UAD-1 impact on PC?

[philwal]

I have been having an ongoing problem with my PC: trying to run 3GB Ram instead of 2.5GB Ram. Each time I have tried installing the 3rd 1GB stick I would get a error beep code (1 long and 8 short beeps.)

Anyway, the point of this question is that I finally got the 3GB to run yesterday. I had had to remove my 2 UAD cards so that I could access the jumper to reset the CMOS. I decided to leave the cards out for a change, before powering up the PC. The 3GB ram worked at last.

I then restored the UAD cards to their slots, powered up , and got the same error code. Computer would only load up with the 2.5GB Ram.

Is there an issue with UAD cards effecting PCs like this? I know that the Beep code is to do with Graphics cards, but it seems strange that the only time I could get the 3GB to work, was without the UAD cards in place.

Any suggestions

Philip

 

[Paul Woodlock]

I seem to remember some extra lines required for the 3Gb switch in the boot.ini file to get this to work.

I'm sure it was mentioned in the hard ware sections of the Cubase and/or Nuendo forums sometime this year. Do a search

 

[RWIL]

I seem to remember some extra lines required for the 3Gb switch in the boot.ini file to get this to work.

I'm sure it was mentioned in the hard ware sections of the Cubase and/or Nuendo forums sometime this year. Do a search

Yes, I already read that you need an extra switch which is:
/Userva=2900

But your problem philwal seems to happen before XP boot. If it's the case, anything found in the boot.ini file will help to cure your problem.
You should find in the mobo's manual or somewhere what means the beeps sequence.

 

[GregJ]

Maybe that extra stick of RAM puts you juuuuust over your power supply's limit....

Just a thought.

GregJ

 

[Dan Duskin]

run a boot-memory check from a CD or floppy... you will need to download a memory checker. i use a CD called \"Ultimate Boot CD\" for all this kind of stuff (it's a free download, i forget where, do a google)

 

[jcat]

If the mobo's beeping, this is definatley not a Windows problem. It's a basic problem with your mobo and the combination of extra hardware you have plugged in.

Will it run with just one UAD-1 in the slot? Have you tried switching pci slots? Have you tried swapping RAM into different slots?

Is anyone else here running with your set-up?



Cheers,

jcat

 

[Dragonsf]

How is your RAM organized?Mustn't you have pairs of matching DDR bars?
So, 3 sticks wouldn't work.I have 3 GB (2x 512MB+2x1GB) and my PC run without problems.

 

[neil wilkes]

What make is your BIOS please, and what revision?
Also, is there an error code generated too?

Also.
The RAM is a worry here.
DDR RAM needs to be installed in Pairs, not single sticks, or you won't get the DDR component working.
My money is on a RAM issue here, but if you can post the BIOS details, I will look uo the beep codes for you.

 

[Dan Duskin]

to perform the boot-memory check... make sure you remove all memory sticks and test just one at a time (unless you need pairs)

 

[philwal]

For some reason I have not received any of your comments, so have not responded till now. I'll deal with the various points raised.

1. The Beep Code in conjunction with the D-Bracket I have installed gives the following information:

Initializing Video Interface - This will start detecting CPU clock, checking type of video onboard. Then, detect and initialise the video adapter.

2. The Ram question is not as you suggest. The mobo will run 3 DDR, only so long as they are NOT DDR 400. Anything slower will work so the PC will run on the 3 slots, at present 2.5 GB, the 3rd slot with 512MB. I have had the PC runnining with 3GB so long as there is no UAD card present. Adding one card makes the PC hang after start up but just before Windows, with a few coloured letters dotted around the screen.

3. The PSU is a Tagan 580 Watt, which is more than capable of powering everything I have and more.

4. The 3Gb switch thing is a server problem, and also deals with virtual ram rather than physical ram.

5. A point which I thought could have helped was updating the BIOS, but it didn't solve that problem. However my computer works faster because it now recognizes the 2800+ Sempron, instead of the 2400+ Athlon it thought it was. The BIOS is a KT4AVL REV 5.4

I havent done a boot check yet, but taking everything together so far, it seems to point to a graphics card problem. I have seen a reference to Radeon cards not running with 3 GB ram, and I happen to have a Radeon Sapphire 9200SE 128MB. I have purchased a Matrox Dual-head 32MB card, and have the extra monitor waiting. An ideal setup for Cubase and all the extra plugin windows etc. I'll let you know if changing the card has any effect.

