Cold boot problem.... and DIMM problem.

[jimbobaggies]

I have the system as in my signature.

 

#1

 

When I try to start it from cold in the mornings it does not come straight on. The yellow LED is lit on the motherboard.

When I press the power on button the case led which is connected to the motherboard lights but nothing happens. If I leave it for a few minutes sometimes it will power on, other times I have to hold the power button in until the LED goes out, and press it again so it comes on, and often have to repeat this several times until the PC starts.

 

#2

 

Purchased another pair of OCZ (2 x 1GB) PC3200 Platinum Series EL-DDR [2-3-2-5], the same as I already have. My current memory resides in the orange DIMMs and always runs fine. Put new memory in yellow DIMMs, system wont boot, BIOS screen goes funny. When it made it past BIOS screen, it recognised only 3 odd GB, and reboots straight after POST.

 

I have tested both sets individually using MEMTEST, and they are fine, but I tried using my existing memory on it's own in the yellow DIMMs and the system wont boot and goes funny.

 

 

So I am now thinking that both problems could be motherboard related. I have never used the yellow DIMM slots, but that problem could be down to dust or something in the slots, I will check this tomorrow.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[red930]

Hello there.

 

What's the 5V_sb rating of your power supply?

 

There should be a memory hole setting you'll have to play with to get more memory recognized. Memory behaves differently in the yellow slots. I really think these motherboards were not intended to have 4GB, but, it can be done.

 

I'd focus on the power supply issue before worrying about the memory.

[jimbobaggies]

Hello there.

 

What's the 5V_sb rating of your power supply?

 

http://www.antec.com/specs/TPII550_spe.html

 

5V SB = 2A

 

There should be a memory hole setting you'll have to play with to get more memory recognized. Memory behaves differently in the yellow slots. I really think these motherboards were not intended to have 4GB, but, it can be done.

 

Well the yellow slots are not working full stop, and if you look in the manual they are slots 1&2. Like I said, I put either set of matched sticks on their own in the yellow slots and the PC wont boot, the BIOS screen goes funny etc.

 

I'd focus on the power supply issue before worrying about the memory.

 

When powered on it runs fine. Never have crashes, play games for hours on end without problems, but yeah, I want to find out if it is indeed a PSU problem or board.

[Sharp]

Hello,

 

- Use the latest official BIOS then yellow slots may then work but, when using just 2 memory modules you must always use the orange slots.

 

- Once you have flashed to the latest official BIOS, Clear the CMOS for 10 minutes.

(using only the CMOS jumper)

 

- Then move the CMOS jumper back to the save position.

- Power the pc with just 1st set in the orange slots.

- Enter the BIOS.

- Set CPC to disabled.

- Save and Exit.

 

Now turn off and insert the 2nd set into the yellow slots (total = 4GB)

Power the PC, what happens?

 

Power on issue, if it never did this before it is probably the power supply starting to fail.

[jimbobaggies]

Just an update.

 

I have flashed to the latest official BIOS / cleared CMOS etc, and after extensive testing am 100% certain that their is a problem with the yellow DIMMs. Both sets of RAM work fine in the orange DIMMS, and will pass memtest, boot into windows, work fine with no blue screens etc. When I try either set in the yellow DIMMs, or one stick on its own, I get random problems varying from the system wont boot, the BIOS screen will go funny or just hang at the point where it tells you the name of the processor.

 

Looking at the numerous issues with memory on these DFI boards posted on different forums etc, I would certainly steer clear of them in the future. When they advertise the following:

 

Memory

 

# Four 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets

# Supports dual channel (128-bit wide) memory interface

# Supports up to 4GB system memory

# Supports DDR266, DDR333 and DDR400 DDR SDRAM DIMM

 

They should be forced by law to state that certain combinations of RAM will not work together, in fact, they should have to show proof of what testing was carried out to substantiate these statements, and also list which memory brands can in fact be used in the stated combination on their website, otherwise I would suggest there is a case for DFI to be answering to the trading standards for false advertising!

 

 

Anyways, my solution is to re-sell the memory I just bought and saving up to buy an Intel / DDR2 upgrade with motherboard known to actually work with 4GB!

[bldegle2]

if you had done your research first you could have saved all the headache you are now suffering....

 

fact, yes, there are four slots, yes, SOME boards will run with four, most have wacky episodes, my run with four identical 512 sticks was a bust, it would boot, but no matter what settings i played with, always a problem....

 

3.25gig is max recognised with 32bit OS, if you load a 64 bit OS and toggle the bios properly, you CAN get these boards to recognise all 4 gig, again, you would have to be one of the lucky ones. you would have a much better chance if you had the Expert or Venus version....

 

although i agree the specs might be a bit misleading, it is stating what is AVAILABLE on the board, they don't actually SAY it works.

 

sometimes it can go the other way, i upgraded a clients unit to 2 x1 gig of ram last week, this on a MB that specifically says 512 meg sticks max, 1 gig total....

 

sometimes you just can't believe all that is written, and the forums are a great place to do research first, or.......

 

vent when things get wacky.

 

i feel your wacky....

 

great board though when you get them all sorted out....

 

laterzzzz.....

[jimbobaggies]

if you had done your research first you could have saved all the headache you are now suffering....

 

I did do my research.... haven't you kept up with the thread, the yellow DIMM slots are physically not working with any RAM. I bought the board off eBay over 12 months ago, and at the time only used 2 x 1Gig in the Orange slots as recommended.

 

although i agree the specs might be a bit misleading, it is stating what is AVAILABLE on the board, they don't actually SAY it works.

 

So by your logic if you bought a car and it said it had a 2 litre 16v twin turbo engine, but in fact neither turbo worked, that would be ok! Sorry, but you're talking a crock....

 

sometimes you just can't believe all that is written, and the forums are a great place to do research first, or.......

 

vent when things get wacky.

 

i feel your wacky....

 

great board though when you get them all sorted out....

 

laterzzzz.....

 

Like I said, did my research, board is great at everything apart from running memory, and as you said, forums are a good place to vent. But unfortunately this board will never run more than two sticks in the orange slots.