Need Help with MSI K7N2-L

[krypptic]

I just built a system using MSI K7N2-L, with 2 sticks of 512mb pc2700 Kingston hyperX ram. Also used AMD 2500+, 80 gig WD HDD, and a MSI ti4200.

The system boots, but occassionally the screen will flicker as if the screen resolution has changed, after about 10 to 20 minutes the system auto restarts.

I should say the bios and drivers are all up to date.

When I check the system and application logs, i get messages that say the system memory failed to be freed, and the system log reports a saved dump.

This is my first system, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[krypptic]

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[MithShrike]

Sorry, but I can't think of anything... Be patient oh junior member.

 

[NesuD]

Did you do a clean install of windows? Also I have seen references to Some Kingston memory not playing nicely with that board what bios ver does the board have? Ver 3.4 is supposed to correct the kingston memory problem.

 

[yodayoda]

Originally posted by: krypptic
I just built a system using MSI K7N2-L, with 2 sticks of 512mb pc2700 Kingston hyperX ram. Also used AMD 2500+, 80 gig WD HDD, and a MSI ti4200.

The system boots, but occassionally the screen will flicker as if the screen resolution has changed, after about 10 to 20 minutes the system auto restarts.

I should say the bios and drivers are all up to date.

When I check the system and application logs, i get messages that say the system memory failed to be freed, and the system log reports a saved dump.

This is my first system, any help would be greatly appreciated.

sounds like another typical MSI board =) actually, i think the culprit the memory--nforce2 boards have problems with kingston memory and 512MB sticks in general. get 2x 256MB crucial PC2700 and you'll be fine. what do you need a gig of ram for anyway?

 

[krypptic]

Sorry for being so impatient guys, and thanks for be cool about it. I was just dying to get the rig running.

I am running v. 5.0 bios if that helps. Does that include the fix from 3.4?

Also I'm runinnng xp Pro with no service pack 1.

The system hasn't performed a save dump since i reverted to the older GPU drivers, but i still got the refreshing memory warning in the log.

One other question, I've been looking all over to find what temps my cpu can and should run at but have found nothing. Athlon XP 2500+ Barton. If anyone can direct me that would be great. Thanks again

 

[krypptic]

I just tried to do a clean install of XP, and in the process it auto restarted leaving a message that said windows had shutdown because of a memory management problem.

Is that a RAM issue or a motherboard issue?

 

[NesuD]

sounds like a ram problem.

 

[krypptic]

I found version 3.4 of the bios, do u think i should use that version before i RMA my ram.

I'd really like to solve this without getting to that point.

Oh, and will I still by able to at least get to a 13 multiplier on that version?

 

[EeyoreX]

A newer BIOS version will include the fixes in the older one. So the memory fix should be there. It couldd be a bad stick of RAM. Also, check out nForcersHQ's MSI thread. There is a useful sticky at the top of the page about what RAM does/does not work well with various MSI boards. Also this is a good MSI specific place to get some help.

\Dan

 

[Doh!]

Where did you get the v.5.0 bios? I only see the 3.4 version.

 

[NesuD]

The 5.0 bios version is for the K7N2-L Delta board. Basicall the delta is a new board revision that adds an official hardware support(A new northbridge revision) for upcoming 400mhz bus cpus. Looks like a lot of the last K7N2-Ls non delta board were shipped with this bios although they aren't supposed to be interchangeable. A lot of us are wondering if the last K7N2-Ls no deltas are actually unmarked deltas. If you have 5.0 keep it and wait for 5.1. I don't think 3.4 will flash to a machine with the 5.0 bios anyway. Someone at NforcersHQ tried it but it wouldn't work as i recall.

 

[krypptic]

To tell you the truth, after the first install, i ran the live update 2 and it gave the 5.0 bios.

I don't remember which bios I had because i was inaware of any distinction between the Delta and non-Delta.

How will i know if my board is delta or not, and if its not, could the delta bios be causing all the instability and ram issues?

the manual states:

K7N2 Series

MS-6570 (v1.X)

and lower in the first page says

version 1.0
G-52-M6570X1

Are there any other ways to determine if the board is a Delta?

