HELP? _ BTC-37 Mining Motherboard @philipma1957

[Teedonkey]

I was hoping I could get some guidance/assistance on getting my BTC-37 Mining board up and running.  I searched (maybe incorrectly) but only found threads about older Onda? D1800 motherboards, and it's 156 pages so I am not done reading lol.  Great thread @philipma1957 and all those involved.

I managed to get the motherboard to boot to windows from a cloned SSD, using DDR3 SODIM laptop memory.

BUT when I put one of my 1070's in the PCIE slot (slot marked #1) and provide power (single 8pin), and plug in the HDMI cable in, I get a black screen.  Unplug the HDMI and plug it back into the motherboard HDMI and widows comes back up on the monitor. 

The BTC 37 motherboard does have QTY ( 6pin connectors adjacent to each of the 8 PCIE slots (see 1st image link below).  I did provide power to 1 6pin connector, the one labeled the same as the slot for the 1070 (slot #1), still nothing.

Do I need to provide cables/power to all 8 6pin connectors to even run a single 1070? I recall in philipma1957's thread that the Onda D1800 needed power to all 6 Molex connectors.  I maybe screwed if I need to power all 8 of my 6pins to run a single 1070, cause I only have a Seasonic Focus 850 PSU.

Or am I missing something else?  Did I search incorrectly, and someone explained this already?  While I have built custom loop water cooled gaming rigs in the past, the mining setups are totally new to me.  I was really hoping I could figure this BTC board out, but I fear I bit off more than I can chew and may have to cut my loses and buy a mainstream motherboard and run the 1070's I have here sitting idle.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks all.

Crap, I can't even figure out how to post pictures from Imgur LOL...

https://imgur.com/hBPk1Mm

https://imgur.com/nBcq3Ht

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[eule]

I don't have that motherboard but it sounds like your primary graphics adapter is set to internal GPU in the BIOS. Change it to PCI-E if you want to have a monitor connected to your 1070.
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[Teedonkey]

I don't have that motherboard but it sounds like your primary graphics adapter is set to internal GPU in the BIOS. Change it to PCI-E if you want to have a monitor connected to your 1070.
To embed pictures, use the button above the reply box or

Code:

[img][/img]

Eule, thanks for the help.  I checked the BIOS - "Internal Graphics" is set to [AUTO] - I would assume this would be ok, or should I switch to [Disable]?  BIOS has a lot of options for PICE slots, I am hesitant to change anything without any suggestions at first.  Maybe after a couple beers tonight I'll feel different  

MSI Afterburner doesn't reflect a 1070 - just says Internal Graphics.  Same with Device Manager.

My 1070's led's are lit, and fans running.  

BTW in my attempt to post pictures -- my post shows http://https:........jpg...i tried the direct link from imgur and the one listed for forums/message boards....man I'm having a bad day LOL

Pic of BIOS Internal Graphics
https://i.imgur.com/dI3ATFJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dI3ATFJ.jpg


Pic of some PCIE BIOS Options
https://i.imgur.com/n0ZJtky.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/n0ZJtky.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IHiCsHb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IHiCsHb.jpg

[eule]

I'd try changing Primary Graphics from IGFX to PCI-E and disabling Gfx Low Power Mode. Not familiar with the other settings unfortunately but hopefully someone else will chime in. If Windows can't see the card, that implies that the card isn't properly recognized by the board at all so power might indeed be the issue. If so, a server PSU + breakout board and cables is around 50$ and might be the cheapest option besides some Molex->PCI-E cables (those 6-pin connectors on the board are PCI-E, right?).

Code:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/dI3ATFJ.jpeg[/img]

should work fine to embed pics but might be restricted for new users, not sure.

Also you can always do a CMOS Reset to change BIOS options to their defaults if something gets screwed up. 

[Teedonkey]

I'd try changing Primary Graphics from IGFX to PCI-E and disabling Gfx Low Power Mode. Not familiar with the other settings unfortunately but hopefully someone else will chime in. If Windows can't see the card, that implies that the card isn't properly recognized by the board at all so power might indeed be the issue. If so, a server PSU + breakout board and cables is around 50$ and might be the cheapest option besides some Molex->PCI-E cables (those 6-pin connectors on the board are PCI-E, right?).

