PC only seems to boot with 5/6 Ram slots filled

[PenguinActually]

Not too sure on this one. I don't use this system much unless I want a bigger screen, I'm doing detailed 3D work or for Sim Racing. Soon to be replaced with Ryzen so if the issue is hardware, it's of little concern. Been trying to get it to boot for 2 days, on and off.

 

Specs to start with:

• CPU    - Intel Xeon X5650 clocked at 3.6-3.7 GHz
  COOL - BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 3
   
• RAM    - 3x 2GB Corsair Vengeance XMS3. 1333 MHz (Came bundled with Mobo)
              - 2x 4GB Corsair Vengeance Pro. 1866 MHz (From my old FX-8350 System)
   
• MOBO - EVGA X58 3x SLI. 132-BL-E758-BR
   
• GPU    - Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1060 6GB
   
• PSU    - FSP Aurum CM. AU-650M. 650W
   
• STOR - Samsung 860 Evo 250GB
             - Seagate Baracude 1TB
   
• OS     - Windows 10 Home - V. 1809

 

- EDIT -

Accidentally posted, continuing to write info sorry.

 

Had program crashes and BSOD's with the system that seemed to come back to RAM issues. Wouldn't surprise me with 2 different types forced to work together 3x 2GB and 2x 4GB. Decided to pull the 3x 2GB sticks out and just use the faster 2x 4GB sticks but I had power cycling afterwards. Prior the system has been using for 6+ months no issue. I then pulled it out and put my old AMD FX-8350 system with just 1x 2GB Stick for it to boot with and no more, for photos when I sold it and it's Mobo. Then slapped the current Mobo / CPU / RAM back in around 1 month ago.

 

Tried 1x 4GB stick in A1. Still Cycling. Then in B1, same. Then every other slot and still power cycling. Tried then to run both 4GB sticks in dual channel and got power cycling.

Then tried the 2GB sticks in the same fashion assuming because they came with the Mobo they'd be fine, but same thing. Any layout, any slots and it power cycles.

 

If I put the RAM in.

A1 - 2GB

B1 - 4GB

A2 - 2GB

B2 - 4GB

A3 - 2GB

B3 - Empty

The system will boot as expected and I am currently typing this from it. Windows says it's got 6GB @ 1033MHz , CPU-Z sees the full 14GB @ 654.3 MHz, so 1308 MHz which is very close to what the BIOS defaults to speed wise.

The only changes in BIOS is

Hard Drives to run with AHCI instead of IDE

CPU VTT +125mv

CPU Multiplier to 164

Turbo Core = On

 

Can't for the life of me figure out why. No other system I have used has done it, and I'm sure very little to no other people have had it either. In the mean time while I try figure out what's going on and why.

 

Thanks all

 

- EDIT -

Accidentally posted, continuing to write info sorry.

Finished editing/typing all info.

Edited October 27, 2019 by PenguinActually
Accidental early post. Now finished.

[Turtle Rig]

2 minutes ago, PenguinActually said:

Not too sure on this one. I don't use this system much unless I want a bigger screen, I'm doing detailed 3D work or for Sim Racing. Soon to be replaced with Ryzen so if the issue is hardware, it's of little concern.

 

Specs to start with:

• CPU    - Intel Xeon X5650 clocked at 3.6-3.7 GHz
  COOL - BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 3
   
• RAM    - 3x 2GB Corsair Vengeance XMS3. 1333 MHz
              - 2x 4GB Corsair Vengeance Pro. 1866 MHz
   
• MOBO - EVGA X58 3x SLI. 132-BL-E758-BR
   
• GPU    - Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1060 6GB
   
• PSU    - FSP Aurum CM. AU-650M. 650W
• STOR - Samsung 860 Evo 250GB

So wait say you have 4 sticks your saying PC wont boot ?  If you put them in the correct channels I don't see why it needs a weird 5 stick count or 6 sticks.  Something is fishy.  Just out of my head go to BIOS and set as defaults just for now and testing purposes and see what happens.  Also when was the last time you didn't have this situation.  I doubt the motherboard went south, but anything is possible here.

[PenguinActually]

Yeah sorry still typing that. Apparently hitting Control and Enter will post for you lol.

 

The only way I have got it to boot after re seating all RAM, was

A1 - 2GB

B1 - 4GB

A2 - 2GB

B2 - 4GB

A3 - 2GB

B3 - Empty

 

Can't wrap my head around that one. Single Sticks in any slot is power cycling, Just the 2x 4GB sticks in any dual channel type position is Power Cycling. Just the 3x 2GB sticks in any dual or triple channel is power cycling.

[tech.guru]

mixing different ram sizes and memory speed is generally a no no.

i think its operating in dual channel in each of the memory banks.

which means you losing out on performance of tri channel

 

makes sense you would need to pair each memory

[PenguinActually]

Just now, tech.guru said:

mixing different ram sizes and memory speed is generally a no no

Absolutely. Only threw them in to see what would happen and previously it's been perfectly stable much to my surprise with the only common factor being they're both DDR3, so I figured they may as well stay installed instead of sitting in a box. Makes no sense to me why trying to ditch 1 set, or from what I've tried, a single stick stops the system from booting though.

[tech.guru]

1 minute ago, PenguinActually said:

Absolutely. Only threw them in to see what would happen and previously it's been perfectly stable much to my surprise with the only common factor being they're both DDR3, so I figured they may as well stay installed instead of sitting in a box. Makes no sense to me why trying to ditch 1 set, or from what I've tried, a single stick stops the system from booting though.

i think each memory bank is in dual channel config

i guess board has smarts to handle as long same pairs are installed in each proper memory bank.

 

i wouldnt expect performance to be great, compared to identical memory modules

[PenguinActually]

5 minutes ago, tech.guru said:

i think each memory bank is in dual channel config

i guess board has smarts to handle as long same pairs are installed in each proper memory bank.

 

i wouldnt expect performance to be great, compared to identical memory modules

Yeah figured that'd be the case too. Tried taking the oddball 3rd 2GB stick out but no boot. I believe I may have had it out previously too for the reason that it'd only manage Dual Channel with only 5/6 slots used. Performance is considerably better than just 2x 4GB when it was in the FX system. Probably just down to having more available now than anything else being older hardware over all compared the FX.

 

Now it's back running, going to continue to pull and move the modules around to see if for some reason things are functioning again.

[PenguinActually]

Interestingly. Now removing the 3rd 2GB stick from A3 it will boot. Windows still sees 6GB at 1033 MHz

CPU-Z now see's 12GB, as expected at the same 1308 MHz, but it now thinks everything is in Single Channel Mode.

Reinstalling the stick back into A3 just to confirm whether CPU-Z was seeing Dual or Single with all 5 sticks installed, but it shows Single too. Booted in around 5 seconds instead of the usual 20-ish, like the BIOS checks / hardware / Hard Drives it runs through on boot were skipped. No black screen and grey text like usual for some reason as well.