 

[NesuD]

@%#@^#^!! DP

 

[NesuD]

Deltas are supposed to have a green label on the southbridge that say 400mhz bus or something like that. other than that i don't know if there is any way to really tell for sure. How high can you set the frontside bus? with the original K7N2-L 200mhz was the highest setting available in the bios. the deltas are rumored to have higher available bus speed settings than that.

 

[krypptic]

My CPU FSB Clock goes up to 233

But my board has no stickers or claims about 400 bus

If my board is not a Delta, should I still be able to see the high FSB options?

I'm curious if this is because of the 5.0 bios, which might not be compatible if my board happens to not be a delta, and is just showing that option.

Which in turn could be causing all the instability.

I'm also baffled about not be able to perform a OS install without issues. So far no install has functioned properlly.

 

[Doh!]

All I can is that the regular K7N2 w/ the latest bios (3.4) has a maximum CPU FSB of 200. Have you looked at the southbridge as suggested by NesuD?

I think you have, in fact, a delta board. Try the later bios (5.1 is up at MSI website - fixes some memory problems).

 

[krypptic]

I don't think my board is a Delta it says ms-6570 version 1, aren't the Delta's version 2?

I think i have the wrong bios on my board and that is what is causing the problem, still not sure, have yet to try 5.1 or 3.4.

I think the only reason i can get those hig FSB speeds is because it is 5.0, not because my board should have 5.0

 

[NesuD]

As i understand it the only differences between a delta and the original K7N2-L is the northbridge revision and the bios which gives more bus speed selections. Physically they are identical. I suspect you may have a Delta as well. Update to bios 5.1 as it lists a Kingston memory issue fix in it's notes. On msi's website it pictures a delta board with version 1 silk screened on it. so the board version doesn't look like an indicator. Pic

 

[krypptic]

I just got off the phone with kingston, and they say absolutely no support for this board and the hyperx memory.

I'm trying to do a clean install on different ram, (just finally came by some).

We'll see how it goes

 

[NesuD]

Originally posted by: krypptic
I just got off the phone with kingston, and they say absolutely no support for this board and the hyperx memory.

I'm trying to do a clean install on different ram, (just finally came by some).

We'll see how it goes

I had heard that. I also saw posted somewhere that Kingston basically says that now about any Nforce2 board. I also have a gig of Kingston ram sitting on a shelf because of it's issues with my board so i can relate. What was really bad was that my ram was on msi's supported ram list for this board when i ordered the board back in Dec.:frown:

 

[krypptic]

I upgrade the bios to 5.1 while using the different RAM. After whichi reinstalled the hyperx ram to see if it resolved the problem. Which it looks like it did. Everthing appears to be stable.

Oddly, cpu temp. is really down now in the low 30's, and sys. temp. in the high 30

Do these sound too low?

 

[NesuD]

Yea the 3.4 bios also reports ridiculously lower temps. Looks like they offset the temp readings by -20c mine went from 49-52 idle to 29-32 idle with the 3.4 bios. Looks like they did the same temp reading adjustment with the 5.1 delta bios. I added 10c back in in Motherboard moniter just so that it would appear a more normal temp. Just add 20c to what the board is reporting the cpu at and I think you will find that puts your CPU temps about where they were before. You say your system temp is reporting in the high 30s. You really should try and get that down in the low 30s. Mine is 29c-31c. How many case fans do you have? At a minimum you should have 1 case fan exhausting out of the rear of the case in addition to the power supply fan. I always recommend an intake fan in the lower front as well. Try running the prime95 torture test to help test the stability of the system. Shoot for a minimum of 6 hours of prime95 with no errors. Prime 95 download link

 

[krypptic]

I have in addition to the psu fan, one 80mm exhaust and one 80mm intake fans. Also usin the Cooler Master HAC-V81 heatsink and cpu fan.

Gonna give that prime95 a shot.

Kudos to u on figuring out the board was a delta, definitely allayed some of my concerns.

 

[krypptic]

While under regular desktop conditions the system ran fine, but within the first minute of prime95, an error was found.

I'm going to rma these hyperx sticks for the corsair twinx ones.

Only problem is the price difference, going from 1 gig to 512. Needless to say I am not a happy camper.

Will I notice a big difference in system performance by dropping ram amount in half?