ASUS P3B-F - Does it support REGISTERED RAM-modules?

[Torben Birk]

I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04.
I can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston module:
KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible - since
it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.
According to:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/rscheidegger/ram_bx_faq.html
the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to check
the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.

And why I choose this ECC memory module? - it is cheap: 40$!. And the only
256MB module I can get at present that possibly would work.

Thanks

Torben Birk Christensen
(Remove fruit to email)

 

[Roy Coorne]

Torben Birk wrote:

....

the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to check
the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.

....

The manual -
http://www.asuscom.de/pub/ASUS/mb/slot1/440bx/p3b-f/p3bf-104.pdf -
is not dubious at all - well, they don't list Kingston;-)

You may wish to check www.crucial.com > Memory Upgrade... they offer
ECC modules which are suitable for the P3B-F.

HTH - Roy

 

[Torben Birk]

Dubious or not - we might be rigth both of us:
A fact: SDRAM modules can be registered or unbuffered (the term unregistered
is sometimes used too).

In the manual chapter 3.5 one can read:
"This motherboard uses only ...DIMMs. Sockets are available for 3.3Volts
(..) UNBUFFERED ...SDRAM.".
And further the Note:
"At the time this User's manual was written, 256MB DIMMs are only available
as double-sided REGISTERED memory".

Why mention "unbuffered... SDRAM" if both registered and unbuffered modules
will work?
Why bother the note when registered modules will work?

Possibly something like an ASUS-apology for at that time the extra price of
registered modules ??:-o
These obvious questions made me uncertain and might be the source of a
semantic battle ;-)

/Torben Birk

 

[Stephan Grossklass]

AFAIR many BX boards will run registered DIMMs just fine, even if only
spec'd for unbuffered. What I find interesting is that registered
modules with 16Mx8 chips exist - x4 chips seems to be much more popular
on those, IIRC because Chipkill only works with them.

Stephan

 

[Roy Coorne]

Dubious or not - we might be rigth both of us:
A fact: SDRAM modules can be registered or unbuffered (the term unregistered
is sometimes used too).
Right.

In the manual chapter 3.5 one can read:
"This motherboard uses only ...DIMMs. Sockets are available for 3.3Volts
(..) UNBUFFERED ...SDRAM.".
And further the Note:
"At the time this User's manual was written, 256MB DIMMs are only available
as double-sided REGISTERED memory".

= At the time the User's manual was written, unbuffered (unregistered)
256 MB DIMMs were not yet available.

Why mention "unbuffered... SDRAM" if both registered and unbuffered modules
will work?

Registered modules won't work.

Why bother the note when registered modules will work?

Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.

Possibly something like an ASUS-apology for at that time the extra price of
registered modules ??:-o
These obvious questions made me uncertain and might be the source of a
semantic battle ;-)

Yes, the note is not as clearly written as possible;-)


Roy

 

[soupy]

Registered modules won't work.


Registered modules won't work. I read the note as a warning to the
user to be cautious when buying DIMMs for the P3B-F.

It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
P3B-F.

 

[Roland Scheidegger]

It's odd that Registered DIMMS are supported on the P2B-F, but not the
P3B-F.

Maybe it's because some of the p2b series board are considered more or
less "professional" boards, also used in small servers (p2b-ds at
least), in these applications usually registered ecc ram is used.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure registered ram will work just fine on the p3b-f,
as always you just can't mix registered and unbuffered. Asus tells you
you NEED to use registered ram if you have more than 2 modules on ALL
boards with bx chipset, regardless the board model (that is, of course,
not exactly true neither).
http://www.asuscom.de/support/FAQ/faq094_MBIT.htm
groups.google.com will tell you the same.

Roland

 

[Roy Coorne]

Maybe it's because some of the p2b series board are considered more or
less "professional" boards, also used in small servers (p2b-ds at
least), in these applications usually registered ecc ram is used.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure registered ram will work just fine on the p3b-f,
as always you just can't mix registered and unbuffered. Asus tells you
you NEED to use registered ram if you have more than 2 modules on ALL
boards with bx chipset, regardless the board model (that is, of course,
not exactly true neither).
http://www.asuscom.de/support/FAQ/faq094_MBIT.htm

It's funny: This Asus page links to Crucial for an explanation of
'registered', and Crucial informs on the P3B-F: "Module Types
Supported: Unbuffered only".

groups.google.com will tell you the same.

Yes, there are postings about P3B-F boards run with registered DIMMs.
Very strange all that, indeed; didn't Crucial do their homework?

Roy

 

[daytripper]

It's funny: This Asus page links to Crucial for an explanation of
'registered', and Crucial informs on the P3B-F: "Module Types
Supported: Unbuffered only".


Yes, there are postings about P3B-F boards run with registered DIMMs.
Very strange all that, indeed; didn't Crucial do their homework?

When I can fill all four slots using commodity dimms and reach the 1GB maximum
supported system memory capacity, why would I buy a registered dimm that (1)
adds latency, (2) cannot extend the 1GB memory limit, and (3) costs more?

/daytripper (Perhaps Crucial got an "A" on their homework? ;-)

 

[Ola A Johansson]

Hi Torben!

I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04.
I can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston module:
KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible - since
it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.
According to:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/rscheidegger/ram_bx_faq.html
the i440BX chipset generally support registered memory but advices to check
the manaul - and the P3B-F manual (1.04) is more dubious.

And why I choose this ECC memory module? - it is cheap: 40$!. And the only
256MB module I can get at present that possibly would work.

