Seamus
How closely must DDR SDRAM modules match to avoid problems? My Award BIOS sometimes emits its "OK" beep twice 7 or so seconds apart before the PC carries on booting up.
Details:
I have been using the setup described below for a very long time, the only significant recent addition (apart from a nice new Lenovo 2440x 24" widescreen monitor with LCD backlight) is the addition of 2GB to the previous somewhat sparse 1GB of RAM, but sad to say that's the reason behind this new thread...
So, with my original 1GB of DDR-DRAM, the PC booted up and always emitted one single beep during the process.
But now that I've added two more 1GB banks of DDR-SDRAM, the BIOS sometimes emits a second beep 7 or 8 seconds after the first. When this occurs, the boot process then continues as normal and the PC functions as before other than reporting the RAM now as 3GB.
Thinking there might be some mismatch between the old & new RAM banks, I tried fitting just the two new banks and heard always only one beep. Fitting the old bank together with the new, no matter in what order (old-new-new or new-new-old) the BIOS sometimes emits a second beep.
The old 1GB bank is labelled so:
takeMs 1GB DDR 400 CL3 PC3200
The two new 1GB banks are labelled similarly:
Kingston ValueRAM 1GB DDR 400 CL3 PC3200
Both old & new banks carry memory chips on both sides of the PCB
My SiSoftware Sandra reports the RAM as follows:
Total Memory: 3GB DDR-SDRAM
---
Bank0/1 - A0: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank2/3 - A1: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank4/5 - A2: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
---
Bank 0: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 1: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 2: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 3: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 4: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 5: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
(note from me: all reported by Sandra as "3.0-3-3-7"
---
Memory Module 1
Manufacturer: Kingston
Type: 1GB DDR-SDRAM
Technology: 16x(64Mx8)
Speed: PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings: 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
Set Timing 200MHz: 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
(note from me: this time Sandra reports "3.0-3-3-8")
---
Memory Module 2 (same as 1)
---
Memory Module 3
Type: 1GB DDR-SDRAM
Technology: 16x(64Mx8)
Speed: PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings: 3.0-4-4-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
Set Timing 200MHz: 3.0-4-4-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
(note from me: this time Sandra reports "3.0-4-4-8")
I have checked my BIOS settings and see nothing untoward. Speed is shown as 200MHz; I can change this upwards but not downwards.
Anyone any ideas, please?
--------------
Win2K Pro, V5.0.2195 Bld 2195, SP4 + all updates
AMD Athlon 1.8GHz processor with Cool'n'Quiet
Award Modular BIOS V6.00PG
3GB RAM
Mozilla Firefox 3.5.2
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.23
Kaspersky Internet Security 7 inc. Firewall
MailWasher Pro 6.1
Desktop Software Area - Microsoft: Windows 2000 Professional Forum
Details:
I have been using the setup described below for a very long time, the only significant recent addition (apart from a nice new Lenovo 2440x 24" widescreen monitor with LCD backlight) is the addition of 2GB to the previous somewhat sparse 1GB of RAM, but sad to say that's the reason behind this new thread...
So, with my original 1GB of DDR-DRAM, the PC booted up and always emitted one single beep during the process.
But now that I've added two more 1GB banks of DDR-SDRAM, the BIOS sometimes emits a second beep 7 or 8 seconds after the first. When this occurs, the boot process then continues as normal and the PC functions as before other than reporting the RAM now as 3GB.
Thinking there might be some mismatch between the old & new RAM banks, I tried fitting just the two new banks and heard always only one beep. Fitting the old bank together with the new, no matter in what order (old-new-new or new-new-old) the BIOS sometimes emits a second beep.
The old 1GB bank is labelled so:
takeMs 1GB DDR 400 CL3 PC3200
The two new 1GB banks are labelled similarly:
Kingston ValueRAM 1GB DDR 400 CL3 PC3200
Both old & new banks carry memory chips on both sides of the PCB
My SiSoftware Sandra reports the RAM as follows:
Total Memory: 3GB DDR-SDRAM
---
Bank0/1 - A0: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank2/3 - A1: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank4/5 - A2: DIMM 1GB/64 @ 400Mt/s
---
Bank 0: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 1: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 2: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 3: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 4: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
Bank 5: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2
(note from me: all reported by Sandra as "3.0-3-3-7"
---
Memory Module 1
Manufacturer: Kingston
Type: 1GB DDR-SDRAM
Technology: 16x(64Mx8)
Speed: PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings: 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
Set Timing 200MHz: 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
(note from me: this time Sandra reports "3.0-3-3-8")
---
Memory Module 2 (same as 1)
---
Memory Module 3
Type: 1GB DDR-SDRAM
Technology: 16x(64Mx8)
Speed: PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings: 3.0-4-4-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
Set Timing 200MHz: 3.0-4-4-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS)
(note from me: this time Sandra reports "3.0-4-4-8")
I have checked my BIOS settings and see nothing untoward. Speed is shown as 200MHz; I can change this upwards but not downwards.
Anyone any ideas, please?
--------------
Win2K Pro, V5.0.2195 Bld 2195, SP4 + all updates
AMD Athlon 1.8GHz processor with Cool'n'Quiet
Award Modular BIOS V6.00PG
3GB RAM
Mozilla Firefox 3.5.2
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.23
Kaspersky Internet Security 7 inc. Firewall
MailWasher Pro 6.1
Desktop Software Area - Microsoft: Windows 2000 Professional Forum