Upgraded RAM, now wont boot...?

[weirdwaldo]

setup is an Asus A8N5X MB with an amd 3200 x2 cpu

Had this ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145579

Bought it awhile ago ( 3 years or so)

So today I pick up another batch of that ram (same stuff) but when I install all 4 chips, it'll POST but windows will give me a hardware error (vista x64) and reboot. If I pull out ONE stick of RAM, dont matter which, it'll boot fine and show me 3gigs of RAM.

I tried swapping them to different slots repeatedly, default settings in BIOS for RAM timings 'n stuff.

One thing I did notice was the new chips are maybe 1/8" taller than the old ones *shrugs* still the 'works with 3 in any order but not 4' befuddles my little brain....

Any idears???

 

[corkyg]

Check your mobo manual - my Asus mobo will only work with three of the four slots in use if you have a double sided DIMM.. You may have a similar restriction. Look for Memory Configurations in the manual in the Hardware Section.

 

[weirdwaldo]

Good idea, I'll try to find my manual....its somewhere around here.

Can anybody who has an A8n5x mobo confirm or deny this?

 

[cubby1223]

I don't know why it is, but it seems to me that AMD cpus are very weird when it comes to memory compatibility (the memory controller is in the cpu, versus intel architecture where the controller is in the chipset).

My guess as to the "3 works, but 4 doesn't" is that with all 4 sticks in the system is using them in dual channel mode and the possibly unmatched sticks are causing problems. With 3 in the system is using them in single channel mode where mismatched memory is ok.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

some boards also have a memory remapping option for large amounts of memory. Check for it in the bios

 

[KGB]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
some boards also have a memory remapping option for large amounts of memory. Check for it in the bios

You might also have to bump the VDIMM voltage a bit to get them all to work.

 

[robisbell]

Corsair states the following the the most stable and compatible with that mobo.

TWINX2048-3200C2PT

Memory Type : DDR-400 (XMS-3200C2)

Size : 2GB Kit (2 x 1GB)

Latency : 2-3-3-6-2T

Voltage : 2.75v

Format : 184-pin DIMM

Heat Spreader : Platinum