DFI Lanparty JR P45 T2RS: Hates running 2 sticks

DFI Lanparty JR P45 T2RS
E7200
2x1GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 2.1v also tried 2x1GB Kingston DDR2-800 Cas5 Value 1.8v
WinXP 32-bit
320GB Hitachi 7200
OCZ StealthXStream 400W PSU also tried a TT 420W PSU


Here's when the problem started:
UPGRADED from a Radeon HD4350 512 to a 9600GSO 384mb, and the problems start. I'm using the LOWER PCIe slot bc the main one has a broken latch.
I pulled out the HD4350 and replaced it with a 9600, and the machine wouldn't POST... now the problem seems to be related to the RAM+Mobo combo, but I've yet to test the old video card again...

I can run a single stick. I can't boot dual-channel, or sometimes BARELY... I can sometimes boot single-channel with 2 sticks, but it's NEVER stable, or it'll freeze at POST screen.

The machine was able to do OCCT Auto 1 hour with 1 stick.

I updated to the latest BIOS... I tried numerous different ram voltages, and I also tried raising NB chipset from 1.8 to 2.2v. I also tested with a DMM and voltages seem fine, 5.09 / 12.31 / 3.39... something like that, but all within spec.

I've tried a bunch of other things, but what advice do you guys have?

Anyone?

have you tryed the first pci-e slot may work without latch ?

w2richwood said:

have you tryed the first pci-e slot may work without latch ?

Click to expand...

Of course I thought about that, but the HD4350 ran PERFECTLY FINE in the lower PCIe slot... why would that cause memory instability anyway?

Also, KNOCK ON WOOD... I tried a 3rd BIOS... and this one finally got things working for now... I passed OCCT: OCCT Auto (medium) 1 hour and Custom (large FFT) 1 hour... in dual channel 2x1gb config!!! but the default settings set the RAM to 333/800 which clocks it to like 638mhz... kinda dumb... I have to set the ram divider to 266/800 to get 800mhz, but I'm not willing to try that just yet.

Before I couldn't do any of that unless I was using a SINGLE STICK...

UPDATE:
Doesn't seem like anyone cares, but I like to update my own threads for people on google and people that use the search function...

Just to note... I keep trying 1.22-1.23 NB voltage instead of stock 1.8v... and I'm going to just leave it there. If I ever use the Corsair XMS2 ram, I set to 2.1vdimm. If I use the Kingston, I leave the default bios vdimm of 1.9v or manually drop to 1.8v.

So after trying 3 different BIOSes I got one that's playing better. It doesn't want to run my Kingston value 2x1gb ddr2-800 1.8v cas5 in dual-channel. It hates it...

But... although it took a boatload of attempts with my Corsair XMS2 2x1gb ddr2-800 2.1v 4-4-4-12-22 rated ram... I figured out how to get it to run dual channel with CAS4!!

This afternoon, I ran my OCCT tests at 800mhz with auto timings (5-5-5-18-42-2T), went to the gym, came back and all tests passed.

I checked CPU-Z and saw 4-4-4-12-22-2T 2.1 ratings in the SPD table so I kept trying that, but the machine would either NOT post, or it would POST with "failed overclock" and drop back to 5-5-5-18 timings.

Just to note: I have NEVER OCed the CPU. I do manually have to set the half multi to ENABLED though so I can run 9.5x (266x9.5 = 2.53ghz), otherwise the CPU is underclocked at 266x9 = 2.40ghz.


So... I decided to aim for 4-4-4 timings but to leave tRAS and recycle time to AUTO... machine boots up and is running 4-4-4-18-42-2T. I guess this board doesn't like Corsair timing table.

Anyway, so far I've broke 10min of OCCT Auto (medium data set) and that's better than anything else.

Ran 3d tests with the new video card, everything was working great...
I decided to screw everything back in and close up the case and back to the same crap.
The machine POSTs to the screen for a split second and reboots... cycle.
Also tried a different PSU.

Is it safe to say the board is a piece of crap???

its sure worth a try

w2richwood said:

its sure worth a try

Click to expand...

I might just put in a single stick of 2gb ddr2-667 and call it a day. It's really annoying man...
it's just add that I've GOTTEN it to work, but in the long run it goes back to being a piece of junk...

It's my cousin's PC... I wish I never grabbed it, but I always learn more when I go through these tedious moments!!

is your ram on the QVL for the mobo?

retrogreq said:

is your ram on the QVL for the mobo?

Click to expand...

If I was to look at the QVL, it would be the FIRST TIME I've ever done that...

I was using this board for some time and all I can say is that different bios makes different problems with dividers. In bios history you can check that they fixed 333/1066 divider that for me was working fine. It's not about memory but dividers only.
Not always latest bios is best ... try to use bios from 2009-03-20 from DFI site. For me was working fine with 2x1GB, 2x2GB and 2x1GB+2x2GB ( OCZ, Cellshock, Kingston on different chips ). Try divider to 333/1066 or 333/800 but I really don't remember detailed settings. Divider 400/800 isn't working.
Other thing is that these boards often die while flashing bios ( mine stopped to work after maybe 5th flash and I couldn't use anything to force flash bios again ... 4 weeks waiting for RMA ..).

Woomack said:

I was using this board for some time and all I can say is that different bios makes different problems with dividers. In bios history you can check that they fixed 333/1066 divider that for me was working fine. It's not about memory but dividers only.
Not always latest bios is best ... try to use bios from 2009-03-20 from DFI site. For me was working fine with 2x1GB, 2x2GB and 2x1GB+2x2GB ( OCZ, Cellshock, Kingston on different chips ). Try divider to 333/1066 or 333/800 but I really don't remember detailed settings. Divider 400/800 isn't working.
Other thing is that these boards often die while flashing bios ( mine stopped to work after maybe 5th flash and I couldn't use anything to force flash bios again ... 4 weeks waiting for RMA ..).

Click to expand...

Well after hours and hours of messing around, I got sick of it. I popped in a single 2GB DDR2-667 stick, overclocked it to DDR2-800, and called it a day.

i have the same motherboard, i havnt had any problems with memory stability, running 2 sticks , running 2*2gb crosair 1066 ram cant remember the exact modle, i will check for you later if you want.

edit: my ram is : DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 XMS2 Memory CL5 (5-6-6-18) 2.1v

I guess next time I'll try some 2x2GB, but for now it's hanging pretty good with a 2gb single stick.

g0dM@n said:

I guess next time I'll try some 2x2GB, but for now it's hanging pretty good with a 2gb single stick.

Click to expand...

I had similar problem, with the same board I tried a lot to make to get best results with 2x2GB Corsair 1066. But sudenly I stick stops to be reconized, and I could not get to make any other stick to work on the second slot.

I decide to keep it using just one stick.

Now I changed the motherboard I'm very happy. Asus rampage gene has much better audio onboard and no problems to run 3x2GB.