MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum Dual Channel Problems *UPDATE*

[IHYLN]

I have two sticks of XMS3200 512mb sticks and this board doesn't like both of the DIMMS installed at the same time. I followed the manual and I tried DIMM1/DIMM2, DIMM3/DIMM4 with no go. Any ideas or the board doesn't like the ram?

edit:
Ok, the kingston ram worked and I think the PSU is helping but I think it's more the ram than the PSU. Regardless I'm running at 266 @ CL2.5 and 2T. Is 2T something normal at this busspeed or have people been able to get 1T?

If it's not then I will return the kingston and pick up OCZ 4200 EL 512x2 instead.

edit2: another problem cropped up, when I load up games, any game for that matter, I get an initial 5 second stutter and it happens in 3dmark03 too and it absolutely kills the score (not that it really matter) but I've searched for the stuttering problem and came up with nothing

What do you guys think?

 

[Icepick]

Boot the system with only one stick of RAM installed in slot 1 (or one in slot 1 and one in slot 3 for single channel). Then upgrade the BIOS to version 1.3. After the BIOS is upgraded you can install the second DIMM in slot 2 and run in dual channel mode. This is an issue everyone who owns this board seems to have run into. The older BIOS versions don't support dual channel memory.

 

[IHYLN]

awesome, thank you!!

monarchcomputer was supposed to put in the latest bios though :|

 

[IHYLN]

I flashed to 1.3 and it does not work with the 2nd DIMM installed.

ridiculous.. I shouldve gotten another board :|

 

[IHYLN]

ok I dunno wtf to do. This is retarded :|

 

[Dustswirl]

dimm1/dimm2? shouldn't it be dimm1/dimm3 or dimm2/dimm4? like same color dimms? anyway i hope am wrong. did you check the tables in the MSI's Neo2 page ? maybe it's newer then the manual.

Good luck

 

[Mik3y]

it should be dimm1 and dimm3 or 2 and 4. there's nothing wrong with the motherboard or bios.

 

[Dustswirl]

i guess the MSI neo2 is different judging by the manual and color codes, did you try dimm1/dimm4?
when i look at the review done here i see the ocz put in dimm1/dimm3! did they test it like that???

 

[Viper96720]

Know what the rams spd settings are? If its 2-2-2 Try 2-3-2 or 2-3-3 with Tras around 10.

 

[IHYLN]

I tried ALL the combinations listed in the manual, I haven't tried DImm 2/4 combo though

 

[ZobarStyl]

The Neo2 Plat doesn't use the standard 1+3 or 2+4 for dual channel, it's labeled on the top of the mobo that the green and purple are Channels A and B, so you just need your sticks in 1+2...I had my 2 x 512 in my Neo2 the minute I first booted it with no problems. Try to run the system on each individual stick in single channel to rule out a faulty stick.

 

[IHYLN]

the sticks aren't faulty, I tried each one individually as well.

Perhaps the board does not like the XMS3200 in dual channel mode? If that's the case I'll test that theory out and go buy some kingston hyperx 4000 ram from comp usa and see if that fixes it.

Looks like a nice board but I just want stuff working

 

[IHYLN]

if the kingston memory won't work then this board is getting junked. And I'll never buy MSI again, I got burned once with the K266 fiasco.

 

[cyberserf]

did you try with cas 2.5 setting?

 

[IHYLN]

ok I bought 2 kingston hyperx 4000 512mb sticks and an antec truepower 430. I have an antec 400 in there right now but I just want to rule out all possibilities.

damn testing is costing me $500. why cant sh1t just work out of the box?!

 

[IHYLN]

bump

 

[Icepick]

Originally posted by: IHYLN
ok I bought 2 kingston hyperx 4000 512mb sticks and an antec truepower 430. I have an antec 400 in there right now but I just want to rule out all possibilities.

damn testing is costing me $500. why cant sh1t just work out of the box?!

How's the testing going? I'm curious to see where you stand with this now. Please reply back.

 

[IHYLN]

read the first post

more than likely I will pick up the OCZ ram and return the kingston afterwards.. only problem I have now is the stuttering in games

 

[IHYLN]

anyone have an idea about what's up with the stuttering?

 

[IHYLN]

gonna try going back to Win2k and see if that solves the stuttering or maybe try a different version of the nforce drivers

 

[IHYLN]

ok, looks like I got the kinks worked out. Fixed the stuttering issue in video games by disables fast writes and side band addressing (using 1.37beta modded bios)

I'll let this puppy rip monday when I get the OCZ 4300 EL ram and my watercooling bracket for the koolance system.

looking good so far

 

[henryay]

Do these two sticks have the same revision? I read on the Corsair forums that if you have different revisions, they will most likely not work.

 

[IHYLN]

no they are not the same revision, I got them to work in dual channel mode once I set the TRAS to 10 (I think it's TRAS) either way the 3200 sticks were crap for OC and so are the Kingstons 4000. It can barely do its rated speed (250mhz at cas3 and only 2T)

my OCZ should compliment this combo nicely though. I can do 2600 on the 3500 easily on air, with watercooling I am shooting for 2700mhz+