 

[Jake68]

The beeps you are hearing are nothing to do with your operating system.
You will need to make the appropriate adjustments within the operating system to allow Windows XP to address the extra memory correctly.

However the beeps you are hearing are error messages from the BIOS.

Its possible that it is a powersupply issue. Try removing cards other than the UAD, try a more powerful power supply, but more importantly, look for updates on your BIOS and or possible conflicts being caused by the extra cards.

 

[philwal]

The Matrox Dual-head card didn't change anything.

 

[jcat]

Have you contacted UA Tech Support on this?


They may have some more insight on any memory specific problems...:?:




Cheers,

jcat

 

[secretworld]

It could be something different I think. The memory (all memory, meaning ram, video and uads) is mapped by the bios (and then this map is given to windows). Although the uads have only 4 mb of ram, they map more. All kinds of limitations can be built in the bios and the 3 gig plus the uads can just be beyond this mobo´s limitations.
Are you aware that even if you install the 2gb switch correctly you can only use about 2.7 gig of your ram (realy has been tested extencively on nuendo forum) without the switch it´s only 1.7 gigs. So the extra 500mb only gives you 200mb extra under xp (32 bit). Seems like a lot of trouble for 200 mb.
If the manual of your mobo says it´s limited to 3 gig it is deffenetly a mobo isue.

 

[RWIL]

I then restored the UAD cards to their slots, powered up , and got the same error code. Computer would only load up with the 2.5GB Ram.

Is the problem occur when you bring back only 1 UAD card, trying each of the 2 slots alone?

RW

 

[philwal]

When I use no UAD cards the 3GB will run.

When I add just one it passes the beep code problem but then hangs just before Windows starts, with 3 or 4 coloured letters dotted about the screen.


With both UAD cards it stops at the beep code.

 

[jcat]

Hmmm, it seems like the sensible thing to do is just forget about the extra memory. Sounds to me like you mobo might be malfunctioning a little.

As pointed out earlier in the thread, SX can only address 1.7Gig anyway, and that include the swap file.



Cheers,

jcat

 

[philwal]

Hmmm, it seems like the sensible thing to do is just forget about the extra memory. Sounds to me like you mobo might be malfunctioning a little.

As pointed out earlier in the thread, SX can only address 1.7Gig anyway, and that include the swap file.



Cheers,

jcat

The extra 1GB can go in the other computer for the time being. Another question arises from my last post. With each addition of a UAD card there was more disruption.

If I was to add a third card, will there be yet more impact?

Another question related to that:

If I was to get a Magma PCI expansion system, which links to the PC via a single PCI card, would that connecting PCI have the impact of only one PCI, even if it is feading 3 or even 4 UAD's into the PC?

These questions are relevant because I can see me wanting the flexibility of 3 cards in the fairly near future. I could imagine that my mobo would not cope with 3 UAD's, so another mobo is another consideration.

 

[RWIL]

When I use no UAD cards the 3GB will run.

When I add just one it passes the beep code problem but then hangs just before Windows starts, with 3 or 4 coloured letters dotted about the screen. .

Sorry to repeat somewhere again my last question, but have you try to boot with only 1 UAD testing each slotS? Because one slot could be the culprit and that slot could be the one you used when you tried with only 1 UAD. You could also push further the test using the second UAD card alone in each slots too. (maybe one of the UAD card is damaged or has dirty connector

RW

 

[jcat]

I don't have a Magma chasis so I'm not sure about the impact of three cards in a Magma compared to 3 inserted directly into the computer. But is you do turn out to have a dodgy PCI slot as RWIL suggests then it will definatley get arround that problem.




Cheers,

jcat