Gigabyte H55M-S2V [ver 1.3] mobo memory issue

[DocTony]

Gigabyte says this mobo [H55M-S2V] can support up to 16GB of DDR3 memory in the mobo's available two DIMM memory slots ==but== while I can and 'have' successfully used both the 2 X 2 gig and 2 X 4 gig sticks, the very moment I tried to use 2 X 8 sticks for the Gigabyte website touted 16 GB memory [two 8 gig sticks] , Windows 7 64 bit refused to load no matter what I did and which was rather extensive as to seeking a "cure" for the issue! I was forced to go back to either two DIMM sticks of 2 gigs [4 gigs total memory] each or two sticks of 4 gigs each [8 gigs total memory] but two '8' gig sticks for the Gigabyte cited "16 GB total memory" would stop Windows cold from loading.

I tried virtually everything! On another forum, I followed a rather in depth posting on this very issue between "Tradesman" and "Stephen H" and no amount of advanced BIOS tinkerings [when Stephen H. had the identical problem with this mobo and memory issue] would get Windows to load with two '8' gig sticks and accept the Gigabyte touted "16 GB max" --- it's fine with either '2' gig or '4' GB sticks in each of the two DIMM slots but a complete no-go with '8' gig sticks in each DIMM slot! I had to finally settle for 8 GB memory max using two 4 GB sticks in each DIMM slot. My conclusion is [and based on various other users having the identical problem!] that the motherboard in fact will NOT support 16 GB max memory no matter what one does in BIOS! In fact, it will [the two '8' gig sticks] come to life in BIOS, but Windows then refuses to load it despite all sorts of BIOS advanced adjustments including enabling the XMC thing and enabling "EXPERT" [in BIOS which causes both memory channels to open up for user manual entries] so that both A and B memory channels can be manually modified by the user. Ditto modifying DRAM voltages, etc. , etc. . And yes, I even upped the BIOS to the F3 version [circa September of 2010] which was the last BIOS update on this mobo. Disheartening to say the least! 16GB max memory remains illusive so I settled for "half the loaf" and remain at 8GB [two 4 gig sticks] total memory! :-(

 

[clutchc]

If this is the correct motherboard, it is stated in the specs that it only supports 8GB max: http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3568#sp

 

[DocTony]

You are correct, clutche, and my take is that Gigabyte modified [read: corrected] this essentially 'because' the mobo was proven to not accept 16MB -- for example, see Tigerdirect and various other websites where [and supposedly copying Gigabyte literature at least at the time] mention the mobo to support 16GB ==until== users who bought the board back in 2010 [like me] and who then wanted to up the memory to the touted 16GB found out that the mobo would NOT support it! Many places now show that mobo either "out of stock" and/or no longer available but still citing the 16GB support. BTW, my reference to "another forum" in my write up referred to a forum 'outside' of Tom's Hardware where yet another H55M-S2V mobo user had the identical issue with the 16GB memory [2X8 sticks] based on Gigabyte's at least 'then' [in 2010] public ad assertions that the mobo [all versions of the H55] could support 16GB but that was simply not the case!

It in fact supports a max of =8= gigs, not 16 gigs and my feeling is that enough user feedback came in so that Gigabyte changed the specs ==but==, ahhhhh, I have the 2010 Gigabyte manual for the mobo and I quote from the Gigabyte issued manual [dated August 6, 2010, Rev. 1301] that accompanied the mobo when I bought it in late 2010 , and specifically on page 10 AND Gigabyte NOTING that the listing was specific to the "GA-H55M-S2V"of the version 3 mobo manual, to wit, and I quote: "2 X 1.5V DDR3 sockets supporting up to 16GB of system memory." [sic] The manual then goes on to say [page 10] after they claim the mobo can support up to 16GB of memory, "Support for DDR3 1666 (O.C.)/1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules." Further comment about extra support for the XMP memory modules. In any event, at least they 'now' have correct info but that does not help those who bought the mobo in 2010 and down the line try to get 16MB to work and all they get is grief! Or, worse, the mobo being sold today at bargain basement prices but still touting that it can be expanded to 16GB of memory which is just not true! I went by Gigabyte's own 2010 issued manual and the manual was/is in error.

