My DFI / Memory Trouble

M

MERKMAN

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
Messages
226
Greetings all. I'm hoping someone here might be able to help me, since I took Eclipse advice on what RAM to get for my new system, and it seems to be giving me grief. :(

As you'll see in my signature, it's a DFI SLi-DR motherboard with two crucial "value" 1GB PC3200 DDR RAM sticks. At first, I had problems with getting the motherboard to boot, etc. By altering a bunch of BIOS settings to "save" defaults, per suggestions from folks at DFI Street's forums... I got the board stable enough to upgrade the BIOS. It now shows my Dual Core processor correctly at boot, and seems correct until I try to install Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

After booting the system from an Optical Drive in an ADS Dual Link enclosure, I'm able to start the install, format a partition on my Seagate SATA HD, and let the setup files start to copy to the HD. But at some point, the system blue screens with the following:

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT

Blah Blah Blah

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x0000004E (0x00000002, 0x00015BA2, 0x0007FEDF, 0x00000040)

Figuring this was a memory problem, I tried adjusting the memory from 2 - 4 - 4 - 7, to 3 - 3 - 4 - 4 - 8. I set the cmd rate from 1T to 2T, I upped the voltage to the RAM, etc. But everything I tried hasn't sloved the problem. I'm currently running MEMTEST 1.55 (since that's loaded in the BIOS), and after decreasing my memory voltage and making another tweak or two... trying to isolate what test is showing errors. I'm currently through Test 7 with none found.

You can actually see more of what I'm doing and have found here:

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?p=176588#post176588

Anyone have any suggestions what the trouble could be? The one problem I see with the DFI board is there are just TOO many settings, so I don't even know what some of them are. Hopefully I'm a setting away from greatness, so I don't need to return the Crucial to New Egg and get something else.
 
question #1: which slots are the RAM in?
#2: Which bios are you running?
#3: Have you tried running memtest86?
#4: If so what happened?

Which tests are giving errors? Did you ever get errors at stock speeds? What did you tweak to drop the errors? What's the vdimm at?
 
mikelz85 said:
question #1: which slots are the RAM in?

Started in One and Three, but once I got the computer booting regularly, it told me to do 2 and 4. No warnings from the BIOS since.

#2: Which bios are you running?

Latest from DFI's web site. Saw several I could have tried on DFI Street, but decided to stay official. Something D6F something or other. But it was the lastest, and I downloaded the one you run and it images the floppy for you. Worked great.

#3: Have you tried running memtest86?

Yes. The memtest has been a big help. Seems when I was having just an error or two earlier, memtest found it and let me know. Later, when I upped the voltage and made BIOS changes, the errors become more and more. Now, after putting the voltage back down to 2.7v (somewhere about where the manufacturer suggests), and making a LOT of changes in the BIOS, memtest shows no errors and I was able to install Windows MCE 2005 with no blue screens. I'm going to look at my BIOS tonight, document EVERY setting, and I'll post that here and on DFI Street.

#4: If so what happened?

See above.

Long story short, a lot of looking at posts online, tweaking suggested settings with values that made more sense to me (with the ones I *think* I understand), and changing voltages... I seem to be stable now. Looking forward to replacing my PCI MX200 video card with the 7800GTX Dell is shipping me as I type. And I have a lot of tweaking to do, so I can do the most with the gear I've received. ;)
Click to expand...
 
i find my crucial sticks don't like voltage at lower mhz. 2.6v should be plenty

also, from what you said at first, it doesn't seem that memtest was actually giving you errors. stock timings should work fine. i would clear the bios with the battery out and psu unplugged for a ~1 min, then in the bios, load optimized defaults, save/reboot, and see if it works.
 
you probably heard this 8 billion times @DFI street, but you do have all the power cables to the board plugged in, and aren't using a 20-24pin adapter on the mobo to run a 20pin PSU, right?
 
Eclipse - Actually, resetting the BIOS via jumper or loading optimized defaults was causing problems with the system. After resetting the BIOS, even if I didn't touch any settings, the system would only boot that FIRST time after the reset. Then it would only have ONE light go out on the system board DEBUG LED's, and it just seemed to lock.

Mike - I hear you, and yes, ALL the power connections on the motherboard are plugged in correctly. The 600w Enermax had all the connections I needed stock, except the 6 or 8 pin power connector on the motherboard... and it came with the adapter I needed to use that. So BOTH the Hard Drive / CD-ROM molex connector, the floppy connector, the 24 pin connector, and the seperate CPU power connector are all connected properly. And my PS is SLi-Ready, so if I decide to get another 7800 down the road... I have everything I need to do the thing right. ;)

As aforementioned, I'll document my settings and post them from home. Just had a few minutes before I leave work, so thought I'd give ya a PEACE OUT!!! :D
 
MERKMAN said:
After resetting the BIOS, even if I didn't touch any settings, the system would only boot that FIRST time after the reset. Then it would only have ONE light go out on the system board DEBUG LED's, and it just seemed to lock.
Click to expand...
just a crazy hunch here, but that could be voltage related
 
That's my theory as well. Never got to testing the system and documenting settings last night, as when I got home after going out to eat:

1) My new Dell 24" LCD had arrived
2) A new CD and DVD had arrived from Overstock
3) A couple tubes of Hair and Body Wash arrived from Fragrances.com had arrived. (Seems like a good deal, with the real stuff for a LOT less than Nordstrom, etc.)

By the time I had opened the smaller packages, cleaned up the desk, put the new LCD together, removed the old LCD from the desk, installed the new one, and rebooted the computer so the DVI worked (had been used the D-Sub)... it was pretty late. I did look at my Apple G5 case and realize that I'd drilled the holes backwars for power supply, and I dremeled the cut out backwards. So I'm going to have to face the airflow out the front of the case, instead of toward the back. Probably just as well, but it wasn't part of my original plan. :(

Still, this mistake won't be visable to most, and should be a simple fix. Hopefully I'll have the whole system in the G5 case by the end of the night (besides the 7800GTX that still hasn't arrived).
 
If your installation is on a SATA and you have IDE connected onboard, for some reason it's defaulted to CHA instead of LBA which causes this error. I had this problem and reinstalled windows and still didn't work untill I searched for this PFN error on dfi-street.com.

PS: lemme know if it's working because I was about to take the plunge with the crucial valueram too.. with my DFI UT SLI-DR and 3200+ Venice
 
*paging n64man120*

i'm fairly certain he has a dfi nf4.. and i know he has two sticks of 1gb crucial value. his words can be handy here :D
 
I have arrived...

Like Eclipse said, extra voltage can most certainly be your enemie. Stick with 2.6V, but try some other nearby choices to be sure. 2.5, 2.7, etc.

I found alot more sucess running optimized defaults for all the timings, with everything on auto whenever applicable. First I followed Ecplise's timings exactly, and it just caused hell for me.

I'm running the 510-2 Hellfire bios IIRC, it's been pretty solid. Not sure if it helped over stock, but it may have. BF2 occassionally crashes, but hopefully it's the game and not bios :x

I don't have much else to suggest, optimized defaults works well for me. Try and leave everything you can on auto like I said, although every setup varies and that may not be an option for you.

Memtest,memtest,memtest... I started at that screen for about 15 hours before getting my clocks set right, but eventually you'll get it. That's overclocking though, stock shouldn't be such a PITA. My system is currently running at all optimized defaults.

Let us know what happens with some more testign.
 
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