Small Form Factor SN45G V2 - RAM Problems

OK here's the problem:

My shuttle sn45g was running fine with 256MB pc3500 and a barton 2500, then i wanted an upgrade, so i bought another identical stick. However I now just get the computer restarting after the windows xp loading screen (with the blue bars moving across before the welcome screen), i.e. not loading the windows desktop. I took the stick out, and it worked fine. So I tried it with some other RAM, and whenever I have two sticks in (of any RAM), it stops working. At the moment I have a spare 512MB stick so i've been using that, but if i want to upgrade to 1GB of RAM then i need to be able to use two sticks.

Anyone know what could be causing this or should i just go and take it to the aria shop where i got it from? (they might not give me a refund or replace it though cause i overclocked the proc).

 

I had the same problem with my old P4 system, same symptomes anyway. It turned out for me to be a bad RAM stick, but it sounds like a bad slot for you. Have you tried using just one stick in both of the slots? Maybe one of them is faulty.

Good luck,
Perp

 

ANY stick of RAM will work in ANY slot, as long as there isn't another stick of ram in the other slot. So I don't think it's the slot. Thanks anyway...

 

The nvidia chipset used in the Sn45 and sn41 models is extremely picky with ram , I would put it down to that. The safest method to get ram for one is to use the crucial upgrade system which gaurantees ram specific for your machine

 

The RAM isn't the thing that's wrong with it. When I use ANY two sticks of RAM in the machine, it doesn't work. Any one stick of RAM, and it works perfectly.

 

So what are you saying,. Youve said its not the slot, and its not the ram. Whats left?

I couldn't be PSU could it?

 

I doubt the PSU could cause the problems, cause i'm hardly running top-spec hardware:

radeon 9200
80 gig hdd
dvd-rom drive

and the ram, so it's hardly demanding.

I'm thinking it could be a problem with the motherboard in some other way than the slot simply not working...

 

I've seen this fault before , I think it was down to the ram , check the forums on sfftech.com for others with the same fault.

Edit: Also make sure the ram you are using is on this page:
http://www.shuttle.com/hq/support/faq/supportlist2.asp?model=SN45G&vr=SN45G%20(FN45)&page=2

 

Couple of threads which may assist you:

http://forums.sudhian.com/messageview.cfm?catid=43&threadid=61623&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

http://forums.sudhian.com/messageview.cfm?catid=43&threadid=48204&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

http://forums.sudhian.com/messageview.cfm?catid=43&threadid=59948&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

http://forums.sudhian.com/messageview.cfm?catid=43&threadid=58954&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

 

Thanks for the links gordy...

I looked on the official shuttle ram page, and no, my ram isn't there.
However the guy on the phone at aria assured me that it would work fine, and just run at pc3200 speeds flawlessly. I just tried to ring the technical support line for aria, but they closed an hour ago .

So i'm either going to pay them a visit on monday, or ring the technical support again, but i'm not gonna let them just say "your problem, the shuttle isn't designed to run with THAT ram" cause they told me it would work.

edit::also i've only adjusted cpu settings, i.e. made my barton 2500 run at 3200 speeds, i've not changed the vdimm or any ram settings cause i know that kills fn45 v2 mobos.

 

Ask them to check what voltage the ram the sold you runs at as some corsair ram requires 2.7v and the sn45 can only provide 2.5v from memory which is some of the reason behind the ram issues people have

Other than that good luck !

 

Hang a big roger on that one!.. actually I'd say that any shuttles are picky when it comes to ram! My SB75G2 doesn't like corsair PERIOD.. and my SN45G will run my XMS3200XL but won't allow me to change bios settings with it in.

 

The nvidia chipset based shuttles is particularly bad , as if you up the voltages to 2.6v you blow up the mobo!

I've never had a problem with any of the other shuttles I've had tho

 

The only thing i've done is up the fsb to 200MHz but many people have done that and not done anything bad to the motherboards.

 

Nforce chipsets have a dual chanel ram mode that kicks in with more than one stick and I think this makes em very fussy on ram. I lucked out with my Asus A7N8X DLX and managed to run in dual chanel mode with 2 un-matched cheap stix of ram (and no O/C.)

I tried the same trick in my shuttle SN45G but no go. One stick = OK, 2 stix = blue screen of death.

Try the following:

Clear the CMOS ram to remove all O/C then change only what u need 2 to make the system run with one stick.

Beg some matched ram (I have used Corsair TwinX & OCX in Shuttles) of the speed you want to use from a friend (this could be tricky I guess) and give it a try.

On a 45G (not sure on a V2) if you change Vdimm your mobo dies unless you have the latest bios (not sure on the revision number)

 

Yea I haven't touched the vdimm cause I heard about the problem with v2 mobos dying when it's altered. I would rather get the RAM that I've got now to work rather than having to buy more cause I really can't afford it right now, but i might try to get these two sticks returned on the grounds that the guy at aria said they'd work and they don't. But it's been three months since I got them so I doubt I'll have much luck...


Maybe if I went into the actual shop in manchester and kicked up a bit of a stink....

I tried giving aria's technical support line a ring earlier today and no-one answered so I'm going to phone the sales line and ask why no-one's answering the other one. lol