ML115 memory problems

[Johnathan Moran]

Hi,
I just bought a new ML115 and decided to upgrade the memory from 512 to 4GB. I purchased 2x2GB PC6400 DIMMS but when I installed them the system would not boot up. I tried each DIMM on its one and Windows will boot. So I know the DIMMS are good. I even tried them in each of the four slots in many different configurations an it ill only boot with 2GB of RAM. I even ordered HP specific RAM and it still only works with 2GB of RAM. Is there something I need to do. The spec says that you can have 8GB of RAM.

Thanks

[Blazhev_1]

Hi,

did you tried the 2 DIMMs in slots 1&3?
do you have latest BIOS?
can you give the DIMM/kit part numbers?
1 or 2 CPUs?

There should be something wrong in your config, the server really supports 8 GB...

regards

[Joerg Klepsch]

Have the same problem with 4x2GB. 1x512 works fine. Did you already solve the problem? It seems to me that the server only does not boot if there is inserted any kind of pci express card. It does not matter if x1 or x16.

[KarloChacon]

hi

you are using PC6400 and if you check documentation only "Unbuffered PC2-5300 ECC DIMM" is supported

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12704_div/12704_div.html#Memory

regards

[Joerg Klepsch]

My server is a ml115g5. And i bought original hp ram (part number 450260-B21).

[Johnathan Moran]

If you take a look at the following link for the ML115g5 http://h20195.www2.hp.com/PDF/c01424137.pdf it says PC2-6400 ram. Is there any way to know if it is unbuffered. I am going to remove the graphics card I have installed to see if that makes any difference.
Thanks

[KarloChacon]

ok so you have a ML115 G5 not G1...

[KarloChacon]

did you try updating System ROM?

try also clear CMOS with the DIMMS in and out

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

Without my grafic adapter it works. But this is no solution for me, because i need this PC as a vmware testing machine and want to habe a dvi output.

Thanks

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

Tried updating System ROM with no success.

[KarloChacon]

just curious guys are those PCI Cards HP, just because I would like to know if those are HP might be something to pay attention

regards

[Johnathan Moran]

Thanks to Joerq, I took the graphics card out and it booted with the 4GB ram. I have a nVidia 8600GT card. I even changed the BIOS settings to enable the graphics card. I really wonder if HP know about this problem.

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

Will escalate this as a support call to hp later. First i have to check my bios, because the latest bios update yesterday did not work.

I will inform you when there is any solution from hp.

It is good to know, that others have the same problems.

Thanks

[Johnathan Moran]

What BIOS version are you using?

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

The last one from 05/26/2008.

Tried to apply it again with windows online tool from 2003 server => destroyed my bios. So be care and apply it only with booting from usb media.

[KarloChacon]

hey joerg.klepsch@mts.de

what about your PCI cards? which brand?


regards

[Joerg Klepsch]

Have been back from work now and was able to repair my defekt bios. The tip from another guy in the forum worked. The box is able to boot from usb and flash the bios again even with a defekt bios. You just have to wait a couple of minutes.

Lets come back to our main problem.
Here are the card i tested already with a non booting windows (vistax32,vistax64,2003x32,2008x64 all the same):
Even a boot from windows media fails. The strange thing is that in one of 20 attemps i was able to boot even with grafic adapter, but only analog tft not dvi.

1) Geforce 8400GS(and lots of other) x16
2) Adaptek SCSI-Card 29320LE (together with a sound alert later at booting) x1

3) A sitecom silicon image sata controller x1 works in all conditions.

So the conclusion for me is, that we only have problems if dma is used between cards and memory for direct data exchange without the processor.
It would be nice to know if other processor versions makes the same errors. Mine is a athlon 4450.

But all facts say: HP has not testet enough.
I do not want to use a hp server without having any expansion options.

Would be nice to know what HP says. But this server is my private one and so i will need time to escalate this call.

Hope this details help a bit.

[Blazhev_1]

Hi Joerg,

If you don't want to lose your time to call HP support and "escalate" the call, I will tell you the answer you will receive :

This graphic card is not supported from HP in the server...and maybe you don't have right - HP tested enough to find out that there will be a problem with the card and not include it in the list of supported options(for ml110 G5) :

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13013_div/13013_div.HTML

From the Proliant 100-series only the DL140 G3 and dl145 g3 have supportd VGA option.

ProLiant servers are not though to be used for multimeadia applications and that's why they have poor video.

Since HP can't test every device from every company, it makes more sense to include in Quickspecs the parts that are supported (and therefore tested), than listing all other as unsupported.

So if the card is not running in the server, it is not HP's fault - it is up to you to check if the server supports it before buying and installing it in the server.
You can however call HP and confirm the same

Gruss,
Blazhev

[kass]

Hi,

i have the exact same server (g5) & having the same problem. mine will accept upto 2.5gb but nothing more.

i am running server 2008 64bit.

i bought the recommended ecc ram from crucial.

a friend of mine also having the same issue.

weird thing is that i also have a ml115 g1 ( i think) server & that one works fine with 4gb.

i have only the server for about a month. i did not flash the bios as its the same version as the one on the website.

any suggestions?

kass

[Jaime Bula]

I dont know if this has to do with the KB929777 issue on Vista. Is this a Windows problem or an HP problem...

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

Hi,

i found a workaround for me. Put in a pci geforce 8600 vga card and installed xp x64. Is working well with 8GB RAM, so that i can use vmware server 2.0 for work and fits all my specifications. Also the pci-e e1000 works, so that i can try to install esx next few weeks.

In this way it is a nice and very fast system with a little bit 3d and dvi.

You need the nforce drivers for 3xxx chipset from nvidia to get this working (the hp ones are old from 2006 and limit the hdd to 10 percent).

Hope that helps someone.

Joerg

[Jaime Bula]

You said you got it working with 8gigs and a 8600?? any other tweaking??

Any reason why de 8600 works? Has to do with the nforce driver?? technically speaking.

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

I uses a 8600 pci vga card not pci express, so over 4 GB RAM are possibel. XP instead of Vista because its faster and a got the nvidia vga driver working only on xp.

The nforce chipset drivers are necessary because the system nearly freezes with the hp drivers (same in vista and 2008 server).

I am still wondering why hp does not test same extension cards.

regards joerg

[Tolu]

Hi joerg,

If you don't mind me asking, where did you manage to find a modern nvidia card that uses a pci interface?

I have been looking on the net but can't find any that match what you describe.

Thanks in advance.

[joerg.klepschmts.de]

Hallo Tolu,

Sparkle (Retail) 8500GT PCI.

it has not the same performance than pci-e or agp, but is enough for me.

But remind, that the original cooler for two slots is to big (i put in a smaller one with no problems using dvi and desktop 3d / for games i put in an extra blower)

mfg