Mike Coan wrote:
I realize that POST indicating 2.8 GB of RAM is a problem, but I am not sure why it is a problem with the RAM and not a problem with the motherboard or the chipset. Both motherboards use the exact same chipset.
You're right - it could be one or all of those. The question is - how do you diagnose it and eliminate all but one? First of all, I would not even consider the chipset. You might as well suspect poor tracing on the PCB. You can't diagnose that. Only once you've excluded the motherboard and the memory, can you perhaps point the finger at the chipset. Or the tracing. That leaves motherboard or memory - you've already tried swapping the motherboard, right? When that memory config fails on two roughly identical motherboards, chances are it's the memory.
The BIOS recognizes all 4 GB.
This is most probably only an indication that the serial EEPROMs are working.
Memtest recognizes all 4 GB. Memtest runs for 13 hours with 4 GB installed and gives no errors.
Is this the most recent version of memtest86+? When POST fails, it does seem odd that memtest does not. Maybe memtest86+ isn't exercising the memory to the full extent.
Even Epox admits there are problems with all 4 memory bank using 1GB modules and the nvidia chipset. The other motherboard was the same nvidia chipset.
Wait - the manufacturer says "it might not work"? This is when you switch to a different manufacturer. I.e. you send the board back and get a refund - if of course the board specs clearly say the board WILL work with 4 x 1Gb of any decent make. /Per Jessen, Zürich -- http://www.spamchek.com/ - managed anti-spam and anti-virus solution. Let us analyse your spam- and virus-threat - up to 2 months for free.