uncorrected ECC memory errors on ASUS motherboards
 

Has anyone found the solution to the fact that when running the Memtest86+ program on ASUS P4C800 Deluxe or ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe motherboards and if you turn on the ECC checking function of Memtest that you get just wholesale listing of "Uncorrected Errors" under the "GOOD" column ?

And also, on these same 2 motherboards that if you try to install any version of Ubuntu above Edgy, i.e. Feisty, or Gutsy, that you get a constant BEEPING from the system speaker from initial bootup to the desktop and ends only when you shutdown the O/S. Apparently, a package (EDAC) has been added in Feisty and above that gives the O/S the ability to harvest and report the ECC malfunctioning on these motherboards that are using an Intel i875P chipset.

Please tell me that there is a solution to this problem other than me having to buy 2 new motherboards !!!

Thanks.

Make sure the memory is ECC non-buffered modules. If the modules are ECC, go to ASUS site and buy a BIOS chip. If that does not work, in the BIOS change the type of ECC. If nothing works out, buy Abit or Gigabyte motherboards. Though it could be that Intel cutting corners again.

Thanks for the reply.

The memory is ECC unbuffered. There should be no need to buy a BIOS chip since the BIOS on the machines are already flashed up to the latest version which is available. The only parameter in the BIOS for ECC is to either have it enabled or disabled. I don't think it is Intel cutting corners, I think it is ASUS cutting corners in that this motherboard apparently has never been able to properly handle the ECC memory function that it was ADVERTISED that it was capable of.

The only problem about purchasing another brand of motherboard is that it is going to be almost impossible to find one that is going to have all of the same features as these motherboards and also be capable of using all of the other current computer components that I am using on these machines.

Thanks again.

You could sell the components and get an AMD Athlon64 based system. All Athlon64 except Sempron can handle ECC memory. Though I suggest wait until the K10 core comes out latter in September. Just like the K8 core, the K10 should also have ECC memory support.

My Abit TH7II-RAID (Intel 850 chipset) and Abit KA7-100 (VIA KX133) has ECC memory installed and they are working well.

I usually suggest to people to buy a BIOS chip to replace the BIOS chip that has obsolete firmware because flashing a BIOS is not fool-proof.

I think ECC support is not useful because of the enthusiast and stupid gamers wants performance. Yes, it decreases performance just a little, but there are different algorithms that equal the performance of non-ECC setups. My 80386DX-40 has parity memory which is not the same ECC, but it is very reliable. When I bought my first computer (Abit KA7-100), I first used non-ECC. It was not reliable and using Windows 98 with ATI Radeon VIVO made it even worst. I have upgraded it and as well as the second computer to ECC memory which made it reliable. Right now AMD systems are cheapest way to go if you want to use ECC memory. Buying an Intel system, you have to have wheel borrow full of money and be limited to only to Intel 975 chipsets. Though a lot of motherboard manufactures are again aiming to enthusiast (hardcore gamers and the need for bells and whistles) for the Intel 975 chipsets, so two 8X PCIe slots will be on majority of these boards and other useless junk like Creative Labs chips which do not work in Linux.