Built New 'puter... Continued ---> Is it the RAM or the MB?

Hey all!

I was having a problem installing XP and thought you all helped me
figure it out - after another day and a half of trying everything I
found the problem but still don't have the solution!!! First of all,
the H-Ware:

Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard
Corsair DDR2 1066 MEM 1Gx2|COR 240P TWIN2X2048-8500C5
The above is a pair of 1 gig sticks and I purchased 2
packs for 4 sticks and 4 gigs of RAM

Here's the problem:
With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots the
computer simply will not function well enough to install XP ((changed
every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal settings as well
as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage for HWare), used 2
diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and on...))

The result/Solution:

TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks crashes
it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2 can be put
in either bank on the MB!
All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB banks
work if only populated by two sticks!

So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kxdude4 <Nada@home.com> wrote:

> Hey all!
>
> I was having a problem installing XP and ... you all helped me
> figure it out -

To press a key when Windows says "press any key to boot from CD".

> after another day and a half of trying everything I
> found [another] problem

> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots
> the computer simply will not function well enough to install XP
> ((changed every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal
> settings as well as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage
> for HWare), used 2 diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and
> on...))
>
> The result/Solution[/workaround]:
>
> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks
> crashes it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2
> can be put in either bank on the MB!
> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB
> banks work if only populated by two sticks!

Have you read the manual???????????????














> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>
> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"kxdude4" <Nada@home.com> wrote in message
news:kpk5a3hp7oqo4l6se4lc5l0j8oml8jnm69@4ax.com...
> Hey all!
>
> I was having a problem installing XP and thought you all helped me
> figure it out - after another day and a half of trying everything I
> found the problem but still don't have the solution!!! First of all,
> the H-Ware:
>
> Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard
> Corsair DDR2 1066 MEM 1Gx2|COR 240P TWIN2X2048-8500C5
> The above is a pair of 1 gig sticks and I purchased 2
> packs for 4 sticks and 4 gigs of RAM
>
> Here's the problem:
> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots the
> computer simply will not function well enough to install XP ((changed
> every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal settings as well
> as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage for HWare), used 2
> diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and on...))
>
> The result/Solution:
>
> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks crashes
> it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2 can be put
> in either bank on the MB!
> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB banks
> work if only populated by two sticks!
>
> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>
> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am probably teaching you to suck eggs here but hey,

have you tried installing 2 x 1G into a pair of DDRII slots (Yellow) then
install XP.

after installation of the OS, install the other 2 x 1G sticks into the other
pair of DDRII slots (Red)

NOTE: Under 32 bit XP less than 4GB will show up in the
system..........possibly 3.25GB as in my case.

Note the Green slots are for DDR3 ram.

On Jul 22, 4:08 pm, kxdude4 <N...@home.com> wrote:
> Hey all!
>
> I was having a problem installing XP and thought you all helped me
> figure it out - after another day and a half of trying everything I
> found the problem but still don't have the solution!!! First of all,
> the H-Ware:
>
> Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard
> Corsair DDR2 1066 MEM 1Gx2|COR 240P TWIN2X2048-8500C5
> The above is a pair of 1 gig sticks and I purchased 2
> packs for 4 sticks and 4 gigs of RAM
>
> Here's the problem:
> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots the
> computer simply will not function well enough to install XP ((changed
> every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal settings as well
> as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage for HWare), used 2
> diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and on...))
>
> The result/Solution:
>
> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks crashes
> it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2 can be put
> in either bank on the MB!
> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB banks
> work if only populated by two sticks!
>
> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>
> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, Try checking the jumper setting on the motherboard check the
manual.

kxdude4 wrote:
> Hey all!
>
> I was having a problem installing XP and thought you all helped me
> figure it out - after another day and a half of trying everything I
> found the problem but still don't have the solution!!! First of all,
> the H-Ware:
>
> Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard
> Corsair DDR2 1066 MEM 1Gx2|COR 240P TWIN2X2048-8500C5
> The above is a pair of 1 gig sticks and I purchased 2
> packs for 4 sticks and 4 gigs of RAM
>
> Here's the problem:
> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots the
> computer simply will not function well enough to install XP ((changed
> every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal settings as well
> as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage for HWare), used 2
> diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and on...))
>
> The result/Solution:
>
> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks crashes
> it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2 can be put
> in either bank on the MB!
> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB banks
> work if only populated by two sticks!
>
> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>
> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the previous generation, the Gigabyte board was messed up until they
fixed the BIOS. It can take up to five BIOS releases, before all the
kinks are worked out of a motherboard, so this should not be surprising.

How many BIOS releases has the board had so far ?

Also, it is a Gigabyte. To quote a Newegg reviewer:

"use ctrl+f1 to enter advanced memory timings"

Have a look in there. I'd start by installing the four sticks, then
dropping the memory clock until the board passes memtest86+ without errors.

