Ram

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

Anyone know how to get past a memory problem?
Asus P5A with 256MB installed
ran windows on an K6-3-450 and it ran fine but every so often it would just GPF what ever I was running, it was remote so I couldn't be bothered actually go and testing it, stuck knoppix on it to see if was that, same kinda problem only no nice GPF it was more like it launched and then just died...
got and run memtest86 and it came up with the following:
Test:4 Pass:0 Failing Address:000048957f0 - 72.3MB Good:ffff7fff Bad:ffff5fff Err-Bits:00002000 Count:1
Test:5 Pass:0 Failing Address:00004bcd7f0 - 75.8MB Good:00000000 Bad:00002000 Err-Bits:00002000 Count:1 then it came up with a load of other errors

any ideas? or should I just ditch the stick and run it on what's left

[Chinasaur]

Take out the stick. If it hits both OS's..it's bad. You will need more if you plan on running more than the OS :(

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

Hmm I think it's a 64mb stick I hope it is, ages since I actually look lol
and all the errors are the same Err-Bits i.e. 00002000

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

Well It was a 128mb stick, moved the 2 64's around to see if I could at least use some of the 128mb but nope still the same errors in the same areas..
removed the 128mb totally and it locked up after about 100seconds running memtest386 and linux locks at the graphical login screen. :|:trash:

[Chinasaur]

Check cooling on the CPU.

[Paratima]

Agree with ^. As an absolute last resort before you toss the box out your 4th-floor apt window and kill some little old lady down below, watering her flowers... go into the BIOS and (1) note the RAM voltage, then (2) nudge it up a notch. Not a bunch, just a couple of tenths of a volt. This has worked for me on recalcitrant boxen.

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

China this thing runs way cool, I've had it running no bother, CPU fan is fine, hell this is the machine that I practically ran @ 110% lol

[matrix_fan]

i bought new ram to finally get 512 in my opteron box, but if i turn the ECC option on windows wont boot, and i ran prime95 and within 11 minutes it had an error and then restarted itself with a fatal error. Right now i'm running memtest-86 v3.1, gonna let it run for 2-3 hours. Now it could be the latency settings, i am not able to edit them in bios because i dont have thew newer bios version which updated that, but i'm scared to run the bios upgrade incase a fatal error screws the update up, and then i'm stuck with a bad mobo. What should i do?

[Paratima]

Let's see...

1. If you update the BIOS, everything may work OK. :cheers:

2. If you try to update the BIOS & it fatals, you're screwed. :swear:

3. If you don't try to update the BIOS, you're screwed. :bang:

Does this make it any easier? ;)

[matrix_fan]

no, it's till foggy :(, i guess i'll try it again, and if it has an error, i'll take my chances with the bios... Is there anywway to request the bios chip? :-D

EDIT: it seems as if 2 of the three rules conflict each other..
DON'T FLASH WHEN YOUR SYSTEM IS RUNNING FINE!!!!, ok ok i get that... but then
DON'T FLASH WHEN YOUR SYSTEM ISN'T RUNNING STABLE!!!!well, if it isn't running fine then it's unstable.. DUH!!!! So when DO you flash it?? pffft
DON'T FLASH IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!!

ANOTHER EDIT: this time the test got farther, i'd say prime95 has been running for 30 minutes, no errors so far, so that's good, in 30 more minutes, i'm updating bios, which me luck :-D

[matrix_fan]

prime95 no error for an hour, and then i quit it, tried to install new bios, but each time i activate the file it says insufficient memory, what's wrong???

[Moogie]

Before ditching the memory, try this:

CLEAN the connectors of the memory stick using some commercially
available contact cleaner. Then clean the slot in the MB.

Usual caveats: Beware The Demon Static. Be sure to remove ALL power to
the system before starting. UNPLUG it, don't just turn it off.

90% of electrical problems are due to crappy connections.

[matrix_fan]

Good suggestion, my case is really dusty, and i noticed alot of dust around the ram.. Thankyou moogie for a possible solution :D:cheers: