xpower big bang memory slot issues

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mjonestrumpet

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Hi everyone!  I'm brand new to this forum, this is my first post, and the first day I stumbled upon the wealth of information...

I was trying to google the problem I'm having with my new board, and I found a bunch of semi results from this site.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone with the same problem that I'm having, though the closest I've found was at https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=140533.0

Anyway, here?s my dilemma.  I am building a new computer and did a lot of research on the parts i got to used with it.  I read really great reviews about the xpower big bang mobo and i decided to go with that.  I got 2 sets of triple channel 1600 ddr3 memory for it.  I know it only operates up to 1333 unless you overclock, but I read that it will still take the 1600 even if not overclocked, it will just operate at 1333.  So anyway, all the sticks are the same.  I installed them all, along with everything else, and the computer was working just fine.  As I was checking to make sure everything was reading correctly, i noticed it was only showing that 4 sticks of ram were installed.  I downloaded belarc, to make sure it was giving the correct amount of ram, but it too was only showing the results of 4 sticks of ram.  Thinking that probably 2 sticks of my ram was bad, i took them all out, and tried each one individually.  They all worked just fine.  Puzzled, I inserted 1, making sure it was seated properly, and turned on the system.  Worked fine, read the correct amount of ram.  Turned it off, inserted another stick, followed the manual showing where to stick the second if only using two, powered on system and it worked fine, and showed the combined memory of both sticks.  Powered, off, inserted a 3rd stick, again making sure it was seated properly, powered on the system.  This time, it was booting fine, got to the splash screen for windows 7 (I?m running windows 7 pro 64-bit) and it just stayed there.  The windows logo was pulsing like it does when its loading, but it never left that page.  So, I manually shut down the system, I put in another stick in the 4th slot designated by the manual, booted up the system, and it worked just fine, except it was only reading 2 sticks of ram.  I shut off the system, put in a 5th stick, turned it on, and I again got stuck on the pulsing windows slash screen.  Turned it off, stuck in the 6th stick, turned it back on, booted fine.  It now reads 4 sticks.  I played around with it and I now have the first 4 slots (2 black, 2 blue closest to the cpu) filled with 4 sticks of ram.  Boots fine, and shows the correct amount of memory for the 4 sticks.

Am I doing something wrong?  Is my board defective?  Is there some special trick to make 6 sticks work?  I read the manual backwards and forwards.  I looked for hours online trying to find someone who had the problem and have a solution.  I bought the board from Newegg and I know I can exchange it for a new one if I have to, but I would REALLY like to not have to.  Everything is already installed?and I don?t want to take it all back apart, and then try to repackage everything that came with the motherboard?

Any insight into this would be great, if you need more info, please let me know and I?ll be glad to post more up.  I?m using a 1000w power supply from antec, I don?t think it?s a lack of power problem.  Again, thanks for all your help, and please excuse me if I posted this in the wrong area, this is my first time to the site.
 
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Reseat CPU & while you have it out check for bent/damaged pins in the CPU socket and examine CPU pads to see if all shows marks of contact with the pins. Poor contact will often cause memory problems like that (memory controller is in CPU).

 
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After reading the manual, it should be clear to use the black slots first then add into the blue slots. As suggested, it also sounds to me that the CPU needs to be reset, or there are bent/broken pins in the CPU socket. Other problem could be defective DIMM slot(s) or not fully seated RAM sticks.  

Added: Bios version can be real sensitive when trying to use 12GB+ of RAM also. Recommend using just one stick in the primary black DIMM slot & updating bios to 1.3.
 
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Thanks guys!  you guys are wicked fast with responces.  I reseated the cpu, and that fixed it!  I'm really glad, cause I really did not want to have to ship that back.  I will ask this though...windows took WAY long to load after installing the last 2 rams...like, i thought it froze on the splash screen again...is that like...a one time thing now that all the ram sticks are properly installed?  Anyway, its now reading all 24 Sticks!  :worship:

for the first post about my system specs, hopefully i get all this right

CPU: Intel i7 950
Mobo: msi xpower big bang
Ram: 6 sticks of G Skill Ripjaws 240pin DDR3 SDRAM 1333 4GB (24GB total)
Video Card: 2x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 480 Fermi 1536MB 384-bit
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
Wireless Card: D-Link DW-556 Xtreme N pci express adapter (still not working yet... :biggthumbsdown:
Optics: LG 10xBlu-ray Burner w/ Lightscribe
Operating System: Windows 7 professional 64-bit
PSU: Antec CP-1000 1000w
Case: Antec 1200
 
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Wireless Card: D-Link DW-556 Xtreme N pci express adapter (still not working yet...

BIOS update might also fix that problem, have you tried different slots for the card to see if it makes any difference?
 
