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R730xd with E5-v4 cpu only sees ram in slots to the left of CPU
Bought a R730xd with dual E5-v3 cpus (E5-2630v3). Everything worked without problems
Upgraded to dual E5-v4 cpus (E5-2697v4) without changing anything else.
Bios, and all firmware is up to date using idrac to update. Bios version 2.16.0
Now only ram in slots to the left of the CPU show up at all. Slots to the right of the bios show errors when posting that the memory in slot XX had a recoverable training error and to try reseating the dimms.
For example, install eight 8GB sticks of 1Rx8 Ram following manual in A1,A2,A3,A4,B1,B2,B3,B4.
A1,A2,B1,B2 doesnt show up, but does in A3,A4,B3,B4. Bios only reports 32GB of ram. Lifesycle controller -> system assessment only shows ram in A3,A4,B3,B4
All of the slots to the left of the CPU show up, all of the slots to the right of the cpu do not.
If i go back to the E5-v3 cpus, everything works normal. all ram in all slots show up. If I try single E5-v4 cpu configuration, for both cpus, same issue. So it is not the mobo, the ram, or the cpu at the hardware level that is causing the problem (to my knowledge)
I also tried entirely different 1Rx4 ram and same issue.
Also, The ram only runs at 1866 speed, despite all the dimms being 2400T speed and exactly the same (all 1Rx8 and all same mfg) Cant figure this one out.
The memory configuration is set to optimizer mode, so it isnt one of the weird modes where only half the ram shows up to the OS.
Here is a photo of what i mean on left of the cpu. All sticks in this image show up properly, but any sticks put in the slots occupied by blanks do not show up. Even if the memory configuration is correct according to the manual
Please let me know if I can provide any other info.
Thanks!
atafm2
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April 18th, 2023 10:00
I ended up replacing the dual E5-2697v4 with dual E5-2696v4 and now all my ram slots work
So I think those 2697 cpu's must have had a problem or something. It is odd for them to BOTH be bad in the same way, but they were both used and from the same seller so who knows
For now i just have A1-A6 and B1-B6 populated and it runs at full 2400 speed
DELL-Joey C
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February 28th, 2023 23:00
Hi @atafm2,
It seems that the new E5-2697 has something to be the root cause, since you swapped back the E5-2630, the memory are detected. Have you just tried 2 E5-2697 and 4 memory, A1 A2 and B1 B2? Do you have the exact error message shown?
atafm2
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March 1st, 2023 06:00
i have tried 2 E5-2697v4 with A1,A2,B1,B2 and it hangs on 'configuring memory' and will not boot
i have tried a single 2697 with A1,A2 and same thing
i have tried a single other 2697 with A1,A2 and same no boot
i have tried single 2697 just A1 and no boot
i have tried all these configurations with 1Rx8 and 1Rx4 ram
i dont think it is a bad cpu unless somehow they are both bad in the same way. These cpu were pulled from a working environment to be put in this server.
i think the problem is with going from v3 family to v4 family
DELL-Erman O
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March 1st, 2023 07:00
Hi, here I agree with you assuming the BIOS and chipset FWs are up to date. As far as I can see, you have tried and considered many steps. I understand from other processors that the slots are problem-free and that v4s are working from their processors because they belong to another system running. So like you v3 and v4 seemed like a mismatch in transition.
DELL-Chris H
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March 6th, 2023 07:00
Sorry I was replying on a previous message, so I apologize for the reduntant reply. Please test the CPUs as you stated and let us know what you see.
DELL-Chris H
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March 6th, 2023 07:00
Atafm2,
Would you confirm the number of CPUs installed, as well as the part numbers for the dimms and the CPU's?
I ask as the different memory slots are controlled by specific CPUs, so if a single CPU is installed, all that would be available would be the A dimms, not the B, as seen on page 91 here.
Let me know what you see.
atafm2
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March 6th, 2023 07:00
I used the support live image to make sure everything was up to date and that still did not fix the issue.
I think the next step is to try putting the cpus in another server and see if i have the same issue
barber12
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March 8th, 2023 06:00
I was running into a similar issue with the R730 and was able to resolve the issue by pulling the CMOS battery and attempting to start the server back up. I am still unsure why that worked but it did for at least one of the two servers with the same issue. For reference my server is on the 2.16.0 Bios version.
atafm2
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March 12th, 2023 14:00
Hi,
Just tried doing that and no change
Also tried new ram and borrowed some known good ram from another system and still no dice.
We have another r730xd, but it has v3 cpus. I am thinking about ordering some lower cost used v4 family for that one and see if it has the same ram problems.
At this point, I dont really know what I could do differently on the software side, so that leaves me with hardware. The 2 things that it could be are bad cpu or bad mobo.
I dont really want to try the cpus in the second server incase it is bad cpu. I dont want to break the other mobo. So I am thinking of just trying some other v4 cpu in the other one first, and see what happens.
For now it does work, but only with half the ram slots.
Other annoyance, is if the green ram slots are used, it drops the ram speed from 2400 down to 1866
DELL-Young E
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March 12th, 2023 22:00
Hello would this article help?
Table 11. Memory populations and operating frequency
https://dell.to/3JbAbc2
PAGE 25-26