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What happens when an IMC goes bad?

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Droogie

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I've been having memory issues for a long time now. It seems pretty common on x58, but nob of the common fixes have worked. It only shows 4 gigs out of 6 on a cold boot. This happens in the BIOS and in windows. I've swapped memory, tweaked settings, and just swapped the motherboard, but the problem remains.

Here's the weird part. The BIOS and windows only show 4 gigs, but cpu-z shows 6. A reboot fixes this every time, and it will only do it from a very cold boot.

Could this be the imc? I think I've exhausted all other options, but would like to avoid an rma. Kinda need my system.

If anyone has another suggestion, please he'll. I'm beyond desperation and frustration.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by youra6;13844748
I dont understand how you still have this problem if you have swapped both the memory and the motherboard.
Click to expand...
This is what I mean. It's driving me crazy, and basically ruining any chance of happiness nowadays, lol. I'm ready to throw it in the river.

My friend has 6 gigs of dominators in his computer, so we switched our memory out. Mine still showed only 4 gigs after a cold boot with his memory, and his computer had no issue at all with mine. Motherboard has a memok button on it, and that is required to fix the issue on this one. Otherwise, after being shut down for a while, it'll only see 4 gigs in both the bios and windows. Funny thing is, CPU-Z will still see all 6, even when Windows and bios don't.
 
#8 ·
Internal Memory Controller

What's the max QPI volts you've fed your IMC in stress tests?
Maybe just windows is not seeing it... try starting up Linx and selecting a little more than 4ghz ram usage? If that works its just not reporting properly in windows.

Find someone with a 1366 CPU and try theirs see if problem goes away. OR if they don't want u to snag their cpu for 2 hours, rip yours out and take it to their house to try and replicate the issue. Find the working components first to rule out the bad.

ALSO: Try putting the memory in single channel by populating slot 1,2,3 instead of 1, 3, 6 and see if it displays 6gigs propely

Try updating the motherboard BIOS also

Try lowering the memory multiplier

Possible culprits given the situation:

1. mobo (u just replaced it so unlikely) this includes bad ram slot, ram phase power, BIOS douchebaggery
2. IMC on the CPU die
Or something OS related, pretty sure nothing else affects memory.

I have no idea what symptoms a bad IMC could cause however... wouldn't it BSOD instead of showing up 66% of total memory?
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
I think I'm just gonna return the new motherboard to newegg while I'm within the 30 days, RMA the cpu, sell it on here, and build a new system. Might try out an AMD, because I've never had problems like this before. Getting the itch to build something, anyway.
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Droogie;13846700
I think I'm just gonna return the new motherboard to newegg while I'm within the 30 days, RMA the cpu, sell it on here, and build a new system. Might try out an AMD, because I've never had problems like this before. Getting the itch to build something, anyway.
Click to expand...
AMD will be a downgrade, just saying.
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthraxinsoup;13846756
AMD will be a downgrade, just saying.
Click to expand...
Heh, anything is an upgrade at this point. I can't overclock because of the memory problem. I've been fighting this for about a year. Plus, I can sell off the cpu and return the motherboard, and come out ahead. It's only for gaming, so not like I need the HT or anything.

Gonna go with a 990fx mobo and get a cheap 1055t or something. Just until BD comes out.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Droogie;13846836
Heh, anything is an upgrade at this point. I can't overclock because of the memory problem. I've been fighting this for about a year. Plus, I can sell off the cpu and return the motherboard, and come out ahead. It's only for gaming, so not like I need the HT or anything.

Gonna go with a 990fx mobo and get a cheap 1055t or something. Just until BD comes out.
Click to expand...
A 1055t would still be beat by a 920 most likely.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthraxinsoup;13847092
A 1055t would still be beat by a 920 most likely.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but nothing noticeable in games. Especially when I can't use the memory. I don't do benchmarks or anything. I just want my system to work.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by Anthraxinsoup
View Post

Well, 4 gigs isn't bad, it's not really a downgrade at all, seeing as AMD doesn't use triple channel.

I meant that my current setup wont see all my memory. Its driving me nuts.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
I know you're been asked this before but what did you set your VTT/QPI Voltage to? At stock settings it should be pretty low but, as an example, if I run mine at 2000MHz with an overclock of 4GHz and upwards I need around 1.58v for stability. Even running the RAM at 1600MHz with a 4.2GHz overclock I need nearly 1.39v.

I assume you've already check the RAM with MemTest?
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Elf;13853546
I know you're been asked this before but what did you set your VTT/QPI Voltage to? At stock settings it should be pretty low but, as an example, if I run mine at 2000MHz with an overclock of 4GHz and upwards I need around 1.58v for stability. Even running the RAM at 1600MHz with a 4.2GHz overclock I need nearly 1.39v.

I assume you've already check the RAM with MemTest?
Click to expand...
Didn't bother with memtest. Same problem happened with my friend's memory in my system. Mine worked fine in his system.

I've already taken it apart and set up an rma for the CPU. Has to be the memory controller at this point. When it gets back, I'll be selling it. This seems to be a common issue on 1366, and I'm moving on to something else. I've been messing with it for 6 months.

I'm either gonna go SB, or get a 990fx board and a cheap quad as a placeholder for bulldozer.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
Intel Data Sheets list the "Absolute Maximum" for the QPI/VTT as 1.35v...

Have been following Droogie both here and over at evga, he has exhasuted all avenues, the only one I have seen is a cpu swap...

But based on the fact that he has swapped mobo's and Ram, as well as all types of bios voltage setting and ram timing etc, it has to be the IMC, or cpu in general..
 
#20 ·
I raised a technical support request with Intel about VTT voltages after Asus and GSkill told me it was OK to run up to 1.6v. Intel basically said, the default is 1.15v, they don't test/support overclocking but that if Asus said it was OK then to use it.

If you go through the GSkill forums you'll find their tech support suggesting that users try 1.6v to run faster RAM, particularly at high speed. Corsair had a White Paper on it (which I can no longer find) that suggested 1.6v on the VTT/QPI (not DRAM voltage) for RAM at 1866MHz and over.
 
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Droogie
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