GA-MA785GT-UD3H Rev 1.0 mobo with GSkill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ RAM

[xprezons]

Are there any known issues regarding running GSkill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ RAM modules on dual channel configuration on the GA-MA785GT-UD3H Rev 1.0 motherboard?

I am having trouble running these RAM modules in dual channel configuration (ganged or unganged). Is there a setting somewhere that I am missing out on?

Here's what I tried:

Using the default BIOS settings. The RAM is running at 1333MHz though it is capable of 1600. These RAM modules are on the mobo's QVL.

1. Each RAM in slot DDR3_1 individually - no errors
2. Errors with RAMs in slots DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 or DDR3_3 and DDR3_4 - picture here - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/iihM-zjrOuVPoFZgAYb2shWGf7FEuryBBptiqtcm2Q0?feat=directlink   (how can we have a failing address at 4544.8MB on 2 x 2GB sticks? Or am I not reading the error report correctly?) I am getting system stability issues (Fedora Core 13)
3. RAMs in slots [DDR3_1 and DDR3_3] or [DDR3_2 and DDR3_4] (single channel mode)- no errors

1. Should I update BIOS to F8 (latest) http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3154#bios I don't see anything in the updates that fix any RAM issues.

I made the same mistake as absic115 - bought the 1600MHz RAM seeing that the motherboard supported it, not realising that the AMD CPU memory controllers would handle upto 1333 only. Then came across absic115's post. I wish I had found it earlier.

board - Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H Rev 1.0 BIOS version F3
RAM - GSkill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ (2 x 2GB)
CPU - AMD Phenom 2 x4 955 BE c2
Cooler - Corsair H50

Happy to provide any more details.

[absic]

Hi there,

There really shouldn't be any difficulties in running your RAM in Dual Channel Mode. Unganged is the better option for a Quad core CPU, but you should also be able to run in Ganged mode if you wish too.

Just to help you understand a bit about your RAM. Although you have got 2X2GB the actual memory available is going to be a bit more. For example I have 8GB of RAM but in BIOS or if I run Memtest, it always shows that I have 8,387,584Kb (just over 8 Gig). This is due to the way the Kb's on the modules are calculated and it's easier to say 4 Gigabytes rather than, for example, 4,125,357 Kilobytes.

You don't say which version of BIOS you are currently using but F7 updates the AGESA code. This is the code that affects the CPU and the way it "talks" to the other parts on the Mobo and which might actually address the problem. So, I would think it would be a good step to update BIOS first, just to eliminate that as a problem. Once you have done that, don't forget to load Optimized Defaults and then see what happens.

If you are still having problems after you update BIOS, post back. In the meantime I will do a bit more digging for you.

[xprezons]

Thanks mate. BIOS update seems to have resolved the memory issue (still under testing). But it seems to have introduced another annoyance. Sometimes, while booting, the USB transreceiver of my wireless keyboard is not detected, leaving me without a keyboard/mouse. Not a showstopper though, as you'll see below.

Updated the BIOS to F8 using Q-Flash following instructions in the manual. Left it switched off for a few minutes. Loaded optimised defaults. Ran memtest with the sticks in DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 slots (unganged). No errors reported over 9 hours of testing. Didn't encounter any instability in Fedora either. That's really positive. It'll have to be monitored for a while.

Side effects: The failure to detect the USB transreceiver is intermittent. It's not a major issue as it stops at my bootmanager screen needing a keyboard input. Used the hardware reset button and the transreceiver was detected the next time around and there were no further issues.

"USB Keyboard support" and "USB Mouse support" options are gone from the BIOS.

I remember reading on another post (http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,1822.0.html) that a regression bug was reported for GA-MA785GMT-UD2H with detecting USB transreceiver connected to a passive hub while booting after a BIOS update. (Mine is plugged in directly to the USB port).

For my board (GA-MA785GT-UD3H) the F8 update was release in May-2010. Gigabyte have not released any further updates since then. I guess they are either not aware of the issue or are working on it.

I might consider trying out F7 update at a later stage when I have some time at hand to test. Is a BIOS downgrade flashing process similar to the upgrade or does one have to do some sort of a reset before applying a lower patch?

[absic]

Hi,

Pleased to see that the F8 BIOS cured the memory issue but sorry that it has created another one for you. This is always a possibility with updated BIOS versions, they correct one problem but can cause others to materialise.

You can safely flash back to the F7 and I would suggest you try this to see if it helps. In the meantime, I have contacted the forum moderator who actually works for Gigabyte, on your behalf, to see if this is a known issue or something that they are not aware of.

[xprezons]

Thanks mate. I owe you a pint. It would be nice to hear Gigabyte's view on that.

I appreciate, it's all down to testing. Seen that so many times. It would have been nice if Gigabyte published the release notes for the updates so customers could choose which update to apply depending on the fixes they need. Unfortunately "Fix On/Off Charge & USB compatibility" (F8 Release Description) doesn't shed sufficient light on what has changed beneath the covers. I use a few things USB (external USB backup, USB TV Tuner, iPod etc). Seems like the only way to find out whether F8 (with its occasional annoyance, but with USB fixes) or F7 is right for me is to go through the long process of trying out and testing everything.

[absic]

If I had a pint for all the various bits of kit and software that I have bought and then had to test out to get them to work properly, I would be a very drunk man! 

It is a common complaint, with all Mobo manufacturer's, about the lack of info they supply with BIOS updates. You'd think that they would do something about this and I don't really understand why they can't.

[Dark Mantis]

It is a common complaint, with all Mobo manufacturer's, about the lack of info they supply with BIOS updates. You'd think that they would do something about this and I don't really understand why they can't.

Probably because the people writing them don't understand English, they just copy and paste from other past releases

[xprezons]

Having been on the F8 update (GA-MA785GT-UD3H) for a while, I can say that I can live with the occasional issue of the wireless receiver not being detected.

Also, I have discovered that I am still getting SIGSEGV (Signal 11, mostly) errors in Fedora when I enable the virtualization option on the BIOS. The system is stable when this option is turned off (but of course, VirtualBox complains that it needs AMD-V turned on). According to wikipedia,  the SIGSEGV (Signal 11, segfault) message indicates improper memory handling. I'll open a new thread on the subject soon with more details.