--- Michal Piotrowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Srihari, Hello Michal,
[...] > > It turns out the system is no go with 4 GB of RAM (4 * 1 GB modules): > system > > instability & SATA controller doesn't detect the drives (as I reported to > > linux-ide: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/msg06174.html). > > > > With only 2 GB of RAM (with either pairs), system is very stable > (surviving > > many parallel kernel compiles for over 3 times longer than that of 4 GB), > and > > it detects & works fine with the SATA drives also. > > > > Any advice on getting all of 4 GB to work reliably with SATA also? [...] > This looks like a bad RAM problem too me. Check the RAM memory > http://www.memtest.org/ I disagree it to be a bad RAM problem (please read on). But agree undeniably to run the memtest a little later on (FWIW, Linux & kernel compile tests are indeed my test case to prove the stability of the machine). (I can assure no component is overclocked; I prefer stability over performance with instability :-). Power & ventilation seem quite adequate, but nonetheless I haven't eliminated yet - for stability, not for SATA detection.) Assuming it's indeed a bad RAM (which I don't sincerely/logically believe), may I ask then how would you explain: 1. SATA drives aren't even detected with 4 GB of RAM 2. Or the system working reliably with _both_ pairs of memory modules individually, ie when limited to 2 GB only, when kernel compile torture test succeeds for many hours with no problems (repeated the test case for a few times also to prove the memory modules are themselves in very good condition), while crashing in a few minutes reliably/repeatably under 4 GB Logically speaking, if I were to hypothesize what the problem might be: 1. mother board is no go with 4 GB of RAM (for both system stability & SATA drives detection) - Escalated it to Asus to confirm. 2. (my dearest) Linux kernel doesn't configure/program things in this board to work reliably. 3. Sadly I don't know yet if there is a boot parameter for Linux or a configuration setting in BIOS to make things work both reliably & completely. (I vaguely remember in a thread a few weeks/months ago in LKML on AMD64/Nvidia chipset combo, using SW IOMMU lead to improved stability on machines with large amount of RAM?? Or was that limiting the RAM to under 4 GB that helped?? I could be completely wrong here.) > (Removed from the list of known regressions > http://kernelnewbies.org/known_regressions) (Initially I believed it to be a regression wrongly, but it was not. Since then I've eliminated a few variables in my tests. Sorry for my misunderstanding.) Thank you for your help so far. Hari Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
