Hey guys well i got a new computer and its not working very well to say the least. been getting bsod alot and memory errors been in contact with the guy alot and im getting a new motherboard. but i wanted to see that you guys think. this is what it came down to
ok so i have everything running as of now. don't know for how long but this is what happened. the motherboard and 2 dimm slots and 4 slots for ram as you know. closest to the motherboard is a1black a2 Blue b1 Black b2 Blue. so when you sent the computer you had the ram in a2 and b2. once i got the computer back up it was only registering that i had ram in b2. i don't know if i have to change the voltage or anything for it to reconise the other slots so i took out the ram in b2 and left the one in a2 and it gave the beeps saying there was no ram. so i put it just in b2 and it worked fine. then i put the ram in a1 and b1 black slots like the manual said you could do and it didn't start like before. so i put the ram in a1 and b2 and it only read the ram in b2. so i put both in the dimm b1 and b2 the manual said that you shouldn't have both in a dim when you only have 2 sticks but its registering all 4 gigs for now. i dont know if this is make the ram run slower or cause future problems. but i think the whole problem all along as maybe a bad ram slot on the motherboard. let me know what you guys think
Okay here's my reiteration of what I think you just said:
Hey guys! Well I got a new computer and it's not working very well to say the least. I've been getting BSOD a lot and memory errors, I've been in contact with the guy who sold it to me and I'm getting a new motherboard. But I wanted to see what you guys think. This is what it came down to:
Ok, so I have everything running as of now. I don't know for how long but this is what happened.
I have 2 DIMMs and the motherboard has a total of 4 slots for RAM. In order from the closest slot from the CPU is slot:
A1 (black), A2 (Blue), B1 (Black), B2 (Blue).
When the computer was sent to me it had the RAM modules in slots A2 and B2.
Once I got the computer working it was only registering that I had RAM in slot B2, I don't know if I have to change the voltage or anything for it to recognise the other slots. So I took out the RAM in slot B2 and left the one in slot A2, it gave beeps indicating that there was no RAM. So I just put it in slot B2 and it worked fine.
I then tried the RAM in slots A1 & B1 like the manual said you could do, but the computer didn't start like before. So I put the RAM in slots A1 & B2 but it only recognised the RAM in slot B2. So I put both in slots B1 & B2, the manual said that you shouldn't have both DIMMs in when you only have 2 sticks but its registering all 4 gigs for now. I don't know if this will make the RAM run slower or cause future problems but I think this was the whole problem all along as maybe there was a bad RAM slot on the motherboard.
Right, now that's out of the way. I think the problem that you're experiencing with the RAM is that you have two separately bought modules, one single channel one dual channel. This was the original set up you stated the computer was in when it arrived to you:
________________
¦________________¦ [A1 Black] Empty
________________
¦
________________¦ [A2 Blue] 2048Mb DDR? Single channel DIMM
________________
¦________________¦ [B1 Black] Empty
________________
¦
________________¦ [B2 Blue] 2048Mb DDR? Dual channel DIMM
This didn't work correct? (Caused BSOD & other memory errors) Because as far as the computer was concerned one module was not working properly in tandem with the other.
You then removed the dual channel module, leaving the single channel in slot A2. This caused the system to register no RAM. After which you replaced the dual channel module only in slot B2. You've then read the motherboard manual and tried this configuration that didn't work:
________________
¦
________________¦ [A1 Black] 2048Mb DDR? Single channel DIMM
________________
¦________________¦ [A2 Blue] Empty
________________
¦
________________¦ [B1 Black] 2048Mb DDR? Dual channel DIMM
________________
¦________________¦ [B2 Blue] Empty
You got the same problem because both modules were on the same channel (black).
So finally, for some reason, you tried slots B1 & B2:
________________
¦________________¦ [A1 Black] Empty
________________
¦________________¦ [A2 Blue] Empty
________________
¦
________________¦ [B1 Black] 2048Mb DDR? Dual channel DIMM
________________
¦
________________¦ [B2 Blue] 2048Mb DDR? Single channel DIMM
So now the memory is installed in single channel mode, each module being on it's own channel (1 on black, one on blue). Installing the modules in slots A1 & A2 should also work but it probably pay off better to have the distance from the CPU for thermal reasons.
As for the disadvantages of single channel RAM... Nothing to loose any sleep over.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/PARALLEL-PROCESSING,1705-11.html
