Pb 4*1Gb on 4PCA3+ - No Boot Error Post Code "AF" not documented!?

[stormbyte]

Hi!

I'm using this great motherboard since a long time, with RAID5 functionnalities.

My current problem: I've just bought 4 DDR PC3200 PC400 and my board doesn't want to start.

Led shows "AF" error post code, but it's not documented in the manual!

I search a lot on the Internet, some ABIT motherboard had same problem and it was corrected in a BIOS new release (error post was same and problem was about some registered sort of RAM).

Does anybody had the same problem? If I'm using my old 512Mb my board is running fine...

PLEASE HELPPPP!! I DO want to use this board with 4Gb!! (thanxs to RAID5 functionalities, it's perfect!)

Thanks in advance,
Regards.

[MONKEYMAN]

Your board may not support 4Gb of memory, windows cant use that much memory properlyanyway(if thats the OS you intend to use).

As a rule 2Gb of memory is plenty for almost everything unless you are doing a lot of CAD/3d design, you can get windows XP to utilise upto 3Gb from memory but your last 1Gb of memory will go unused unless things have changed since I last read up on this subject.

Also...which memory did you buy? what are the other specs of your computer?

[stormbyte]

Hi!

Thank you for your answer but:
- I DO need 4Gb of memory (it's VMWARE server)
- I already bought this 4 sticks of memory 1gb PC3200 DDR ...

EPOX 4PCA3+ shows in the manual that you can put 4Gb of memory...
BUT it's writtent that you can put 128/256/512Mb ... you have 4 slots!
so THERE's a mistake???

Does anybody put a 1Gb stick on EPOX 4PCA3+ ?????

For the specs: P4 2.8 HDD RAID5 6*250Gb + RAID 1 2*120Gb under 4PCA3+ motherboard ;-)


Please could you tell me what BIOS to use to solve this problem (Post Code "AF" has no signification... I found no solution on Google for EPOX... only for ABIT with new bios! :-(

Thanks in advance.

[MONKEYMAN]

There may not be a BIOS fix, even if you WANT to use 4Gb of memory the OS will not use more then 3Gb last time I looked so 1Gb will be sat doing nothing, best option is to sell two of the 1Gb sticks and replace them with 2x 512Mb sticks.
What brand of memory is it that you are using?

Updating to the latest BIOS is what I would suggest.

[MONKEYMAN]

According to the Manual for the board..

[stormbyte]

The problem is that even with 1 stick of 1Gb only, the problem is the same...

Post Code "AF" error....


What's about using 1Gb stick on 4PCA3+ ????

I saw other posts mentionning that they're using 2*1Gb....

But I want to known what BIOS version to use?
Cause at this time I'm using a specific BIOS including HPT374 3.04 latest RAID5 controller version (normal BIOS have 3.01 version...)

I don't want to lose this specification unless I have to change BIOS to use my x*1Gb RAM....


EPOX 4PCA3+ USERS, please post about your experience on this subject!!!

[MONKEYMAN]

BIOS ID:2.1


1. Updated CPU micro code for Prescott.
2. Changed default RTC year to 2004.
3. Updated Intel OSB logo.
4. Fixed an issue where a system with BIOS 20 will hang at post code "AF" with certain memory modules is installed.
5. BIOS compile date: 01/28/2004

Seems it was an issue.

It looks like a BIOS update is what is needed.

[stormbyte]

Thank you for this information, but it seems that it does not correspond on EPOX motherboard??

I search and I found the information about the BIOS ID:2.1 you described in the subject (http://www.abxzone.com/forums/showth...64&postcount=5) but I found no link to EPOX BIOS???

Is anyone having link to EPOX BIOS correcting the error "4. Fixed an issue where a system with BIOS 20 will hang at post code "AF" with certain memory modules is installed." ???

MONKEYMAN, thanks a lot for all your answers, if fortunately you have a link (I'm searching but no way... :-((

[MONKEYMAN]

EPOX...ABIT......Same difference .....................Ahem!......might have got my wires crossed when reading that thread

Anyhow......A BIOS update would seem to be the only possible way to get round this problem, as far as I know the BIOS is the only thing you can alter in this situation that could have a beneficial effect.

The fact that the board will not POST would indicate a problem of compatibility rather than anything else, although it would be worth testing the sticks in pairs first of all and testing to make sure they are fault free.

[membreya]

Stormbyte: quick question, does it stay on AF or does it continue cycling through the codes? AF on an Epox motherboard indicates a normal boot but if it cycles the code it means it's getting stuck

What BIOS version are you currently running?

EDIT: Nope, nevermind it's FF that's normal not AF

[wild_andy_c]

Originally Posted by stormbyte

Hi!

Thank you for your answer but:
- I DO need 4Gb of memory (it's VMWARE server)
- I already bought this 4 sticks of memory 1gb PC3200 DDR ...

EPOX 4PCA3+ shows in the manual that you can put 4Gb of memory...
BUT it's writtent that you can put 128/256/512Mb ... you have 4 slots!
so THERE's a mistake???

Does anybody put a 1Gb stick on EPOX 4PCA3+ ?????

