All 4 DIMMS= No Boot

[lonelypauly]

I just tried booting my MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI with all 4 DIMMs occupied (2GB PC3200)4 x 512MB and it wouldn't boot into windows. Any ideas? I have Windows XP SP2. The memory im using is 2 twin sticks of Kingston Hyper X and 2 twin sticks of Mushkin regular, both PC3200. I set the CL to 3 and still nothing. I switched around the RAM modules in every possible way, even testing each individual stick and had no problems. this is really annoying.


<b><font color=blue>Athlon64 3200+ Winchester/MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI/MSI 6800 Ultra/1 GB Kingston HyperX (Dual Channel)/74GB WD Raptor/600Watt Enermax Noisetaker/ Dual Mitsubishi 21 Inch Monitors</b></font color=blue>

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

4 sticks of 512MB is a poor memory setup.

You should install as few RAM modules as possible.

Typically, the better memory setup involves two double sided modules.

On another note, the future trend for memory and for the motherboard chipset is fewer high density chips.

Already, we're seeing a popular trend from DDR to DDR2 as follows:

DDR --> DDR2
256MB: (32Mx8) x 8chips --> (32Mx16) x 4chips
512MB: (32Mx8) x 16chips --> (64Mx8) x 8chips
1GB: (64Mx8) x 16chips --> still the same popular trend.

<font color=green>*****
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
<font color=red>AIM BrentUnitedMem<font color=white>

 

[lonelypauly]

What does a Winchester core have to do with it? I have that Gig of Mushkin in a system that I am currently not using so I wanted to see what an extra GB of memory might do. Regardless of it being poor or whatever, it should still work, no? I emailed MSI on this...I'm starting to think I should buy a 2GB dual channel kit eh? Should it be DDR2 or will that even matter?


<b><font color=blue>Athlon64 3200+ Winchester/MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI/MSI 6800 Ultra/1 GB Kingston HyperX (Dual Channel)/74GB WD Raptor/600Watt Enermax Noisetaker/ Dual Mitsubishi 21 Inch Monitors</b></font color=blue>

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

The maximum amount of RAM depends solely on the motherboard and its chipset.

A 2GB kit (2x 1024MB) of course will offer better stability, as 2 modules normally have better stability than 4.

In many cases 4 modules just wont work at all. I've recieved quite a few calls from customers who have this problem.

In some cases when you install the maximum amount of memory, the chipset gets confused. One reason is because 4GB is is the boundary value for many modern day systems. And it's frequent that things act a little strange when you reach the boundary.

In some cases the memory mapping gets confused with other hardware drivers/devices or software programs that require memory on startup.

2GB is getting more and more attractive- might not be a bad option.

We are already selling DDR2 cheaper than DDR. It's a good bet that others will follow shortly.

<font color=green>*****
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
<font color=red>AIM BrentUnitedMem<font color=white>

 

[lonelypauly]

Ok, it's starting to sink in, thanks. I got an email from MSI telling me I had to manually set the ram timings and up the voltage in order to run my 2x512MB HyperX Memory in dual channel mode. So I checked with Kingston's site and got 2-2-2-5-1. I went into the bios and had no idea which values to change, could anyone help me? Here's a picture of my bios screen...
<A HREF="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/lonelypauly/RAMsettings.jpg" target="_new">http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/lonelypauly/RAMsettings.jpg</A>

<b><font color=blue>Athlon64 3200+ Winchester/MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI/MSI 6800 Ultra/1 GB Kingston HyperX (Dual Channel)/74GB WD Raptor/600Watt Enermax Noisetaker/ Dual Mitsubishi 21 Inch Monitors</b></font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lonelypauly on 06/07/05 11:01 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[apesoccer]

You don't want to do that. 2 2 2 5 1T will be too fast for your other ram. When you set the timings, it's for all the ram in the machine.

Btw-Look for something that says 1T timings, change that to 2T timings and try booting again. I would try at 2.5 3 3 8 2T or 3 3 3 8 2T. The most important thing however is to move to 2T timings.

Winchesters CAN take 4x512, just not in 1T timings. They're the same chip as the newer ones, only the newer ones will run at 1T timings, but only IF they're one sided. So basically there aren't any chips that can run 1T timings with over a gig of ram at 3200 or better.

They booted winchesters with 2gig 4x512 with tccd chips on anand's site with no problem. I however don't know if you need to have all 4 chips the same. I have no idea what kind of effect that would have on your ability to use 4x512. I would have bought 2x512 more of the hyperX were i you.

Edit: I just looked at your link...it says you're already running 2T timings. The only thing i could suggest would be to try running at 333 1T timings and oc up as high as you can. Try using one of those memory testing programs, like memtest86 to test out your memory at different speeds. You'll be booting off of a diskettte and it will tell you if you're going to get errors with it.

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2000+ down][1.3x2][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by apesoccer on 06/09/05 12:14 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[lonelypauly]

I already mentioned this in my other post, but briefly put: I tried all the timings and voltage settings recommended by kingston and msi, none of them worked.
I am currently running in dual channel with no errors on auto and voltage manually set to 2.6v. Kingston says my timings are 2-3-2-6-1 from the site and from customer support.
but look at this:
<A HREF="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/lonelypauly/RAM.jpg" target="_new">http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/lonelypauly/RAM.jpg</A>

<b><font color=blue>Athlon64 3200+ Winchester/MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI/MSI 6800 Ultra/1 GB Kingston HyperX (Dual Channel)/74GB WD Raptor/600Watt Enermax Noisetaker/ Dual Mitsubishi 21 Inch Monitors</b></font color=blue>

 

[apesoccer]

The thing is...using 4x512 double sided goes beyond the specs. In the spec's, you can use single sided chips over the four slots. However there are very few if any single sided 512mb chips. So, the way people have gotten around this, is to dumb down their xT setting from 1T to 2T or they use dividers and drop their ram speed to 166 (333). Unfortunately this is like a 5-15% hit on your throughput but if you <i>really</i> need that extra ram, it won't matter.

The cpu-z memory stuff is what is written to the chips...take my tccd stuff for instance. It's rated to 300mhz (600 ddr), but in cpu-z the only setting that patriot has set in it, is 2 2 2 5 1T. [edit: sorry, now going back to your ram hyperX] So potentially you can set that to 2 3 2 6 even though it says 2 3 3 6 in cpu-z. That said, if you check out some articles around, you'll find about the best bandwidth you can get are at 2 2 2 7/8 or 1.5 2 2 7/8 @1T with any ram (some bh-5[1.5 227] or tccd[2225]).

Clear as mud?

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2000+ down][1.3x2][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by apesoccer on 06/09/05 03:29 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[apesoccer]

I've never seen a venice doing 1T @ 200mhz either at 4x512. I have however seen a Wini doing 2T @ 200mhz. It's out on Anandtech's website. All of the tccd ram they tried with the wini worked at 2T timings.

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2000+ down][1.3x2][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time