XFX Motherboard dimm slot 3 issue

[lleemon]

Just got my parts from Tiger Direct and installed everything and when I went to turn on nothing happened. Found out that if I just put 3 of the 4 memory chips in ddr dimm slots 0 - 2 it works great but when I put the 4th in ddr dimm slot 3 doesn`t work. So I swapped slot 2 chip with slot 3 and same situation so leads me to believe something is up with slot 3.

So I got another motherboard from tiger and same thing. Does this motherboard not take 4 chips?

Anyone have any thoughts on what I should try?

Motherboard: XFX NFORCE 680I LT SLI INTEL SOCKET 775
Processor: Intel Quad Core
Powersupply: Ultra Xfinity 600W
Memory: OCZ Technology DDR2 1GB dual channel pc2 6400 x 4

Thanks in advance.

[Victor]

did you try to use 2 dimms in slot 1 and 3 in dual channel mode? if that does not work, then it's possible that the slot is bad. If it works, then it's possible that your ram may need higher voltage in order for you to run them in the system.

[Miker]

Almost all boards don't like 4 sticks.

[srpeters18]

From everybody that I have seen with that memory, nobody has gotten 4 sticks to work at 1.8v. Needs 2.1v I believe, maybe 2.2

[david.hill64]

As well as getting the voltage up to 2.1V you may need to set the command rate to 2T. Do it with 2*1GB installed and set the memory timings to Expert in the BIOS according to the memory spec.

[lleemon]

How do I get to 4-4-4-15-2T? Here is what I did so far:

Went to Advanced Chipset Features/System Voltages/Memory
-Changed from auto to 2.100V

Now here are the options I have:
Advanced Chipset Features has the following:
System Clocks [Press Enter]
FSB & Memory Config [Press Enter]
CPU Configuration [Press Enter]
System Voltages [Press Enter]
NVMEM memory test [Disable]

Load timing/voltage set [Press Enter] / has 3 options: Select Profile 1, Select Profile 2, Select Profile 3
Save timing/voltage set [Press Enter] / has 3 options: Select Profile 1, Select Profile 2, Select Profile 3
System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled]
HPET Function [Enable]

NVIDIA GPU Ex [Enable]

[lleemon]

I think I found it.

Went to:
Advanced Chipset Features/FSB & Memory Config/Memory Timing Setting

Changed Memory Timing Setting to 'Expert' and then changed 'Command Per CLock (CMD) to '2 clock'

Saved

Does that sound right?

Didn't work. Stink

[srpeters18]

Relax the timings to 5-5-5-18 and see if it'll boot with four.

[Miker]

Understand, to get 4 sticks running you need to run higher timings and more volts.

[lleemon]

This is getting very old.

The following options work:
Slots: 0, 1, and 2
Slots: 0, 2, and 3

So it doesn't appear to be the slots on the board.

I then changed the Memory Timing Setting to 'Expert' and the following are set:
tCL = 4
tRCD = 4
tRP = 4
tRAS = 15
Command Per Clock (CMD) = 2T

tRRD = 4
tRC = 23
tWR = 5
tWTR = 10
tREF = 7.8uS

I also have
CPU Core 1.24V
CPU FSB 1.2V
Memory at 2.200V
nForce SPP 1.25V

Guess I am really searching now.

['Amp!']

When you use 4 sticks of RAM your MCH works much harder thus needs more volts. It is not the RAM per se that needs more volts.

Try upping your NB a bit and if that doesn't help try uping the MCH a bit and you should be solid.

[lleemon]

Does MCH and NB have different names? I am not seeing these options in Memory Timing Setting section.

[werty316]

This is where you need to be to change the NB voltage:

Its called "nForce SPP".

http://la.gg/thmb/1708_p7_10.jpg (http://la.gg/upl/1708_p7_10.jpg)

[lleemon]

Ok,

This is what I have in System Voltages:

CPU Core: 1.24V
CPU FSB: 1.2V
Memory: 2.200V
nForce SPP: 1.25V

Any opinions on what I should change these too?

Thanks!

[werty316]

Try increasing the SPP voltage.

[lleemon]

set the nForce SPP to 1.4V, saved then turned off and added 4th stick and same thing, blank screen.

Kind of wondering if I should return these 4 sticks and go with 2x2086 so I don't have this 4th slot issue.

[werty316]

Kind of wondering if I should return these 4 sticks and go with 2x2086 so I don't have this 4th slot issue.
This would be the more recommended way to go.

[lleemon]

New scenerio. I went and returned my 4 sticks and got 2 sticks of 2gig. Here are my new specs:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor BX80562Q6600
OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 / 800MHz / 4GB / NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready Edition / Dual Channel (OCZ2N800SR4GK)
Ultra X-Finity EE 600w PSU w/APFC (ULT40066)
XFX NFORCE 680i LT SLI INTEL SOCKET 775 DDR2 (MB-N680-ILT)
Windows XP Pro SP2 (OEM)

My new issue is that it seems like it only recognizes 2.5GB of memory. I tried three things:

Stick 1 in dimm 0
-System Properties: 2.00 GB of RAM
-System Information:
-- Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
-- Total Physical Memory: 2,048.00 MB
-- Available Physical Memory: 1.61 GB
-- Total Virual Memory: 3.00 GB
-- Available Virtual Memory: 2.96 GB
-- Page File Space 3.91 GB
----------------------------------------------------
Stick 2 in dimm 0
-System Properties: 2.00 GB of RAM
-System Information:
-- Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
-- Total Physical Memory: 2,048.00 MB
-- Available Physical Memory: 1.69 GB
-- Total Virual Memory: 3.00 GB
-- Available Virtual Memory: 2.96 GB
-- Page File Space 3.91 GB
-Windows Task Manager
--PhysicalMemory (K) Total: 2095580
--Available: 1751300
----------------------------------------------------
Stick 2 in dimm 0 and stick 1 in dimm 1
-System Properties: 2.50 GB of RAM
-System Information:
-- Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
-- Total Physical Memory: 4,096.00 MB
-- Available Physical Memory: 2.16 GB
-- Total Virual Memory: 3.00 GB
-- Available Virtual Memory: 2.96 GB
-- Page File Space 4.39 GB
-Windows Task Manager
--PhysicalMemory (K) Total: 2619865
--Available: 2289088

Say it ain't so, I can' only use 2.5GB of RAM? I have seen an article that Microsoft doesn't allow this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888137/en-us

I have a friend that claims he has 3 GB of RAM and show all of it. Is this just my motherboard that is causing this?

Thanks to anyone that has a better solution.

[srpeters18]

32 bit Vista will recognize anywhere between 2.5gb and 3gb of RAM. It depends on your configuration. If you want to see all 4GB, you need to get a 64bit OS.

[Pablo 54]

Llemon,
Seeing as you have purchased new memory, this is a moot point but, I ran into a similar issue a few months ago. With the help of some very knowledgeable and experienced people in this forum, I went through a whole slew of timings and adjustments and finally got my system to run stably. One final forum suggestion was to unlink the memory and move it back to 667 and let the voltages drop back to 1.85. Long and the short of it is I have two profiles, one for everyday use where the memory is at 667 and the second for video editing/gaming where the memory is a bit above 800. I am using Vista 64 so all memory is in play.
Paul