Re: [SLE] Cannot install 9.3 or 10.0 with 4GB ram, 2GB fine

On Monday 20 February 2006 16:35, Mike Coan wrote:
Dear all who replied,

On Sunday 19 February 2006 19:53, Rikard Johnels wrote:
Even memtest sometimes fail detecting
Tried using the 2's independent?
Install om A and swap it for B and reinstall? (Didn't really
understand if you had...)
Are they the same types? Or is it mixed manufacturers/models? Some
MB's are very particular on the flavor of the sticks

[snip]

It is extremely unlikely that the memory is fine and that two completely
different motherboards are exhibiting identical symptoms -- even if
they're using the same chipset.

One possible scenario:

Mixing and matching sticks from different manufacturers on high end
machines like this is asking for trouble. Even when the specs "match"
one brand can test and run OK, then the other brand can test and run
OK, but both installed can generate a disparate "blend" of noise in the
memory bus that confuses the surrounding logic. Each stick has a
distinctive noise 'signature' and you want those signatures match... to
be synchronized with each other... as closely as possible.

[snip]

Assuming that all of the ram has passed memtest (and it seems that it
has), I think I'd look at the bios on the main board - I know in the
past there have been situations where unusual hardware configs were
just plain not tested for by bios manufacturers, although there was no
real reason why they shouldn't work. Manufacturer and version of the
rom? Is there a newer version that you can flash and try?

Thanks for all the suggestions, although I am not sure they will help.

To clarify the memory situation. The memory is two sets of matched Dual
Channel DDR from Rosewill. In other words, I purchased two sets of
identical memory. Two sticks of 1 GB memory (2 GB) were packaged together
and certified as Dual Channel DDR, with a lifetime warranty. I purchased
two such packages for a total of 4 GB. Let's call the packages A and B.

Package A passes Memtest whether it is in DIMM 1 &2, or DIMM 3 &4. Package
B passes Memtest whether it is in DIMM 1 &2, or DIMM 3 &4. Since I
couldn't install with 4 GB, I installed with package A in DIMM 1 & 2. I
ahve not tried installing with just 2 GB in DIMM 3 &4, but it did pass
Memtest in those slots.

The motherboard, an Eox 9NPA Ultra, nforce4 chipset, came with a BIOS dated
6/29/05. The latest BIOS on the web site is dated 12/9/05, and I flashed
the BIOS with that version. The motherboard thus has the latest BIOS
available.

The specs for the motherboard indicate that if all 4 DIMM slots are
populated, then the memory must run at 166 Mz as opposed to 200 Mz. The
board seems to recognize this as the POST says "128 bit Dual channel DDR at
166 Mz" When only two DIMMs are used the POST screen says "128 bit dual
channel DDR at 200 Mz.

This is most probably your problem!
The bus runs too slow when you populate all four slots.
The specs for the RAMS states 200 MHz and is only certified for that speed.
Trying to run them at anything less most yields possible timeout problems.

See if you cant test the sticks on somebody's system that DOES run at 200 MHz
at all times.
Or see if the manufacturer of your motherboard has a "work around" for that
timing problem.
Or get a new set of RAM...

--
         /Rikard

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
email   : rikard.j@xxxxxxxxxx
web     : http://www.rikjoh.com
mob     : +46 (0)736 19 76 25
------------------------ Public PGP fingerprint ----------------------------
< 15 28 DF 78 67 98 B2 16 1F D3 FD C5 59 D4 B6 78  46 1C EE 56 >

--
Check the headers for your unsubscription address
For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@xxxxxxxx
Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com
Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@xxxxxxxx