RAM issues on a MSI P35 Platinum Combo

telemann

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Jan 27, 2008
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I just bought two identical rigs and I am putting them together, here's the short version of the parts list...

CRUCIAL TECHNOLOGY BL2KIT12864AA1065 Ballistix 2GB PC2-8500 (DDR2-1066) DDR2 Memory Retail
ASUS EN8800GT/G/HTDP/512M/A Geforce 8800 GT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card Retail
INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHz 1333 MHz 775 6MB Desktop Processor Retail
Western Digital Caviar SE 16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
MSI P35 Platinum Combo Intel Core 2 Quad/Core 2 Extreme/Core 2 Duo/Pentium Socket 775 1333 MHz PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066) ATX Motherboard Retail

I have a total of 8 gigs of ram in single gig sticks. The plan was to put 4g in each computer. I'm having trouble though and think it might just be something dumb that I'm missing...

This motherboard can take either DDR2 or DDR3 memory, but not both at the same time. As you can see above I am using DDR2. This motherboard comes with "memory turbo sticks" that are (as far as i can tell) essentially fake ram sticks that you place in the unused DDR3 slots.

I've noticed that sometimes the computer will power-on for a very short time (like a quarter second, the lights on the motherboard come on) and then it will power back off again. It then comes on a second time by itself, and boots normally. I'm guessing this is some kind of detection process.

Here's a link to MSI's page for the motherboard.
http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1250&maincat_no=1

--- Computer one ---
Fill all four DDR2 slots with ram, place the turbo sticks in the DDR3 slots.
Boot hangs at the Memory Detection Test...

Place one stick of ram in the green area, and one in the orange area as per the manual's suggestion for taking advantage of both memory channels. Place the turbo sticks in the DDR3 slots.
Boot hangs at the Memory Detection Test.

Place two sticks of ram in the green area with the turbo sticks in place...
Computer boots with 2gigs ram.

In fact, the computer never gets past the Memory Detection test if there is a stick in the orange DDR2 area.

--- Computer two ---
Won't get past the Memory Detection Test no matter what I do. I've tried just about everything from one stick of ram (tried in each slot) to all the slots filled to everything in between. I've tried it with and without the turbo sticks. I've taken ram from the computer that works and put it in the computer that doesn't -- nothing. I've tried clearing the CMOS (via the little red button). That didn't do it either.

I've noticed that this second motherboard never (or hardly ever) seems to do the "boot twice" thing I mentioned above. Is there something about this motherboard that I need to know concerning RAM? I'm thinking it isn't auto-configuring right somehow...

Thanks a lot for reading this far. I'm happy to provide any more info you need.
 

rogue6

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I'm not sure how much help this will be as I have the regular MSI p35 Platinum, also built very recently, but my PC also does the boot/die/boot=just=fine thing, too. The only thing I've been able to come up with on this is that it seems to happen right aftre i change a major setting in the BIOS (RAM freq, RAM timings, FSB, etc) which made me think it's just a detection test of some kind also.

On the other issues, I'd say either check around in the forums for similar things, or shoot an e-mail to MSI about it. They may have already heard about it and know how to fix it. Hope you get it worked out.
 

chuckm

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Just about all P35 boards do this after a bios change, Telemann, I've not used this board, but have you tried booting to just one stick?
 

telemann

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I have not checked the voltage and timing because the computer isn't booting up enough to get to the BIOS menus.

I got computer 2 to start boot-die-booting on every attempted boot by removing the battery and clearing the CMOS (and putting the battery back). Before it was just booting without the die part. I believe this is probably a good change.

I have tried one stick of ram (with about 4 different sticks individually, two of which I know work as they are from Computer 1). No luck. Part of the problem is that there are too many combinations to try. Do I use the "turbo sticks" or leave them out? Both turbo sticks or just 1? Do I match the ram into the same colored slots or try the "dual channel mode" configuration suggested in the manual (one stick in the orange area, one in the green)?

The manual pretty much says to use the turbo sticks, and to place them into the type of ram slots (DDR 2 vs 3) that aren't being used. The manual does say to remove the turbo sticks if I'm trying to overclock the ram (I'm not). I've pretty much been leaving them in the DDR3 slots.

The Manual is here, but the download is really slow.
http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=downloaddetail&type=manual&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1250
 

Smoked Turkey

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It only supports 1066 Memory if you overclock it (as in overclock to 1066). I don't think you can just plug in DDR2 1066. You'll have to find some DDR2 800 and see what happens.
 

telemann

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Wow I'm dumb. Yep you are right, thats the problem. Thanks for pointing out the folly of my ways! (Now I can stop pulling my hair out.)
 

macattax

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Place one stick of ram in the green area, and one in the orange area as per the manual's suggestion for taking advantage of both memory channels. Place the turbo sticks in the DDR3 slots.
Boot hangs at the Memory Detection Test.

Place two sticks of ram in the green area with the turbo sticks in place...
Computer boots with 2gigs ram.

In fact, the computer never gets past the Memory Detection test if there is a stick in the orange DDR2 area.

I have the exact same problem with a current build its fine with 2 sticks in green ram area but orange slots are a no go BSODs all over the place when it tries to boot xp.

I am trying to run 4 sticks of 512mb pc2-6400 (400mhz) Kingston ram.
Cpu is a Q6600 and mobo is the same msi p35 combo platinum.
Graphics I have a msi geforce 8800Gts 640mb.

The strange thing is I built an identical system before xmas and it ran perfectly without any of these ram issues.

Please can you tell me how you fixed this ?
Or tell me what I need to do to check this.

P.s. I have 2 of these boards at the moment and I have the same problem with both of them using the same ram.
 

telemann

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Well my problem is that my ram was too fast -- I had DDR1066. It doesn't look like you have that problem.

I've ordered DDR800 and haven't gotten it yet, but am guessing it will work for me.
 

macattax

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The board actually runs ok with 3 sticks of ram. Both green slots filled and one orange slot filled. But when both orange ram slots are filled it becomes very unstable causing various BSODs while booting to windows. Everything posts fine in bios it just seems to be a windows xp problem as far as i can tell.

Anybody have a suggestion on what might be the problem?
 

posiedon

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well im facing the exact same problem...got MSI p35 platinum combo+q6600+1x2Gb Transcend ddr2 800 ram. The board boots up...dies...and then again boots up and thats it...from the LED indicators given in the manual of the board it says ram issues....and I dont have any idea wats going on....some1 please help me out...
 

posiedon

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were any of you able to solve this problem or did you just end up doing an RMA?Please help me out as this would let me know about the problem...
 

macattax

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I had to send my cpu back in the end. A friend asked me to build an identical computer for him his worked almost immediatley after the build.
He let me put some of my parts in and everything worked except my cpu.
I RMAd the cpu and it took me 3 weeks to get it back they replaced it of course. But being busy with business and family I have not had time to finish my build.
I run an IT/PC repair shop and we have had a lot of lightning in the area over the past few months so I have not had time to think let alone build my pc.
 

wombat21

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sorry for digging up a very old thread but this sorta sounds similar to a problem i'm having with p35 platinum combo.

I got a e8400 core 2 duo (wolfs dale) and put it into the board. the comp starts up but then freezes on bios. not quite sure whats causing it to freeze on start up. the only thing that stands out is my memory is fsb is 667. could this be my problem?

Does anyone have any experience with E8400's in p35 platinum combo?
 

jimishtar

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i have. its probably the memory. the combo models are very tricky to work with. try updating the bios, see if it works.