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Old GP-Wiz 40 and Q-code AE boot error
RandyT:
--- Quote from: RainnWater on October 25, 2023, 12:00:21 pm ---...now I get a b1 Q-code error, not the AE.
--- End quote ---
Very odd. Everything I read about that one has been related to bad or incompatible DRAM sticks.
Maybe a different interface will make that mobo happier, but it might be crapshoot. Probably only one way to find out :(.
RainnWater:
After a lot of reading and research, I have started to not take the displayed Q-code for gospel. You are saying that b1 seems to be associated with memory. I know the memory is good. My personal opinion on Q-codes is, according to several sources, that UEFI can test multiple hardware devices at the same time. If UEFI finds a problem with poorly programmed firmware and doesn't recognize what it is while it is also testing the memory, it could stop and display the b1 code even though it is my GP Wiz 40 causing an issue. That being said, I ended up unplugging all of my USB devices except for a basic mouse and keyboard. Computer boots fine every time. I cleared the CMOS and reset the UEFI. The UEFI UI does not have a way to remove individual boot devices that I can find. But I can set it to only boot from HDDs. Also set CSM to enabled, not AUTO, Booted to windows 10 and then plugged in all the USB devices including the troublesome GP WIZ 40s. Tested that they all work and windows recognizes them. After I was sure all was good, I restarted my computer. It took probably 20 minutes for it to shut down and restart. But it boots up with no problems so far. I'm guessing that it all goes back to the EUFI and not having it set right. Hopefully it stays working. Thanks for the help.
RandyT:
The fact that Windows can see and use the GP-Wiz40's indicates that the devices have enumerated correctly and function as intended. The issue is the BIOS of this particular motherboard, perhaps coupled with poor fallback of the USB 3.0 chipset it uses. It could be assuming the presence of certain USB features which not all devices support, and when the devices don't respond to those optional features, the motherboard simply panics, rather than continuing gracefully. Again, this is a BIOS implementation issue with this particular motherboard, as there are thousands of GP-Wiz40 devices in use and this is the first and only report of an issue like this. There also seems to be no shortage of other users with this motherboard complaining of similar compatibility issues with a broad range of different devices.
At the end of the day, your (now deprecated) motherboard was specialized and really intended for applications like machine-learning and 3D-graphic-intensive productivity applications. My understanding is that adding proper support for legacy devices can hinder the speed at which some newer technologies are able to operate. Given the intended use of the mobo when it was designed in 2014, absolute peak performance was it's goal, not overall peripheral compatibility. This is most likely the reason why it doesn't offer USB 2.0 ports.
Something similar is starting to happen with cell phones. Most current flagship phones no longer support storage expansion with SDHC cards. Some believe that the manufacturers are just being cheap or forcing customers to purchase overpriced models with larger storage. What is actually happening is that the SOC manufacturers want support deprecated as it necessarily reduces the performance of their chips, opting for on-board storage with a wider bus path and/or increased speed.
If there is a takeaway to any of this, I would be very leery of using a workstation/server motherboard which does not support USB 2.0 as part of a system upgrade where continued use of existing peripherals is desired. Something like this is probably better suited for a new system in the capacity for which it is intended and using new and/or verified compatible peripherals. When it comes to "workstation-class" machines, those compatible peripherals may be more limited in scope by virtue of where support is focused.
RainnWater:
Just a final follow up. I ended up replacing the GP-Wiz40s with IPAC4s. Even after all the tweaking of the UEFI the computer would still hang with a B1 error code at times with the GP-Wiz40s. The IPAC4s work flawlessly. And they actually were easier to configure. Just wanted to reply in case someone else runs into a similar problem.
RandyT:
The BIOS in your particular motherboard is likely more adept at handling generic keyboard devices, which is what those units present themselves as at boot time. Glad to hear that you found a solution for your MB!