So since I am not in a position to go for a full hardware upgrade anytime soon, and really want to try installing a Windows or maybe even a MacOS VM, I finally pulled the trigger on the intermediate hardware upgrade of my SuperMicro C2SEA based unRAID system...I tracked down a Q9550 for $25 to replace my 2180 and 4 sticks of 2GB DDR3 RAM to replace my 2 sticks of 2GB for another $25...I know I could have tried to find another 2 sticks of 2GB Corsair RAM, like the ones I already had, but since I am leaving town for a few months, and ran out of time, I wanted to avoid mixing RAM and risking problems.

Well, today I finally went to the location where my server is housed, opened it up, swapped Procs and the RAM, but when I started up the server, I got nothing but loud beeps...since the CPU was quite straight forward and left little room for error, I pulled out the new RAM, swapped it for the old RAM, and surely enough, the server booted...went ahead and tried the new RAM again (maybe I didn't seat it correctly the first time around), but same outcome: beeps.

I installed the old RAM yet again and closed the server, figuring that I might be able to experiment a little bit with the 4GB until I find the solution to this issue with the help of the lime-tech community.

the specs for the C2SEA say:

SUPPORTED RAM
    •    Bus Clock 
1333 MHz, 1066 MHz, 800 MHz 
    •    Features 
Dual channel memory architecture 
    •    Registered or Buffered 
Unbuffered 
    •    Speed 
PC3-10600, PC3-8500, PC3-6400 
    •    Max Size 
8 GB 
    •    Technology 
DDR3 
    •    Supported RAM Integrity Check 
Non-ECC

the RAM I purchased on eBay was this:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Arbeitsspeicher-Samsung-4-x-2GB-8GB-DDR3-SDRAM-1333-Mhz-PC3-10600U/192393021500?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

maybe I'm just slow, but what could be causing this rejection? the seller tested the RAM with memtest86 without errors and there is no reason to distrust him (given the many perfect reviews of him).

when comparing the new sticks to the old Corsair I did notice that the Corsair has chips on both sides, these new Samsung ones only on one side, but does that constitute a problem?

hoping to not have to look for other RAM (and lose the $25) 
 

27 minutes ago, tillkrueger said:

when comparing the new sticks to the old Corsair I did notice that the Corsair has chips on both sides, these new Samsung ones only on one side, but does that constitute a problem?

It definitely could. Higher density chips may not work. I haven't researched it to see if it was a hardware or software limitation, I suspect hardware and not "fixable", but on the off chance that it's software I'd make sure your BIOS is on the latest release.

32 minutes ago, tillkrueger said:

when comparing the new sticks to the old Corsair I did notice that the Corsair has chips on both sides, these new Samsung ones only on one side, but does that constitute a problem?

 

That's likely the problem, older chipsets require lower density chips.

you might be on to something, jonathanm.

another thing that has me wondering is that when I look at the System Profiler or the Dashboard's System Status, they both list

Memory size

allocated 3.921 GB
installed 4 GB (max. capacity 4 GB)

although the specs on SuperMicro's site for that board list it as supporting 8GB of RAM.

so maybe it is a classic case of the BIOS version being outdated...but that wouldn't be something I could update without physical access to the server, right?
 

our responses got crossed, so your guess is that this is indeed a hardware issue and can not be solved through a mere BIOS upgrade, right?

Are you double sure that you have a C2SEA and not a C2SEE?  The "E" is limited to 4GB.

if that is so, then maybe I get lucky on Sunday when this auction closes, and be able to pick up these RAM sticks, which have the same model number as the sticks that are already in it:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Corsair-CMV4GX3M2A1333C9-4GB-PC3-10600-DDR3-1333-DDR3-SDRAM-1333-Mhz-Kit/253299792912?epid=113267616&hash=item3af9d81c10:g:o1gAAOSwP4FaFwtQ
 

Model: Custom
M/B: Supermicro - C2SEA
CPU: Intel® Core™2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
HVM: Enabled
IOMMU: Disabled
Cache: 128 kB, 8192 kB
Memory: 8 GB (max. installable capacity 8 GB)*
Network: eth0: 1000 Mb/s, full duplex, mtu 1500
Kernel: Linux 4.9.30-unRAID x86_64
OpenSSL: 1.0.2k

System info from my running system

I can't look at the board again until I get back to Berlin in mid-January, StevenD, but I am all but certain that I have the C2SEA, and all the entries in the System Profiler confirm that.

2 minutes ago, StevenD said:

Are you double sure that you have a C2SEA and not a C2SEE?  The "E" is limited to 4GB.

Pretty sure he'd notice the 2 missing memory slots. :-)

oh, cool, I didn't know you are using the same Mobo as I am, jonathanm!

