Need Suggestion - New Build or not?

[Desi4Life]

Hi All,

It's been a while since I have posted something here..I usually just visit the forums to read stuff but now I have a situation of my own. Back in 6/2009 I bought a preconfigured Dell studio XPS 435 mini tower. It has lasted me for a while and it was a great machine for the price I paid back then, I bought a scratch & dent machine with no monitor as I had my own. Here are the specs

-- 640 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)

-- 16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability

-- 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz (4 DIMMs)

-- Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Processor (8MB L3 Cache, 1MB L2 Cache, 2.66GHz)

-- 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4850


I added additional ram and it now has 8gb. However, in last few days I noticed that the Win7 Pro only reports 5gb installed when looking at the system screen. I checked in bios and it also reports 5gb. I used CPU-Z and it showed 8gb as being installed. I did a quick google search and it seems that the slots on these mobo's might die out after a while so I am pressuming that's what has happened to me and therefore two out of 6 slots are not being read so it only sees 3x1gb and 1x2gb sticks.

So now the decision time, should I recycle the parts and just upgrade (mobo,case,PSU, etc..) or should I go ahead and do a complete new build? Especially since in few weeks/months the new Ivy Bridge chips are coming out.

Thanks for your response and help!

p.s. If you are suggesting for a new build, i'd appreciate if you can list out some parts to consider. I am looking for a high performance all-around machine that can do gaming/video/music etc.

 

[lehtv]

Is your windows 64 bit? 32 bit windows can only take advantage of 4GB of RAM. Have you tried installing the RAM in different slots? I.e. if you have them in 1 and 3, try 2 and 4.

I don't think i7-920 is worth upgrading at this point. A new Ivy bridge quad core wouldn't get you much of an improvement in everyday tasks or gaming. Also, your CPU is not overclocked so there's untapped power that will extend its usable lifetime.

Options i'd consider (one or more):

- upgrade PSU and buy an aftermarket heatsink for the CPU -> overclock as far as it goes at reasonable voltages (<1.4V core)
- upgrade graphics to 6870 or better (may require a new PSU) if you want better gaming performance
- buy a new case if you're unhappy with the dell mini tower
- buy a 64-128GB SSD to speed up the operating system
- what monitor do you have? if it's smaller than 1080p, consider a new 1080p monitor (23.6" or bigger)

 

[Topweasel]

Whats the Memory configuration. Any chance that you have an unmatched pairing? Have you updated to the latest BIOS. Lots of motherboards need updates to see new higher density chips correctly?

5 GB just seems like a weird amount to stop at. What was in it before?

 

[Desi4Life]

Is your windows 64 bit? 32 bit windows can only take advantage of 4GB of RAM. Have you tried installing the RAM in different slots? I.e. if you have them in 1 and 3, try 2 and 4.

Yes, its a 64bit and I did the mem upgrade right after got the machine so it's been running with 8gb before. Around last week, the machine took a dump after I played a game and I believe that's when this may have happened. I also feel that the PSU maybe underpowered as when playing a video game at high res. it seems to sound different than normal operation.

 

[Desi4Life]

Whats the Memory configuration. Any chance that you have an unmatched pairing? Have you updated to the latest BIOS. Lots of motherboards need updates to see new higher density chips correctly?

5 GB just seems like a weird amount to stop at. What was in it before?

Yes, I did upgrade the bios and it is current right now. I have yet to play with the configuration but it seems bit weird/odd that this would happen when all the things were running normally for months/year.

 

[jaydee]

If your main issue is the RAM, it's really cheap these days. You can go up to 16GB (4x4GB) for $50-60 easy (just ignore the DIMM's that aren't working). You have relatively little to gain processing power-wise by upgrading your entire rig, at a very high cost. It seems that even Ivy Bridge isn't going to provide a huge boost, let alone Sandy Bridge. With little AMD competition with regards to CPU performance, Intel is focusing more on reducing power consumption and bettering their onboard GPU.

