IBM x3650 Type 7979 Memory Error

[mikejahnke101]

Hello everyone,

So a buddy of mine gave me a server he was having issues with. I tried messing around with it and I am having no luck.

It's an IBM type 7979 x3650. When it is powered on, it says that there is a memory error. All 12 Memory Slots light up indicating there is a memory error, even if memory is not inserted. I can't get the server to post so I have no idea what error codes it's giving me. I plug in a monitor in both the front and rear VGA ports with nothing displaying after I power it on.

What could be causing a memory error on all slots even if there isn't anything plugged into them? It doesn't make any sense to me.

If you need more detail on the server let me know. This is as much as I can think of for the time being. Again I can't tell you any specific error codes because the server won't post nor display anything on any displays.

UPDATE: Now getting both a Memory Error and a CPU Error when powering up. CPU Error is new. At the time when i got this error it was running with just one processor, as this Server comes stock with just the one. There was another CPU installed but I removed it for troubleshooting to try and have the base configuration

 

[cryoburner]

Perhaps the memory error with none inserted is a different error, simply indicating that no memory is inserted. >_>

I'm not all that familiar with the details of server motherboards, but has the system run using that particular memory before? It likely needs to be buffered ECC memory. Also, I believe you have to fill an entire block of four slots at a time on that motherboard, so testing only on or two sticks at a time might not work.

 

[mikejahnke101]

Perhaps the memory error with none inserted is a different error, simply indicating that no memory is inserted. >_>

I'm not all that familiar with the details of server motherboards, but has the system run using that particular memory before? It likely needs to be buffered ECC memory. Also, I believe you have to fill an entire block of four slots at a time on that motherboard, so testing only on or two sticks at a time might not work.

I figured that might be why it might not be posting, so I filled an entire channel (three sticks according to the specs) and then it said that the first 6 slots had errors. Keep in mind that only the first three slots had RAM actually installed.

So then I installed 6 sticks. Then all 12 RAM error lights came on. So I reinstalled all 12 RAM sticks. When I powered on 10 said they had errors but two of them worked.

Another update is after I reinstalled all the RAM I got a CPU error as well as a Memory Error. At the time it was running with just one processor, as this Server comes stock with just the one. There was another CPU installed but I removed it for troubleshooing to try and have the base configuration.

 

[cryoburner]

I figured that might be why it might not be posting, so I filled an entire channel (three sticks according to the specs) and then it said that the first 6 slots had errors. Keep in mind that only the first three slots had RAM actually installed.

I think it is actually supposed to be 4 sticks at a time, while skipping spaces in between. Some example photos for a similar motherboard with 4 slots in use can be found in this ebay listing.

I also found a manual here that seems to indicate this (see the "Installing a memory module" section). Actually, 2 sticks will apparently work as well, if they're installed in slots 1 and 4 (starting near the CPU). That might help debugging any potential problems with the memory. It also sounds like the memory needs to be installed in identical pairs in the order specified, so you might have potentially paired some unmatching sets if they were in the wrong order.