MSI G41TM-E63 and RAM

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

Hi there. I am new here.
Some background story... I bought some time ago an used MSI motherboard from Aliexpress, the MSI G41TM-E63, it works fine.. I even had to solder a buzzer to the place where it was kidnapped...
Next I ordered some genuine kingston memory from... Aliexpress... 4x 2GB DDR2-800 dual sided. Very cheap. First ordered and then some days later, got the PDF manual and started to read the memory section... and my worst fear confirmed... the motherboard did refuse to start with 3 and 4 sticks of ram installed. It's been working fine with 4GB of RAM and 2 slots unpopulated.
Last weekend, I reviewed the memory supported models for this board and ordered Hynix HYMP125U64CP8-S6. 4x 2GB RAM dual sided. Very cheap again plus postage from ebay and took 1 week to arrive. Very well packed. So I removed the 2x 2GB from Kingston and started to install 1 stick of Hynix and test.
2 GB detected, then I ran partially memtest86+, then shutdown the system via switch from power supply.
Installed the second 2GB on the 3rd slot, the system detected 4GB, more memtest86+, shutdown.
I installed the third 2GB on the 2nd slot, the system ONLY detected 4GB, ran memtest86+, 3 modules detected, shutdown. (it did not show errors at starting but leaving few minutes of memtest86 running, I was presented with lots of lines).
Finally installed the forth module on the 4th slot, same 4GB detected, ran memtest86+, couldn't see how many modules detected because it started to erroring lots of red lines. Then I shutdown, gone to BIOS and Cell-Menu, Memory-Z and indeed all the 4 modules are detected. I did not try things like putting the RAM modules running at a lower speed.
The CPU is a Q6700. Windows obviously does not start ok with more than 3 RAM sticks installed... either hangs or reboots.
After this, I tested each module per slot a turn... module 1 to slot 1, power off, module 2 to slot 2, power off, module 3 to slot 3, power off, finally module 4 to slot 4. All testing fine.
Speeds detected by memtest86: single 2gb = 3200MB/s and 2x 2gb= 3950MB/s
SO... what I can do now? Should I blame MSI for making poor memory testing? It is not an huge loss because this 4 pack was cheap and I had no extra DDR2 modules just in case some old system comes around. Should I try to get 2gb single sided RAM sticks?

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

3 sticks of hynix and running at 667mhz as memory speed, memtest86+ passes but 4GB is detected everywhere. Windows only sees 2 slots being used of 4.

 

[citay]

Make sure you use the newest BIOS version. https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/G41TME63/support

With a 14-year-old board, you also need RAM of that era. If your RAM is for example "only" 12 years old, it might be too new to be properly supported by the BIOS. So that's why you at least need the newest BIOS version.

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

Make sure you use the newest BIOS version. https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/G41TME63/support

With a 14-year-old board, you also need RAM of that era. If your RAM is for example "only" 12 years old, it might be too new to be properly supported by the BIOS. So that's why you at least need the newest BIOS version.

Thanks for the hint but... Yeh... I forgot to mention about BIOS versions. I could even attach some photos. But the motherboard already has version 1.7 from 02/14/2011. I don't recall if it already had that version installed or if I did download and flashed the latest already. I rephrase that I purchased these 4x 2gb of Hynix based on the memory compatibility. The model I got is listed on the PDF.

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

These pictures were taken with all 4 modules installed the day I got them. Not going to post the other 3 pictures about memory-z, they look the same as the last picture.

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

I can't recall but I think this board uses SPI SOIC8 and I can't maybe play with BIOS' modules to play with memory detection.
I think the CPU being 1066MHz of fsb has got anything to do with the memory not fully being detected.

 

[citay]

I am always very reluctant to buy used boards (for me they are completely out of question, but even for customers i will only do it if it all has to be dirt cheap, after trying to convince them first to spend a bit more for new hardware). There is no telling where the problem comes from exactly. It could be the board or the CPU, or the combination of everything. Heck, even the PSU could have a part in it, if it's old and/or bad. If you already have the latest BIOS installed, your options are limited. You could buy more old hardware for troubleshooting, but on the other hand, i wouldn't really spend more money on hardware like this, unless the price is not worth mentioning.

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

I am always very reluctant to buy used boards (for me they are completely out of question, but even for customers i will only do it if it all has to be dirt cheap, after trying to convince them first to spend a bit more for new hardware). There is no telling where the problem comes from exactly. It could be the board or the CPU, or the combination of everything. Heck, even the PSU could have a part in it, if it's old and/or bad. If you already have the latest BIOS installed, your options are limited. You could buy more old hardware for troubleshooting, but on the other hand, i wouldn't really spend more money on hardware like this, unless the price is not worth mentioning.

Well, this board was cheap and I already knew the G41 chipset and such old platforms. And I probably could assemble a newer system with chep motherboard, cheap old cpu, cheap RAM, and a cpu cooler. I am just not too familiar with newer platforms.

 

[citay]

There's not much to it, newer platforms work even with minimal configuration. What you'd do with a new platform is, you'd update the BIOS, then just set your fan curves in the BIOS and enable XMP for the RAM. You can leave everything else on default. Press F11 for the boot menu to install Windows, and Windows will automatically add itself as the boot drive, you almost never have to enter the BIOS again. Unless you want to update the BIOS again later.

 

[hugo.simoes.19815ba02e0]

There's not much to it, newer platforms work even with minimal configuration. What you'd do with a new platform is, you'd update the BIOS, then just set your fan curves in the BIOS and enable XMP for the RAM. You can leave everything else on default. Press F11 for the boot menu to install Windows, and Windows will automatically add itself as the boot drive, you almost never have to enter the BIOS again. Unless you want to update the BIOS again later.

I am just an enthusiast that likes old hardware. The PC withthe MSI G41TM-E63 motherboard is not my primary rig. My primary rig uses the same chipset and it has 2 ddr2 slots and 2 ddr3 slots with 8GB (2x 4GB in DDR3-1333 running at... 1000 mhz due to chipset limitation). The G41TM-E63 PC is just to play with and I turn it on from time to time. I like the way the hotkey switches the BIOS color scheme from light to dark but I'm kinda confused why AMIBIOS copied AWARD/PHOENIX in terms of menu/options layout. Maybe it is a AmiBios feature and MSI enabled it to allow Cell-Menu to be there. I also have no idea why MSI didn't include an option to turn off beeping when an USB device plugged or unplugged, hence the reason that the buzzer was taken out from the board. Around the same time I got this board, I also got the Q6700 cpu... thinking "oh Q6700 should be better than Q6600" but I was kinda of wrong regarding the mod that allows these CPUs from going 1066 to 1333 MHz FSB, I did it with the Q6700 but the system was kinda unstable (even raising the voltage a bit) and undid the tape mod.
Currently, the board now has the 2 memory modules from Hynix because they are full height instead of the Kingston ones because they are half height and has less area to dissipate the heat. After some use, both memory types get hot like 40 degrees celsius or over 100 degrees F.
I should continue reporting the discoveries I make and someone else sheds some light over why MSI says that a memory module works in all memory slots when the reality is that the board has trouble to deal with.