Memory problem on my first build! Pls help

[hestia]

I just finished building my first computer and everything works fine except for one thing. I had planned to use 1gb (2x512) of ram but whenever I put in two sticks and power on the machine will start beeping (one long, one short, then constant long beeps). I looked around online and it sounded like beep code for memory problem. When I use either one of the memories in the first slot it works fine, so I don't think the memory's bad. Is it possible that the two sticks are not compatible? They are from pny, but it's weird that even though they are the same brand and the packagings are exactly the same, the actual memory looks different. Is this a motherboard problem? I'm using gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI. Is there any other way I can test the memory slot? Thanks a lot for your help!!😕

 

[homercles337]

You gotta make sure they are in the appropriate slots. Check your manual.

 

[hestia]

trust me I've read the manuals.
according to the manual
chanel A - ddr1, ddr3
chanel B - ddr2, ddr4
so in order for dual chanel to work I need to put in ddr1 and ddr2 right? that is exactly what I did and it didn't work.

however... I just decided to try all the different combinations and the only time it worked was when I put the memory in ddr1 and ddr3! Isn't this combination supposed to be wrong??

 

[krcat1]

No. You put the ram in one channel, A or B, for dual channel to work.

Try chanel A - ddr1, ddr3.

 

[hestia]

well... it reads in the manual "if two DDR memory modules are installed, one must be added to a Channel A slot and the other in a Channel B slot in order to use dual channel memory. You can simply install the memory modules into slots of the same color......."
I'm sure I have the two sticks in different color slots right now... and it's working...is this mobo bad?

 

[Alaska]

If the memory sticks look different it is very possible that they won't work together in dual channel mode, but will work in single channel mode.

For that motherboard Dual channel can be run in slots 1 & 2 or 3 & 4 or all slots.

You don't explain how the memory sticks look different, but you can't combine a single sided and double sided stick to run dual channel.

I would also recommend running memtest to determine if the memory really is good.

 

[hestia]

I just ran memtest for about half an hour and there were no errors. Both of the memory sticks are double-sided 512mb ones. The difference is that one of them has eight chips with one empty chip space in the middle and the other one has no empty space. Basically the spacing between the chips is different. Also the manufacture of the chips is different I think, even though the two sticks are both pny. Could this be the problem? Thanks!

 

[Alaska]

That could be the problem...

I've only done dual channel with 2 sticks bought as a dual channel kit as this ensures that they will work together.

 

[hestia]

thanks.. does anyone know if there's any way I can test the memory slots on my mobo besides going out and buy another pair of memory?

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: hestia
I just ran memtest for about half an hour and there were no errors. Both of the memory sticks are double-sided 512mb ones. The difference is that one of them has eight chips with one empty chip space in the middle and the other one has no empty space.

One is ECC the other is nonECC. I cant imagine that would work.