Ram slots DOA?

[Nightshadow]

Well, I just built this rig, and I have run into a few issues.

 

Here are the components that I am currently testing:

 

*NEW*Lanparty UT NF4-ULTRA D

*NEW* PC Radeon X1900XT

AMD X2 4800+

1 stick corsair xms cmx512-3200c2

 

Anyway, Upon installing everything, I put the stick of ram in dimm4 and the computer just gives me that long repeating beep with about 2-3 seconds inbetween each beep, and three debug lights on the motherboard. So I tried the stick in dimm3 and got the same thing. No post screen, just the beeping. Slots 1 and 2 however work just fine.

 

I have searched, and read, and it seems that this is a fairly common issue with this board, and the general understanding is just rma the board. I just want to know if there is anything that can be done to further test the board that may solve the problem. I really don't have any other ram to test with, so that is out of the question.

 

After getting the board to post, I installed a fresh copy of xp, installed 3dmark 05, watched all the games tests run without flaw, and got a score of 10650. I then went ahead and installed fear, hl2, and a few other games.

All of them run "glitchy" meaning that the game will run fine at high framerates, but then it will sort of lag, or lock up for a second ot two, repeating this lagging every few seconds. Half life 2 actually crashed.

 

I installed the latest driver for the video card, but did'nt bother to install CCC or stupid net framework 2.0.

[RGone]

Actually you need to put the memory in the slots found to work best once the boards reached the hands of the real world users...

 

Arrangement of memory in an NF4 dual channel 939 motherboard by DFI. This does not include the Infinity series but the NF4 series including the newer Expert and Venus series. Also includes the RDX200 CF-DR and the newer CFX3200-DR.

 

May use one stick in the Orange slot futherest from the cpu. It will be single channel. Sometimes may use one stick in the Orange and the Yellow slot furtherest from the cpu. It will be two stick single channel.

 

Never can use single stick in Orange slot closest to cpu. Will never work.

Never can use single stick in Yellow slot closest to cpu. Will never work.

 

In order to use memory in dual channel which is what the memory controller in the processor expects; you should FIRST put sticks in the Orange slots. This will be true for greater than 90% of ALL memories.

 

You may put memory in the Orange slots and run dual channel BUT you cannot put three (3) sticks of memory in the board and have it work.

 

Basically 1 stick Orange slot furtherest from cpu.

2 sticks using both Orange slots.

4 sticks using Orange and Yellow slots with attention to details of memory configuration settings in

bios.

Those actually are the only valid memory stick combinations. Except sometimes two sticks in the Orange and Yellow slots furtherest from cpu will work as single channel only.

 

RGone...:confused:

[Praz]

I have searched, and read, and it seems that this is a fairly common issue with this board, and the general understanding is just rma the board.

As RGone posted above there are only certain combinations of slot usage that is designed to work with LanParty boards. Where ever your info came from I'd be cautious of anything else from there.

 

All of them run "glitchy" meaning that the game will run fine at high framerates, but then it will sort of lag, or lock up for a second ot two, repeating this lagging every few seconds.

What you are experiencing is probably as good as it's going to get. If you want smooth game play with the above listed games it's going to require a minimum of 1GB of ram and preferably 2GB.

[Nightshadow]

Thanks for the replys guys. Basically what Rgone is saying is for a single stick to work, It should only be able to work in the orange slot, farthest from the cpu, which is slot 2, or maybe the yellow slot farthest from the cpu, which is slot 1. I am using it in slot 1 now, and the stick does work in dimms 1 and 2.

 

I guess that I shouldnt be worried then, as by the sound of you're responses, it is completly normal. As far as gaming goes, I have never actually had this minumum amount of ram before when trying to play games, and I am sure that is one of the reasons. On a side note, I have got the rig watercooled with a mp655 pump, with cpu, and gpu waterblocks, as well as five 120mm fans, a hdd, and dvd rom. All this is powered by the measly 460 watt power suplly in my sig, and I belive this could be a huge factor in the game crashing like it did. The video card alone supposedly needs 15 amps to run full load, So I think I need to look into a more powerful psu, like the corsair hx620 or the game xtreme 700.

 

Thanks again.

[Praz]

You can't go wrong with either of those choices.

[Nightshadow]

Yeah, I am leaning towords the hx-620 becuase I would really like it to be modular. But I may just end up going with the ocz, depending what I can fit into the budget.

[RGone]

In my personal experience and knowing only a modicum of electronics and power delivery...the modular supply can be your worst enemy if you are trying for "some look" to your system...leaving some of the supply rails unloaded and even entirely removed if you have minimum components can lead to unbalanced power loading and a failure of the full 12Volts to be available for use by the system...dig enough and you will see that un-loaded +5V can result in under-powering of the 12Volt rails and this is often exacerbated by users with modular supplies and leaving some rails unloaded and not even in use because the supply is modular and leads one toward leaving off hooking up all the rails for use.

 

It is a real concern where there are multiple rails and the idea to power everything from one supply line and be 'pretty'...

 

RGone...:confused:

[Nightshadow]

It's not so much that I wanted the computer to be preaty, just organized, and I don't like wires getting in the way of airflow. with all my components, I don't think the power supply will be unloaded, but I could be wrong. I do understand that the output should be balnced though, escpecially with three 12v rails.

[RGone]

""escpecially with three 12v rails."" I heard that...

 

RGone...:confused:

[red930]

Yeah, I am leaning towards the hx-620 because I would really like it to be modular. But I may just end up going with the ocz, depending what I can fit into the budget.

 

I'm not a real fan of modular power supplies because they just add another failure point.

 

But, I'm currently running my AM2 rig with the HX620 PSU right now and my nF4 with an HX520.