D955xbk 3 beeps memory (?) problem

[redpath42]

Hello,
I'd be very grateful for your thoughts on this fails to boot 'new' build

I am building on a D955xbk with a passive cooled, Pentium 4, 3.4ghz ( s/hand, unproven, off ebay)
The video card is a GE force 610 2gb passive cooled , new but unproven.
The PSU is 550w, old and proven and connected as per the Intel manual.
The Hdd is I Tb Samsung Spinpoint, s/hand, unproven
Monitor, Ilyama E2410HDS, s/hand proven and connected with proven vga cable and then new, unproven DVI cable.
Case is an Antec P182 (very roomy) and no case fans are connected
Power up the PSU and the mobo standby LED illuminates ( on my own here and color blind: it's not blue)

The RAM...

The First configuration is
4 x 2GB 240p PC2-5300 CL5 18c 256x4 DDR2-667 1Rx4 1.8V ECC RDIMM RFB VLP
ex server, unproven.

No boot

Then permutations of slots and modules

No boot.

So tried
1GB(1x1GB) DDR2-667 PC2-5300 Non-ECC Desktop PC (DIMM Memory(RAM) 240-pin, s/hand, unproven
No boot.

Each time the boot button (or reset button) is pressed the result is:
The case power LED lights
The Hd spins up, but Hd LED doesn't illuminate
The three long beeps for memory error and three flashes of the board power LED
No video, the monitor remains “ Sleeped”
After 30 minutes the passive cpu cooler is too hot to comfortably touch, but not boil a pan on it hot
The video card is not hot

Powering off by holding down the case power button works, and as it goes off, the Hd LED flashes. (maybe connected backwards?)

I read the “Perform these steps “ sticky (thanks for all the good ideas) I ve not bothered breadboarding it all but seem to have the other bases covered.

I ve removed and later renewed the battery but haven't reflashed BIOS: I figure why introduce a further unknown? (Though I've downloaded the last version ready...)

So to the questions
1)Does this sound familiar to anyone from back in the day?

2)Do I understand RAM well enough? Have I provided enough information? Could you tell if these modules are suitable or would you need to know buffering or latency or something else to choose the right DIMMs?

Thanks for reading this, if you've happened across this before and it never quite worked out, that would be as interesting to hear as an uber guru fix. Perhaps not quite as satisfying, but still very appreciated
Cheers!
redpath42

 

[Outlander_04]

" Your computer has memory problems. First check video. If video is working, you'll see an error message. If not, you have a parity error in your first 64K of memory. First check your SIMM's. Reseat them and reboot. If this doesn't do it, the memory chips may be bad. You can try switching the first and second banks memory chips. First banks are the memory banks that your CPU finds its first 64K of base memory in. You'll need to consult your manual to see which bank is first. If all your memory tests good, you probably need to buy another motherboard.


Try one stick of RAM only in the first slot , and if that fails then try another

 

[redpath42]

" Your computer has memory problems. First check video. If video is working, you'll see an error message. If not, you have a parity error in your first 64K of memory. First check your SIMM's. Reseat them and reboot. If this doesn't do it, the memory chips may be bad. You can try switching the first and second banks memory chips. First banks are the memory banks that your CPU finds its first 64K of base memory in. You'll need to consult your manual to see which bank is first. If all your memory tests good, you probably need to buy another motherboard.


Try one stick of RAM only in the first slot , and if that fails then try another

Thank you for replying, I think I I've taken most of those steps, and as I said I've no video. I think they're DIMMs btw. (Have been considering the new mobo idea, get one that's appropriate to that RAM, which came for very handy money)