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yeah, tried a couple different slots.  its like its not there at all.  its weird.  I tried it in the first little pci slot, and it works, but thats the only slot that the audio card works in.  I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't doa...but its not.  It's weird.  Im going to go update my bios, ill check to see if that fixes that problem after i make sure all the ram is still working after i reinstall the other 5 sticks and that the system is running faster.  after that, ill check the wireless card, and then post back here with my findings.  thanks so much everyone!
 
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HU16E has had plenty of experience with various types of cards having problems in the various PCIe slots and MSI has made quite a few BIOS updates to fix them. Do as Jack said and update BIOS and memory compatibility and most PCIe problems should be fixed. I'm sure the next time he gets around to this this thread he can advise you a bit more about it.
 
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Wireless Card: D-Link DW-556 Xtreme N pci express adapter
Click to expand...
This is about the third thread that has had issue with this add-in card. What makes it so difficult to pinpoint the trouble, is the card works fine in slot E1, the one dedicated to the Quantum Wave sound card. In E1, I believe it works off of the ICH10R. When in slots E2 thru E7, it goes thru the 36 lanes allocation of the X58 Express chipset. I can only suggest getting a ticket in with MSI Tech Support (latest beta bios I believe is 1.4b3), checking with the card manufacturer, & checking with M$. Recently, for Windows 7, M$ has had a few updates addressing component compatibility improvements.

Added: As a last resort, leaving the add-in card in E1 & purchasing an aftermarket sound card will work, but doesn't solve the mystery.
 
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Thanks very much guys!  I had a feeling the card wasn't going to work after plugging it in several different spots...that kinda blows.

Thanks for the private message explaining it too!

Ok, I tried using that usb program to flash my bios...and it wasnt working, i tried 3 different usb sticks, in case one of them was a dud.  I know how to flash with a floppy (been a while) but i dont have floppy hooked up, or a usb floppy either...  I tried using the fix usb key thing program, and it would go through without issues, until the end when that grid screen pop comes up.  an error would come up, but when I would close that screen the program kept going, and then said it was successful.  When I restarted my system, the first time, when i booted from the usb drive, it said no operating system found, and, that screen wouldnt go away.  The second time, the screen said please remove all media, and i would hit enter, and it would repeat itself indefinately.  the third time, wouldnt load from that usb, but that usb is super old, and I dont use it anymore for fear that it wont hold data...so I wan't too surprised there.

Any other suggestions?  :undecided:
 
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Ok...so i've tried the bootable CD, i dont have nero.  I have roxie easy  media though, and you can burn bootable discs, but I didnt have a bootable iso image.  So then i tried the usb boot, but that didnt work either.  I even went to check out (not try) the msi live update tool, but they dont support windows 7 64 bit, only 32 bit.  I'm running out of ideas...is there anything else I can try? :undecided:
 
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I first tried the reccommended usb tool you guys made.  I followed all the instructions, i tried now on 4 different sticks, none of them worked.  I kept getting a 'no bootable data' message.  I then tried to make a bootable CD, but I didnt have an iso image to burn to the CD with the updates from the MSI website for the 1.3v of the bios.  So, then I tried to make the bootable usb following the instructions on this website.  It wouldnt boot to the usb, it just kept loading windows from my hard drive even after I would have it boot from usb first.  Then i finally got onto the msi website to see what the reccomended...they had the msi live update program, but since you guys said dont use that, I didnt, but even if I wanted to, i couldnt.  It doesnt say it supports windows 7 64 bit, only 32 bit...so...im stumped.
 
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Got it!  Thanks SO much HU16E.  For whatever reason, when I followed exactly what you wrote, it worked.  before i was using the first option, so maybe the second was the ticket?  Anyway, thanks a million!  Flashed just fine and running perfectly.  Now I just have to figure out what to do about the wireless card and video card...hopefully it will work now that I upgraded the bios...but im not holding my breath.
 
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So i checked with all of the pci slots, the wireless card ONLY works in the x1 one.  If i have to choose sound over having internet...ill pick the internet...i've read a lot of reviews of people hating the quantum wave audio card that came with the board...but i haven't really tried it out to prove or disprove that theory.  Does anyone recommend a card that will work in this system?  I have an older creative media card from my old desktop.  I believe its a pci, but when I tried to put it in...the little chip prongs seemed to short or something and they didnt reach to fit into the pci holder?  So...does anyone know for sure of a decent audio card that will work with this motherboard?  Thanks a ton!
 
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Unfortunately, older PCI cards will not fit the board, they must be PCI-E. Depending on how much you wish to spend, the Creative PCI-E X-Fi Titanium series has a few selections.
 
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Oooh that explains that then.  Hm ok.  Ill definately go check them out!  I like the creative audio brand, i know some people dont...but I haven't had any issues with them ever, ill go check out that series.  I dont want to spend a fortune, but I definately dont mind dropping a good bit for a good quality card.  Thanks so much for all your help!
 
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