512 ram or more not working

[Feisters]

I've touched on the problems I'm having with a new system in other threads, and I'm getting closer to narrowing it down.

System specs:
Epox 8K5A2+, AMD XP-2200+, Corsair XMS PC2700 DDR, 2-WD 800JB HDD, striped, Gainward Ultra 650 - 128 meg (GF4 Ti-4200), Yamaha CRW-F1, Antec True Power 330w PSU, WinXP-Home w/SP1, latest drivers and bios, conservative defualt bios settings.

Problem:
XP halts, and in some cases the system won't boot or XP won't start, if the dimm slots are populated with more than 256 megs of ram. I have two 256 meg sticks and one 512 meg stick of the Corsair ram. If I install both the 256 meg sticks, I get the problem. If I install just the 512 meg stick, I get the problem. If I populate two or all three dimm slots, I get the problem. Only when I install a single 256 meg stick does the system run with no problems. I've tried every conceivable combination of dimms and slots. I've had the ram checked, and it's ok.

Questions:
So, I don't think the ram is defective. Could the processor be defective? Or the motherboard? Although I did the math, and 330 watts gives me 30% headroom, could the PSU be defective or underpowered? It doesn't seem like a power issue. It seems like a memory addressing issue the motherboard or processor doesn't like.

I know these are a lot of questions, but I don't have an extra processor or psu to try. I ordered this stuff from Mwave and have to decide what to RMA. I e-mailed their tech support several days ago, but have not received a response yet. Any opinions or similar experiences?

Thanks

 

[PuppettMaster001]

Very smiliar experience here but with two Crucial 256MB PC2100 sticks on the Epox 8K5A2+. Windows Xp halts while trying to load, it says a that its halted due to hardware error. I thought it was faulty RAM until last night.

 

[Feisters]

Originally posted by: PuppettMaster001
Very smiliar experience here but with two Crucial 256MB PC2100 sticks on the Epox 8K5A2+. Windows Xp halts while trying to load, it says a that its halted due to hardware error. I thought it was faulty RAM until last night.

Most of my errors were also 'Hardware Malfunction' halts. I too thought it was the ram, but I had it tested at a local shop, and it checked out.

Tonight however, I installed a 256 meg module in dimm1, and a 512 module in dimm2. Memory timings are set to 'Fastest' and so far so good. I did try setting the timings to 'Turbo', but it crashed again. Set the timings back to 'Fastest' and all was ok again. Tried upping the FSB to 137 MHz, and started crashing again. Backed it off, and everything is fine. No oc'ing here until I find out what's going on

I suspect the XP2200+ is at the ragged edge, or the mobo is the culprit. I'll probably go get a XP1700+ tomorrow for $75 to isolate the cpu or motherboard.

 

[PuppettMaster001]

I am running a TBred 1700+ right now. I too can install one stick of my Crucial and everything is fine and dandy but once I install the second stick I to get the Hardware Malfunction. I can out the one that causes the problems in stick one to verify the ram works and as long as a second stick of RAM isnt in there everything works perfectly. I run my Crucial PC2100 @ 153Mhz at the normal timings and everything is cool but once I try to set the RAm to turbo settings at 133Mhz it wont even boot. I hope this something that Epox knows about and they can fix this soon. Dont worry about getting that 1700, save your money, I have a 1600+ laying around that I will test it with later tonight. It will be aroud 10:00pm/11:00pm central time when I post.

 

[PuppettMaster001]

I will also test it out with the DiMMs installed in slots 0 and 2 instead of 0 and 1.

 

[Feisters]

ok. I'll wait to see what you find out.

 

[PuppettMaster001]

9:45pm
Test #1
Threw the 1600+ Xp in with both sticks of RAM and Windows boots up just fine. Typing riight now with both DIMMs installed. Test #2 in a couple of minutes....

 

[PuppettMaster001]

Test #2
Threw in my supervisors stick of Samsung PC2700 and everything runs fine so I can run 512MB of RAM in this system , windows boots up just fine.... Played some BF1942 to make sure it was stable and everything checked out good. I even got the bus up to 185mHZ. This was done with the TBred

Test #3
Threw my TBred in again with the 2 sticks of 512 and mysteriously works..... Beats me. It is stable but if it starts acting up I will let you know. Didnt change any settings at all either. Magic?! I dont know.

 

[Feisters]

Not the first case of flakey components. I'm finally able to run 768 megs of ram (not my original intention) by trying different memory configurations. Should not be this way, but you hear about it all the time.

 

[Peter]

Don't assume. Test. www.memtest86.com

 

[PuppettMaster001]

Okay after about 6 hours of running straight i restarted my computer and then the problems that arose last time are back. DAMN i though i had everything working good too.