Brand New NUC 12 Extreme - Not Displaying Anything

[nicolasonline]

Hello,

I bought a brand new Intel NUC 12 Extreme i7.

I added/upgraded with the following components:

-CPU: 12900 (BX8071512900) (I updgraded the CPU itself as all i9 Extreme NUCs were sold out, this is the regular compatible 12900)

-SSD: SK hynix Platinum P41 2TB

-RAM: G.Skill 32GB (F4-3200C18D-32GRS) (only compatible RAM with XMP as per official compatiblity list)

-EVGA 3080 Ti XC3

Once all components have been installed, and after turning the NUC on, this is what happens:

-All LED lights turn on and start changing colors

-The PSU fan turns on for a second then stops

-Nothing is being displayed on the monitor at all (not even Intel NUC welcome screen)

-I tried connecting a keyboard and hitting F2 repeatedly for BIOS or F10 for boot drive to install Windows but nothing as expected.

I tried troubleshooting with the following:

1. I disconnected the GPU and tried turning on the NUC without the GPU. Same result, nothing displayed on screen.

2. I disassembled all components again, re-socked the CPU, the RAM and the SSD. Same result, nothing displayed on screen.

How else can I troubleshoot this?

Thank you,

Nicolas

[crhendo]

I had the same problem.  I did find a way around it, albeit a little messy.

I had to use the BIOS recovery process as defined here and when this had completed I selected the XMP option inside the BIOS to force the memory to make use of the onboard XMP. This solved the problem however you need to remember NOT to select default settings in the BIOS or you will be back to square one.

I notice that Intel has very recently removed ALL the BIOS downloads from the download library for both the NUC12DCMi7 and NUC12DCMi9 which unfortunately means that you won't have access to the "Recovery BIOS".

I have reported a number of problems with the NUC12DCM's including this issue and a couple of Thunderbolt issues affecting performance and compatibility. Regrettably, they have been less than responsive.

[nicolasonline]

Thanks for your reply and suggestion. 

I do have a couple of questions about the link you have shared an NUC BIOS recovery tool:

-Did your Intel NUC have no video output as it was right out of the box and brand new? Or did that happen after a failed BIOS update?My NUC had no video output literally out of the box, i didn't install any OS, and did no BIOS updates as there was nothing being displayed right out of the box, do you still think this link would help?

-It states in the link "BIOS recovery using the BIOS security jumper will clear Trusted Platform Module (TPM) keys, Intel® Platform Trust Technology (Intel® PTT) keys, and High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) keys. These keys won't be restored after the BIOS recovery." What does that mean? Does your NUC currently run without HDCP and all those other things mentioned? 

Thanks a lot,

Nicolas

[crhendo]

It happened after I installed the new memory and its behaviour was similar to what you described. It was running OK before that.

Strangely, I swear that the warning note didn't exist in the document that I accessed over a month ago. Lots of changes are happening on the website. I am traveling at the moment so I can't check the status of all the items however it is currently running Windows 11 and I didn't notice any system messages during the boot process. 

My kids use it a lot so I am sure I would have heard if anything was amiss.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[crhendo]

Just so you know, after a lot of emails to and from Intel, I sent this status update to them on the 15th June. At the time that I purchased the NUC12DCMi9 I was advised that the USB-C port on the front of the box was the 3rd Thunderbolt 4 port. This doesn't appear to be the case. The M.2 speed issue was partially fixed in the latest BIOS which is no longer in their download page. I have heard nothing more from them. Very strange behaviour.

Hi Jeffry,

My current outstanding issues are as follows:-

1. The standard Windows 11 clean install does not recognise either of the ethernet ports or the WiFi adapter. The only way past this is to attach a standard USB to ethernet adapter before starting the install
2. I don’t understand why the Kingston HyperX Impact HX432S20IBK2/64 memory caused all my problems during the initial install. I had to select a specific profile in the BIOS before the system would behave normally. I have never seen this behaviour before.
3. I have discovered that only one of the PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots (closest to the CPU) functions at the expected speed. The other two slots can only run at approx. 40% of the expected speed. I discovered that this has already been reported on the community forum and is now a known bug introduced by the latest BIOS upgrade. Apparently, a fix is 2 months away?!
4. The new Thunderbolt 4 port on the front of my NUC12 is not performing as it should. If I plug my OWC Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3 (with 2TB NVMe drive inside) into the front TB4 port I get a message saying “Thunderbolt device functionality might be limited” and the device does not appear in the TB Control Panel. If I plug it into either of the rear TB4 ports, it performs as it should. I thought this might be a device power problem so I plugged a 2 bay RAID 0 USB 3.1 device (with two 4TB 2.5” SSD’s inside) into the front TB4 port. The device was recognised successfully however the transfer speed to and from the device was very slow. I ran BlackMagic’s Disk Speed Test and discovered that the transfer rate for read and write was only ~40MB/sec. I plugged the same device into one of the rear TB4 ports and ran the test again. The transfer rate was ~800MB/sec for read and write which is what I expected. I have tried uninstalling the TB driver and reinstalling without any success.

