Strange things afoot with i5-3470T and ASUS P8Z77 WS Mobo

[mobilenvidia]

I was happily making another attempt to get the 2nd SAS2008 controller working on the LSI9202-16e
Happily flashed the card using LSIUTIL, for first time, in windows as DOS one is impossible to work.
I had been flashing away using SAS2FLASH earlier

Upon reboot, I suddenly noticed that the board wouldn't boot, stuck on code 55
Code 55 relates to memory, so out they all come but one.
Board now boots further but no Video now, was running 3470T integrated video at the time
Put in a PCIe video card and Mobo boots.

After numerous BIOS flashing, factory resets, all sorts of other tricks
I cannot not use more than 2x sticks of RAM and I have to use a PCIe video card.
IGP no longer shows in the BIOS

Now has the CPU just blown the IGP and something is wrong with the memory controller ?
Or something sinister with Mobo, mobo did loose one lan port in lightning strike a few months back.

The CPU cooler is a massive Notua type, complete overkill for the 35w 3470T, Intels diagnostics say it's running 50deg below max CPU thermal limit
Next step is to dig out another mobo, and see with this what happens.
Hope it's not the Mobo, I'm quite happily using all 4x PCIe 16x slots, with controllers and 10gbe LAN, most Z77 boards only have 2x PCIe 16x slots (as my spares)

But has anyone has seen this before, any info gladly received.

I'll keep you guys informed.

 

[mobilenvidia]

OK, dusted of my ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Prof-M
Quite a mission to undo the Noctua CPU cooler from case and ASUS P8Z77 WS Mobo.
Needed to pull entire Mobo out to get the cooler off.

Plugged CPU in, put one stick of RAM in, keyboard and mouse.
First boot, Code 55, shifted the RAM stick around in slots, finally in last slot away the CPU went.
Good thing IGP worked on this Mobo, but one RAM slot = 4GB
So this does confirm CPU is bad

Put CPU back in ASUS P8Z77 WS as I can't live with 4GB, 8GB is tolerable
But same thing as ASRock Mobo, now only the far DIMM worked.
The iGP in with this Mobo doesn't work (now) so, I'll need to put it all back in to the ASRock mobo.

But one thing ASRock does UEFI BIOS better than ASUS, much better user friendly with nice features ASUS lacks
ie it actually tells the system is VT-d capable, identifies whats in the PCIe slots

No idea why CPU would all of a sudden throw a wobbly.
Has run flawlessly since I got it.

Ho Hum to a replacement.