Official GIGABYTE Forum

Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: teknology9 on July 24, 2011, 09:56:00 pm

Title: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 24, 2011, 09:56:00 pm
Hello All,

I have got a GA-790FXTA-UD5 board and have, every now and again, encountered Windows 7 64 bit freezing. In my attempt to find a solution I read on one forum that enabling the dual channel mode may rectify the issue. The memory I have got is as follows:

Corsair XMS CMX8GX3M4B1333C9

If this is not the case can anyone suggest any solutions, I have the lastest driver, 11.6, for the Sapphire 6870 Vapor X and power scheme is balanced.


Thanks,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: Aussie Allan on July 24, 2011, 10:50:53 pm


 Latest BIOS....Latest Drivers all round.........set to performance........and try again..........no change..........try with one DIMM and post your findings.

 Aussie Allan
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 25, 2011, 09:47:22 am
Thanks for the reply Aussie Alan.

The BIOS I have for my board is F3J, could you recommend any software to identify the missing drivers or those that need updating?


Thanks,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 25, 2011, 10:07:57 am
Latest motherboard drivers can be downloaded from here: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3258&dl=1#driver

if you have any other devices attached you would need ot go to their respective websites to see if there are new drivers.

I am a little confused over the comment about enabling Dual Channel mode for the memory.
How many RAM Modules are you running?
What RAM Slots are the in on the motherboard?

If you are running4 sticks then the system will be running in Dual channel mode. If you have only 2 sticks then you need to configure them according to the user's manual for Dual Channel mode. The modules should be in either slots DDR3_1 & DDR3_2 (recommended position) or in DDR3_3 & DDR3_4. If you only have 1 stick of RAM you can not run in Dual Channel Mode.

Have you made any changes to the BIOS settings for RAM or CPU (O/C'ing) or altered any of the voltage settings?
What are your full system spec's especially which HDD's are you running? If you are running any "Green" HDD's this can cause some freezing issues as the drives take time to spin up when being accessed.
Have you checked the Power Settings in either Windows or any other software such as Catalyst Control Centre? If you check here you may find that certain items are being powered down after a period of 20 minutes, this can introduce freezing when you then try to do something as the components need to re-start.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 25, 2011, 12:50:59 pm
Hello Absic,

I have got four sticks of RAM in the 4 slots on my motherboard, I read the mobo book and it mentioned enabling dual channel but now I know I have. I have not made any changes to the BIOS settings, knowingly that is, and I have not done any CPU O/Cing nor altered the voltage settings. Full system spec is as follows:

CPU - AMD 1090T BE
M/B - GA-790FXTA-UD5
Graphics - Sapphire 6870 Vapor - X
HDD - 2 * Seagate Barracuda 500Gb (ST3500418AS ATA Device)
RAM - 4 sticks of Corsair XMS CMX8GX3M4B1333C9
PSU - Corsair HX 750
CPU cooler - Noctua NH 12P SE
O/S - Windows 7 64 bit
Keyboard & Mouse - Dell, from my old PC, and has a windows driver.
CD-ROM
Samsung Blu-Ray player

The power settings on Windows 7 is balanced and what should the setting be in the Catalyst Control Centre?

Thanks,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 25, 2011, 01:38:40 pm
Hello Absic,

I have got four sticks of RAM in the 4 slots on my motherboard, I read the mobo book and it mentioned enabling dual channel but now I know I have. I have not made any changes to the BIOS settings, knowingly that is, and I have not done any CPU O/Cing nor altered the voltage settings. Full system spec is as follows:

CPU - AMD 1090T BE
M/B - GA-790FXTA-UD5
Graphics - Sapphire 6870 Vapor - X
HDD - 2 * Seagate Barracuda 500Gb (ST3500418AS ATA Device)
RAM - 4 sticks of Corsair XMS CMX8GX3M4B1333C9
PSU - Corsair HX 750
CPU cooler - Noctua NH 12P SE
O/S - Windows 7 64 bit
Keyboard & Mouse - Dell, from my old PC, and has a windows driver.
CD-ROM
Samsung Blu-Ray player

The power settings on Windows 7 is balanced and what should the setting be in the Catalyst Control Centre?

