Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R operates without a CPU yet continuously powers up with any processor you install.
Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R operates without a CPU yet continuously powers up with any processor you install.
Hello everyone! I recently purchased a GA-EP35C-DS3R from Ebay and it’s behaving oddly. It stays on, lights stay on, fans run continuously—including the GPU fan—even when no CPU is installed in the socket. This strange power cycling happens repeatedly: it stays on for a few seconds, then shuts off briefly before restarting. I’ve tested it with several CPUs like Core 2 Quad Q9400, Core 2 Duo E6300, and Pentium D, but the problem persists. Clearing CMOS didn’t help either. My PSU is nearly new and 500W, and I’ve swapped out memory types (DDR2-800 and DDR3-1333) on a dual-memory board. Any suggestions on resolving this?
I don’t have another power source, but I found something interesting! There are BIOS updates for this motherboard that mention compatibility with Wolfdale and Yorkfield CPUs, which seems to match what I have. It’s possible that without the update, my board might not work with those CPUs... But would it actually boot if I used an incompatible CPU?