Hello,

 

So I have recently not been able to use my PCIe slot 4, I had been able to use it before cause I always do crossfire with 2x HD 6970. I had been using them since I made my computer in like 2012. Well I took one out and then had updated the bios to the new 2.32 then when I went to put my 2nd graphics card in the PCIE slot 4. That is the port that is suppose to do 16x in crossfire when you put the first in slot 1 and the 2nd in slot 4, so I tried the card on different slot It works, then I pulled all my both cards out and put one in just the 4th slot, wont work at all, nothing gets detected fans spin on the graphics card and it works perfectly in any other slot.

 

    I have just spent the last 3 days trouble shooting my computer I have reinstalled windows 7 64bit, then I searched online for all the new drivers to the motherboard from the companies that made the chips that you installed, for the USB SATA controllers etc... stuff like that, and still to no avail. Because of how the board was made, the only slot that would possibly be feasible for me to use in crossfire would be the 5th slot, that is the 8x slot on the board. Well since the its right next to where the PWR and stuff is I can not use it the card would make it so I could not even turn the board on. But even if I could use the 8x slot.

 

  I didn't pay over $250 dollars for this motherboard to not be able to use crossfire in PCIE 16/16 mode it has worked perfect before I had updated the BIOS, but I was wanted to update everything on the computer and make it all perfect. So here is question. When I bought this board I had done it because there was the feature of being able to update to the ivy-bridge CPU which would change the PCIe ports from PCIe 2.0 to PCIe 3.0, If I where to buy an IVY-bridge CPU would my computer work in PCIe 3.0 Crossfire 16/16. I would really like to know that cause if updating the BIOS took the PCIe 4 slot to work with only IVY cpu, then some one please tell me now and I will just buy that i7-3770k. If that is not the case any my motherboard is just ruined then would like to know that too. Someone just help me figure this out ASAP,

I posted at tweaktown but received no response.
Read more: http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/62617-extreme7-gen3-bios-2-32-pcie-slot-4-wont-work-i5-2500k-ati-hd6970.html" rel="nofollow -

Before we start to panic though have you tried clearing CMOS, preferably via the battery removal method? 

Once you have go into the UEFI and make sure the PCIe slots are set to gen2 and try the PCIe 4 slot again.

If this fails then try and update your BIOS again but this time to 2.30 (downgrade) as the 2.32 you are using is a beta and may be tailored to Ivy CPUs, if that still fails then try 2.10. 

If you still have no joy then read on.

Now unless you were planning on an upgrade anyway I wouldn't go out and purchase an Ivy CPU. While it may fix the issue there is no guarantee that it will. I would suggest contacting ASRock tech support with your issue and seeing if they can help you. They can send you a new BIOS chip for $10 with the same BIOS version you were using prior to the update. 

I would first try and get the system working again as it should be before going out and buying a new CPU. The reason being, if you can't make it work again, even with the Ivy i7 then you will be forced to replace the board if you want to use Crossfire. In the end you will be spending a fair amount just to upgrade to an outdated platform. You would be better served upgrading to the latest platform (skylake or hold out a while for AMD's Zen) for a bit more future proofing. I am hopeful though that at least one of the steps I mentioned will resolve your issue.

I think I may have updated from 2.30 cause I had RMAed the board and they sent me another one that had the 2.30bios chip already. But for SANDY Bridge. I have cleared CMOs, I have removed the battery (was crazy messed with all the time settings in windows, i reformated before i even knew that i just had to set the clock.

Oh dang, glad you said something cause I was looking online and those i7-3770k are not cheap either. The skylark is about the same price. Well I guess I will have to see about contacting Asrock.

Thanks.