, different power supply, different video card, and a
different bios (original 601).

What the two systems have in common is RAM type:

Kingston KHX6400D2LL/2G or KHX6400D2LLK2/2G (I don't recall which one
at the moment).

And I know that it's not the RAM that needs to be warm for the system
to post. I've substituted cold ram into a warmed system and it boots
fine.

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 01:13:32 -0400, Asus Guy <> wrote:

> > Sounds almost certainly like a Power Supply Unit issue to me.
>
> First, here is an update.
>
> We're talking about P5NSLI, Rev 2, flashed with 1001 bios. From a
> cold start, when powered up, it will just sit there, no keyboard LED
> flash, no beep, no post, no video. If I leave it in that state for
> about 3 or 4 minutes and then hit reset, the system starts just fine -
> it beeps, I get the post, it starts XP and is rock solid. If I do a
> warm power-down, I can start it back up no problem.
>
> I have replicated this with another system with a different P5NSLI,
> different CPU, different power supply, different video card, and a
> different bios (original 601).
>
> What the two systems have in common is RAM type:
>
> Kingston KHX6400D2LL/2G or KHX6400D2LLK2/2G (I don't recall which one
> at the moment).
>
> And I know that it's not the RAM that needs to be warm for the system
> to post. I've substituted cold ram into a warmed system and it boots
> fine.


The problem must be the Power Supply Unit.

"Ken" <_ken_3_@telia.com> wrote in message
news:...
> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 01:13:32 -0400, Asus Guy <> wrote:
>
>> > Sounds almost certainly like a Power Supply Unit issue to me.
>>
>> First, here is an update.
>>
>> We're talking about P5NSLI, Rev 2, flashed with 1001 bios. From a
>> cold start, when powered up, it will just sit there, no keyboard LED
>> flash, no beep, no post, no video. If I leave it in that state for
>> about 3 or 4 minutes and then hit reset, the system starts just fine -
>> it beeps, I get the post, it starts XP and is rock solid. If I do a
>> warm power-down, I can start it back up no problem.
>>
>> I have replicated this with another system with a different P5NSLI,
>> different CPU, different power supply, different video card, and a
>> different bios (original 601).
>>
>> What the two systems have in common is RAM type:
>>
>> Kingston KHX6400D2LL/2G or KHX6400D2LLK2/2G (I don't recall which one
>> at the moment).
>>
>> And I know that it's not the RAM that needs to be warm for the system
>> to post. I've substituted cold ram into a warmed system and it boots
>> fine.
>
>
> The problem must be the Power Supply Unit.

And even though the OP has tried another one, I think it's likely that the
spare was also not up to spec or faulty. The symptoms point to the PSU -
perhaps the OP can post details of the PSU used in both cases or try a more
powerful one.

Paul

Paul Murphy wrote:

> > The problem must be the Power Supply Unit.
>
> And even though the OP has tried another one, I think it's likely
> that the spare was also not up to spec or faulty. The symptoms
> point to the PSU - perhaps the OP can post details of the PSU
> used in both cases or try a more powerful one.

On the first system, the PSU is this:

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/Products.aspx?pid=1243

According to the box, it's 600 Watt.

On the second, it's a Zalman 400 watt unit (don't recall the model
number).

On the first unit, on a hunch that the problem is the PS, I unplugged
the CD drive, the hard drive, the floppy drive, and I pulled 1 stick
of ram out in order to bring the load down. But the cold-start
problem was still there.

I highly doubt that I'm seeing the same problem on two different sets
of hardware and the problem in both cases is the power supply.

I think it's the memory, which is this:

Kingston KHX6400D2LLK2/2G

http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/conf...G&promo=hx2shp

They both are using that type of memory.

> > > The problem must be the Power Supply Unit.

In the Asus forum pertaining to the P5NSLI, there is a reference to
someone receiving (back in January) a Rev-3 replacement board as a
remedy to an unspecified startup problem.

I took delivery of several Rev-2 boards in early March. It would ****
me off if they were up to rev 3 at the time.

Anyone else buy this board recently? If so, what rev was it?