BIOS Checksum failure when installing two additional sticks of RAM

[MyK Von DyK]

This is indeed a weird problem that I've never came across...

My rig has ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe and is normally running two DIMMs (Corsair CMX 3200C2, double-sided, dual channel mode). Now, for the sake of testing a second pair of 1GB (2x Corsair VS512MB400) that I'll eventually give away as a present, I installed them on slots 2 and 4 (Second dual-channel mode), rebooted the rig and got "BIOS ROM Checksum Error" (I'm using version 7.003). System offers me the option to install new BIOS version from floppy and that's it. When I remove these second modules, everything returns to normal. Weird?

On any other day I'd test them on my second rig, but have just lend it to another friend so I have no immediate means of testing them in this configuration (4 dual-sided 512 DIMMs in dual-channel mode). Is this a general problem of Athlon64 memory controller, a BIOS problem, or can DIMMs be incompatible as they are working just fine when installing them separately? I'd appreciate any help,

Best to all, MyK.

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi, Some BIOS programs just want to to go into the BIOS so they can make note of the new Mem. Just go in and continue to boot. Jim

 

[piasabird]

I have seen some motherboards who were picky about RAM do this if the RAM was incompatible. Also seen this when you reset your BIOS.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

jus swap out the ram sticks and try? your using corsair ram, its quality stuff, but all the people i know with corsair always seem to have problems when it comes to dual channel and A64 set ups.

my friends top of the line skt939 gigabyte board wouldnt boot with 2 sticks of corsairs finest. it refused to run dual channel and when he did get it running it was single channel and running at an awkward 164mhz.

 

[Zepper]

Try bumping up your RAM voltage a bit and test again.

.bh.

 

[MyK Von DyK]

It doesn't even give me an option to go to the BIOS. Even the graphics card doesn't do quick memory test as it normally would (GF6600). Everything seems dead except for that annoying message

 

[Zepper]

Try clearing the CMOS before booting the next time.

.bh.

 

[MyK Von DyK]

Yup, I could do all sorts of things to my rig (including throwing it out of the window). I'd much more like to find out where the problem lies so it won't happen again. Clearing CMOS is not a procedure that'll give you any reasonable clue to why this happened at the first place. But I'm sure that it would do the trick. Again - Is this:

1) BIOS version problem
2) general Athlon64 memory controller problem
3) DIMMs incompatibility
4) my mobo sucks or
5) any other thingy?

I'm not new to this world and have come across a plethora of different PC related problems in my lifetime but this is a totally new one. Why am I writing this? So you'll all be sure that I did a general check-list walk-through before installing new modules.... Yes, I have reset BIOS, yes I have grounded myself, yes the mobo should be capable of running such configuration, yes each module type is supported... (this e.t.c. should save me some time, right?).

The question is why, not how.