 

[Topweasel]

Yes, its a 64bit and I did the mem upgrade right after got the machine so it's been running with 8gb before. Around last week, the machine took a dump after I played a game and I believe that's when this may have happened. I also feel that the PSU maybe underpowered as when playing a video game at high res. it seems to sound different than normal operation.

You didn't really answer the questions before, but now its making a little more sense.

You got a machine and upgraded the memory to 8GB and now only 5GB is seen in whatever amount of time has passed?

I am still bothered by the 5GB. What is the memory configuration? Meaning is it 4x2GB. 4+2+2. Are you sure you installed them all in the correct channels? Because the only way I think 5GB happens is that you have 4GB 1GB 2GB 1GB and that either a whole channel is gone 1GB+2GB and each pair is only being recognized as a single stick.

 

[mfenn]

You didn't really answer the questions before, but now its making a little more sense.

You got a machine and upgraded the memory to 8GB and now only 5GB is seen in whatever amount of time has passed?

I am still bothered by the 5GB. What is the memory configuration? Meaning is it 4x2GB. 4+2+2. Are you sure you installed them all in the correct channels? Because the only way I think 5GB happens is that you have 4GB 1GB 2GB 1GB and that either a whole channel is gone 1GB+2GB and each pair is only being recognized as a single stick.

I think that Topweasel is on the right track. The mobo most likely has 6 DIMM slots, so if it originally game with 4x1GB and the OP added 2x2GB to get to 8GB, he's gotta have an unbalanced channel somewhere. Most likely one of the channels that had a 2GB DIMM and a 1GB DIMM is now flaky (either due to the RAM or mobo) so those two aren't being recognized.

OP, you need to get in there are start swapping memory around to find out if you have a bad DIMM. Take all the RAM out and try each stick one at a time. If every individual stick checks out, that most likely means that you've got a bad DIMM slot on the mobo.

 

[Topweasel]

I think that Topweasel is on the right track. The mobo most likely has 6 DIMM slots, so if it originally game with 4x1GB and the OP added 2x2GB to get to 8GB, he's gotta have an unbalanced channel somewhere. Most likely one of the channels that had a 2GB DIMM and a 1GB DIMM is now flaky (either due to the RAM or mobo) so those two aren't being recognized.

OP, you need to get in there are start swapping memory around to find out if you have a bad DIMM. Take all the RAM out and try each stick one at a time. If every individual stick checks out, that most likely means that you've got a bad DIMM slot on the mobo.

Read the OP four times and missed the whole 6 dimms (assuming LGA1366) each time.

Still curious about the configuration. My guess is that 2 chips got marked bad because of a bad config. If its 1366 then he should at least have matching sets of 3. That means 3 1GB and 3 2GB sticks. My guess is the system popped the first time it went to address memory to one of the 2GB slots. If the memory is still good popping out the offending memory (leave it at 3x 1GB), clear the bios, boot up, shut down, then installing the offending memory back in, it will work again. But you still run into the issue that if you don't go 3x2GB it will just do the same thing again.

 

[Desi4Life]

You didn't really answer the questions before, but now its making a little more sense.

You got a machine and upgraded the memory to 8GB and now only 5GB is seen in whatever amount of time has passed?

I am still bothered by the 5GB. What is the memory configuration? Meaning is it 4x2GB. 4+2+2. Are you sure you installed them all in the correct channels? Because the only way I think 5GB happens is that you have 4GB 1GB 2GB 1GB and that either a whole channel is gone 1GB+2GB and each pair is only being recognized as a single stick.

Sorry about the confusion and not answering the question. Yes, you are correct on the

"You got a machine and upgraded the memory to 8GB and now only 5GB is seen in whatever amount of time has passed?"

The configuration was 4x1gb and then I added 2x2gb sticks. This worked well for about year or two and then the issue just started to appear recently. I have not had time to open and do some investigation but I will take the advise listed by other posters above and try to do some analysis and share the outcome, whatever the outcome is I am just concerned that, is this a sign to upgrade/replace before it gets worst? If its memory, I can certainly change and get new set but if its mobo then maybe it's worth to explore other options and replace before other parts go bad and worst damage data or something else that I can still reuse (i.e. CPU).