 

[DocTony]

I should add for the record that I emailed Gigabyte on this issue some time ago and stated [with multiple forum references so they could read it for themselves!] that this mobo has a very serious issue with accepting 16GB memory [2 X 8 sticks] in that Windows rejects it and will not load! I never received a response but NOW I see [** thanks to your input and which is highly appreciated] Gigabyte in their mobo archive talks about '8' gigs max [!] memory and lo and behold that 2010 cited '16GB max support' is nowhere to be found ==UNLESS== one checks and reads Gigabyte's own issued 2010 manual for the H55 where '16GB' support [2 X 8 sticks] in fact appears .... but which is entirely bogus!

 

[clutchc]

I see. Sounds like you have done your homework and researched the issue. No doubt that you have the correct definition of what happened. About the only recourse you have at this late date is to live with it or upgrade. But I imagine you are a little 'gun shy' now when you see specs listed.
I'm really surprised GB didn't offer you a 16GB replacement board for PR purposes alone.

 

[DocTony]

I think what bugs me [no pun intended], clutche, is that most users place much stock in the manufacturer's manual and public hawkings and so when an item is specified to do a certain thing [like the H55 mobo and the alleged 16GB memory], they go on that supposed fact and buy higher memory only to get grief when the new higher memory won't work! Worse, and you can check this at another forum where in 2012 this user was talking to Gigabyte techs who were diplomatically insisting that 16GB worked and that the 'user' had to be doing something wrong or was allegedly "not properly dealing with BIOS settings" or, the kicker, in one case I read, the Gigabyte guy told the user, "Sir -- if you get to the BIOS and see a physical screen and Windows in fact counts the total memory, then the memory is obviously working and the problem has to be within your Windows set-up and not the memory or 'our motherboard' [!] ... ", in effect, the user becomes the real "culprit" when in fact the mobo will not support 16GB to begin with! One long-term but IMO 'knows-his-stuff' forum tech suggested that all too often when a new mobo is released, the extent of 'does it work at higher gig memory' consists of checking higher meg or gig memory at the BIOS level ONLY and if a readable screen appears and Windows [at the BIOS level] counts off the appropriate megs or gigs in the sticks, voila, it should work!" Seemingly, they don't see if Windows will load the thing on the "theory" that so many individual Windows set-ups have gazillions of possible scenarios as to what the user's particular Windows is doing or running or whether it's 32 bit or 64 bit, etc. etc. that the BIOS level POST becomes sufficient for the check! In this case, and this mobo, 16GB was bogus!

Anyway, I put the max 8 gigs in there and I rationalized the purchase of the other Crucial 2X8 sticks kit [16 MB] because, as you well know, DDR3 desktop memory remains very popular and I'll simply use it down the line when I update my next mobo so no loss there. Hey, even manufacturers think ahead as do users -- my other machine can only support SATA 2 at 3 gigabits a second transfer rate yet I'm using an SSD rated at 6 gigibits UNTIL I get a SATA 3 ready mobo and ditto with my just purchased PCI-E 3.0 Nvidia 680 GTX video card which is sitting in my PCI-E 2.0 slot and doing fine until my next mobo has the PCI-E 3.0 specification. And so on down the line where I'm thinking of moving to an AM3+ CPU although in that case, the mobo 'must' be AM3+ socket capable. Planning ahead kind of thing. ;-)

As for the H55, the more the word is spread, the less frustrating it will be for users trying to get 16GB to work when, in fact, only '8' GB is the reality system max using 2 X 4 sticks for the 8 gig total max memory. I thank you for your input and the best on that i5-2500K 4.0 gig CPU you have there ... nice! One of my avid long-term hobbies is flight simulation [of late tho', I focus on both FS9 and FSX] and I like to have machines that make it 'fly' to the machine's best potential -- those AMD FX multi-core series CPU's look good but, on the other hand, the Intel i5's and i7's are hardly any slouchers! ;-) I'll say this too ... when a computer issue does arise, Tom's Hardware is generally my first stop. Someone, somewhere, has "been there, done that" and you can't beat the helpful input or just reading the forums for similar computer issues even tho' some of the stuff can get 'sooooooo' technical [at least for me] that I simply 'borrow' the input and give it a shot and very often I luck out albeit due to the collective savvy and experience(s) of others and which is considerable and far and above what manufacturer websites can offer versus the user/tech "community" where much can be learned! And for free .... versus being "caller # 56" and one waits it out ... ! Thanks again!