Code:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/dI3ATFJ.jpeg[/img]

should work fine to embed pics but might be restricted for new users, not sure.
https://i.imgur.com/dI3ATFJ.jpeg
Also you can always do a CMOS Reset to change BIOS options to their defaults if something gets screwed up. 

Well Eule again thanks for the help, but I have a new problem now.  I switched the Primary Graphics to PCI-E in BIOS, plugged in my HDMI into the 1070, and booted.....black screen.  I shut it down, and tried to go into BIOS again and switch it back.........now i don't get a screen at all LOL.  I take it the board wants to use the PCIE but doesn't recognize it yet.  Seems I can't even get into BIOS now 

Now where does that leave me now.....Can i reset BIOS to default somehow? Or Is my next step a 750W? server PSU + breakout board (yes they are 6 pin connectors - see photo).  You recommend Parallel Miner, which type breakout board X6B 8 PCI-e, X8 16 PCI-e...? 

https://www.parallelminer.com/product/750-watt-hp-80-platinum-94-efficiency-110-240v-chain-sync-open-air-gpu-mining-rig-power-supply/

Man that beer is good 



https://i.imgur.com/gVx76T3.jpg

[JayDDee]

MSI Afterburner doesn't reflect a 1070 - just says Internal Graphics.  Same with Device Manager.
My 1070's led's are lit, and fans running.  

This suggests the problem is not power. I also assume if the power connector is labelled for a specific slot
you only need to connect power for populated slots.

Test with a known working GPU if you have one or test the 1070 in a different system to prove it works.
Try a known working card in another slot in case you have one bad slot.

[eule]

Now where does that leave me now.....Can i reset BIOS to default somehow?

Did you try booting without a GPU? It should fall back to the internal GPU. Also there should be a jumper next to the BIOS battery, usually it's labelled CMOS reset. Switch its position, turn power on, then off and put it back in its original position. Voilá, BIOS reset. If there's no jumper, take out the battery and wait a few minutes and the BIOS will also reset to default.
I also second JayDDees recommendation about testing with a different GPU if available or testing the GPU in a different mainboard. But I wouldn't rule out power yet, these mainboards are weird af lol.
Cheers and good luck!

Edit: regarding PSUs: Depends on your timeframe and planned number of GPUs. These breakout boards and cables can be found very cheap on Aliexpress but shipping will take weeks. The compatible server PSUs can be bought extremely cheap on eBay or even Craigslist (or your local alternative). If 750W is enough, the linked one is fine and only slightly more expensive than the China route, however I never dealt with the company, just a quick google and I've read about them a few times. You'd still need an ATX PSU to power the Mainboard via the ATX connector afaik. Not the most elegant solution and also might be totally unnecessary depending on if your GPU is OK or not.

[Teedonkey]

MSI Afterburner doesn't reflect a 1070 - just says Internal Graphics.  Same with Device Manager.
My 1070's led's are lit, and fans running.  

This suggests the problem is not power. I also assume if the power connector is labelled for a specific slot
you only need to connect power for populated slots.

Test with a known working GPU if you have one or test the 1070 in a different system to prove it works.
Try a known working card in another slot in case you have one bad slot.

JayDDee,

Thanks for the help, I am 100% positive the card works, I had it in my test mining rig (man that thing is a hack job), had it running 29.4 MH/s on Phoenix Miner 2 days ago.  I totally agree with your advice, and that's why I put this old card in a running PC and made sure it worked before I started playing w/ a motherboard I am unfamiliar with.


Eule.......I think I did........but give me a sec, I will try again......

[eule]

Googled around a bit, the slots are basically just risers and don't need to be powered if not in use apparently. Weird issue, maybe the port you tried is screwed? If the GPU is known good and power is not the problem, it has to be the port, right?  

[JayDDee]

I also second JayDDees recommendation about testing with a different GPU if available or testing the GPU in a different mainboard. But I wouldn't rule out power yet, these mainboards are weird af lol.
Cheers and good luck!

