X2, Memory, and an idot...

[duskflyer]

I ordered my x2 and waited faithfully for it to arrive. THis is my first upgrade in nearly four years so I didn't mind paying a premium. I also ordered a gig of memory along with a new vid card and MB. Only after I ordered did I find this place and start to read a little about OCing. But I got good quality memory so I wasn't worried. It all arrived today and I was psyched. Then I tried to install my RAM. It didin't fit. DOH! What idiot ordered the wrong stuff? Not wanting to wait until I can get the correct stuff, I installed a 256mb stick of pc 3200 4mhz cas3 ram I had. Posted fine, updated bios for x2- worked fine, but when I try to install xp pro corp, it fails at various points. Sometimes it makes it to first boot before BSD and sometimes it locks as earlier.
Questions:
1. Does this sound like a memory problem or is there something else going on here?
2. Since I have to re-order my memory, any specific advice on exactly what to get- I envision mild overclocking only.

System
New-
MSI k8n Neo4 Plat
Antec 550 power supply
Sapphire Radeon 800XL
Thermaltake Venus 12 cooler
***idiot alert*** 2x512 Corsair xms2 ddr2
Temporarily using leftovers from mac mini memory upgrade

Re-used
2x 60gb Western Digital HD in raid 0
Cd rom and floppy drives
Case

Any advice would be appreciated, please direct cackles and newbie groans at my alter ego "the memory idiot"

Thanks
Jeff
Duskflyer

 

[MDE]

Try a different copy of Windows XP, preferrably not a burned copy.

As for RAM, get any PC3200 out there from a good company (Mushkin, OCZ, Corsair, etc) and run a divider.

 

[Markfw]

First thing to do is run memtest on the stick you do have. It should work. if it runs for an hour on the memtest boot cd, you are fine.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
First thing to do is run memtest on the stick you do have. It should work. if it runs for an hour on the memtest boot cd, you are fine.

Yep memtest will test the ram out for ya.

Other thing is check the cables to your hard drives, cd/dvd rom, and reset the power cables as well.

 

[colincsl]

Just make sure you don't get DDR2 again

 

[AnandThenMan]

I think Intel shipped you the RAM LOL. As suggested, run memtest it has never failed me yet.

 

[Zebo]

Yea memory, run memtest86 to be sure. Return that stuff and get some crucial ballistix PC3200 it's cheap and you can run 2-2-2-7 1T out of the box low 2.6-2.7 volts

 

[imported_Technomancer]

So 2.6V is low for memory? Then I guess I have some promising news for overclocking with my XMS modules... when all of my system parts finally arrive; everything is shipping including my 4200+. The only limiter would be the mobo, but I probably won't be trying to OC to 500 Uhz anyway.

 

[Zebo]

The reason I recommend ballistix it's it's the fastest memory you can buy at same timings as the other stuff. And yea it's low BH-5 needs 3.1 at least to perform, UTT needs 3.4 at least.

 

[Furen]

does that motherboard support dual cores?

 

[Continuity27]

Originally posted by: Furen
does that motherboard support dual cores?

Of course...

 

[BlingBlingArsch]

i dont think its worth to buy overclocker memory but if u want to do it anyways look for TwinMos speed premim PC3200, Mushkin Blue Line with UTT-CH-5, OCZ VX pc4000 (but they are too expensive), PC4000 Mushkin Redline 1Gig for 230Euros, G.Skill GBGH 1Gig for 205-210 ?, Twinmos Twister BH5 1gig for ~ 155 ?, OC-Wear BH5 for 180 ?. Those are some very good but expensive Gigs of Ram. And lets not forget that u can get decent memory with 2,5-3-3-7 1T, that will most likely run with 2-3-3-7 1T too for only 80Euros per Gigabyte. Depends on how serious u take overclocking and low latencies.

 

[Continuity27]

Originally posted by: Continuity27

Originally posted by: Furen
does that motherboard support dual cores?

Of course...

EDIT: NVM Delete me.

 

[duskflyer]

Okay, I am running memtest now. While that is going I am working on a windows disk. I was using a burned copy, and I will have to use one again. I have 6 copies of xp home, but they are all on "system recovery" disks. I have found a guide to extracting just xp from these types of recovery disks, but it will have to be the home version.
So now the question- if xp home does not support dual cores then why does it see and appear to use hyper threading on pentuim machines?

EDIT
Okay, I think I can rule out the memory, I found the exact memory in the test report that came with my mobo and it shows it OK.

 

[Continuity27]

Originally posted by: duskflyer
Okay, I am running memtest now. While that is going I am working on a windows disk. I was using a burned copy, and I will have to use one again. I have 6 copies of xp home, but they are all on "system recovery" disks. I have found a guide to extracting just xp from these types of recovery disks, but it will have to be the home version.
So now the question- if xp home does not support dual cores then why does it see and appear to use hyper threading on pentuim machines?

XP Home does support dual core processors.

XP Home supports one socket, XP Professional supports more than one socket (Not sure if it's two or more than two).

Hyperthreading, dual core, and dual core with hyperthreading should all work on XP Home.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Continuity27
XP Home does support dual core processors.

XP Home supports one socket, XP Professional supports more than one socket (Not sure if it's two or more than two).

Hyperthreading, dual core, and dual core with hyperthreading should all work on XP Home.

Exactly. FYI, XP Pro supports only two sockets (which means a maximum of four "processors" if you do dual dual core). To support four sockets, one needs to go to the Windows Server line, though I must admit ignorance of exactly how many processors and how much RAM each edition of Windows Server supports.

 

[duskflyer]

I am closing in on the problem. Other than the one time it made it to the first boot it has failed during format. I removed the raid array and tried installing to an individual dirve. It *seems* to be working. I am checking to see if ther are updated RAID drivers.

 

[Lorn]

I find it funny that you didn't even spell 'idiot' right.

Good luck with the problem.

 

[Aenslead]

LOL @ NOLOVE: Maybe he really means it.

I think your problem then is driver related; did you use the floppy disk to load the SATA Controller?