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Computer Won't Post

Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell Help Board » Hardware » Dead, Dying or Booting Problems » Computer Won't Post « Previous Next »

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ChrisS
Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2003 - 8:42 am:   

I've just put together a new system. I've built many before but haven't had a problem like this.

MB - ECS D6VAA Dual CPU w/ VIA chipset
CPU - Coppermine PIII 133 FSB 1GHZ x 2
Memory - 512 MB PC133 64x4 (high density)
Video - Chaintech Geforce3 TI200

Basically, all I get are continuous long(ish) beeps on startup. I don't always get the beeps, but when I do, they continue until I power down. BTW, I have to shut down the PSU as the power switch does nothing. It will turn it on, but not turn it off.

Nothing comes up on the screen, just a momentary flash on power on/off. (no text or anything, just a flicker) The Monitor shows no signal.
All the parts check out fine in another system, though I haven't been able to check the CPUs. I doubt they're both bad however. I do believe this MB/chipset is supposed to work with the installed memory.

I've tried various combinations, from everything installed down to the bare essentials trying to get a POST. One Processor, memory in different slot, different drives, no drives, etc...

Any ideas? What might the continuously repeating beeps mean? As I said, I've been upgrading/building computers for almost 10 years, but this one's got me stumped.

Thank you,
Chris
E.S.
Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2003 - 4:47 pm:   

Long continuous beeps generally mean a memory issue, try a single stick of 128 meg memory double sided if possible. According to the manual if you use hi density memory 512MB ram is maximum. So you can not use 1 stick of 512mb ram, with the configuration you are using try 2 sticks of 256mb Ram. Look on Page 24 of the manual for the different memory configurations and what memory addressing the chipset can tolerate. The D6VAA is a good board, by the way.
ChrisS
Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 - 6:49 am:   

Yeah, I've read lots of good things about the D6VAA.
Which manual are you talking about? Is there an updated one? I have a ver. 1.0 board, and got a ver. 1.1 manual with it, and have also downloaded what looks like ver. 1.0 from ECS's site. Memory configurations are on pages 29 and 30. Some of the information is a little confusing to me. On the one page under the table it says 32x4 128Mbit is for registered DIMMS only. Then the next page it shows the various memory configurations and lists a 32x4 double sided (512MB) in each slot for a total of 1.5G. But then in a note it says the board supports a max of 512MB. I assumed it was per slot, and I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that 64x4 was 32x4 double sided. It doesn't say anywhere that using high density limits one to 512MB. I'm certainly not doubting you, just trying to understand.
I'll see if I can give the different memory a try. I had sent ECS an e-mail about this, inquiring specifically about the memory, but you know how that goes.
Thanks a bunch for the help!
Chris
ChrisS
Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 - 7:00 am:   

Oops, scratch part of what I said, the page number, not the confused part. I was looking at the Acrobat page number and not the actual page number.
So the part about the max memory being 512MB refers to high density then? Hmmm... the way it was in there, it looked like its own point.
Thanks again!
Chris
E.S.
Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 - 9:38 am:   

The board has a problem addressing 512mb hi-density memory, to many addressable lines I guess. In 1999-2000 a stick of 512 was still considered "Exotic" but is fairly common place now. If you are planning on using the board in a server capacity ECC Registered Dimms are the way to go.
ChrisS
Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2003 - 6:24 am:   

I'll get my hands on some different memory and give it a try.
Do you think it would be best to avoid HD RAM all together? If I go low-density (and I probably will), do you forsee trouble in going with a single stick of 512? Just like to keep slots open for any future upgrades.
E.S.
Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2003 - 11:27 pm:   

You will no doubt pay a premium for the LD 512MB but generally thats the safest way to go other than ECC.
ChrisS
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2003 - 5:13 am:   

Just want to say thanks. Your advice was spot-on. I procured a stick of 256MB standard/low density RAM to test with and it fired right up.
Boy is my face red!
Learned one thing though, just because it should work, doesn't mean it will, and that it's worth a couple extra bucks for a sure thing.
I need to go back to the simpler days of dipswitches and manually configured IRQs!
E.S.
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2003 - 10:55 am:   

HeHe, simpler days indeed.

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