=2GB RAM memory gives errors, <2gb ok , Is there a design flaw withon D865PERL?

I want to use 2 GB RAM in a D865PERL for use with Photoshop, but can't
get it to work reliably with more than 1.5GB RAM on motherboard.

System:
Intel D865PERLK (w/firewire and 1000mb lan) motherboard
P4 2.6 MHz CPU
4 sticks of Micron 512mb DDR400 (PC3200) RAM
Video ATI 9600 Pro
Antec Sonata case w/380w "True" power supply

All drivers and BIOS's have been upgraded. Memory settings are auto set
by BIOS.

I ran with two sticks for 1000mb memory for 2 weeks with no problems.

I added two more sticks for 2000mb and started getting random reboots in
WinXP. A memory test with memtest86 after boot from floppy shows
intermittent memory errors on 32 bit tests.

Micron said test each stick in machine alone. All sticks pass. I tried
the new pair alone, they pass. Old pair pass. I tried various
combination of 3 sticks (=1500mb) in single channel mode, using various
slots on motherboard, all pass. Micron says "likely a voltage problem".

I replaced the 380W Antec True Power supply with a 430 Antec True Power.
Add a 120mm cooling fan. Turn off all fan slowing controls. No change in
symptoms. 4 sticks cause memory errors. Otherwise ok.

I replaced video card with ATI Radeon 9200. No improvement.

Intel tech support was unable to help on the phone. They changed one
memory setting in BIOS with no benefit. I sent the motherboard back to
vendor.

New motherboard, new P4 2.6 CPU arrives. I add all 4 sticks of RAM. SAME
PROBLEM. It seems to not reliably work with all four memory slots filled
in DDR400 RAM = 2000mb total.

I have replaced everything but the RAM and case. What else is there to
do? Micron has been good memory for me in the past. Is there a design
problem with either motherboard or CPU?

Does anyone else use 2000mb+ of DDR400 on a D865PERL? It seems to not
work with each of two motherboards and P4 2.6 C w/hyperthreading.

 

Return the RAM back to Micron and have them send you a matched set. I had a
similar problem and even though both sticks that I originally bought were
supposedly identical they didn't work together. The new matched set that
Micron sent me back has worked fine ever since. I don't guarantee that it
will solve your problem but you've tried everything else.

David

 

Thanks, your experience gives me some hope. The first pair I bought does
not look exactly the same as the second pair despite the same part
number. (PC board is a bit taller.)

I'll contact Micron again.

 

I'm running the D865PERLK here with a 3.2GHz P4 and four 512MB
Infineon PC3200 DIMMS. All were bought together, came from the
same batch and have identical markings. Never a problem.

I agree with the prior writer. Return your RAM and have Crucial
exchange it for a set of 4 matched units. They use Micron chips.
Your problems will go away.

Best regards and good luck.

Ivan Vestergaard

 

I was building a second system and I wanted to install 2x512mb sticks
of ram in it but the shop convinced me that the system would work
better with 4x256mb sticks, when I got home and put all the parts
together the system would not even post, I removed 2 sticks of ram and
the system would boot, switch the 2 sticks with the 2 still in the
computer and the computer would still boot, put the 2 sticks back in
and it would not post. I took the 2x512mb sticks out of my main
computer and replaced the 4x256mb sticks in the computer I was
building and the computer worked well, I then put the 4x256mb sticks
into my main system and it worked for the rest of the night, however
the next morning the main computer would not even post, so I removed 2
sticks and it worked, so I took the system to the shop and told them
what was happening and that they were the ones that talked me into the
4x256mb sticks in the first place, as it turns out, the system will
work happily with 1, 2 or 3 sticks of ram but NOT 4, so you might need
2x1024mb sticks to do what you want.

So for what I can make out the P4C800 Deluxe & P4P800 and probably
others don't like having all the ram slots populated.

Regards
Keith Holzapfel
(ROT13)

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Product Version: 6.0.545 Release Date: 02/09/2003
Virus Database: 339 Release Date: 27/11/2003

 

There were a bunch of motherboards that had four slots but had some
ridiculous restrictions on using four modules in them (for example, they
must all be the lowest speed the mobo supports!). Maybe your mobo is one of
those.

DS

 

Also some, IIRC, that would take unregistered memory if you only used two
slots, but would require registered memory if you wanted to use all four.

 

I could be wrong, but i seem to remember reading in the ATI NG of people
with ATI cards having problems with large amounts (2gig) of RAM. From
memory, they swapped to a nvidia card and the problems ended. I'm not ATI
bashing, I have one of their cards myself, so it might be worth looking into
it as a possibility. I have no idea why it happens, its just something i
have read.

 

Ivan,

(Micron is sending me a new set of memory.) BTW, what video card do you
use in your system? ATI?

Somebody suggested it's an ATI design problem. Say NVIDIA and I am
wondering.

Maynard

 

Thanks for the heads up. If the new memory has errors, I'll have to
switch the video card to NVIDIA or the CPU to a faster P4. I've tried
everything else.

 

Please don't top post. It really sucks you know.

Good luck with your new RAM. You should not have any problems.

I'm using an NVIDIA Quadro4 980 XGL video adapter with 128 MB RAM

Best regards,
Ivan Vestergaard

---
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read
text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet and in e-mail?

 

Thanks, Ivan. (And you top posted for me, too.<g> Sorry about that. Is
this better?)

So you do have NVIDIA! I expect the replacement memory in about 3 days.
If I see errors after I swap that, then I may need to switch brand of
video card

Thanks, again.

 

Thanks to all who helped. I called Crucial back and they agreed to swap
memory, despite again saying there should be no problem as each pair
matched. One pair was T1 and the second pair was T2 of the same model,
both were made in the USA.

The replacement memory was Micron 4 512mb DDR400 DIMMs T2 and made in
Singapore. NO PROBLEMS so far. Overnight memory tests were clean.

Beware unmatched memory in the D865PERL.