proliant 5000r ram

[bruce_100]

tearing my hair out here! procured 4 x 128 sticks of identical viking brand #9613341 ecc edo ram to upgrade my proliant 5000. upgraded the memory boards from old (pre-1997) fastpage-only boards to the later edo OR fastpage type. still the server will only pass P.O.S.T with the original fastpage sticks in there. any memory combination involving the "new" viking 128 sticks (including ONLY the new sticks) halts with a "invalid memory configuration error 207". also updated bios to latest 1999 version, and, yes.. i am installing the sticks in the correct memory board slots. am i missing something obvious, or do i have some bad ram? any help much appreciated. thanks

[JohnWRuffo]

Bruce:

Buying RAM third party for ProLiants is hit and miss. Compaq (now HP) has always stated that they want you to purchase their RAM.
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/options/memory/why-buy.pdf

You likely do not have "bad RAM" but you may just have incompatable RAM. If you can exchange the RAM at least you will not be out of pocket the cost.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=PSD_EX980929_CW01&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=254865&locale=en_US

[bruce_100]

sadly, if you are right, the ram was supplied from the usa (ex ebay) and is now in new zealand..... are you saying "viking" brand ram (admittedly totally unknown to me) is shite? ;) .... we learn from our mistakes :(

[JohnWRuffo]

Well... colorfull language aside LOL, I am sure it is not "bad" RAM... just not for use in Compaq Servers.

Find out if you can return the RAM.

Here is what you need:
http://partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi/showphoto?partnumber=219393-001

[bruce_100]

all i really need to know (before pursuing the obvious like returning the ram) is - have i missed something obvious? ... i did fail to supply one piece of info... the ram is apparently from a 6000, and i am told was tested and guaranteed working in a 6000, not a 5000 - should this be an issue in itself? ... thanks for your help thus far (incidentally, the way i feel about this entire exercise, that is a long way short of "colourful language ") ;)

[JohnWRuffo · Accepted solution]

Ah, yes... ProLiant 6000 uses a different DIMM and spare part number:
http://partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi/showphoto?partnumber=330740-001

I am sure you can find this RAM on the net for much less than HP will want to charge you, just be sure to cross reference the spart part numbers:
64-MB Memory Expansion Kit (4 x 16-MB FPM DIMMs) 219282-001
128-MB Memory Expansion Kit (4 x 32-MB FPM DIMMs) 219283-001
256-MB Memory Expansion Kit (4 x 64-MB FPM DIMMs) 219284-001
512-MB Memory Expansion Kit (4 x 128-MB FPM DIMMs) 219285-001
1024-MB Memory Expansion Kit (4 x 256-MB buffered EDO DIMMs) 241774-B21
Upgrade of the 1024-MB Memory Expansion Kit requires the FP/EDO Memory Board Conversion Kit (P/N219481-B21)in systems with serial number date code below X706 XXXX XXXX.

ProLiant 5000 Memory PDF:
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/ProLiant5000-memory.pdf

The ProLiant 5000 web page:
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/ProLiant5000/