Odd Motherboard / RAM Problem

Matt-Page · 5 May 2008 at 16:02

Bit of an odd problem with a machine i am fixing.

PC's issue was with the O/S and after removing 800 viruses and running chkdsk, etc on it it boots.

But for some reason it developed another issue. If i have both sticks of RAM in the machine , it wont post. If i have one of the sticks of RAM (it doesn't matter what slot, or which stick of RAM) it posts fine, but not both together.

It wasn't doing this before and i have done the usual of reseting the CMOS and changing the memory settings in the BIOS to actual settings, and not Auto.

Anyone got any ideas?

Cheers.

neoboy · 5 May 2008 at 17:13

what make is the motherboard and RAM?

Matt-Page · 5 May 2008 at 17:35

Motherboard is MSI K8TM-ILSR

RAM doesn't have a make on it, just a M with a elipse through it. It says MT4VDDT32664AG. Both RAM sticks are the same.

neoboy · 5 May 2008 at 18:38

Well looking at your mobo on the MSI website it says:

Due to the High Performance Memory design, motherboards or system configurations may or may not operate smoothly at the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) standard settings (BIOS Default on the motherboard) such as DDR voltage, memory speeds and memory timing. Please confirm and adjust your memory setting in the BIOS accordingly for better system stability.

Now I presume they both worked fine before so we can definitely dismiss compatibility issue. I know you said you had a look at the timings, but what about the voltage? Also if you mobo supports dual channel, try disabling that?

PhoenixUK · 5 May 2008 at 22:09

What if the memory is dual channel and the mobo only can use single channel ?
I had similar problem like that few years ago.

thegoonden · 5 May 2008 at 22:45

That shouldn't be a problem, I only JUST found out that a machine I'd been running for years, thinking I was oh so cool with DC RAM, did not in fact support it.

AFAIK, DC RAM will work as SC without any problems.

Matt-Page · 6 May 2008 at 14:29

neoboy said:
Well looking at your mobo on the MSI website it says:

Now I presume they both worked fine before so we can definitely dismiss compatibility issue. I know you said you had a look at the timings, but what about the voltage? Also if you mobo supports dual channel, try disabling that?

Can't see anything in the BIOS about 'dual'. I have tried adjusting the voltage to 2.55, with no luck.

It's odd because this PC worked fine before at the house in this aspect, it just had a Blue Screen error. I fixed that with a chkdsk and removing th viruses on my PC, then put that HDD back into the PC, and this started happening :mad:

Anyone else got any other ideas?

Matt-Page · 7 May 2008 at 08:28

For those that will care, i think i have sorted this by flashing the BIOS. Doing it so seemed impossible as i didn't have a FDD in any of my PC's or Laptops, so i connected a cross over cable to my laptop and shared the internet connection. Used their online live updater and the PC seems to be booting with all hardware attached now.

Couldn't install AVG on it though, i think that needs SP2. He's got XP Pro, but it doesn't say anything about SP. I would normally just do the upgrade for someone, but i don't want to chance my luck! It will end in something not working!