Memory Intensive Programs cause lockup

[Moderator]

Hey everybody!

Here's the specs:

SOYO 5EMA Pro Motherboard
AMD K6/2 550 Processor
DIMM Slot 1: empty
DIMM Slot 2: 64 MB PC 100
DIMM Slot 3: 256 MB PC 100/133 8ns
SiS 6326 8MB AGP Video

Other: ISA Modem (56k), Crystal Sound (ISA), PCI NIC, Windows 95 and Win2K

Whenever I use memory intensive programs, such as NBA Live, Quake 2, or Mozilla, they crash. Never in the same place, but they always end up crashing before I'm finished using them. This is in both Windows 95 and in Windows 2000. Once one program goes down, it usually takes the rest of the system with it. I end up having to reboot, and the system's still unstable unless I do a hard boot (turn it off, let it sit awhile, then turn it back on). Win2k blue screens with messages such as 'Attempt to write to read-only memory' and 'KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED'. The system isn't unstable all the time, for example, I'm using it now to type this message, but I guarantee that if I loaded Quake 2 right now it would crash. Microsoft System Information's memory page shows everything as OK. I assume that it's the 256 MB chip that's acting up, since it's new (along with the CPU and Motherboard), but I can't be sure. It might be some weird conflict that I don't know about. On a possibly related note, an AGP Diagnostic utility I used for Win95 told me that I should set an IRQ for my VGA card even though when I went to my BIOS it was already set. Comments? Suggestions? Anyone know of a good program I can use for Win2k (since I wiped Win95) that will do memory tests?

[Rooster]

I'd be inclined to move your RAM about - put the 64 into DIMM1, the 256 into DIMM 2. 95 would have gained little from the 256mb chip anyway - 2000 should see it though. How big's your swapfile, and how much free disk space have you got?

There is a fix an issue that results in the KMODE error... but you'll have to wait for W2k SP3 for that (thanks Microsoft). Technet suggests possible driver problems - maybe worth checking for newer drivers for all your gear.

[Moderator]

I have about 16 Gigs free. I took out the 256 megs and ran only on 64 (ugh) which still crashed Quake 2 and Half Life and any other multimedia program. I took out the 64 Megs and put the 256 in (which is all I'm running with right now), and still crashed them. Video drivers are current, and I'm downloading updated motherboard drivers at the moment. I'll let you know where that gets me.

[ziba-june]

There is a possibility that your L2 cache on the motherboard is not configured correctly. Check the setting and see if it works or better yet disable it in the CMOS and see if it would solve your problem.

[bassvax]

Just a shot...check for corruption in Direct X using the dxdiag.exe. I'm also inclined to think it may be something with that video (card?).

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[Moderator]

Disabling the L2 cache seems to have worked. Does anyone know what the problem was in the first place, and how I can get my system to run with L2 cache?

[ziba-june]

We were getting those errors before Pent II where L2 cache was on the motherboard. It could caused any of the followings;

1. There were two banks for the cache, like the motherboard would come with 256k expandable to 512K, so there was switches on motherboard to adjust for the cache memory.

2. The cache memory was wright-through or write-back and it was identified the other way around in the CMOS.

3. The physical connection of Cache was shorted(on the motherboard), one of the chips was not in completely seated, or just it was a bad SRAM.

[danleff]

Hi;

Very interesting! I have a Soyo 5EH board with the same problem. Everything runs fine until I access the web and surf pages, then.. blank screen. I was inclined to think that it was the power supply (old at 230 watts). So, should I change the cache size 512 vs. 1 mb jumper, or disable it? Ahh.. just another learning experience!