Re: Vista Ultimate 64-bit 8GB on ASUS 3A32-MVP Deluxe

If you a retail copy of the OS then you are entitled to free installation support, period. The only other possibility is an OEM pack, and you would be out of luck there. The purchaser of an OEM pack is responsible for supporting the customer for whom he installed the software.

I would simplify. I would get XP off for the time being. I would focus on Vista because it is the one that can access 8GB of ram. XP can't anyway. You can always reinstall XP from an image to a second partition or drive and do the usual repair of the dual-boot startup from the MS KB article on installing XP second, or by using VistaBoot Pro. It is really hard to troubleshoot a computer as it is and simplification is priceless. In fact, it is an art form. :)

"MrKit" <MrKit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:B4B32F97-7B7A-4C83-A40B-B328576575AC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Right. I agree with you there. As I said, I did contact the DIMM manufacturer
and get the exact timing and voltage to use with this memory as well as this
motherboard. They also said that each DIMM is embedded with the SPD which
tells the BIOS which timing and voltage to use. In this case, they are cas
latency 5, ras cas 5, row precharged delay 5 and voltage 1.8. I even hard-set
these in the BIOS to override the SPD with the same results. To me, this
eliminates the SPD as the problem. The BIOS had read it properly and set it
for the DIMMS in the first place.

And, I contacted AMD, the manufacturer or the Phenom 9500 in order to
investigate any issues there - with the memory controller or something else.

ASUS, Kingston and AMD all say that the BIOS is properly reading the SPD in
the DIMMS and utilizing all the RAM. They each say this is an OS issue.
Microsoft will not discuss the issue with me for less than $59 despite the
fact that I paid full price for both Microsoft Os' in use on the computer.
When one pays $399 for an operating system, they should get better treatment.

This is the first incident I ever brought here. All previous issues that
MIGHT be Microsoft-related I handled alone, with friends, or with Microsoft
in the first 90 days. For one thing, although I have been using computers
almost daily since 1978, I am not a good typist and it takes a long time to
write these messages and remove most of the errors.

I had hoped to run into someone with my same motherboard, cpu, memory and
Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit edition, to see how they make it all play
nicely together. That would have been great, but since it didn't happen, I
get to deal with real life on life's terms.

Frankly, all I am left to do is to examine the issue from all possible
sides, and try those solutions which are the least destructive and seem most
likely to work.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

The problem is timings while accessing the memory. The BIOS is simply
reporting the presence of devices compatible with the mobo. The BIOS is not
predicting success of an installed OS.

For mobo manufacturers and cpu makers, it is a real estate problem. That is
why I call it the "fourth damn dimm" problem sometimes. The electrical
distance out and back from the memory controller to the furthest dimm
determines the maximum frequency that can be supported and also sustain
stability. There is a point at which the memory controller is overwhelmed
or cannot keep up. Slightly increasing the dram voltage (no more than 0.1v)
can help in a marginal situation as can lowering the dram speed if the
highest rated ram for the mobo is in use. I think you are already using 667
ram which is a very comfortable dram speed for current boards so I don't see
that as an issue. But the memory controller is integrated on the Phenom so
while the cpu is compatible with the board and 8GB of ram is compatible with
the board, is your model Phenom AND 8GB of your ram compatible on your mobo?
That is the question. It is never the individual component specs but the
combination that is such a headache to work out at times.

"MrKit" <MrKit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:EB3F39FF-288C-487E-B6FC-C433018B68C3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> On the surface I would agree with you about ASUS. They can and do make
> mistakes or misrepresent things in order to sell their products > sometimes,
> or
> to keep from fulfilling their duties as spelled out in their warranty.
> However, I did talk to the people at Kingston, who tested the > motherboard
> model at 8GB with their memory. They are the originators of the claim > that
> the board could run at 8GBs using this particular memory model.
>
> It is possible, I suppose, that the memory controller on the Phenom is > the
> problem, but what I need is a definate test to make absolute certain > that
> this is the cause. If it is, I can then attack it from there, fixing > the
> problem or returning/replacing the cpu. However, this would be too
> expensive
> unless there was solid, verifiable evidence that the memory controller > is
> the
> problem.
>
> I know nothing of memory controllers on cpus. I just first heard about
> them
> a few days ago. So, I don't know how they work or anything. However, it
> just
> seems to me that if the BIOS accepts and reports the 8GBs, then doesn't
> than
> mean the motherboard and cpu have also accepted it? I am willing to
> contact
> the cpu manufacturer. I just need to learn more about the memory
> controller
> on the cpu, and whether there is a clear test to determine whether it > is
> the
> culprit.
>
> "Charlie Tame" wrote:
>
>> Colin Barnhorst wrote:
>> > Curious, that is specific to 32bit Vista. The OP's issue is an
>> > unstable
>> > computer running 64bit Windows on 8GB.
>> >
>> > The integrated memory controller in the phenom quad he is using may >> > not
>> > be able to handle the configuration. I have read that there are >> > issues
>> > like that with some phenoms. However, the OP insists it must be >> > Vista
>> > because the mobo maker couldn't have gotten it wrong.
>> >
>> > Oh well.
>> >
>> > "Curious" <spammenot@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> > news:OrCyC3g2IHA.4492@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >> Maybe the information in the following link will help:
>> >>
>> >> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605/en-us
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>>
>>
>> Yes, Asus have got it wrong before. My old machine says it can take up
>> to 2MB but install that and it reports something off the wall like 50
>> bytes or something and crashes. New BIOS does not fix, it is a >> hardware
>> addressing defect apparently.
>>
>>


.

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