Thanks,

Teknology9

I'm afraid I'm a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to being "green" and I actually disable anything that could have any impact on PC performance.
The best advice I can offer is to go through the relevant settings under the Power Management of Windows 7and set things such has "Turn of Hard Disks" to never along with "Turn off monitor" to never.
Also double check power settings for PCI Express -  Link Power Management to Off
Then double check under Catalyst Control Centre to make sure none of the settings you have made under Windows are not being over ridden.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 25, 2011, 02:00:11 pm
Thanks again Absic, my keyboard and mouse may not be Windows 7 compatible is that likely to be a factor also?

Cheers,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 25, 2011, 02:23:10 pm
Things like keyboard and mouse can cause problems but I wouldn't think they are the cause of your freezing.

Windows 7 and a lot of other programmes have built in energy saving features that can cause some real issues unless they are disabled and this is the probable cause with your system. If Windows 7 freezes for a short time ( a few seconds up to about 2 minutes) and then resumes, it is doubtful that it is down to the hardware.

If Windows 7 is freezing and the only way you can get things going again is to reboot the PC, or if it is freezing and you are getting BSOD's then it is more likely to be hardware and, if this is the case, then the first place to look would be the RAM and running MemTest 86+ properly should throw up any issues if that is the case.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 25, 2011, 03:19:26 pm
Thanks for the reply. How do I go about obtaining the memtest software, is it possible to download it on to a memory stick or does it go on to a cd? I read that it comes as an ISO file, but being a newbie I don't know how to do this.


Thanks for you help,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 25, 2011, 03:29:56 pm
You can download MemTest from here: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

It does come as an ISO and you can burn this to a CD or you can download a USB Installer and use the same ISO for creating a USB Version.

It is usually easier to burn the ISO to a CD and run it from the DVD/CD drive as this seems to cause less issues, especially if you are not familiar with running or installing software from a USB Pendrive.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 25, 2011, 03:43:11 pm
Thanks for that Absic, I know I've asked a few questions so thanks for your patience and it is much appreciated.


Thanks again,

Tek9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 25, 2011, 03:46:57 pm
No problem always pleased to help and if you run into any difficulties burning the MemTest ISO to CD or to USB or when running it, post back and I'll try to explain the process for you.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 26, 2011, 03:56:02 pm
Hello,

PC or internet froze again. I ran the driver agent utility and it still shows my old Phenom II 945 cpu and not the 1090T for some reason, I have attached a screenshot there are some drivers stating that they need to be preinstalled will that mean a complete reinstallation? I think I have done all of the power options and cannot think of any others. Is it likely that some malware is causing this, my Kaspersky identified PDM.keylogger.

Thanks,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 26, 2011, 04:21:57 pm
Hi again,

Not sure about the driver agent utility as I do not use that software. The only thing I can think of is that it is holding a record of your previous set-up as it shows the 945 processor under disconnected device. If you just swapped your CPU's over and continued to run your existing Windows installation that is probably why you are seeing it in these images.

Whenever you make any hardware changes, such as swapping the CPU or adding RAM it is a good idea to clear CMOS, have you tried doing this?

Having to re-install the OS is never a task that you look forward to but I have learnt that it is often the best way to resolve issues and to give a clean starting point when facing random issues and it may be the best way forward for you.

Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: Dark Mantis on July 26, 2011, 04:30:14 pm
You could always use this opportunity to clear the CMOS and if necessary update the BIOS too. Do an extended CMOS clear by removing the battery for at least an hour.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 26, 2011, 04:43:16 pm
Thanks for you replies. I have cleared the CMOS fairly recently but a good while ago when I changed CPU's I don't think I did. In terms of updated the BIOS I thought I had the latest F3J for the CPU that I use. If I have to reinstall that will mean uninstalling all the software and possibly new HDD's, if you could remind me how do I go about registering, if that's the right word, Windows 7 so I dont have any glitches?


Thanks,

Teknology9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 26, 2011, 05:10:58 pm
Before you go down the path of reinstalling Windows you could try running something like CCleaner (from here: http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER ) and running a registry scan and fix to see if that helps.

If you are going to reinstall Windows then I would suggest disconnecting all but the Primary HDD (the one you want to install onto) and your DVD/CD drive.

I'm not sure what you are referring to when you talk about registering Windows but if you mean Activation then you shouldn't have a problem and you can mark the box to Automatically Activate when Windows is on-line during the install process. Once you have installed windows you can reconnect your other HDD's and they should be automatically detected when you start-up. You will probably have to restart the PC once windows has installed their drivers.