It's always risky to assume. Anyway it can be tested by using a riser and drawing power directly from the PSU.
If the PSU itself was the problem it wouldn't boot with the GPU inserted. But it doesn't hurt to try a different PSU
if one is available.

If it's not the GPU and not the PSU the only thing left is the the PCIe slot(s) on the motherboard.

[Teedonkey]

Now where does that leave me now.....Can i reset BIOS to default somehow?

Did you try booting without a GPU? It should fall back to the internal GPU. Also there should be a jumper next to the BIOS battery, usually it's labelled CMOS reset. Switch its position, turn power on, then off and put it back in its original position. Voilá, BIOS reset. If there's no jumper, take out the battery and wait a few minutes and the BIOS will also reset to default.
I also second JayDDees recommendation about testing with a different GPU if available or testing the GPU in a different mainboard. But I wouldn't rule out power yet, these mainboards are weird af lol.
Cheers and good luck!

Edit: regarding PSUs: Depends on your timeframe and planned number of GPUs. These breakout boards and cables can be found very cheap on Aliexpress but shipping will take weeks. The compatible server PSUs can be bought extremely cheap on eBay or even Craigslist (or your local alternative). If 750W is enough, the linked one is fine and only slightly more expensive than the China route, however I never dealt with the company, just a quick google and I've read about them a few times. You'd still need an ATX PSU to power the Mainboard via the ATX connector afaik. Not the most elegant solution and also might be totally unnecessary depending on if your GPU is OK or not.

Eule,

BIOS back up!  I pulled the GPU out earlier but forgot to unplug that 6pin connector.  This time I unplugged the connector, and took out the CMOS battery, waited a few minutes and, like you say.....voila.  

Thanks for the sound advise on the PSU's.  As I mentioned above, I am positive my GPU works (tested on Monday in another rig), and  I currently have a new Seasonic 850 Gold Focus ATX Power supply running the board.  I am not really into waiting weeks for delivery, I feel these 1070's I have sitting around (3 functional) need to get up and running.

Could it be that I need power to all 8 of those 6 pin connectors adjacent to the 8 large PCIE slots to power even a single 1070...?  I highly doubt I will go past the 3 1070s I currently have, unless I happen to get lucky and score another 3080.  

Would it go something like this?
---- server psu would provide power to all 8 6pin connectors, and my Seasonic 850 would power the GPU's directly and the motherboard?  Would that require some sort of dual PSU adapter?


Pic of my recent 3080 watercooled gaming rig (so you all don't think i'm a total idiot LOL)
https://i.imgur.com/iTEHw3I.jpg


And my total hack job test rig -- currently running a Zotac 1070
https://i.imgur.com/JyeNHpI.jpg


Again, thanks for the help this evening....

[Teedonkey]

I also second JayDDees recommendation about testing with a different GPU if available or testing the GPU in a different mainboard. But I wouldn't rule out power yet, these mainboards are weird af lol.
Cheers and good luck!

It's always risky to assume. Anyway it can be tested by using a riser and drawing power directly from the PSU.
If the PSU itself was the problem it wouldn't boot with the GPU inserted. But it doesn't hurt to try a different PSU
if one is available.

If it's not the GPU and not the PSU the only thing left is the the PCIe slot(s) on the motherboard.

JayDDee,

You are going to think I am crazy, but I bought a brand new Seasonic 850 PSU from Best Buy, and was delivered yesterday.  Tested in test rig yesterday with the known working Zotac 1070.  I totally agree, I am pretty sure i tested everything before using it on this unknown (to me) motherboard.

This thread was from 4 years ago, but it seems a group of people on here were starting with early versions of this motherboard from China, and it seems they needed power to all Molex connectors (I guess the newer versions use 6 pin connectors) next to the GPU's even if the GPU slot was empty...............does this make sense? 

[eule]

Cool rigs, the watercooled one looks really good.
There are also these chinese PSUs with 16 PCI-E connectors, can't comment on their reliability however: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32869823311.html
And there are breakout boards that include an ATX connector but they are pretty expensive: https://www.parallelminer.com/product/zsx-breakout-board-16-ports-pico-24pin-atx-fan-hubs-100-gpu-mining-a-game-changer/
But the Seasonic should totally be fine for 3 1070s unless the board really requires all slots to be powered, which would seem stupid but who knows? But even then you could use Molex-4-Pin->PCI-E adapters. Would be a shame to let that quite expensive PSU go unused...

