The issue lies with the board itself.
The issue lies with the board itself.
The most recent BIOS version for that board appears to be 3602, released in April 2018. However, it seems this isn't the BIOS you're using. It looks like a hardware issue might be present. Disassemble the board, inspect all connections—especially those connected to the PSU—and clean them thoroughly with compressed air. It could also be that your PSU is failing, so consider running through other troubleshooting steps before concluding you need a replacement.
I haven't changed the BIOS yet, so it probably isn't outdated. I've tested a few different power supplies, which suggests it might not be the problem there. However, I'll inspect the connector pins on the board just in case. Thanks!
I understand "It Shoudn't" but with Mr. Murphy around he can change that. Older DFI boards, like the one with a weak battery, can behave erratically and may corrupt their BIOS. Similar issues appear in other models such as the Socket 939 Ultra D. An ABIT AN7 functions similarly—it draws power from an internal Uguru chip. When the battery weakens, it reacts aggressively, and swapping it out usually resolves the problem. Most cases are handled by the BIOS, though I've noticed some corruption before, even if less common than with DFI boards.
The main sign is unusual behavior during startup, especially when the system is correctly configured in BIOS but still won't boot or acts strangely. I’m not entirely clear on all the details myself, but from my experience it usually comes from where I speak. The machine can read and write some data to the BIOS chip each time it starts, but the exact reason varies per setup. When installing and turning on Windows 10, it records a small amount of activation info tied to the BIOS, linking your system to the operating system. A full reset by removing the battery won’t always stop it from showing the "Windows needs activation" warning—it’s not dependent on the battery.
For instance, with a Win 7 machine I had to fix for a friend, it kept asking for activation every time it booted. Once I removed the battery, it would boot without the message and didn’t repeat the issue. In that case, the activation stayed in the BIOS but was cleared when power was off, so it needed re-activation each time. The hardware itself didn’t need changes to the BIOS, though the battery was weak (around 2.8V), which affected performance. After replacing the battery, the system worked properly and retained activation.
If you store a board, I’d skip the battery for now and test it later. It’s unlikely to cause damage if left unused for a while, but I usually leave it in for short periods. The point is, it’s there for a reason—don’t ignore weak batteries.