Memory problems

OldBuzzard · Apr 20, 2008, 07:47 PM

OK, I'm having problems getting 8G of RAM installed.

I just got two of these:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Now, I have everything in the BIOS set to AUTO, and if I install one set for 4G, all is well, and the system boots just fine. CPUZ shows the memory, and the timings are 5-5-5-18 as per spec. It boots into XP Pro, XP x64, and Vista 64. XP Pro only seea 3 gig as expected.

Now, if I istall the 2nd set to get 8Gig, then I have problems. XP x64 will go through the boot process until it gets almost finished. Then just before (I think) the CCC loads which seems to be the last thing to load, it will re-boot. It will do this until I manually power-off the system.

TO further complicate thigs, it doesn't matter WHICH pair I install. Just as long as it's only one pair (4Gig), the system boots, with 2 pair (8Gig), it won't.

I'm assuming that I'm going to have to change some settings somewhere, but I am at a loss as to which ones.

Has any one here run into this problem, and any solution?

I'm running the 8.4 Cats, and all system specs are in my info.

**kris23** · Apr 20, 2008, 08:43 PM

are there any updates for XP you can get? i know there was an issue like this with older builds of vista that required an update for something like this.

theres also a known issue with ATi CF and more than 4GB RAM.

Tipstaff · Apr 20, 2008, 11:55 PM

Since I've never installed an X2 before (or sold on of the 480x boards), is it possible to disable CF in the CCC as you can with Nvidias GX2s via their control panel? It would be worth disabling it if you can as a test. Or, if you have another card, to try it instead of the X2. This way you could rule out the motherboard as being at fault here.

The reason I say that is it might be a limitation of the chipset. I've seen systems run fine with 8GB of DDR2-667mhz ram, but not with that much of 800mhz ram. However, since I've never had the pleasure (or displeasure) of using one of these boards I can't say that this is a problem here with 100% certainty. The only thing I know about that board for certain is to not run 533mhz ram on it as most people tend to have stability issues with it.

Edit: something I've been wondering about that board. Do you have to remove the PCIE Switch Card to get CF to work with that card?

**ChaosMinionX** · Apr 21, 2008, 02:56 AM

Increase your North Bridge voltage...... 8GB needs more voltage.

I would say from whatever NB voltage you have now which is probably around 1.4-1.45v to goto 1.5v and see what it does..... Dont go over 1.55v on the NB trying to boot your RAM, something else might have to be tweaked.

If the voltages are different than what I mentioned, post here what it is now, you shouldnt need too much of an increase to get it running. Of course after you do run Memtest 86+ and then test stability of the system as a whole in windows.

OldBuzzard · Apr 21, 2008, 06:52 AM

Well, I had it working for a while. It was strange though. It would boot on the x32 system, boot on the Vista 64 system and 2 out of the 4 XP x64 systems. The others 2 x64 systems would just go into the re-boot loop.

Since one of the 'good' x 64 systems is on my C: partition, I decided to just go with vista for the other 3 x64 systems, so I wiped those systems and started installing Vista on D: so I could then clone it to the other partitions.

All was going splendid. It installed and things were really looking good. I got the drivers all installed, and was installing the printer, when it blue-screened.

The Blue screen said it was a "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA".

I'm gonna see what I can find on that.

I pulled out the PCIE Switch card, and that doesn't 'seem' to make a difference, but it's hard to tell without benching something, and I'll need a stable system to do that. I'm running on 4Gig right now.

It seems to be pointing to the OSs rather than hardware now, but I could be wrong.

Oh well, life at the edge isn't supposed to be easy all the time any way

Nothing like a good challenge to keep the old grey cells working

**kris23** · Apr 21, 2008, 09:03 AM

yea i get that error if i try to skimp on my NB volts so try to bring them up....

i got mine at like 1.6 but thats just me

**ChaosMinionX** · Apr 21, 2008, 02:06 PM

The Blue screen said it was a "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA"

Generally when you get that error..... 1 of 3 things have usually happened.

1)RAM is not configured properly
2)Your Voltages are not where they need to be
3)You have a dead stick of RAM that is messing up data

Did you try to increase your NB voltage? (might be vMCH, or vNB) If that doesnt work, run Memtest 86+ and see if you get any errors.

OldBuzzard · Apr 22, 2008, 03:18 AM

Well, right now I only have one OS installed, and it's XP x64.

I gave the NB voltages a boost.

Thin is this Asrock board isn't exactly blessed with an abundance of options.

The options I have are:

NB Core Voltage: Auto, Ultra High, High, Low I set this to ULTRA HIGH.

NB 1.8v Voltage: Auto, High, Los I set this one to HIGH.

