PCIE card issues can lead to an infinite boot loop.
PCIE card issues can lead to an infinite boot loop.
Trying to revive the attempt to launch a 24 bay server unit has led me away from the old server model and toward a more recent ATX setup. I’m facing difficulties with the PCIE RAID Array card, trying to access the drive bays but not getting results. I recently purchased a used Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 with an Intel Core i7-6700 at 3.4GHz and 20GB DDR4 RAM. I added a new Kingston 500GB NVME drive and connected it into the case, powering everything up successfully. Windows 10 installed smoothly.
Then I tried a RAID card that came with the original Zeon server board, but the system kept looping indefinitely. It would power on briefly, then shut down after a few seconds, restart briefly, and then turn off again. I repeated the process several times.
For troubleshooting, I disconnected the SAS cables and tested the card in all three PCIe 16 slots—still no issue. The motherboard came with three RAM DIMMs: two 8GB and one 4GB. I swapped out the 4GB for a 4GB unit and got the same problem. I removed the SAS card and tried a PCIE SATA expansion card in each slot, which worked each time. A video card also functioned in one slot.
When I installed the RAID card into my desktop PC, it booted normally. I suspect the issue was with the slots themselves—possibly dirty connectors or pins. I checked the connector pins B5 and 6, covered them with electrical tape, but the card still wouldn’t boot. Some sources mentioned a possible problem with pin coverage on certain MBs.
I’ve removed excess short standoffs and found that only nine were needed for the taller slots. The others were too short, requiring regular short stands to match height. I broke one short stand-off while trying to thread it in. It’s confusing how these components differ in threading. I have enough tall stands to support the board now, but I’m planning to 3D print additional supports for the shorter ones. This situation is quite perplexing.