Edit:

If the PSU itself was the problem it wouldn't boot with the GPU inserted.

That's also a good point, if the card would get no power, the PC wouldn't boot at all. To me it seems as if the motherboard doesn't see the 1070 at all, perhaps it is indeed a faulty slot.

[generalt]

I don't have this board but are we sure that the first slot is the primary video card slot?  Have you tried it in the second slot perhaps?

[JayDDee]

This thread was from 4 years ago, but it seems a group of people on here were starting with early versions of this motherboard from China, and it seems they needed power to all Molex connectors (I guess the newer versions use 6 pin connectors) next to the GPU's even if the GPU slot was empty...............does this make sense?  

I would say no. The labeling suggests the slots are powered individually. If the slot power is interconnected
any slot should be able to draw power from any connector, as long as there are enough connections to power
all the installed GPUs.

Bypassing it with a riser would be a good test.

[Teedonkey]

Thanks all....

Good point, I will try another slot.  Still get to work from home with all this crazy stuff, so maybe i can sneak down a try tomorrow morning.

Again, thanks for all the help. 

[philipma1957]

The board should work with smos. All the riser free mobos from china really suck with windows.

the six pin are designed to clean up wiring.

1in 1out
2in 2out
3in 3out
4in 4out
5in 5out
6in 6out.

the in comes from your psu the out goes to gpu.

these are server based

not atx based.

I have a few

running with smos.

windows will drive you nuts 🥜

[Teedonkey]

The board should work with smos. All the riser free mobos from china really suck with windows.

the six pin are designed to clean up wiring.

1in 1out
2in 2out
3in 3out
4in 4out
5in 5out
6in 6out.

the in comes from your psu the out goes to gpu.

these are server based

not atx based.

I have a few

running with smos.

windows will drive you nuts 🥜

THANKS PHIL!  Yeah, apparently Windows is driving me nuts with this board.  Please be patient with me, as some of your response is unclear to a noob such as myself.

Is it too much to ask for a photo of one of you boards (a BTC-37) and how it's wired?  I am hoping that would clear up a lot.

-----Do I run (2) PSU's -- (1) ATX power supply to power motherboard (24 pin connector), and power in each of the 6pin connectors along the edge of the board (labeled 16X_1-8_PWR)....... and a Server PSU with a breakout board to power each GPU (the 8pin connectors on top of each GPU)?
-----To run a single 1070, do all the 6 pin connectors need to be powered?

Again, any photo's of how yours are setup/wired would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks 


 

[acas]

I also second JayDDees recommendation about testing with a different GPU if available or testing the GPU in a different mainboard. But I wouldn't rule out power yet, these mainboards are weird af lol.
Cheers and good luck!

It's always risky to assume. Anyway it can be tested by using a riser and drawing power directly from the PSU.
If the PSU itself was the problem it wouldn't boot with the GPU inserted. But it doesn't hurt to try a different PSU
if one is available.

If it's not the GPU and not the PSU the only thing left is the the PCIe slot(s) on the motherboard.

Hi All:

I will receive this board in a couple of weeks, question? anybody has tested it with a riser, instead of power the 6pin connector and just power the riser?

just asking because I'm planning to do it as soon it arrives!

thanks!

[hagibah]

I have the BTC-37 motherboard using a 750W Antec powersupply to power all 8 slots. I have 7 Dell RX 550 4GB cards installed and all of them are recognized by NHOS. Everything works nearly perfect right out of the box. My current issue is getting the cards to perform at an acceptable hashrate. Currently getting 2.2MH/s on KAWPOW. I installed one RX 550 in my Windows 10 PC and got 15MH/s without any mods. Therefore I know it isn't the gfx card that is the issue. I disabled all but one of the RX 550s on the BTC-37 and still getting 2.2MH/s. Doesn't rule out the mobo, but leaning more towards NHOS now. I downloaded SMOS to try out based on what others have said.

Just wanting to see if others have had this issue or if they didn't, what did they do differently.