DL380 G5 memory problem

[Troy-Tempest]

I have a DL380 G5 with system board 436526-001 that will not boot with 8 x 8GB RAM modules installed. These are genuine HP modules, part 495604-B21.

Symptoms: Fans start (take off speed!), screen remains blank and the server emits periodic beeps, all 8 DIMM LEDs are amber and red server health LED is lit.

These 8 x 8GB RAM modules work fine in another DL380 G5, and the problem server works fine with 8 x 4GB (32 GB total), so it's not the slots and it's not the RAM.

The BIOS version is Sept 2009

I am almost certain that this revision of system board supports 8GB modules (it supports quad-core E5450 CPUs that I've just dropped in), and I've got two other servers with this configuration working fine. Heck, I even put the 8 x 8GB modules into a DL380 G5 with the older system board 407749-001 and that boots fine with 64GB RAM reported and no problems.

Any suggestions as to what I can try to get the system to recognise 8GB modules? Does anyone know if the later system board (436526-001) definitely supports 8GB modules? This is in the UK, btw, not USA.

Thanks

[xdeetee]

In which case, you might want to start with 2x8GB RAM , then test and add 2 more, test...  

Cheers!

[Torsten.]

>> The BIOS version is Sept 2009

On both servers?

I have 2011.05.02 here.

[Troy-Tempest]

Thanks for your responses,

The Sept 2009 BIOS is the most recent of all the servers, I've got 64GB installed on servers with earlier BIOS versions.

I will try adding two 8GB modules to see if the system recognises that size of module.

TT

[Troy-Tempest]

Very interesting, I installed 2 x 8GB modules, and the server started fine. Then I installed a further 2 (total 32GB) and the server started fine. Then I installed all 8 and.... the server started fine!  It now reports 64GB RAM (actually 63, but that's the same for all the servers).

Why it worked installing 2, then 4, then 8 modules and not all 8 in one go (which I had done on the other servers) I have no idea.

Thanks for the suggestion.

TT

[Torsten.]

I have often seen problems during memory upgrades.

If you insert DIMMs in slots that were empty for years, you may have contact problems, hence the server sometimes "says" nothing at all, even no power on may be possible.

If you re-seat the DIMMs now 2 or 3 times, it usually works perfectly.

Last time I had this issue for 4 out of 10 servers.

[Troy-Tempest]

Torsten,

Interesting thought, but this server had 8 x 4GB modules already in place, so no years of accumulated dust involved. It's so strange given that on  the other 3 servers there were indeed vacant slots, but they accepted all 8 x 8GB modules without missing a beat.

TT