Gigabyte 8KNXP and RAM Problem

[imported_DrBoB]

Ok so I finally upgrade to get new ram and it don't want to work properly.

I originally had Kingston ValueRAM KVR 400X64C3AK2/512, I then bought another kit of Kingston ValueRAM with the same specs so to get a total of 1 GB running at Dual channel DDR 400. My old kit was installed on Channel A : DIMM 1 & Channel B : DIMM 4 and i installed the new kit on Channel A : DIMM 2 & Channel B : DIMM 5. And every time i try to start the computer i either get a blank screen or a blank screen with an alarm coming from the speaker. I took out the new kit of Kingston and the computer worked properly. I have tried them in every configuration and still the same problem. I can't get the new kit to work in hand with old kit, even more i can't get the new kit to work separately whether in single channel mode or dual channel mode. The only time i got it to work is when i used the old kit with one module of the new kit and thus running in a Single channel mode with a total of 768 MB, but even with this configuration i experienced serious system crashes.

So i took the new kit out and tried it at one of my friends who has a different gigabyte mobo which uses the same kind of memory. He has 4 x 256 MB Kingston Value:|RAM running in a dual channel mode and surprisingly my new kit worked out fine.

My mobo is Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Revision 1.0

Any ideas on what I should do to get this ram working, or am I stuck with only 512 MB of ram for this board?

Help I'm stuck with 512.

 

[imported_DrBoB]

Any help guys would be REALLY APPRECIATED !!!

 

[imported_DrBoB]

Oh well, here is what i did ....

1- I have posted my problem in 5 different computer forums as HardOCP, Tom's Hardware Guide, AnandTech, ABXzone and CNET.
2- I have searched and read many reviews throughout a Google search.
3- I have read the mobo's manual and tried to troubleshoot the problem.
4- I have e-mailed both Gigabyte and Kingston 3 days ago and i haven't yet receiced any response ... What kind of support is that? ... Is this normal?

None of the very few replies really helped to solve the problem, neither reading other posts and many reviews and nor the troubleshooting.

So i went back to my basic concept in life ... Trial and Error ... which is the only way you could really learn.

Most of the posts and reviews i read, were pointing to flashing or updating the bios or resetting the CMOS and then loading the fail safe defaults from the bios. I have never done any of these before and i have read about nightmares from flashing the bios. So i decided to focus on the CMOS section, but then again i really don't know the consequences of resetting it. I found myself stuck with loading the fail safe defaults. I did load the fail safe defaults, then i installed the new Kingston kit. I started the computer and it worked very smooth. I then used memtest86 and i got no errors.

Now i have 1 Gig of RAM running on Dual DDR 400.

 

[billyjak]

I have the same motherboard, don't update the Bios if you aren't having problems.
I finally got the f13a bios to take , but it was a nightmare with the revision 1.0 board.
Revision 2.0 took care of alot of the problems of 1.0

If your running good right now, leave it alone.

 

[imported_DrBoB]

Originally posted by: billyjak
I have the same motherboard, don't update the Bios if you aren't having problems.
I finally got the f13a bios to take , but it was a nightmare with the revision 1.0 board.
Revision 2.0 took care of alot of the problems of 1.0

I bought an 80GB SATA Hard Drive. And my bios version is F5. I haven't yet installed it because i guess i have to update the bios in order to get it working, AM I RIGHT?
I have heard that if i use Windows XP with SP2 ready would solve the problem. Is this really true?
I am really worried about updating the bios?
Do you have any idea about installing the SATA drive on GA-8KNXP revision 1.0?
How did you manage to install the F13a bios?

 

[tallman45]

You do not have to upgrade the BIOS to install a SATA drive.

You need to load drivers into Windows so it recognizes it. If you are loading the OS to the SATA drive then the drivers are to be loaded via a floppy during the OS install process when it asks if you have any SCSI adapter drivers.

Do not mix SS and DS memory sticks on the dual channel memory slots, there are 6 mem slots but they all cannot be filled with DS memory. There is a section of the manual that addresses the SS/DS issiue and the number that you can use.

This may not be your problem, but it is something to explore

Check the attached forum, this thread alone has over 2,200 posts and is dedicated to the 8KNXP.

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45508&highlight=8knxp