Friday at 12pm my time is fine for me.

Regards,

Chris H

[nicolasonline]

I really appreciate your help even as you travel, any and all things help.

I think that's the scary thing on my end, it's a brand new device and I have yet to see any video output from it, I tried 2 different RAM sticks, 2 different SSD's, both the 12700 and the 12900, with and without the GPU and all to no avail. Even the BIOS recovery process is not working. 

If anyone has any more ideas, it would be much appreciated. 

Thanks

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello nicolasonline, 

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities. I am sorry to know that you are having issues with your Intel® NUC 12 Extreme Kit - NUC12DCMi7.

In order to better assist you, please provide the following:  

1. Just to confirm, did you replace the original CPU after you notice the issue? Did you do it by yourself?

2. Do you see a blink code from the power bottom?

• https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005845/intel-nuc.html

3. Are you able to see a green light inside the NUC when it is connected to the outlet?

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[nicolasonline]

Hello @DeividA_Intel ,

Thanks a lot for getting back to me on this, as I am still stuggling to get any sort of video output. 

To answer your questions:

1. I did try it with both the 12700 original CPU and the 12900 upgraded CPU, it's the same thing with either CPU. I did upgrade it myself as it was very straightforward and easy to do.

2. Regarding the blink code, the power button indicator LED light stays on constantly and does not have any blinking pattern. Just to be sure in any case I tried 2 sets of RAM (one from a NUC 11 Pro) and the one I purchased for the 12 Extreme. And I tried 2 sets of SSDs (one from the NUC 11 Pro) and the one I purchased for the 12 Extreme. I also tried multiple HDMI cables (which all work with the NUC 11 Pro) but not the NUC 12 Extreme.

3. Can you please clarify what you mean by "green light inside the NUC when connected to the outlet". Am I supposed to keep the side panels and top cover open and disassembled to notice the green light? Where exactly would I see it?

Just to make sure you have all the correct information, the LED lights on the front panel skull + under the NUC are all on and change colors. 

I believe I may have not re-connected some of the cables on the Compute element board correctly? As the documentation regarding that is sparse and confusing, do you think you could guide me to re-connect some of the cables I mention in the video here: https://streamable.com/3va0vt 

Could that be the cause?

Thanks a lot,

Nicolas

[steve-o]

I have the same issue that is being described here.

I just received a brand new i9 extreme.

When plugged in, push the power button, the power button LED is just a solid white color.  The under carriage LED's light up and rotate colors.  The PSU fan spins for 1 second and stops.  No other fans spin.  There is a solid green light just below the CPU when plugged into the outlet.  The unit provides no display on the built in HDMI.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello nicolasonline, 

Thank you for the information provided 

I will proceed to check the issue internally and post back soon with more details. 

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[nicolasonline]

Thanks @DeividA_Intel 

Here's a video that should show exactly what I am experiencing if that helps: https://streamable.com/nshvlh 

Nicolas

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello nicolasonline, 

Thanks for your patience. Based on your post, looks like you have just replaced the processor. If this is the case I would like to let you know that the CPU on this product is not meant to be replaced. There is a risk of damaging the board while replacing it.

I recommend you to get in contact with us to replace the unit, you can use this case number 05574308 as a reference. Use the link based on your location:

• US, Canada: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support.html#@11 
• Europe, Middle East, and Africa: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support/emea-contact.html 
• Asia-Pacific: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support/apac-contact.html 
• Latin America: https://www.intel.la/content/www/xl/es/support/contact-support/lar-contact.html 

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[nicolasonline]

@DeividA_Intel  Thanks for your reply. Prior to upgrading the CPU I made sure to contact Intel to make sure it is made to be upgraded. Please find the service request answer I received from Intel below:

Hello,

An update was made to service request 05532547 on July 19, 2022

Thank you for your time. 

I was informed that, since this NUC uses a Socketed Intel® processor there is no issue warranty related, you can replace the processor without voiding the warranty.  

I hope this helps you with your inquiry. 

Is there anything else I can help you with? I will gladly assist you. 

You may receive an invitation to take a survey in a few days. We value your feedback and look forward to hearing about your support experience   

In case of no reply, I will contact you on 07/21/2022. 

Sign in to view and update your request or to get additional information. You can also reply to this email with questions or comments.

 
Regards,
Intel Support Team