GA-7TESM wont Post

Technology Tech Support
1

Hi Everyone, I’m hoping someone can help me out here… for the life of me I cannot get this motherboard to POST! It powers on, LED2 on the mobo flashes red very quickly, then goes to a flashing green. No beeps, no output on VGA out.

Specs:
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7TESM
CPU: 2x Intel Xeon Processor L5640
RAM: 8x Samsung 4GB 2Rx4 PC3-10600r RAM DDR3-1333MHz ECC Registered (RDIMM) CL9 240-Pin DIMM Dual Rank Memory Module
PSU: EVGA 500B
Case: Rosewill RSV-L4412

I’ve tried the following:

  • Removed from case (confirmed standoffs are in correct locations), currently setup on carboard
  • Reset CMOS via removing battery for 5 mins (also replaced battery)
  • Reset CMOS via jumper
  • Reset BIOS via jumper
  • Reseated RAM/swapped sticks around
  • Confirmed 24 pin and 8pin connectors are seated firmly
  • Connected network cable to IPMI port and monitored via wireshark (no arp response), tho LEDs light up and flicker
  • Installed PCI-e video card still no video

One thing I find odd, is that when I jump BIOS_RVCR1 and try to power on I get a POST beep… followed by the beep code: Long-short-short… (still no video signal) this seems to indicate a VGA issue, my monitor is native VGA and tested working on another system.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I feel like I’ve reached rock bottom here…

2

Update BIOS with cheap single 5500-series CPU?

3

Is there something specific about a 5500 series CPU that would allow it to post? Just reading the QVL on Gigabytes site, and the L5640 is listed in the original document here

4

Back when Intel still roughly held to the “tick-tock” schedule, boards designed for a new microarchitecture (“tick”, e.g., 5500 Nehalem) could often also take chips from the subsequent die shrink (“tock”, e.g., 5600 Westmere), with a BIOS update. So it’s possible that’s what your board needs. Just an idea, and fairly cheap to test.