No Operative PCI-E lane in an Intel Mother Board

[captaincranky]

I have an Intel Z77X ATX mobo UEFI BIOS. The BIOS list ther memory as "Max". (16GB). However, after I installed the (2) 4 GB extra sticks, I appararently have no operative PCI-E lanes.

Is there any chance there is some interaction between the two" Or has the PCI-E controller failed?

I checked "Task manager", and it insists the pci-e is working. But then, task manager has been known to be wrong.

I haven't been able to even get a video card to register in the system, and TBH, I don't feel like tearing this junk apart again, since the IGP is working fine. (I upped the memory allotment to 512 MB, to allow for attaching a 2K monitor..

 

[Macho]

That D O E S N O T C O M P U T E, W I L L R O D G E R S.
Are we lost in space? Can you get back to the planet E A R T H ?

 

[captaincranky]

That D O E S N O T C O M P U T E, W I L L R O D G E R S.
Are we lost in space? Can you get back to the planet E A R T H ?

Did you login via Facebook, Twitter, or Google? (In no particular order of uselessness).

The only thing that, "doesnotcompute", are the PCI-E lanes, of which I'm already aware.

 

[Macho]

Here is a manual. Attached file. Your mobo has many LEDs to
indicate a problem. The channels to use are right there shown.


[HEADING=2]GA-Z77X-UD5H - Gigabyte[/HEADING]
https://download.gigabyte.com › FileList › Manual

PDF

 

[captaincranky]

You're right, I probably should have distilled the question down to, "is it possible to have so much memory in the board, that it eats up addresses reserved for PCI-E?

BTW, that's a excellent suggestion to check in the manual for possible explanations or problems. I'll have to get the manual out of the mobo box, (I never throw them away), and check it out.

Thanks for the link though, it's the thought that counts.

 

[Macho]

You're right, I probably should have distilled the question down to, "is it possible to have so much memory in the board, that it eats up addresses reserved for PCI-E?

When you look in DEVICE MANAGER, are there "unknown devices?'

I had that and it was the PCI manager engine. I downloaded the chipset
drivers for my motherboard and the other drivers, from the DRIVERS, MANUAL, Bios update, files from the motherboard manufacturer for my specific motherboard. That how I know that device was PCI manager engine, and not just unknown, and not working.

Other drivers, were not as good as what Microsoft installed, so I don't always want them. Do you have them installed? Somehow I was up and working without them, so my graphics card was working in a PCIe x 16 slot.
Doesn't seem like putting in more memory has this issue that happens.

Microsoft does not have the knowledge of manufacturer specific drivers and they are unknown devices.

Thanks for the link though, it's the thought that counts.

 

[Macho]

A download link to Intel(ME) device drivers. I got mine from MSI > support > drivers. Look up your exact motherboard from the manufacturer. Z77X is what you mentioned. Gigabyte? Gigabyte has to offer services such as their website to have updated drivers & bios to give support to what they sell.
Otherwise, the manufacturer of the chipset may offer support.
Many Asus motherboards do not have current support of bios like a H.P. does.

 

[captaincranky]

Please read this entire post. I apologize for its long-winded-ness

First, A thanks, for participating in this thread. I seems to be a dirty, (but not thankless), job that no one else is willing to do..

OK, Let me cop to the fact that did ask a somewhat stupid question. My only defense is, that the BIOS registered the memory as "Max". Since the CPU and board will each tolerate up to 32 GB of RAM, I can only conclude that what Gigabyte meant by "max", was that all 4 slots were full. Plus, I was hoping desperately that I hadn't done any physical damage to the board.

Gigabyte boards have "Dual BIOS", which loads automatically, in times of, "danger Will Robinson, you really screwed up this time".. I know this works, since I've trashed a BIOS or two, screwing around with video cards. (Which is another 3 or 4 pages, in and of itself).

So, I build "mainstream" machines, with compatible components, and I've never had to do a BIOS update, to make things work as they should. I always install the chipset driver first, as instructed. (This from the Gigabyte DVD, included with the board).

However, I will check out the things you suggested. At this point, anything's worth a shot. The only potential issue might be an obscure VGA setting, which was set to "legacy", as per my service call with an EVGA rep. I got zero output from the GTX--750 ti I installed before the setting was changed.

I'll go through the things you suggested, and thanks for your input. .


Here's my post about the "abortion" that was my installation of the extra RAM (Which BTW, was the last thread in which we were both involved).

At the end of last year, I decided that one of my machines needed more memory, and, being under the influence of alcohol and some very mild opiates, I decided to make that so.

I proceed to open the case, and have at it. During the process, I had to cut cur away part of the HSF shroud. By now I was sweating profusely,. I tried to keep my head outside of the case, but alas, I sweated all over the board..

I wiped away all the droplets from the board's chipset, feeling I had almost surely short circuited the board, and it was doomed.

I finally got the junk back together,and tried to boot it up. The system hung at the Windows flashing light and refused to budge from there.

So, I did what any "sane individual" would have done, I yanked the GTX-750 ti, to save it for a future build..

That done, I tried to reboot the system on the IGP, reasoning I had nothing to lose. "Wah-lah", the system booted.perfectly.

OK, so we're working in an 80 degree room at 60% RH, I surely didn't kill the card with a static.discharge.

I heaved the card. To this day I wonder if I should have reinstalled the video drivers. But I couldn't fathom how shoving in 2 extra sticks of RAM, could have trashed the driver software, especially with the system unplugged.

Oh well, live and learn, and what's done is done..

Besides, that card was nothing but trouble from the start. First, no video, and I had to call EVGA support, who fed me an obscure BIOS setting to change. Then, since I put the card in without an internet connection, M$ started sending me messages about, "how my copy of Windows might be stolen".

.Here's the address of that thread, https://www.techspot.com/community/...ill-yesterday-bad-timing.270973/#post-1919948 to save you the trouble of hunting it down.

 

[Macho]

A PSU that has not enough watts causes a problem when a high power consuming GPU graphics card is installed. I also had that on my Windows 7, when I only
had 400 watts. When the PSU gets pulled down, it also causes hard drive errors that need, C:/chkdsk /f
The solution was a 750 watt PSU that gives more than enough. A brown out of low voltage and amperage is not good for the computer.
Also, your Windows 7 has a problem with a change in
hardware and when that Microsoft flower starts unfolding it crashes. Usually 4 lanes of memory are good for more than
only 16 GB. 32 GB's your manual will tell you probably.
I have had just as many problems with computers that you have or more that took me all day and even days to cure.
Usually we have few if any problems when adding memory.