Paul

"kxdude4" <Nada@home.com> wrote in message
news:kpk5a3hp7oqo4l6se4lc5l0j8oml8jnm69@4ax.com...
> Hey all!
>
> I was having a problem installing XP and thought you all helped me
> figure it out - after another day and a half of trying everything I
> found the problem but still don't have the solution!!! First of all,
> the H-Ware:
>
> Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard
> Corsair DDR2 1066 MEM 1Gx2|COR 240P TWIN2X2048-8500C5
> The above is a pair of 1 gig sticks and I purchased 2
> packs for 4 sticks and 4 gigs of RAM
>
> Here's the problem:
> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots the
> computer simply will not function well enough to install XP ((changed
> every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal settings as well
> as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage for HWare), used 2
> diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and on...))
>
> The result/Solution:
>
> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks crashes
> it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2 can be put
> in either bank on the MB!
> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB banks
> work if only populated by two sticks!
>
> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>
> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fact that you can access the BIOS, and start an XP install indicates
that the hardware is functional, but there's something XP doesn't like.
How far into the XP installation are you getting? Make sure the memory
remap for 4 GB is turned off, it's for 64 bit OS's only.

Something else to try, is run it with 3 sticks. The first 2 GB will still
run
in dual channel mode and the 3rd GB will run in single channel mode,
so any perfomance decrease will only happen when memory in the 3rd
GB is being accessed which for most applications will be rare.

Memory voltage autosensing can be unreliable, so set the RAM
voltage to Corsair's specs.

Do not even attempt the xp install until you have made sure that the ram
is working right. Use memtest86+ to double check and burn in the system
for 24 hours, otherwise you are wasting your time...

Are the 4 sticks the same? are they a "matched set"? It's best if they
are, tho not absolutely manditory. But DO put matched pairs in the
paired-slots, usually 2 of one color and 2 of another. You may need to
tweak up the ram voltage one or two steps, even when not overclocking.
Double check that the MoBo is using the right timings: check the stick's
timings, both in the SPD (what the bios reads) and on any label on the
sticks (often the label has faster specs than the SPD, in which case you
will need to enter these optimum timings by hand); the sticks shd do what
the label says they can do, that's what they sold you on.

On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 05:23:28 GMT, John Doe <jdoe@usenetlove.invalid>
wrote:

>kxdude4 <Nada@home.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey all!
>>
>> I was having a problem installing XP and ... you all helped me
>> figure it out -
>
>To press a key when Windows says "press any key to boot from CD".
>
>> after another day and a half of trying everything I
>> found [another] problem
>
>> With all 4 sticks of all the same memory correctly in their slots
>> the computer simply will not function well enough to install XP
>> ((changed every BIOS setting imaginable - default and minimal
>> settings as well as Manual combinations (not just speed but voltage
>> for HWare), used 2 diff. DVD's, copied to HD to install... on and
>> on...))
>>
>> The result/Solution[/workaround]:
>>
>> TWO sticks (2 Gigs) of memory only, make it stable. 4 sticks
>> crashes it. What confuses me is that ANY 2 sticks work! And any 2
>> can be put in either bank on the MB!
>> All memory works if there are only 2 sticks in use, and both MB
>> banks work if only populated by two sticks!
>
>Have you read the manual???????????????

Of course I read the manual!! I did internet searches, visited Tom's
Hardwares site as well as others! Tried an exhaustive number of BIOS
combinations, switched memory pairs (ALL are the same memory)... BUt
THANKS for the reply!!


Please go to my post after I answer all these responses - and THANKS
TO ALL for the input!!!


>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
>> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>>
>> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>I am probably teaching you to suck eggs here but hey,
>
>have you tried installing 2 x 1G into a pair of DDRII slots (Yellow) then
>install XP.
>
>after installation of the OS, install the other 2 x 1G sticks into the other
>pair of DDRII slots (Red)
>
>NOTE: Under 32 bit XP less than 4GB will show up in the
>system..........possibly 3.25GB as in my case.
>
>Note the Green slots are for DDR3 ram.
>
>

Thanks for the reply! My system shows 3.5GB but I expected that -
everything I've read in the last week or so let me know that with a
32-bit OS 4 GB's are the max and Win will be a bit funky in reporting
the memory (it's a chip deal). I looked into XP 64 bit but the
problem with apps is almost as bad as Vista...

Anyway, I spent all day (literally) testing RAM and changing settings.
Please go to my last post in this thread 'cause I'm gonna try and sum
up for all the people that responded. For you, in a nut shell, 2
sticks in almost any combination worked. It's the 4 sticks of all the
same memory that presents a problem!

THANKS bud!

>>
>> So is my problem the Motherboard or the memory? Or is this MB/Memory
>> combo just a bad combo? How can I tell?
>>
>> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>Hi, Try checking the jumper setting on the motherboard check the
>manual.

I certainly did! But thanks.