Thanks

Torben Birk Christensen
(Remove fruit to email)

I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)

HTH /Ola J

 

[Jay T. Blocksom]

I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04.
I can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston module:
KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible - since
it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.

[snip]

ITYM "32Mx72"; but beyond that, I think your subsequent suspicion is correct.
Alas, I don't have a P3B-F manual handy at the moment, so I'm unable to
confirm this definitively; but I strongly suspect that it will not properly
support buffered ("registered") memory. ECC os OK -- recommended, even -- but
many BX-chipset mobos require unbuffered DIMMs, even tho' _in_theory_ the
underlying chipset does not.

That said, have you tried setting *all* timings and similar to their
slowest/default values? Note, you may need to install the old DIMMs in order
to access the BIOS SETUP facility, in order to make these changes; then shut
down, reinstall the new DIMMs, and try again.

And why I choose this ECC memory module? - it is cheap: 40$!. And the only
256MB module I can get at present that possibly would work.

[snip]

Not all *that* cheap; and by no means the only suitable module. See:

<http://castle.pricewatch.com/search...+33&i=33&ct=Computer&c=System+Memory&mi=N&m=N>


--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[Jay T. Blocksom]

Hi Torben!
[snip]

I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)

[snip]

If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.

And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
buffered "registered" types.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[Ixnei]

I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04. I
can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston
module: KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible -
since it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.

[snip]

ITYM "32Mx72"; but beyond that, I think your subsequent suspicion is
correct. Alas, I don't have a P3B-F manual handy at the moment, so I'm
unable to confirm this definitively; but I strongly suspect that it will
not properly support buffered ("registered") memory. ECC os OK --
recommended, even -- but many BX-chipset mobos require unbuffered DIMMs,
even tho' _in_theory_ the underlying chipset does not.

I was under the impression that "buffered" DIMMs have the notch/key in a
different location, so that it is physically next to impossible to insert
them into an "unbuffered" socket.

That said, have you tried setting *all* timings and similar to their
slowest/default values? Note, you may need to install the old DIMMs in
order to access the BIOS SETUP facility, in order to make these changes;
then shut down, reinstall the new DIMMs, and try again.

From the way I read his original and followup posts on this thread, it
sounds like he hasn't purchased them yet, as he's not sure _if_ they will
work or not.

FWIW, I've used two Viking PE32722R4SN3-CL3 (256MB PC100 ECC Registered)
on a P2B v1.10, and they worked just fine - passed memtest86, cpuburn,
win2k video benches, etc, etc. But, is the P3B similar enough to its'
predecessor?!...

--
We HAVE been at war with Iraq for 13 years now, bombing their
country on at least a weekly basis.
"U.S.-led sanctions have killed over a million Iraqi citizens,
according to UN studies" - James Jennings
3,000+ innocent Iraqi civilian casualties can't be "wrong"...

 

[Jay T. Blocksom]

[REPOST: Apparently, the original copy of this article did not propagate.
Apologies if duplicate.]

I have a P3B-F rev1.04. I am running P3B-F ACPI BIOS 1008 beta 04.
I can't figure out wheter this MB support the Registered Kingston module:
KVR100X72RC2L/256 or not.
I'm almost sure that if it wasn't registered it would be compatible - since
it consists of 18 RAM-chips organised as 16Mx8.

[snip]

ITYM "32Mx72"; but beyond that, I think your subsequent suspicion is correct.
Alas, I don't have a P3B-F manual handy at the moment, so I'm unable to
confirm this definitively; but I strongly suspect that it will not properly
support buffered ("registered") memory. ECC os OK -- recommended, even -- but
many BX-chipset mobos require unbuffered DIMMs, even tho' _in_theory_ the
underlying chipset does not.

That said, have you tried setting *all* timings and similar to their
slowest/default values? Note, you may need to install the old DIMMs in order
to access the BIOS SETUP facility, in order to make these changes; then shut
down, reinstall the new DIMMs, and try again.

And why I choose this ECC memory module? - it is cheap: 40$!. And the only
256MB module I can get at present that possibly would work.

[snip]

Not all *that* cheap; and by no means the only suitable module. See:

<http://castle.pricewatch.com/search...+33&i=33&ct=Computer&c=System+Memory&mi=N&m=N>


--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[Jay T. Blocksom]

[REPOST: Apparently, the original copy of this article did not propagate.
Apologies if duplicate.]

Hi Torben!
[snip]

I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)

[snip]

If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.

And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
buffered "registered" types.

--

Jay T. Blocksom
--------------------------------
Appropriate Technology, Inc.
usenet01[at]appropriate-tech.net


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unsolicited advertising sent to this E-Mail address is expressly prohibited
under USC Title 47, Section 227. Violators are subject to charge of up to
$1,500 per incident or treble actual costs, whichever is greater.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[Roy Coorne]

Jay T. Blocksom wrote:
....

Alas, I don't have a P3B-F manual handy at the moment,...

You may download the manual at

ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/asuscom/HANDBUCH/Motherboard/Slot_I/INTEL_Chipset/

Roy

 

[Ola A Johansson]

Hi Torben!
[snip]

I don't know all the ins and outs of this RAM-jungle.
But I can happily report that my P3B-F rev.1.04 (BIOS 1008 IIRC) runs
just great with 2x 256MB ECC RAM (32x64 chip-config, as with all BX-boards)

[snip]

If those DIMMs are really 32x64, then they are *NOT* ECC.

And either way, ECC is near-certainly not the issue that's giving Torben
problems. Rather, it is the fact that the DIMMs he's trying to use are
buffered "registered" types.

Sorry, typo from me.. 32x72 of course, or there would be no room for
the parity-bit...

C'ya /Ola J