Computer slows up with 2 memory modules

[EricChiptune]

Hi Guys,

Have a problem with my machine here...

Setup:
ECS P4M800Pro-M V2 (*shudders*)
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Corsair 2gb Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-4200
WD Raptor WD360ADFD 36GB
Cheap 650W PSU. (*shudders*)

Basic Story:
When the RAM first came one stick was faulty was showing as 512mb, so I went ahead and put on Windows Server 2003 Standard on the machine, everything installed fine, RAM was returned and replaced.

I put in the 2gb of RAM, POST is fine, get into Windows and I try installing IIS, to my supprise it takes over half an hour to try and install, knowing this isn't right I tried reinstalling windows, shockingly it was trying to take aeons to copy files for installation. So now I removed 1 stick of memory then install windows... It goes fine...
So I switched sticks, again installation goes fine.

I'm just wondering if i'm missing something stupidly obvious in bios settings that is making it run slower with 2 modules in, especially as both seem to run fine on their own, the board supports 2gb RAM, 1gb in each slot.

So i'm real confused?

Any help would be ace guys, thanks :]

 

[EricChiptune]

Forgot to mention onboard VGA (32mb)
Tried reducing it to 16mb...
Same happens :?

 

[Guest]

i have the same problem man. my windows works fine. but ever since i installed second 1 Gb stick in my pc to make it dual channel. i can't run any live linux cd's for some reason.

 

[EricChiptune]

I just get a stupidly big difference in load times and general processing...

CPU-Z isn't even showing much in memory just 2048mb, doesnt say #Chans etc, that's all greyed out...

Hmmm :?

 

[Guest]

same thing with me. area's are greyed out in CPUZ. i have intel G965WH MB with 2x1 GB sticks at 667 MHZ. with pentium D930 and evga 8800GTS 320MB

 

[evongugg]

Look at CPU-Z memory tab. What speed is the memory running at?
If you have SPD settings sometimes the motherboard registers the wrong speed.

 

[Guest]

it doesn't show anything in memory tab except memory size

 

[evongugg]

Rum memtest86+. See if you get any errors.

http://www.memtest.org/

 

[EricChiptune]

Just spent the last few hours looking for BIOS updates for the motherboard, finally found an old, but newer than the version I had with board one which seems to make computer run stable with both sticks in...

Just re-installed windows again and it went smooth, will see how IIS and SQL Server go now.

*Fingers crossed*

 

[EricChiptune]

Much better, hangman, make sure you have the latest//most stable bios version, seems to be working for me, cpu-z still isn't showing anything more but at least I can see the difference.

Hope it helps somewhat :]

 

[Guest]

i have the latest bios from intel for my MB intel G965Wh dated 04/13/07.

 

[evongugg]

@EricChipTune:

Is there a Bios setting or a jumper on the motherboard to change between DDR and DDR2?

 

[Guest]

no it just supports DDR2

 

[EricChiptune]

@EricChipTune:

Is there a Bios setting or a jumper on the motherboard to change between DDR and DDR2?

Not that I know of, i'll check tomorrow when i'm back in work, but it's all working fine now...

It runs are proper speeds and the rig is running smooth...
Very strange...
Just seemed to be something in the BIOS update...


I hate ECS but had no choice on the board for it...

First problem with the board was the BIOS chip was in the wrong way round, it wasn't a new board but someone sure messed it up, was quite a laugh.

 

[Guest]

but guess what here a thing. it used to work when i had only one stick of 1gb. when i added second stick. all the live cd's stopped working

 

[apache_lives]

Hi Guys,

Have a problem with my machine here...

Setup:
ECS P4M800Pro-M V2 (*shudders*)
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Corsair 2gb Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-4200
WD Raptor WD360ADFD 36GB
Cheap 650W PSU. (*shudders*)

Basic Story:
When the RAM first came one stick was faulty was showing as 512mb, so I went ahead and put on Windows Server 2003 Standard on the machine, everything installed fine, RAM was returned and replaced.

I put in the 2gb of RAM, POST is fine, get into Windows and I try installing IIS, to my supprise it takes over half an hour to try and install, knowing this isn't right I tried reinstalling windows, shockingly it was trying to take aeons to copy files for installation. So now I removed 1 stick of memory then install windows... It goes fine...
So I switched sticks, again installation goes fine.

I'm just wondering if i'm missing something stupidly obvious in bios settings that is making it run slower with 2 modules in, especially as both seem to run fine on their own, the board supports 2gb RAM, 1gb in each slot.

So i'm real confused?

Any help would be ace guys, thanks :]

ok firstly if your making a server, NEVER go cheap on the board, this is a server!

Enter the bios and manually configure everything, dont use the SPD settings for anything - see how that goes, and while your at it do a memtest and see what it has to say.

btw that board aint dual channel

 

[EricChiptune]

Ahhh well that's the thing it's not a server, I wouldn't ever let it be used as a server, basically it's just a cheap test machine for the guys to get used to using server, software folk see, and have never really had much experience using the OS... so basically I had to build up a machine with parts we had in stock already... hence the cheap board and psu etc.

Basically it's a test machine for "training"

Our proper servers are hp rack proliants and they're fine.

I noticed it wasn't dual chan this morning, could have spent £50 and got a half decent board... but oh well, it's all up and running smooth now

and Evongugg, the board doesn't have a jumper for memory


Thanks for all the input folk