NUC 6i3SYK troubles.....

[Rich-N2PPN]

Hi.... Noob here.... just replaced my Intel Compute sticks (which just "died" all of a sudden without any warning, but that's a post for a different thread...) with a NUC 6i3SYK... I had gotten it on the suggestion from my son who has used one for his home media 4K viewing for a while with no issues at all.... Since it was an older model, I figured it was a safe bet....

I put 16 GB of ram in it and a 500 MB SSD M2 drive.

It got Win10-64 loaded on it and was performing perfectly.

I installed the Intel Drive assistant and updated all the WIN drivers with no issues.

Played a few movies with it, even set up all my streaming services again, with no problems.

My issues started when I think I shot myself in the foot... I did a BIOS update from 0068 to 0073 (dated 9/2020)... then the problems started.... I noticed a message when booting in the upper left corner of my TV mentioning something about not downgrading (?) but it goes by too fast to actually read it clearly as it is partially above the top edge of the screen...

The next thing I started experiencing was that the NUC would go to sleep after I had walked away from it and the TV (in the correct time frame set in Win for it), but would no longer wake up with a key press of my BT keyboard as it had done before I did the BIOS update (KB USB receiver is in blue USB port in front panel)...

I now needed to power down the NUC and restart it to regain Windows operation...

I figured that it was a change in default settings in the new BIOS, so I used the boot/ F2 method to search through Visual Bios for settings.... 

I made a few changes and hit F10 to save and exit and that's where it all started!

The NUC VB Bios system locked up and froze!

It no longer had mouse pointer movement, or keyboard input, and just sat there with the dialogue box after I clicked YES to save and exit.

The only way out of this screen was to power down (I waited 10 minutes to do that in case it was making changes while the screen was frozen) and reboot the NUC...

It would reboot fine and load windows and all was as it was before, except the sleep/wake no longer working as I had previously discovered.

Fast forward to today... I tried to reload the BIOS (sy0073.bio) several different ways... I tried through VBIOS, I tried through F7 selecting from a clean .bio (just downloaded onto a USB stick) , I even tried through iFlash... None worked... The last thing I tried was removing the security jumper and iFlash... It tried to update, failed and then tried the recovery process and that resulted in a message saying that it was recovered and a full system reset was needed.... I powered down, replaced the security jumper, and now the NUC wont boot at all!!

No video POST screen, No menus, no HDMI output all... screen is no signal...

Any ideas?? or have I just bricked it and it's nothing more than a drink coaster???

TIA 4 Any Help...

Rich

[LeonWaksman]

Hi Rich,

Try to enter BIOS from the Configuration Menu and then reset the BIOS to default settings. Your NUC should be connected to PC monitor, rather to TV set (sometime BIOS can be displayed on TV which can't support BIOS display resolution):

1. Disconnect the power adapter and remove the bottom cover from your NUC.

2. Remove the yellow security jumper.

3. Reconnect the power adapter and power ON the NUC. Wait 30 sec - 2min. If the memory, cable and monitor are working you should see the Configuration Menu .

4. Click on F2 to enter BIOS.

5. Click on F9, followed by "Y" to set BIOS to default settings.

6. Click on F10, followed by "Y", to save the settings and exit from BIOS.

7. Depress the Power Button, until NUC powers OFF and disconnect the Power Adapter.

8. Replace the Security Jumper, between pins 1-2 (see page 55 in the Technical Product Specification)

9. Close the bottom cover, reconnect the Power Adapter and check if it is working now.

Note: In case that you don't see the Configuration Menu after waiting few minutes, you may try to perform steps 4-6 blind method (i.e without video output).

Leon

[Rich-N2PPN]

Hi Leon, I forgot to add that the front panel LED does NOT light up anymore.... used to turn blue when operating, flashing reddish/orange when sleeping.... nothing comes out of the audio jack (the intel start up sound) like it did before the BIOS update.... I did get three beeps a couple of times, which according to the error codes is memory failure... I don't have any DDR4 spare memory modules to see it the ones I put in went bad (it seems unlikely) but when a power cycle was done, the NUC booted normally with one beep. the TV had no problems displaying the SPLASH/ POST screen prior to this so I don't suspect it is a monitor/display issue of not seeing what is being sent out the HDMI port of the NUC.... I'm stumped and am thinking this was just a bad unit that I may just have to "eat"... Sucks, but it just might be the case...

Rich

[n_scott_pearson]

Oh ye of little faith. Don't give up yet.

It's a bit of work, since you have to remove the board from the chassis to access it, but you could do a CMOS Reset by unplugging its battery for 10-15 minutes. After reconnecting the battery and putting the board back in, follow that with the process that Leon defined previously.

This video shows the general process for removing the board from the NUC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPxo0Y_P_F0.

...S

[Rich-N2PPN]

Allright Mr. Scott.... at this point I'm game for anything.... I had researched how to change the CMOS battery since this NUC is a few years old and the CMOS battery might be gettin' "long in the tooth"... i have it unplugged now... I'll leave it for an hour... just to be sure to kill any electrons that might be hiding in the substrate...

Rich

[Rich-N2PPN]

No good Mr. Scott....

Waited almost an hour, plugged CMOS battery back in.... took bare board over to TV and hooked it up....

Still no video output at all...

But did notice there is a STANDBY LED on the motherboard right next to the HDD LED... it is covered by a piece of black tape...

If you hold the power switch down for 30 seconds while turning the NUC off, the LED goes out.  When you apply power to the NUC (even without turning it on) the standby LED turns green, indicating board is powered up... possibly a "good power" indicator...

Soooo it's still not coming back from the dead as I see it....

Rich

[n_scott_pearson]

Hhmmm, that LED lights to indicate that the power supply is able to give a trickle of power (enough for standby power). If you are seeing it go out, this is an indication that either (a) the power supply is failing (incapable of providing necessary power) or (b) the voltage regulation on the board is failing. Do you have another power supply that you can try? This NUC only needs a 65W (19V@3.43A) supply.

...S

[Rich-N2PPN]

Tried two different power supplies on it... one rated for the low end of 12V the other at the 19V the OEM one supplies.... the standby LED is NOT VISIBLE by design.... it is covered by black tape on the motherboard by the assembly point for NUC's. It is obviously a diagnostic LED not to be viewed by operators. It only goes off AFTER PRESSING AND HOLDING THE POWER BUTTON FOR 30 SECONDS... otherwise it illuminates as soon as good power is detected at the power port connection on the Motherboard.... the front panel LED never illuminates nor does the SSD/HD LED anymore.

It is obvious this motherboard is DEAD now.... thank you Intel for a foolproof BIOS update procedure and NVRAM that can't be wiped out by a firmware glitch. I guess I'll be looking for another device that can use the SSD M2 HD and the RAM I bought for this one...

Maybe I'll put it on eBay as for parts only.... case is still good...

Rich

[LeonWaksman]

Hi Rich,

If you can power your NUC without RAM and the power LED is blinking (showing memory failure), indicates that you board is not dead yet.

Leon

[Rich-N2PPN · Accepted solution]

Nothing, Nope, Nada, No LED activity, Dead, Dead, Dead.....

(sound of Taps playing off in the distance)

Intel won't be getting anymore of my $$$ for their products...

I just pulled the trigger on a 

GIGABYTE BRIX GB-BRi5-10210E 

Which should prove a whole lot more reliable...

Thanks to all who tried to help me solve this dilemma...

Rich

73 de N2PPN

(find me on BM DMR TG 31662)