RAM Dual Channeling Problem- HELP

[taicoo]

Hi, my brother recently build a custom gaming computer, but for some reason he couldnt dual channel his rams. He tried swaping the mobo but didnt work either. He has a asus p5q deluxe mobo and intel E8400 as cpu. And he could only have a mamxium of 2GB of ram ( not a problem just wat his friend that help him built said), i was just wonderin y is that? any suggestion? thx

[tmpz]

Is the memory in the matching coloured slots? It should be dual channel by default, you don't have to do anything.

Max is 16GB:

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=esOE5RDJVEmQI86w

Is the machine booting? How does he know its not in dual channel?

[taicoo]

Is the memory in the matching coloured slots? It should be dual channel by default, you don't have to do anything.

Max is 16GB:

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=esOE5RDJVEmQI86w

Is the machine booting? How does he know its not in dual channel?

the computer is booting and functioning perfectly fine, but im not sure how he nos its not in dual channel but he is pretty sure of that. The maximum memory could that be because he is using a 32bit so it could only recognize up to 3GB of memory? then y would they even release so many 4GB memories and everyone seems to be gettin them. just my thought.

[tmpz]

the computer is booting and functioning perfectly fine, but im not sure how he nos its not in dual channel but he is pretty sure of that. The maximum memory could that be because he is using a 32bit so it could only recognize up to 3GB of memory? then y would they even release so many 4GB memories and everyone seems to be gettin them. just my thought.

Oh, its running in dual channel. There's a limitation on Windows 32bit, it will only use ~3.xGB. That is normal. Some versions of Windows will see 4GB, but will not use it. If you want to use 4GB or higher, you need to get 64bit version.

Everything is working as it should.

[willy]

To calm him down, download CPU-Z ... http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpuz/cpuz_151.zip

Go to the "Memory" tab and he should see the following ... Check out the Channels # ...

http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/super_talent_ddr2/images/cpu_z_memory.gif

[killoverme]

should also say it in POST, but cpu-z is easy to read too. and tell him to go 64bit, so he can use all 4gb (if he has that much)

[taicoo]

should also say it in POST, but cpu-z is easy to read too. and tell him to go 64bit, so he can use all 4gb (if he has that much)

but is it true that not a lot of games support the 64bit, so would he not be able to play a lot of the games?

[stormy13]

What games? Unless it is some moldy old 16 bit or DOS based game, it should work no problem in 64 bit Windows.

[sarsshadow]

ok i am her brother i was using CPUz from the begining to determine the channel usage which is single ch and yea its in the right slots even tried getting another brand of ram also the problem is not with my maximum ram compatibility i just cant dual ch. right now my ram is in different slot or else my pc wont start which means if i try dual channeling my pc wont start.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8565/67162658.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/i/67162658.jpg/)


Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB (2x XMS2 1G) PC6400 800

[tmpz]

ok i am her brother i was using CPUz from the begining to determine the channel usage which is single ch and yea its in the right slots even tried getting another brand of ram also the problem is not with my maximum ram compatibility i just cant dual ch. right now my ram is in different slot or else my pc wont start which means if i try dual channeling my pc wont start.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8565/67162658.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/i/67162658.jpg/)


Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB (2x XMS2 1G) PC6400 800

Have you tried the other slot for dual channel? Maybe the memory is faulty, have you tried to run Memtest on each stick and both together? Otherwise, the board could be faulty.

[sarsshadow]

yes i have tried all those and i even tried exchanging for a new mobo of the same model tho

[willy]

Have you tried to bump the vdimm up (say, to 2.1V) ?

[sarsshadow]

yes tried. no go

[jasperException]

I assumed that you updated the motherboard with the latest bios (P5Q BIOS 2102).

According to the spec of the TWIN2X2048-6400C4 (http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X2048-6400C4.pdf):

Ideally you want to have the latency settings of 4-4-4-12 at 800Mhz and 2.1V (set manually within the memory setting of bios) after both memory are installed and working/posting. But the problem is with both memory installed in dual channel mode, your system won't post. If it does post but won't boot, then just go into the bios and manually changing the latency settings.

I have this kind of problem before with OCZ 800MHz memory on Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe MB. Even 1 stick of memory would cause the system to not even start to post. So based on what I did to solve my own problem, this is what I suggest you try:
- install 1 stick of TWIN2X2048-6400C4 into 1st slot of the dual channel slots and manually change the setting to say 5-5-5-18 at 667MHz or whatever you saw when it was AUTODETECT at (not sure about voltage but try at 2.1V). Do not use AUTO setting. Save change and reboot. See if the system boot up. If it boot up then proceed.
- turn off computer and take that 1 stick out (from 1st slot) and put it in the 2nd slot of the dual channel slots and repeat the above step.
- put in both sticks of TWIN2X2048-6400C4 into the dual channel slot and see if the system boot up and post.
-if system post, then go back into bios and manually change the memory setting to the correct setting of 4-4-4-12-2T at 800Mhz on both memory slots (MAKE SURE TO DO BOTH). Reboot and see if it post.

According to Corsair's list of compatible memory for ASUS P5Q, it said this:
TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX --- DDR2-800 (XMS2-6400C4) --- 2GB Kit (2 x 1GB) --- 2.1v --- 4-4-4-12-2T

For my problem, I have to look around for compatible memory to just get the M2N32-SLI to post and then afterward.. I change the memory setting (settings that make OCZ memory to work) manually on the non-OCZ memory. Turn off computer and swapped the memory and turn on. After doing this.. my system post with the correct setting for the OCZ. Somehow the motherboard AUTODETECT the OCZ memory with the wrong setting causing it not to post.

I am not an expert in regard to memory setting.. but the suggestion is what I found out with researching online and what I did to get my system to post. After several months, ASUS released a bios that fix this problem so I don't have to do this anymore. Hope it also works for your system.

[sarsshadow]

thx for the tip ill be sure to try that and let u no of the results

[jasperException]

I just realized something. When you installed 1 stick of memory, the bios autodetect/autoconfig/autoset the memory latency setting to 5-5-5-18 at 800MHz (as per CPU-Z screenshot). So manually configuring the latency settings to 5-5-5-18 at 667MHz in 1st slot and 2nd slots individually and then putting in both sticks may caused the system to not post or boot when in dual channel mode. My guess is that when you first connected both sticks (dual channel), the bios might autoconfig the latency settings on both sticks to 5-5-5-18 and resulted in no post/no boot. If that is the case, maybe manually configure the latency setting to 4-4-4-12-2T as per instructions above instead first. Do it to the first stick and see how it goes.. if it post/boot fine then repeat for 2nd slot and then both.

Again hope it work out.

[sarsshadow]

4-4-4-12-2T AT 800MHz?

[jasperException]

yup

[sarsshadow]

alright it doesn't seem to work it wont post after when i plug it into the second slot