Hi All...I'm having problems with my PC crashing (BSOD). I checked the memory and found that it is showing errors.
Memtest86 is showing about 10 errors per pass on Test 6. Microsoft memory diagnostics is showing around 300 per pass on Stride6.
I have two modules of Crucual 256MB (PC133 CL-2, 7.5ns, Non-ECC) and when they are tested individually in either socket, they show clean. Tried to switch them between sockets and the tests ALWAYS show errors above 256MB (260MB-380+). I tried to clean the memory and CPU sockets with contact cleaner, but this did not help. When turning off Cache on the microsoft test, I get NO errors. When trying to turn of cache with Memtest86 it goes from "on" to "ON". It still shows errors, but it looks like the program is not turning off the cache. I tried to turn off the L1 and L2 cache in the bios but both programs still showed errors. Any Ideas?? Both L1(32K) and L2(256K) cache are on the chip for the PIII, correct? Can the motherboard be causing the problem? It is a Tekram S3PM-FN with on-board everything. I have had problems with the ACPI in XP because Tekram does not produce motherboards anymore and will not provide BIOS updates. I do have the latest bios upgrade and the board should support a max of 512MB memory. I have all of the BIOS setting correct. Please help if you have any thoughts. Thanks, Rick

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"I have all of the BIOS setting correct."

No offense, but you could not possibly know this. The unpredictability of the vast combination of hardware is the reason all those settings are in the BIOS in the first place.

Try setting the BIOS to its safest settings and go from there. NOTE: I would record (or save if your BIOS permits) your current settings in the BIOS first.

borelli35

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I have tried to recall the safe defaults, but this did not make any difference. When saying that I have all of my BIOS setting correct, I was referring to the memory setup (Speed, Latency, Etc). I have tried all combinations of the bios parameters and it has not made any difference. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks, Rick

Crucial has a life time warranty. I have sent some back and got them replaced with no questions.

If the BIOS under Advanced Chipset Features, has the "Bank Interleave" setting, try setting it to "4 Bank". (You have matched memory.)

Make sure you are using "Host CLK" setting.

System BIOS Cacheable = Disabled
Video RAM Cacheable = Disabled

Had a problem like that with a VIA chip set board, but it went away after upgrading the BIOS with a 2001 version. If the 9/8/2000 version of BIOS from Tekram did not solve your problem, you may just have to limit yourself to 256MB until you can find a replacement system board.

A long shot would be to search for another vendor who used the same board (under a different model number) and see if their BIOS support is better. Key is the chipsets. Companies like that don't make their own boards, they buy them from vendors who sell them to different companies. You might search for the actual chip set numbers and find the same board under a different model and vendor. I was able to do that with a cheap slow PC-100 system board and the other boards BIOS turned it into a good machine.

Hello Jack... Thanks for the update. I have tested the memory with both system and video cache disabled. It did not help. I found a new bios today from the Tekram Taiwan site. It has the same date, but a different version (v1.20 instead of v1.10). I loaded it and it had two different setting for the memory. The first was the Host Clock setting, which is set equal to the bus because the processor is running at 133x7.5 and the next was the bank interleave. The 9/8/2000 bios from the USA site (v1.10), did not have this feature, but v1.20 now has the setting. When I open the dialog box, it doesn't display any options and it haults the machine. Looks like they were trying to fix a memory problem, but didn't do a very good job. Thanks for the advice. I will keep looking for similar boards and try a different bios (I have found a couple of boards that are very similar, one extra PCI socket or such, but the bios will not flash. It doesn't like the Winbond chip version. Maybe I will find something, I'll keep you posted. Thanks, Rick

Follow Up: The dates above were a mistake.... The earlier version (v1.10) was released on 9/8/2000 and the newest version (v1.20) was released on 12/29/2000. I know that this does not make any difference, but it may help somebody else that reads over this thread one day. :)