Thing is, given those options I have no idea as to what the actial voltages are. I looked in Everest, and nothing there tells me. Oh well, I have to assume that since they only give those opptions, that it won't be possible to over-volt.

Guess I'll pop in the other 4G and see what happens.

EDIT:

HHMmmmm...Didn't get the Blue screen, but it did re-boot when I tried to click on an option or two in Everest.

Thing is that partition is real small, and not much room for apps. Guess I'll reformat, and use a larger partition.

Actually this will give me an opportunity to move things around a bit. I have a 300G HDD that I'd like to use for my Systems, and I can just move the data to this 200G hdd, and then start from there.

The other thing is, I'm not REAL sure about the 3870 X2 either. When I got it the seal on the end of the box was broken, and the paper holder for the driver disk appeares to have been opened. I'm beginning to think that it MAY have been one that was RMAd. I have a thread in the ATI CARDS forum asking for a bit of info on how the card is packaged. So, depending on what answers I get there, I may have to call Newegg and bust someone's chops a bit

OldBuzzard · Apr 22, 2008, 12:57 PM

OK, talked to "The Egg", and I'm RMAing the x2. It may or may not be part of the problem, but with it being 'suspect' as to having been previously used, at least I'll take that part out of the equation.

I'll be putting my X1950 back in, so that will give a bit more data to go by, since if it happens with it, then the x2 was most likely not a part of the problem.

Also, I ran the mem through one full cycle on memtest86, and it showed 0 errors. I know that it's best to run it through more than one, but at least there isn't anything grossly wrong with the RAM.

Stay tuned for more on "Buzzard's battle with the machine"

OH...can someone suggest an application that will show me what the NB voltages actually are? Everest Home doesn't do that, and that's all I really have at this point.

**ChaosMinionX** · Apr 22, 2008, 09:02 PM

No application is going to really give an accurate NB voltage reading. Unless you got a DMM to test points with your really just hoping the board is setting it within +/- .05v within the setting you put in BIOS....sometimes boards like Asus Maximus overvolt/undervolt by as much as .1v

I would have pushed your NB voltage more, and fine tuned your other voltages more, remember more video cards/more RAM puts more strain on the NB.... for my system to be stable I have to set NB voltage to 1.65v (1.68v real) for my system to be rock solid on all tests. I run 8GB RAM with 2 X2's, I also watercool..... But since you were running everything at stock, you will probably need a little less voltage for it to become stable.

My bet is it was not the X2...more of the fact you have a tremendous strain on the NB with 8GB.

EDIT: You are on an AMD platform? I would suspect its 4800X2 the chip holding you back.... it might not handle 8GB of RAM the best.... All those AMD chips have IMC (integrated memory controller) that are actually on board the chip and it very well might not be able to handle 8GB of RAM that well. I would consider this to be another possible problem. At least the NB/vMCH tip I gave you should still hold true for a AMD platform..... I really should read more into them.

OldBuzzard · Apr 24, 2008, 04:38 AM

New developments

I've pulled the x2, and now have my old X1950GT installed.

Vista 64, and XP x64 are both rock solid with 8 gig installed. Also with Vista, it doesn't matter if I'm using ReadyBoost or not. Either way it's stable.

I've also set my NB voltages back to "AUTO", and I'm still stable.

So, that point's to the x2, or to the x2 drivers.

I did a lot of googling on the 0x00000050 stop, and it's caused by Windows looking for something in memory and not finding it. Bad RAM 'can' be the cause, but drivers are also a common cause. Nowhere did I see a reference to NB Voltage.

I guess I'll have to wait until I get the replacement x2 to do any more testing/troubleshooting.

At least I have something to go with now, and that's always a plus.

OldBuzzard · Apr 30, 2008, 12:21 AM

EUREKA!!!!! (maybe)....

I'm running stable with 8GB in Vista 64, and XP x64 with my X1950GT installed. I'll have to wait for the X2 to get back from the Egg to see if I've cured it completely.

In all my googling, and searching, I found a reference or two to memory mapping in the BIOS. I went thru my BIOS, and couldn't find anything. I did see something that I wasn't sure about what it actually did, so I googles IT.

"IT" is ACPI HPET Table, which was dissabled. I couldn't find much on it, but in the specifications for it, I did see numerous references to 64-bit. So, I figured, "What the heck, it can't hurt anything to enable it, and see what happens".

Well, it SEEMS to have fixed my problems. No more 0x00000050 BSODS

Now, if it works for the 3870 x2 when it get's back, I'll be a VERY Happy Camper.

Tipstaff · May 1, 2008, 12:13 AM

BTW, just to let others reading this: do not enable HPET if you are running Windows XP as there is no support for HPET under XP, so it's useless under that OS. In fact, enabling it while running XP may cause stability issues, so just be careful when enabling it.