For the specs: P4 2.8 HDD RAID5 6*250Gb + RAID 1 2*120Gb under 4PCA3+ motherboard ;-)


Please could you tell me what BIOS to use to solve this problem (Post Code "AF" has no signification... I found no solution on Google for EPOX... only for ABIT with new bios! :-(

Thanks in advance.

The specs state it can use sticks with 512mb technologies, not 512MB size as a maximum, so theres no mistake.

Try to use 4 x identical branded JEDEC compliant modules that use 8-4-4-3 timings with no turbo mode enabled.

Add 2 sticks, make BIOS changes as above and then add the final 2 sticks.

BTW - odd to see such a RAID configuration / application trusted to a lowly Highpoint controller and a desktop mainboard / chipset.

[T. N. Chua]

Originally Posted by stormbyte

Hi!

Thank you for your answer but:
- I DO need 4Gb of memory (it's VMWARE server)
- I already bought this 4 sticks of memory 1gb PC3200 DDR ...

EPOX 4PCA3+ shows in the manual that you can put 4Gb of memory...
BUT it's writtent that you can put 128/256/512Mb ... you have 4 slots!
so THERE's a mistake???

Does anybody put a 1Gb stick on EPOX 4PCA3+ ?????

For the specs: P4 2.8 HDD RAID5 6*250Gb + RAID 1 2*120Gb under 4PCA3+ motherboard ;-)


Please could you tell me what BIOS to use to solve this problem (Post Code "AF" has no signification... I found no solution on Google for EPOX... only for ABIT with new bios! :-(

Thanks in advance.

I am currently using 2 stick of 1GB ram (total of 2GB) without problem. You may cross reference to:
4PCA3+ PAT function back (new bios date 27/oct/2004) tested ok
Post 36 in which, the bios I am using is at:
http://www.epox.com.tw/eng/download....RUXpNMFFqQXlD:)

[jnansley]

Originally Posted by wild_andy_c

The specs state it can use sticks with 512mb technologies, not 512MB size as a maximum, so theres no mistake.

Yeah, I thought that deserved pointing out but felt too lazy

I've thought about the RAID thing for years now, and now that I own three boards with nVidia RAID, I have... zero... arrays. Don't have anything too precious for RAID 1 or even 5, but don't have anything too worthless for RAID 0

[stormbyte]

Thanks for your answers...

I'll try this night your BIOS T.N. CHUA, thanks a lot for this information it's good news for me! I DO hope that'll be OK for me! Please could you tell me if your BIOS include HPT374 3.04, or else is it possible to include it inside?! (I already known that's possible in some 4PCA3+ Bios versions)

For 'jnansley': RAID is in fact really interesting... when you don't have any trouble! In my experience, I activate RAID5 configuration on 4PCA3+ 1 year and half ago, when my son was born... I saved all photos, videos and so on... more than 1Tb of IMPORTANT data, without any other backup system... and one day, I had 2 disks that crashed... 2 two disks... RAID5 can only recover correctly 1HDD out of order...
So I search, I tested lot of stuffs, lot of things... during 3 months... I never discouraged... and one day I found the answer: I found 2 little tools (200kb only) that can recover RAID5/10 on EPOX only with HPT374 ... I tried and I recover EVERYTHING!!!! (I'm consultant in new technologies and I though I was obliged to loose everything - it's terrible way about all the information lost in this kind of situation!!)

If one day I can help somebody in my situation, it'll be a pleasure to help on this subject: RAID5! (I do know nearly everything on the Net on this subject! Speed is really improve in RAID 5 when you have a lot of disks (best as RAID0 when you're reading, nearly the same when you're writing!). CPU: nearly 0% process time, dedicated components from HPT374!

I'll give U news about 4*1Gb on 4PCA3+ when I'll apply BIOS from T.N.Chua.

See U!
Chris. (from France)
PS: sorry for my bad English!

[wild_andy_c]

Originally Posted by jnansley

Yeah, I thought that deserved pointing out but felt too lazy

I've thought about the RAID thing for years now, and now that I own three boards with nVidia RAID, I have... zero... arrays. Don't have anything too precious for RAID 1 or even 5, but don't have anything too worthless for RAID 0

RAID 0 for OS - a couple of raptors, and a F: drive of considerable size for data that gets periodically backed up to a USB drive at a weekend. Some security in backup, but not RAID on a software controller doing the live thing since in my experience with Highpoint and Sil Image users over the years - often 9 times out of 10 a RAID 1 failure is as endemic as a RAID 0 failure and it all goes all at once rather than one drive.

Thats where Intel Risc 960's come in and bank overdrafts - thats where security comes from!

Safest way to have memories is in your head i suppose!

[stormbyte]

Hi everybody,

Regarding my RAM problem, I changed the sticks with CORSAIR high-level model.

Result: my 4PCA3+ is working like a F1 (!), 3,5Gb useable on the 4*1Gb sticks!

I'm really happy, my W2K3 + VMWARE with 4 appliances are working fine...


Conclusion: be carefull with memory sticks, first one where no brand name, technically they're same, but not operational ... with CORSAIR, 2 times the price, but SO POWERFULLL!!! ;-)