K8NS Pro - doesn't work with 2x512MB RAM?

[Bullman]

Hello,

I can not get anymore than one module of memory to work on my Gigabyte K8NS Pro motherboard (nForce 3 250 chipset).

I have two sticks of 512MB DDR400 RAM. If I put both modules into either Slot 1&2, 1&3 or 2&3, the PC doesn't even boot up.

Using just one RAM module only works if it in Slot 1.

I have tried installing other pairs of different brand RAM and the same thing happens.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

Cheers

Bullman

 

[PreOmegaZero]

Board is apparently picky about what it will register.
I have 2 x 512MB sticks in mine at the moment. If I use any BIOS OTHER than F5, it will only see 512MB total (256MB from each stick). If I boot with 1 stick in whatever slot, it will see and use the 512MB stick just fine. It does this for each stick.
However, I I found that BIOS F5 works with both sticks like it should. Might want to look for the F5 BIOS. If not, I can probably save it from the BIOS for you.

 

[Bullman]

PreOmegaZero,

I am using bios F9.

You seem to be suggesting that this is the way it is with the K8NS Pro!!???

What the F? Gigabyte release a motherboard with BIOS updates that don't let you use 2 sticks of RAM? Surely this can't be the case.

If this is the case, then we all should return this junk and get our money back.

There is a possibility that my motherbaord may be damaged/faulty of course. However, from what you tell me you it seems you seem convinced that it's just a "quirk" (more like a major F-up) of the motherboard. Why is it so? If F5 lets you run two sticks like it should, why doesn't the latest release F9 bios do the same?

Really need to get to the bottom of this.

Be good to hear other K8NS Pro user stories running multi-ram modules.

Cheers

Bullman

 

[Bullman]

Really need answers on this one.

Especially from other K8NS Pro users.

Cheers

Bullman

 

[PreOmegaZero]

Call it a quirk or a F-up, but that's what I've noticed in my personal experience with the board.
Give BIOS F5 a shot. Ona side note, the 2 x 512MB sticks I have are double-sided, and the 1GB stick I recently added is also double-sided. The 1GB works all the time, but the 2 x 512MB sticks will only work in conjunction with BIOS F5. I think Gigabyte either b0rked something with the BIOS or made the BIOS less lenient on RAM.

 

[Bullman]

I hope this is not the case:

However we are not the only ones it seems.

same problem

same guy, different RAM

more

So what is it really:

a) a (known documented) design fault that is common to all K8NS Pro
b) something we are doing wrong (eg. wrong BIOS)
c) we just happen to have malfunctioning/damaged motherboards?
d) some other hardware is malfunctioning (CPU?)

Cheers

Bullman

 

[Bullman]

OK

Seems that the reason I can not run 2x512MB double sided DDR400 RAM on my K8NS Pro is because of an undocumented limitation of the motherboard.

Despite contacting Gigabyte who could not give me a straight answer, I was pointed to the Kingston website which has the following info on the K8NS Pro:

Link to Kingston page for GA-K8NS Pro

Comments: This system only supports 3 ranks of DDR400 memory, 4 ranks of DDR333

Max memory:
1.25GB using 400MHz DDR modules (3 rank max)
2GB using 333MHz DDR modules (4 rank max)
3GB using 266MHz DDR modules

I think Im right when I say that 2 x 512MB double sided DDR400 RAM is equivalent to four ranks of memory, so according to Kingston it is a motherboard limitation after all!!

Gigabyte do not document this anywhere!!!! Not even in the manual!!!!!!!!!!

F THAT!!!!

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!!

Bullman

 

[joesmith123456]

Do NOT use the F10 Bios I can confirm that the F10 Bios is UTTER CRAP!! Everyone should complain to Gigabyte or at least bug their tech support over this board its ridiculous. The ONLY stable bios that I have come accross for my 2GB of Corsair Value select ram is the F4 Bios, and even it underclocks my DDR400 ram to DDR333. F6-F10 bios will not detect Half of my ram and all eventually give me memory errors, very unstable. F4 bios seems stable most of the time, I do get occassional lockups in XP not sure if its due to the motherboard but they dont happen often enough to be that annoying once every what 2 weeks of having my PC on. Would be nice to update my bios to get updated firmware for the onboard raid controllers though, and it would be nice to actually run my ram at DDR400 with the F4 bios I cant even overclock it to DDR400 by messing with bios settings. Any changes in the bios ram settings results in an unstable system.