Motherboard: Gigabyte EP31-DS3L (new)
Has 4 slots, capable of using 4x1Gb chips.
I had installed 2x 800mhz and 2x533mhz chips, only 2Gb was shown in bios and windows vista (no SP). I have since installed SP2 and 4Gb is shown in Vista, but still 2Gb in bios.
I took 2 chips out, still 2Gb is shown. I swapped the chips around, still 2Gb. I have used all 4 chips in different positions, only ever showing 2Gb. I changed the 533mhz for 800mhz chips, but still the same problem.
I am now running memtest, which shows 2Gb (I assume it's reading from bios) and doing tests from 132k - 2047M.
However, the Memory Sizing configuration shows options for BIOS - Std and BIOS - All. Setting it to BIOS - All goes up to 4Gb in the test (Still only 2047M in the Memory: Section) but displays a lof of errors and crashes.
I have upgraded the BIOS to FDc (beta), but even the mobo manual states that 4Gb is fine and other people have installed 4Gb.
What am I doing wrong?
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At the moment, I am running 4x 800mhz chips. The problem is that the bios only sees 2Gb, not the 4Gb installed.
Memtest did start to display errors when all 4 were installed so I am now just testing with only the 2 new chips. Regardless of what sectorproblems memtest displays, shouldn't the bios still locate all 4 chips? It can detect and use 2Gb when either pair are installed.
There's a note on gigabytes website
"* Because of chipset limitations, do not populate both DIMM sockets of the same channel (e.g. DDR and DDR2), or populate 4 DIMM sockets with double-sided memory modules to prevent system's failure to start or incorrect detection of memory modules. Please refer to the user manual for the memory configurations table."
That could prevent the bios to detect the 4 modules. Though, I'm not sure why would Vista use all 4.
Weird. The modules I was using before (2x800 and 2x533 were all double-sided. The new ones are single sided. So I placed the double sided in oppoiste channels (slot 1 and slot 2) and the single sided in the other 2, so they are not in the same channel and now it detects 3Gb (not 4Gb) on boot up, but crashes either in memtest or just after probing the memory in POST.
Just to throw in a curve ball, you cannot positively identify a memory module as being single or double based on the chips all being on one side or on both sides. You must look up the details on the manufacturers site. Always best to use the specific ram listed by the mobo manufacturer as being compatible.
Chris B
Okay, this is a pain. Most manufacturer's sites don't seem to say whether they are double or single sided and the gigabyte ram list doesn't appear to include any of the modules I have. Saying that though, I managed to find 4x 512Gb 533 chips which all work and bios shows 2Gb. So they must be single sided, showing that the mobo does recognise all four banks.
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by: TiberiuGalPosted on 2009-09-20 at 05:16:42ID: 25376926
Hi,
I don't understand ... is memtest diplaying erors? if so, test each module individually.
Also note that some memory modules might be incompatible with other modules(esspecialy since you are using both 800 and 533 MHz chips) most of the time this should work fine with all modules running at 533, but it's not a certanty.