T30 with Wonky Memory

[jronald]

Guys, under the weather so Im not sure how clear my thinking is.

I picked up a High End T30, with a single stick of no name 512.
Both memory slots are good.
It will run 256 in either slot
Will not run anything over 256 in either slot.
Will run some 256 and 512 in both slots.
Will not run 1 gig, no matter the brand.
I have mix and matched over 50 sticks, both IBM, No Name and Crucial.

Gives me memory dump errors, or 1=3=3=1

Ron

[ajkula66]

Two thoughts:

a) Old, or improperly functioning BIOS

b) Defective planar

Run the memtest86 on both slots with these 256MB sticks, and I mean run it overnight at the very least. If you start taking errors at any point, that board might be defective.

I've owned an A31p that wouldn't boot with 2GB no matter what I've tried. Ran like a deer with 1.5GB. Sold it two years ago to an elderly couple in my neighbourhood, disclosing the problem...guess what: hasn't hickuped once. They love it, and for their limited use (basic surfing, office documents, no streaming or anything like it) it really doesn't require more than 1.5GB. To this day I have absolutely no idea why it behaved in such a manner, and I must've gone through 20 different RAM sticks at the time...upgrading and downgrading BIOS/EC ad nauseam...swapped every swappable part multiple times...no change.

I guess one could state that the machine was defective, but it sure as heck hasn't failed in any other way...things like that make me question my own (in)sanity...

Good luck.

[jronald]

10-4 Ill break out the Memtest.

Ron

[jronald]

Cant get 1 or 2 gigs of anything to even boot 1=3=3=1

Windows runs fine, but slowish......

Ron

[jronald]

Now that I have achieved "walking dead" status I got a little smarter. I broke out enough parts to cobble together a base and Mobo combo capable of running a 2.0 and an external monitor. Then took a double handful of modules and played mix and match!
Picked up a pair of 1 gig, 512 and 256 that check fine.
Swapped those into the 2.4 gig machine.......wait for it
The fireworks began.

Its not the memory. Dont know what it is, but the slog moves onto a new phase as of this evening.

Thanks guys
Ron

[Neil]

The fireworks began.

Not literally...I hope!

[cadillacmike68]

Sounds interesting. I Hope you get better soon!

[jronald]

Was doing some reading on Memtest.............
It also indirectly tests the processor L1 and Ls Cache.
Just for Shats and Gaggles, I think Ill throw a spare 2.0 processor on the board and see what happens.


Ron

[jronald]

The 2.4, once I was able to keep it cool enough to run, threw multiple errors.
I thought i had it figured out, then stuck a 2.0 in the 2.4 Mobo....wait for it....threw multiple errors.

SO
Known good memory, known good 2.0 CPU, known good Mobo.
Suspect 2.4 (really suspect). Possible suspect Mobo?

I borrowed one of my donated 2.0 machines, and installed the "original" CPU and memory together, no issues. So double eliminated the CPU, Memory and 2 Mobos. Only thing left over is the 2.4 and the 2.4 Mobo.

Right?
Ron

[ajkula66]

Only thing left over is the 2.4 and the 2.4 Mobo.

Right?
Ron

Very sound logic.

My bet would be on a bad mojo...meant to say "mobo"...