ASUS P3B-F - Does it support REGISTERED RAM-modules?

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Torben Birk wrote:

....
> the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to check
> the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.
....

The manual -
http://www.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/slot1/440bx/p3b-f/p3b... -
is not dubious at all - well, they don't list Kingston;-)

You may wish to check www.crucial.com > Memory Upgrade... they offer
ECC modules which are suitable for the P3B-F.

HTH - Roy


--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties
and confers no rights.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Dubious or not - we might be rigth both of us:
A fact: SDRAM modules can be registered or unbuffered (the term unregistered
is sometimes used too).

In the manual chapter 3.5 one can read:
"This motherboard uses only ...DIMMs. Sockets are available for 3.3Volts
(..) UNBUFFERED ...SDRAM.".
And further the Note:
"At the time this User's manual was written, 256MB DIMMs are only available
as double-sided REGISTERED memory".

Why mention "unbuffered... SDRAM" if both registered and unbuffered modules
will work?
Why bother the note when registered modules will work?

Possibly something like an ASUS-apology for at that time the extra price of
registered modules ??:-o
These obvious questions made me uncertain and might be the source of a
semantic battle ;-)

/Torben Birk



"Roy Coorne" <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> skrev i en meddelelse
news:2grv13F65h22U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Torben Birk wrote:
>
> ...
> > the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to
check
> > the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.
> ...
>
> The manual -
> http://www.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/slot1/440bx/p3b-f/p3b... -
> is not dubious at all - well, they don't list Kingston;-)
>
> You may wish to check www.crucial.com > Memory Upgrade... they offer
> ECC modules which are suitable for the P3B-F.
>
> HTH - Roy
>
>
> --
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties
> and confers no rights.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

AFAIR many BX boards will run registered DIMMs just fine, even if only
spec'd for unbuffered. What I find interesting is that registered
modules with 16Mx8 chips exist - x4 chips seems to be much more popular
on those, IIRC because Chipkill only works with them.

Stephan
--
Meine Andere Seite: http://stephan.win31.de/
PC#6: i440BX, 1xP3-500E, 512 MiB, 18+80 GB, R9k AGP 64 MiB, 110W
This is a SCSI-inside, Legacy-plus, TCPA-free computer  
Mail to From: not read, see homepg. | Real gelesene Mailadr. s. Homep.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Torben Birk wrote:
> Dubious or not - we might be rigth both of us:
> A fact: SDRAM modules can be registered or unbuffered (the term unregistered
> is sometimes used too).

Right.

> In the manual chapter 3.5 one can read:
> "This motherboard uses only ...DIMMs. Sockets are available for 3.3Volts
> (..) UNBUFFERED ...SDRAM.".
> And further the Note:
> "At the time this User's manual was written, 256MB DIMMs are only available
> as double-sided REGISTERED memory".

= At the time the User's manual was written, unbuffered (unregistered)
256 MB DIMMs were not yet available.
>
> Why mention "unbuffered... SDRAM" if both registered and unbuffered modules
> will work?

Registered modules won't work.

> Why bother the note when registered modules will work?

Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.

> Possibly something like an ASUS-apology for at that time the extra price of
> registered modules ??:-o
> These obvious questions made me uncertain and might be the source of a
> semantic battle ;-)

Yes, the note is not as clearly written as possible;-)


Roy


--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties
and confers no rights.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

On Tue, 18 May 2004 00:55:53 +0200, Roy Coorne
<roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote:

>Registered modules won't work.
>
>> Why bother the note when registered modules will work?
>
>Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
>user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.


It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
P3B-F.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

soupy wrote:
> On Tue, 18 May 2004 00:55:53 +0200, Roy Coorne
> <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Registered modules won't work.
>>
>>
>>>Why bother the note when registered modules will work?
>>
>>Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
>>user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.
>
>
>
> It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
> P3B-F.

Maybe it's because some of the p2b series board are considered more or
less "professional" boards, also used in small servers (p2b-ds at
least), in these applications usually registered ecc ram is used.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure registered ram will work just fine on the p3b-f,
as always you just can't mix registered and unbuffered. Asus tells you
you NEED to use registered ram if you have more than 2 modules on ALL
boards with bx chipset, regardless the board model (that is, of course,
not exactly true neither).
http://www.asuscom.de/support/FAQ/faq094_MBIT.htm
groups.google.com will tell you the same.

