Mboard says 0MB RAM, Windows Works?!

[layoric]

Customer called, said his PC runs for 6 min, then shuts down. Said he replaced the mboard himself, and processor.

OK, before he comes I guess it's something he did, incompatible processor, not enough or no paste, etc.. Now that I have it, the BIOS states 0MB installed for both (only two) DDR3 slots. However, it boots. Then I am able to get into windows, and it recognizes both 4GB chips, total of 8GB. I look up the specs for the board, and it says it's only compatible with 2GB max chips.

Never seen this before, what gives? My guess is the bios is messed up, or it just doesn't read them correctly because their not certified compatible, but why does Windows read them? I'm also running without the 6min. limit as he mentioned, btw.

So anyone seen this weird RAM issue?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Lets see. Motherboard specs say that 2gb per slot is the max this thing can read. So you are wondering why you have weirdness when you've got 4gb per slot? It isn't a messed up BIOS. You are trying to put a round peg in a square hole. Get the right memory for it and hope that permanent damage hasn't been done by your clueless end user.

 

[layoric]

Just curious

I was just curious if others saw such a thing and found the manufacturer to be incorrect or something similar.

Thanks --

 

[nlinecomputers]

I was just curious if others saw such a thing and found the manufacturer to be incorrect or something similar.

Thanks --

Well as you didn't mention the brand or model of the motherboard it is hard to comment on weather it is known to be a typo or not. But considering that you are admittedly seeing a system outside of the posted specs not working correctly....

Also just because the system panel in Windows manages to state the correct amount of memory doesn't mean that the system can ACCESS that much. You start trying to perform work on that system and it isn't likely to be able to read it and you will get errors from it. BSOD. Of course if you know what chipset is in the motherboard then you can find out the maximum amount of memory it is able to address. That will tell you more about what is going on.

 

[Blues]

I see 3 options
A) Replace RAM with 4x 2GB (Assming it has 4 or more DIMMs)
B) Replace Mobo with one which supports 4GB per DIMM.
C) Downgrade to 2x 2GB total 4GB RAM

 

[layoric]

Yes, thanks for the replies, but I know WHAT to do, as I am a technician, not a kiddie/pizza tech.

I was just wondering if anyone has come across this and seen it to actually be working.

 

[KompuKare]

Going to have to go with nlinecomputers here as the OP didn't mention the make or model of mobo, CPU or anything.

Hazarding a guess, I would say Core2 as this sounds like the chipset handles the memory and Intel moved to an integrated memory controller with Nehalem (i7/i5) (AMD of course have had an onboard memory controller since the original Athlon64/Opteron).

As to how this is possible, it is probably exactly as already guessed: the BIOS is not able to understand what 2x4GB means as it was designed for a max of 2x2GB (which is rather strange for DDR3 actually).

No, the unusual thing is that the mobo POSTs. Once the OS load (Windows although Linux might behave the same) it is able to detect the full memory. Remember, an OS can load a lot more drivers than the BIOS (as anyone who has ever disabled a PATA or SATA port in the BIOS only for Windows to still find the drive once loaded can tell you).

A BIOS update might help but some chipsets (Intel tends to be worst there as they really like to segment their products) might only support a max of 4GB anyhow.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Going to have to go with nlinecomputers here as the OP didn't mention the make or model of mobo, CPU or anything.

Hazarding a guess, I would say Core2 as this sounds like the chipset handles the memory and Intel moved to an integrated memory controller with Nehalem (i7/i5) (AMD of course have had an onboard memory controller since the original Athlon64/Opteron).

As to how this is possible, it is probably exactly as already guessed: the BIOS is not able to understand what 2x4GB means as it was designed for a max of 2x2GB (which is rather strange for DDR3 actually).

No, the unusual thing is that the mobo POSTs. Once the OS load (Windows although Linux might behave the same) it is able to detect the full memory. Remember, an OS can load a lot more drivers than the BIOS (as anyone who has ever disabled a PATA or SATA port in the BIOS only for Windows to still find the drive once loaded can tell you).

A BIOS update might help but some chipsets (Intel tends to be worst there as they really like to segment their products) might only support a max of 4GB anyhow.

Windows or Linux can query the memory to get what is supposed to be the correct amount of memory. Again it doesn't mean that the chipset can access it. Windows Xp will report 4GB yet the OS can't access it all.

 

[KompuKare]

Windows or Linux can query the memory to get what is supposed to be the correct amount of memory. Again it doesn't mean that the chipset can access it. Windows Xp will report 4GB yet the OS can't access it all.

Right, you are most likely correct. That's why without the OP giving us the mobo details we can't know. However, while for instance a Thinkpad T61 only officially supports 2x2GB there are /were people running them with 2x4GB. Still, obviously Lenovo wouldn't have provided any support for that and not all DIMMs work. Thing is I don't recall any DDR3 chipset which had max 4GB as at that stage there were already DDR2 boards which could take 8GB.

Hm, crashes after x minutes. More probably that it crashes when it tries to use a certain memory range then. So Memtest or anything which stresses memory.

 

[Blues]

Yes, thanks for the replies, but I know WHAT to do, as I am a technician, not a kiddie/pizza tech.

I was just wondering if anyone has come across this and seen it to actually be working.

I haven't seen one go past POST like that but I have seen one that a BIOS update actually made it compatible with the RAM configuration.

 

[Frozwire]

I haven't seen one go past POST like that but I have seen one that a BIOS update actually made it compatible with the RAM configuration.

Yes, I would definitely think its a BIOS firmware bug. But try to put a single 2GB RAM module on it and update the BIOS and find out if that strange behavior still persists if you put those 4GB sticks back.

 

[layoric]

Yeah, this is a Pegatrend board, made for HP. Can't find a BIOS update for it, that matches the MBoard exactly anyhow.

As the new ram is in, it works as 4GB instead. Like I mentioned, I wouldn't have done this myself just to find out, found that that customer did it without checking.

As the OS can generally do more, it is still driven by the BIOS, so I just thought it was an odd situation presented.

 

[nlinecomputers]

What Chooser is the board using? Because THAT is what determines how memory is accessed not the BIOS.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Chipset using .... damn auto correct