I know I'll get to the same point as you, as soon as I get physical access to my server again...I only have two days in January to resolve this before leaving for Los Angeles for a few months, so I really need to get this to work...not much use running VM's with only 4GB of RAM, right?

Edited December 15, 20178 yr by tillkrueger
syntax error

1 minute ago, tillkrueger said:

and can not be solved through a mere BIOS upgrade, right?

Not likely.

 

 

oh, yes, I *definitely* have 4 memory slots

ok, johnnie.black...I know you know your stuff, and since you confirm what jonathanm also seems to think, I am leaning toward finding another two 2GB sticks with the same model number as the ones I have...I see a few on eBay, and have a few weeks to score them, so that shall be my next goal...I think I can live with losing those $25, but I was pretty happy to do this whole upgrade with only $50 in parts...so then it'll be $75 in parts, still not too shabby.

hey jonathanm, since you have the same Mobo as I do, can you maybe tell me whether with the Q9550 the IOMMU can also be enabled, and if so, where in the BIOS? HVM is enabled, but IOMMU is not, as of right now.

and maybe you could also tell me whether the fact that it currently shows "Memory: 4 GB (max. installable capacity 4 GB)" means that my BIOS is outdated and that I will only be able to add another 4GB *after* upgrading the BIOS?

Q9550 looks like it supports Vt-d checking here and reading your motherboard manual.

Edited December 16, 20178 yr by CHBMB

yes, VT-d I have enabled, and it shows as "HVM: Enabled" in unRAID's Info pop-up...but my question is whether hardware passthrough, labeled as "IOMMU" in unRAID's Info pop-up, can also be enabled, and if so, where.

1 minute ago, tillkrueger said:

yes, VT-d I have enabled, and it shows as "HVM: Enabled" in unRAID's Info pop-up...but my question is whether hardware passthrough, labeled as "IOMMU" in unRAID's Info pop-up, can also be enabled, and if so, where.

 

IOMMU = Vt-d

HVM = Vt-x

 

So read the manual I linked to, to check Vt-d is enabled in BIOS

oops, then I had the abbreviations mixed up, sorry. :-/ 

ok, let me dig through the manual then...thank you! 

ok, looks like that setting is under the North Bridge settings, and not under the CPU settings, like VT-x is.
gotta wait until mid-January to get physical access to the server again, though...a remote accessible BIOS would be nice now.

Thanks again for that pointer!

1 minute ago, tillkrueger said:

ok, looks like that setting is under the North Bridge settings, and not under the CPU settings, like VT-x is.
gotta wait until mid-January to get physical access to the server again, though...a remote accessible BIOS would be nice now.

Thanks again for that pointer!

No problem.....

jonathanm, maybe you can answer this first question:

after getting a second set of matching memory sticks (2x2GB, same model number), the server still beeps when being turned on...in my System Profile it says 

Memory:

4 GB (max. installable capacity 4 GB)

 

Since my BIOS version is still at 1.0c and the newest version on Supermicro’s site is 1.1a, is it possible that the mobo won’t recognize the full 8GB until the BIOS is upgraded? I am unable to upgrade it atm, bc I have to track down a USB stick first.

 

another strange thing is that in the BIOS I have VT-d enabled, which should refer to IOMMU support, but that in System Profile IOMMU shows as disabled and HVM (VT-x) as enabled...but there is no setting for VT-x in the BIOS that I can find, though...might this be another item missing from this earlier version of my BIOS? I am confused about these readings.

Edited January 8, 20188 yr by tillkrueger
Syntax error

to illustrate that I am not crazy (or maybe I'm just mis-reading something?), here a few screenshots to show that:

 

- VT-d is Enabled in the BIOS
- there is no VT-x toggle in the North Bridge Chip Configuration panel

- the unRAID System Overview shows 4GB maximum memory (the C2SEA has 4 slots and supports 8GB)
- the unRAID System Overview shows HVM is enabled, but IOMMU is not

I'm reading up on how to properly upgrade the C2SEA BIOS to the newest version, which I hope will then allow the second pair of RAM slots to be populated with the other 4GB, and maybe even allow the VT-x toggle to be accessed (although I have yet to find definitive affirmation that this is supported on the C2SEA).

anyone have any insights to any of these issues? jonathanm, maybe, since you have the same mobo in use (if you still do)?
 

Sorry, I never had passthrough VM's on that board, everything was totally headless always using RDP, so I didn't need IOMMU.

 

The server is currently running headless in the wiring closet, so I can't easily check BIOS version right now. Does each stick of memory post 2GB correctly by itself in any of the 4 slots?

I'd start mixing and matching slots and sticks to find out what posts and what beeps. Maybe you can find a pattern for what works. You should be able to run any combination of sticks and slots with that board AFAIK.

 

However... my board shows max installable capacity 8GB, which I think is enumerated in the BIOS, so an upgrade may help.