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Frustrations: D975XBX & Twin Pair CM2X1024-6400 (XMS6405v5.1/XMS2-6400/5-5-5-12)


noduplicates

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Dear Tech Support:

I am going crazy trying to get my new system to work with the memory above. First, here's what I've got:

1) Intel D975XBX motherboard (BIOS = June 2006)

2) Intel E6700 processor

3) Corsair DDR2 memory- 2GB:Twin Pair CM2X1024-6400 (XMS6405v5.1/XMS2-6400/5-5-5-12)

4) 4 Seagate 7200.10 320GB drives in a RAID10 configuraton

5) ATI X1950XTX video card

6) Corsair HX620 PS

7) Plextor SATA DVD/CD-RW

8) LG IDE DVD/CD-RW

9) Mistumi Floppy with SD/CF card slots

10) Lian Li V1000 Plus II case

 

With "automatic" configuration for the BIOS, the BIOS shows 800MHz 5-5-5-13 and voltage is set to "automatic" as well. I get blue screens part way through the installation of my older copies of XP but with a new copy of XP Media Center I can load Windows. Albeit, there is no Internet Explorer when it's done. The real problem starts next. I try to load Intel's "Load Me First" Configuration Disk for the MB and I get something like "timed out - internal error".

 

So I went to manual configuration in the BIOS and changed memory configuration settings step by step. Here's my log:

1) changed to 800-5-5-5-13 2.1v; result: same error as above

2) changed to 800-5-5-5-12 2.1v; result: same error as above

3) changed to 800-5-5-5-12 1.9v; result: same error as above

4) changed to 667-5-5-5-12 1.9v; result: same error as above

5) changed to 667-5-5-5-13 2.1v; result: same error as above

 

I am at my wits end. Please help. The Cosair memory is the only non-standard part in this machine because, while Intel specifies 533 or 667 MHz, I had read on your support forum and TomsHardware.com that the BIOS will support 800MHz. Now I am wondering if this is true. I need specific settings that work, or else I will have no choice but to swap these Cosair modules out.

 

BTW, on boot-up I have been unable to update the MB's bios from floppy as the RamDisk in the batch script fails. I have tired various forms of bootable CDs as an alternative and they have failed. Additionally, with XP MC running I am still unable to upgrade the BIOS by the alternative on-line technique because IE was not installed with XP Media Center. Likewise, I can't get to the SP2 update.

 

I would be very appreciate for your kind reply. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Steve

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Dear All,

I am finally typing this message on a system that previously would not run because I thought there was a problem with Corsair's memory (see previous thread). When I finally found out what the cause of my problems were all about, the cryptic error messages and blue screens, I wanted everyone to know so they can avoid my frustrations and I want to offer my sincere apologies to Corsair for suspecting their product.

 

First, my Intel D975XBX is running just fine at 800MHz even though Intel states their MB only supports 533 & 667MHz (odd since the BIOS allows 800). My settings in the June 2006 BIOS are for "automatic" configuration of all the timing settings and "automatic" for the voltage (800MHz 5-5-5-13 is what is displayed). It also ran fine at what I had manually set at 667MHz 5-5-5-12 2.1 volts).

 

So what made the difference and why was I misled into thinking it was Cosair's memory when it was not. Because of the incompetence of Microsoft and Intel and the clueless error messages.

 

Here's my story. Windows Media Center (WMC) consisted of 3 cds, a disk 1 & 2 and an updates disk. When the installation finished disk 2 it then asked for a "Windows Media Center SP2 Disk" but there was no such disk. I tried the updates disk even though it made no sense and then disk 1 again. The installation could not find what it needed and asked me to ignore files it could not find. The end result was that Windows was unstable, could not install any other programs and Internet Explorer was missing (message: "internal error"). On my second install, I just selected "cancel" when it asked for the SP2 disk. The result was that same as the first. The solution came with a third install in which I reinserted Disk 1 when it asked for the SP2 disk. Why this didn't work in the first install when I tried the updates disk and then Disk 1 is an MS annoyance. Similarly, their installation is misleading as it asks for a disk that doesn't exist and allows you to believe it is the updates disk.

 

But the solution above was not the only piece to getting my machine running. I had a Mitsumi combo floppy / memory card reader installed. The card reader section has USB connection which I had connected to a USB port. The problem came when Windows installed and assigned drive letters C: and D: to the card reader, E: & F: to my CD/DVD drives and G: to my hard drive. Parts of the Windows installation where unable to cope with G: as a hard drive during installation. The simple solution was to unplug the card reader's USB cable, reinstall Windows as above and now my drive was drive C:. Again, this is a Windows stupidity.

 

With all the error messages I got, the implication was Windows was unstable due a hardware incompatibility. So my thought was to ungrade the motherboard's BIOS since the Core 2 Duo is fairly new and the Cosair 800 MHz memory might have better support with the new BIOS. Since I was unable to install Windows, this set me in motion on how to upgrade the BIOS on boot-up. Intel had DOS boot disk methodology but after repeated atempts, it did not work with either a bootable floppy or CD-ROM. (The error messages are not worth repeating but they drove me insane.) Just don't waste your time with this methodology. It's not the BIOS, it's Windows. Just get it installed on the most simple hardware configuration possible and then use the Windows based "Intel Express" BIOS update methodology.

 

The time I wasted with all of this was enormous. Every component became suspect. Logic lost as the solution was not logical, and that's because Microsoft and Intel threw out misleading clues in the form of errant error messages and prompts. Corsair is not to blame for any of this. Their product works.

 

Best of luck,

Steve

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