Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Epic list of total FAIL.

[Mick]

On Saturday 22 Aug 2015 09:18:05 Dale wrote:
> Fernando Rodriguez wrote:
> > On Saturday, August 22, 2015 1:52:00 AM Alan Grimes wrote:
> >> That said, I spent the day doing diagnostics:
> >>
> >>
> >> Findings:
> >>
> >> 1. There were a hell of a lot more memory errors than I had seen before.
> >> 2. There was a smudge on one of the dimm's contacts and some of the
> >> usual dust on the CPU-facing one.
> >> 3. The motherboard was not developed by sane engineers. In a sane world,
> >> there are two types of variables: measured variables and controlled
> >> variables.
> >> The RAM voltage would appear to be a controlled variable but it is also
> >> a measured variable. In order to achieve a close approximation of 1.5v,
> >> I had to set it to 1.530 volts. WTF...
> >>
> >> 4. an AMD K10 processor cannot successfully drive 8-ranks of high
> >> density ram at 2x800 mhz -- BUT IT WILL TRY!!! I found all dimms to be
> >> good either individually or in pairs, but the entire ram compliment of
> >> four dims cannot be run at full speed at once with the CPU/motherboard I
> >> have installed.
> >
> > Findings 3 & 4 sound like a faulty or underrated PSU...or a bad
> > motherboard. Start by unplugging everything that you don't need to boot
> > from a live CD and run some tests.
>
> It sure does.  A weak power supply will certainly cause some issues.

I also concur that the most likely cause of this problem is the PSU but first, 
I would clean the RAM contacts.  

Then try a replacement PSU if you have a spare one, or take your multimeter 
and measure the output, checking for lower voltage values and fluctuations.  
If you get bad measurements, then take your soldering iron out and for a few 
pence inspect and replace any domed, or all capacitors on the secondary 
(output) side.

-- 
Regards,
Mick