UP Xtreme i11 will not boot

Ash
Ash New Member Posts: 8

I would like technical assistance regarding my recently purchased UP Xtreme i11. It is dead on arrival. I have tried it with two different 12V power supplies and the blue power LED lights up, the fan spins but the computer does not do anything else. I have left messages asking UP for help over the last few days but I have received no support and I am strongly considering asking for a refund rather than a replacement. Very very angry that I have spent so much money and I don't even have a usable product.

Comments

  • camillus
    camillus Administrator, Moderator, AAEON Posts: 188 admin

    Hi @Ash,

    I will like to help you with this issue. Please make sure that the HDMI is well connected on a functioning monitor and can you at least see the UEFI BIOS shell ?

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    Hello, I have previously been using another 12V computer so I know the HDMI of the display works. I have tried two different 12V adapters with the Up Xtreme i11 but neither get the board to boot. The blue power LED lights up and the fan spins up fast and it just stays like this with no display output. I have ensured all cables are connected securely. I have left numerous messages via email since about the 24th October and have received no personal response. I have initiated a return, which is currently pending and has been for several days. I am assuming that the board is Dead On Arrival as I tried disconnecting the RTC battery for a while but there is still no BIOS screen showing. Extremely disappointed.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    There is one more thing that I want to try before completely giving up; a different brand of DDR4 RAM. If the UP board doesn't recognize or have compatibility with the currently installed RAM, it is the same as having none installed at all, which may explain why it is not completing Power On Self Test. Currently has Weidian DDR4-2666 2X16GB installed. I shall try some Corsair Vengeance 2400 instead.

  • camillus
    camillus Administrator, Moderator, AAEON Posts: 188 admin

    Hi @Ash,

    Yes its a possibility that DDR4 has issues, try it with the new DDR4 and let us know.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    It should hopefully arrive tomorrow.

    Seems a bit strange that the board would pass quality control and switch on with LED and fan but be dead on arrival.

    What are the prerequisites for a computer system to just be able to access its BIOS? A CPU, GPU, compatible RAM and adequate power, yes? It will boot without storage/OS attached I assume. For some reason, I thought the computer could boot with no RAM installed but I guess I was mistaken. I want to be completely satisfied that it isn't user error before I ship this back to the Netherlands.

  • camillus
    camillus Administrator, Moderator, AAEON Posts: 188 admin

    Hi @Ash,

    Yes you are correct. No the device cannot boot without a compatible or no RAM installed. Without OS it boots into UEFI BIOS shell or BIOS.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    I have been sent DDR3 RAM by a seller instead of DDR4, adding another delay to testing. I will buy some DDR4 tonight and test early next week. Now I recognise the different notch shape in photos.

  • camillus
    camillus Administrator, Moderator, AAEON Posts: 188 admin

    Thanks for the update, let us know the outcome when you try the DDR4.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    Plugged in one stick of Samsung 4GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM this morning and the board is now progressing to the BIOS screen, where when I press ESC, it asks for a password. So the board is vindicated as it seems it was user error and RAM incompatibility causing the problem. I plugged in an NVMe with Windows 10 on it and was able to boot it after changing the boot order. Although I will perform a fresh install to get all the correct drivers for the hardware. I will have to ask more questions soon as I am quite new to computer setup with not much experience. Is there a way to turn the fan speed down as it spins at high speed and is quite audible. I will probably want to configure the CPU down to the advertised 15W so it runs cool with quiet fan.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    Also, the M3 PCB standoffs I have are too large to fit through the holes in the board. Are you able to direct me to some suitable spec standoffs that fit and allow me to sit it on my desk for testing. Thanks in advance.

  • Ash
    Ash New Member Posts: 8

    My love of music and audio reproduction is my main motivation for buying the UP Xtreme i11; I want to optimize it for sound quality and media playback. Is it true that I can reduce the base clock of the i7 variant from the supplied 2.8GHz down to 1.2GHz? If so, how do I underclock/undervolt in the administrator BIOS and what parameters should I set so that I achieve the 12W CPU TDP advertised on Intel's website? If I get the TDP down to 12W, can I disconnect the CPU fan and operate the i11 with only the passive cooling of the stock heatsink?

    I am also thinking of adding a low noise power supply like an SBooster BOTW Eco MKII 12V 3A to power the computer and using all solid state components to minimize electronic noise. I already possess a PCIe soundcard that uses its own 5V power supply. I want to provide the purest signal from the computer into the SPDIF of my DAC. This is my budget attempt as fancy streamers cost thousands of pounds and I don't have control over their internals like I do with a PC.

  • camillus
    camillus Administrator, Moderator, AAEON Posts: 188 admin

    @Ash said:
    Plugged in one stick of Samsung 4GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM this morning and the board is now progressing to the BIOS screen, where when I press ESC, it asks for a password. So the board is vindicated as it seems it was user error and RAM incompatibility causing the problem. I plugged in an NVMe with Windows 10 on it and was able to boot it after changing the boot order. Although I will perform a fresh install to get all the correct drivers for the hardware. I will have to ask more questions soon as I am quite new to computer setup with not much experience. Is there a way to turn the fan speed down as it spins at high speed and is quite audible. I will probably want to configure the CPU down to the advertised 15W so it runs cool with quiet fan.

    Hi @Ash,

    Yes you can find info about how to install our Smart Fan solution for Windows from our Wiki page