You will then need to install the Motherboard drivers and the drivers for any other hardware that you have installed and then comes then fun of downloading ALL of the Windows updates (oh joy!)  ::)

If you have installed any programmes/software these will need to be reinstalled and possibly updated, once you have Windows up and running again.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 26, 2011, 05:29:55 pm
Thanks for that Absic, I have CCleaner and do you mean the Windows registry scan? I do mean reactivate, thanks for the correction. I only want a IDE SATA set up, as it is easier, so there will not be any preinstallation of any drivers  I don't need to preinstall any drivers as I don't want a RAID set up even though I have 2 HDD's.  I have read your post on the 990FX-UD5 board and AHCI, but me thinks I might get a bit lost as I did trying to set up RAID once upon a time.

Just to add to the previous post, again, I have noticed on my LAN adapters there are power options and it has #2 and #3 not #1 and #2 for some reason. do I need to uncheck anything.  I really appreciate your help and I will clear CMOS again and if I have to reinstall then so be it.  :( :)


Thanks, I'm still going...........just :)
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 26, 2011, 05:37:47 pm
Yes I mean the Registry Scan in CCleaner just to see if that helps.

Personally I would untick all of the boxes in the Realtek Power Management window unless you want to wake from LAN. If you are asking yourself "what's wake from LAN" then you don't need it!

If you are leaving everything in IDE then you should still disconnect your 2nd HDD if you reinstall the OS. This just prevents Windows from adding things where you don't want them as it does like to spread itself out if given the chance.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 26, 2011, 05:58:10 pm
Thanks once again Absic. So to deactivate Windows 7, after uninstalling the software, do I delete the partition or buy  new HDD's as I cannot locate an option to deactivate? Last question...........honest!!! :) Would you opt for AHCI and not IDE for SATA 2 HDD's?

I ran CCleaner registry 104 issues.....blimey

Well, that's it for now.

Tek9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 26, 2011, 07:31:22 pm
You don't need to deactivate Windows or buy a new hard drive. If/when it comes to reinstalling the OS just BOOT from the Windows Install Disk delete the partitions and start again. If you change a lot of components and your Windows version is OEM then you might encounter activation problems but if your hardware is the same (you can change 2 components without problem) then everything should be fine.

There's not much to choose between AHCI and IDE Mode when it comes right down to it and you would probably do better staying with IDE Mode.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 27, 2011, 09:08:32 am
Thanks once again Absic. I have just done an extended CMOS clearance, overnight, so I will wait and see what happens now. I found this link about reinstalling Windows 7:
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-reinstall-windows-7-easily-step-by-step-guide/

If I follow these steps I should be ok.

If I decide to reinstall and stick to the IDE route which drivers should I install, please look at attachment, or should I just install everything?

Thank you for your patience and replies, DM too, I'm begining to get my head around the matter now.

Thanks,

Teknology9

Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 27, 2011, 09:19:29 am
When it comes to the drivers I would install the following and in this order:
AMD Chipset Driver
Graphics Driver - Download the latest version from the appropriate website
Realtek LAN Driver - You don't really need the diagnostic utility unless you encounter problems with your LAN Connection.
Realtek Audio Driver - You only need to install this if you are using the on-board sound. If you have a separate sound card use the correct drivers for that.
NEC USB3 Driver.

When it comes to reinstalling the Operating System I prefer to do a "Clean" Install. This involves wiping the HDD so no information is left behind and starting again hence the term clean.

Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 27, 2011, 09:30:24 am
When wiping the HDD, am I right in saying that there is an option to do that whilst reinstalling Windows 7, or do I just delete the volume?


Thanks,

Tek9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: absic on July 27, 2011, 09:33:23 am
You might find this article helpful: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operatingsystems/ss/windows-7-clean-install-part-1.htm as it goes through all the steps with screenshots.
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 27, 2011, 09:40:10 am
Thanks Absic......again!!! :) I've sent you a PM and your help is much appreciated.

All the best,

Tek9
Title: Re: Enabling Dual Channel Memory
Post by: teknology9 on July 27, 2011, 12:49:45 pm
I have just had a BSOD whilst printing out a document, where is the dump file located? I can't seem to find the driver for the Canon Pixma iP4300, if it is printer related.