Maximus Hero VII strange colour on chipset

[atredies]

Hey all, Need some help.

I've been getting random system reboots (no bsod just kernal-power, like reset button pressed) periodically for a few months without being able to find a trigger.
It happens when idle, gaming, net surfing, like a ghost is hitting the reset switch. When it happens the system reboots itsself after perhaps 1 second of delay, like a cold boot (fans go full speed)

Trying to trouble shoot I was looking at my motherboard to find lose pins or anything disconnected and I noticed the heat sink on the chip set was covered in a fine
goldish coloured powdery looking film which I thought was dust, it is only on the chipset and it smudges when you touch it, but won't blow away.

The chipset should be solid black/red like this pic http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/05/asus-maximus-vii-hero-review/m7hero-9b.jpg
but mine (sorry for close up between the 2 graphics cards) looks like this http://imgur.com/a/AoNPA you can sort of see a little smudge where I touched it. Does anybody know WHAT THIS IS?

This is uniform across the entire chipset and nowhere else I can see on the motherboard.

Now i'm not sure this is causing my power loss reboots (i've ruled out CPU/RAM as they've passed memtest/burntest with flying colours multiple times)

I've googled my heart out but found no solutions, some say PSU (but it performs fine under load and resets eeven when idle) or SSDs which I haven't found any issue with using testing tools.

This random reset problem started in Feb this year and has been inconsistently happening since then, sometimes once a week, sometimes 5 times a day, then not again for another week etc.

Making it REALLY hard to find a trigger, so far I haven't found a cause.

Full System Specs:


CPU Intel Core i7 4790K
CPU Cooling Corsair Hydro Series H100i Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO Motherboard
Graphics 2 x ASUS Strix Geforce GTX980, 4GB (SLI)
Memory Corsair 16GB (2x8GB) 2400MHz DDR3
SSD 2 x Samsung 850 Pro 512GB SSD (RAID 0)
HDD WD Black 4TB, WD4003FZEX
Case Corsair Graphite 760T Black Full Tower ATX Case, Full Window
Power Supply Corsair AX860 Platinum 860W Power Supply
Monitor ASUS VG278HE 27inch 144Hz LED Monitor

I'll note that the computer runs perfectly otherwise except for my reset switch hitting ghost problem.

Thank you for any help or advice on the matter.

[ASUS-OP]

Hi atredie,

Though I have not seen anything like the strange dust you are referring, there is actually something you can check. Try go into BIOS, under "Advanced\CPU Configuration\C-STATE", disable all items after C-STATE C6, then save and exit to see if that makes any difference.

Let us know if this helps to improve the situation.

[atredies]

What does this do?

I'll make note the system ran fine from the day it was built in May 2015 until Feb 2016, There's been no hardware changes since then but I'll check out those settings and see what I can find

I forgot to say, once the reset happens it takes a full second before the system does start again, it's not a soft reset but a cold boot (fans speed up)
When i restart the PC normally the fan speed stays the same during reboot process.

[atredies]

Do you mean these options here by chance? http://imgur.com/a/r9SqO
I can't change the ones directly below C6-State
*edit* It just happened 5 more times within 20 seconds before I was even able to get into Windows.

I haven't changed any BIOS settings yet, but I'm suspicious of the motherboard powder or perhaps the PSU.

[ASUS-OP]

Hi atredies,

No, it is actually items under the C-STATE sub category. (Under Advanced\CPU Configuration\CPU Power Management Configuration).
The exact items you will need to modify includes:
- CPU C7 Report = Disable
- CPU C8 Report = Disable
- Package C-STATE Limit = C0/C1

Disable them will prevent the CPU from going into deep sleep to reduce current drain to a state beyond the under current protection level defined by PSU vendors.


Do you mean these options here by chance? http://imgur.com/a/r9SqO
I can't change the ones directly below C6-State
*edit* It just happened 5 more times within 20 seconds before I was even able to get into Windows.

I haven't changed any BIOS settings yet, but I'm suspicious of the motherboard powder or perhaps the PSU.

See if this helps.

[atredies]

I can't find those specific options I did however change CPU-C States to Disabled I hope this is satisfactory.

as pictured here http://imgur.com/a/IevPu

[ASUS-OP]

Your change will disable C-STATE completely, which will give you the same effect.

Let us know if you still get the same problem in the next couple of days.

Cheers,

I can't find those specific options I did however change CPU-C States to Disabled I hope this is satisfactory.

as pictured here http://imgur.com/a/IevPu

[atredies]

Thanks, If I get another reboot I'll let you know.

[atredies]

Okay, after 2 weeks of stability I had 4 resets this morning, strangely after the 4th reset in a row I went into the BIOS to check of the C-States was still disabled which it was, I exited the BIOS without changes and then the PC shut down, it refused to boot up at all when pressing the power button until I switched the power off at the PSU for 10 seconds then turned it on again.

It's booted up okay since then.

I'll also mention that during the 10sec refusal to boot Window the lights on the motherboard and graphics card were on so it HAD power, I even tried pressing the power button on the motherboard, which also refused to boot the system.

Is my PSU dead?

[atredies]

Further to this as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN7aGtT5-_U the chipset heat sink should be matte black, but mine has eroded into some kind of brownish colour! I'm very concerned about this but I don't know if it's causing my problem, does anybody know what it is? picture of mine here http://imgur.com/a/AoNPA

Here's another pic, I pulled out one of the GPU's to get a better look http://imgur.com/a/zVDKL

[ASUS-OP]

Further to this as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN7aGtT5-_U the chipset heat sink should be matte black, but mine has eroded into some kind of brownish colour! I'm very concerned about this but I don't know if it's causing my problem, does anybody know what it is? picture of mine here http://imgur.com/a/AoNPA

Here's another pic, I pulled out one of the GPU's to get a better look http://imgur.com/a/zVDKL

Hi atredies,

Your board does look suspicious, will suggest to have it looked at by our place of purchase or for them to forward to our service centre to have it checked out.

[atredies]

I've taken it back to place of purchase today, their tech is taking a look at the PC, I did point out the motherboard heat sink but he didn't seem very concerned about it.

[ASUS-OP]

I've taken it back to place of purchase today, their tech is taking a look at the PC, I did point out the motherboard heat sink but he didn't seem very concerned about it.

Hi atredies,

Has the shop managed to find anything wrong with the board?

[atredies]

They're looking at the whole PC because they built it, So far not a word about it, they did say there's a delay on getting things checked out by their tech. I think they'll take a look at it early next week.

I'll keep you posted.

[atredies]

They think it's the CPU actually, still testing.