Roland

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Roland Scheidegger wrote:
> soupy wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 18 May 2004 00:55:53 +0200, Roy Coorne
>> <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Registered modules won't work.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Why bother the note when registered modules will work?
>>>
>>>
>>> Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
>>> user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
>> P3B-F.
>
>
> Maybe it's because some of the p2b series board are considered more or
> less "professional" boards, also used in small servers (p2b-ds at
> least), in these applications usually registered ecc ram is used.
> Anyway, I'm pretty sure registered ram will work just fine on the p3b-f,
> as always you just can't mix registered and unbuffered. Asus tells you
> you NEED to use registered ram if you have more than 2 modules on ALL
> boards with bx chipset, regardless the board model (that is, of course,
> not exactly true neither).
> http://www.asuscom.de/support/FAQ/faq094_MBIT.htm

It's funny: This Asus page links to Crucial for an explanation of
'registered', and Crucial informs on the P3B-F: "Module Types
Supported: Unbuffered only".

> groups.google.com will tell you the same.

Yes, there are postings about P3B-F boards run with registered DIMMs.
Very strange all that, indeed; didn't Crucial do their homework?

Roy

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

On Tue, 18 May 2004 22:49:19 +0200, Roy Coorne <rcoorne@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Roland Scheidegger wrote:
>> soupy wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 18 May 2004 00:55:53 +0200, Roy Coorne
>>> <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Registered modules won't work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Why bother the note when registered modules will work?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
>>>> user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
>>> P3B-F.
>>
>>
>> Maybe it's because some of the p2b series board are considered more or
>> less "professional" boards, also used in small servers (p2b-ds at
>> least), in these applications usually registered ecc ram is used.
>> Anyway, I'm pretty sure registered ram will work just fine on the p3b-f,
>> as always you just can't mix registered and unbuffered. Asus tells you
>> you NEED to use registered ram if you have more than 2 modules on ALL
>> boards with bx chipset, regardless the board model (that is, of course,
>> not exactly true neither).
>> http://www.asuscom.de/support/FAQ/faq094_MBIT.htm
>
>It's funny: This Asus page links to Crucial for an explanation of
>'registered', and Crucial informs on the P3B-F: "Module Types
>Supported: Unbuffered only".
>
>> groups.google.com will tell you the same.
>
>Yes, there are postings about P3B-F boards run with registered DIMMs.
>Very strange all that, indeed; didn't Crucial do their homework?

When I can fill all four slots using commodity dimms and reach the 1GB maximum
supported system memory capacity, why would I buy a registered dimm that (1)
adds latency, (2) cannot extend the 1GB memory limit, and (3) costs more?

/daytripper (Perhaps Crucial got an "A" on their homework? ;-)

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Hi Torben!

Torben Birk wrote:
> I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04.
> I can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston module:
> KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
> I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible - since
> it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.
> According to:
> http://homepage.hispeed.ch/rscheidegger/ram_bx_faq.html
> the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to check
> the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.
>
> And why I choose this ECC memory module? - it is cheap: 40$!. And the only
> 256MB module I can get at present that possibly would work.
>
> Thanks
>
> Torben Birk Christensen
> (Remove fruit to email)

I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)

HTH /Ola J

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

On Thu, 20 May 2004 09:56:18 GMT, in <alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus>, Ola A
Johansson <wheel1@telia.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Torben!
>
[snip]
>
> I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
> But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
> just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)
>
[snip]

If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.

And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
buffered "registered" types.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

[REPOST: Apparently, the original copy of this article did not propagate.
Apologies if duplicate.]

On Thu, 20 May 2004 09:56:18 GMT, in <alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus>, Ola A
Johansson <wheel1@telia.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Torben!
>
[snip]
>
> I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
> But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
> just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)
>
[snip]

If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.

And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
buffered "registered" types.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Jay T. Blocksom wrote:
....
> Alas, I don't have a P3B-F manual handy at the moment,...

You may download the manual at

ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/asuscom/HANDBUCH/Motherboard/S...

Roy

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Jay T. Blocksom wrote:
> On Thu, 20 May 2004 09:56:18 GMT, in <alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus>, Ola A
> Johansson <wheel1@telia.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Torben!
> >
> [snip]
> >
> > I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
> > But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
> > just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)
> >
> [snip]
>
> If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.
>
> And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
> problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
> buffered "registered" types.
>

Sorry, typo from me.. 32x72 of course, or there would be no room for
the parity-bit...

C'ya /Ola J