 

[sm625]

I've never had success running that many sticks of memory, even when they are exactly the same. I shudder to think what could happen when you try to make 4 or 5 different types of ram play together. Why not just throw all that crap away and get a $30 pair of GSkill 8GB? Cutting it down to two sticks should improve stability.

edit: sorry they are $41 now. That is odd because I bought mine months ago for $30...

 

[Topweasel]

Sorry about the confusion and not answering the question. Yes, you are correct on the

"You got a machine and upgraded the memory to 8GB and now only 5GB is seen in whatever amount of time has passed?"

The configuration was 4x1gb and then I added 2x2gb sticks. This worked well for about year or two and then the issue just started to appear recently. I have not had time to open and do some investigation but I will take the advise listed by other posters above and try to do some analysis and share the outcome, whatever the outcome is I am just concerned that, is this a sign to upgrade/replace before it gets worst? If its memory, I can certainly change and get new set but if its mobo then maybe it's worth to explore other options and replace before other parts go bad and worst damage data or something else that I can still reuse (i.e. CPU).

You might have seen thread where slots have gone bad. I have not in all of my time seen a slot go randomly bad. This sounds like a memory issue or memory configuration issue. I would go down that avenue. There are 3 channels that allow 2 sticks a piece. You can test the slots if you have other memory.

Now even in the sense that in theory that your config has been working. It sounds like a stick went bad. If that is the case chances are that it was one of the 1GB sticks which would have been a primary slot chip, which, and this is a guess, the machine would have stopped recognizing the secondary slot for that channel, in this case a 2GB stick.

But what I and most people would recommend is that you have a matching set for each set of channels. Which means 1GBx3 and 2GBx3. But what I would probably recommend is that you pick up a 4GBx3, rather then hunt down a single 2GB stick that matches yours. Cut your losses on the 1GB sticks as at least one of them is probably bad, and cut the losses on the 2x2GB sticks as getting 1 4GB stick is about the same price nowadays as a 2GB stick.

 

[mfenn]

You might have seen thread where slots have gone bad. I have not in all of my time seen a slot go randomly bad. This sounds like a memory issue or memory configuration issue. I would go down that avenue. There are 3 channels that allow 2 sticks a piece. You can test the slots if you have other memory.

I guess you haven't worked on many triple channel and quad channel boards in that case. Those are significantly more complex than dual channel and can have serious issues. I probably replace one 12 slot server board every month.

I'm not saying that it isn't a DIMM problem, but don't completely rule out the board as well. Luckily it is very easy to isolate a bad DIMM (and not terribly hard to isolate a bad slot).

 

[Topweasel]

I guess you haven't worked on many triple channel and quad channel boards in that case. Those are significantly more complex than dual channel and can have serious issues. I probably replace one 12 slot server board every month.

I'm not saying that it isn't a DIMM problem, but don't completely rule out the board as well. Luckily it is very easy to isolate a bad DIMM (and not terribly hard to isolate a bad slot).

True, building up my first LGA2011 system for myself and my company buys mostly retail warrantied systems and replaces them when needed. It's a nice combo of Small and profitable.

You could very well be right. I just haven't had to deal with it. Considering how many chips I have seen gone bad, I would look to see if the $30 part went bad before assuming it was the $200 one.

 

[Desi4Life]

Sorry for the long delay in responding and giving an update but haven't had a time to get this resolved. But I am showing 8gb of ram both in BIOS & windows now. I opened up the case and swapped the memory around into different slots. I guess for my lack of knowledge or some other reason i can't recall right now, I had them paired incorrectly as I believe the memory are suppose to be in pair with same kind, but for some reason 4 slots were paired incorrectly. (i.e. 1x1gb and 1x2gb) so I now have it so that all the 1gb sticks are paired and also the 2gb sticks are paired as well. All seems to be well for now.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

 

[mfenn]

:thumbsup: Glad you got it resolved!