Skip to main content
Start a Conversation

Unsolved

M

mrachilli

1 Rookie

 • 

2 Posts

18

May 10th, 2024 12:41

Trouble installing 8 DIMMs (256Gb) in a R540

Hello,
 I am trying to install 256Gb of RAM in the form of 8 32Gb DIMMs by Micron, model: MTA36ASF4G72PZ-3G2R in a dual CPU (Intel Xeon Silver 4110) Poweredge R540.

I have used this same model of DIMMs on other R540s, I have updated BIOS (2.21.1) and iDRAC 7.00.00.171
I get a Memory Reference Code (MRC) error - Multi-bit memory error on DIMM_B4

I followed the Dell installation manual and it is unclear if I should install in A1,A2,A3,A4 and B1,B2,B3,B4 or whether I should install in A1,A2,A4,A5 and B1,B2,B4,B5 so I tried both. I get an error on DIMM_B4 in both cases.

I also tried installing in A1,A2,A3,A5 and B1,B2,B3,B5 and I get an error on DIMM_B5 in this case. The only setup where 256Gb are recognized with no errors is an unbalanced installation in A1,A2,A3,A4,A5 and B1,B2,B3.

I also tried resetting twice but the error on B4 always appears. Any ideas?
Is the unbalanced setup with 5 DIMMS on the first CPU and 3 on the second ok?
In other R540 we have at most 6 DIMMs so the problem has not shown up.

Thanks in advance,
Martin

DELL-Chris H

Moderator

 • 

8.5K Posts

May 10th, 2024 18:14

Mrachilli,

 

Unfortunatly I am not seeing those dimms listed as supported on the server, as it looks like it is mostly supported on precision workstations, so I may be limited in scope. 

From what it looks like for the R540 memory population rules, on page 64 here, if you are only running 4 dimms per processor then you would populate them in slot 1, 2, 4, 5.

 

I would try that and let me know what you see.

 

mrachilli

1 Rookie

 • 

2 Posts

15-05-2024 07:53 AM

@DELL-Chris H​ thank you for the reply. I tested the DIMMS in another R540 and they work fine.

On the R540 mentioned in the post I had just installed a second CPU. I decided to remove the CPU and check if it was installed properly. To my surprise I discovered some of the socket pins were damaged. With a lot of patience I managed to straighten the pins, with the result that the DIMM_B5 slot now works whereas DIMM_B4 still does not.

Without considering reliability issues could you tell me if it is ok to have installed DIMMs in this order: A1, B1, A2, B2, A4, B5, A5, B6 - I am not using any memory mirroring or redundancy feature.

What surprises me is that the CPU socket on the server was already damaged, I was very careful when I installed the CPU, it can't have been me.

DELL-Marco B

Moderator

 • 

3.4K Posts

15-05-2024 11:50 AM

Hello,

no it won't work sorry, as per guidelines:

 When the DIMM quantity is 4 per processor, the population is slot 1, 2, 4, 5.

Thanks

DELL- Marco B

Social Media and Communities Professional

Dell Technologies | Enterprise Support Services

#IWork4Dell

Did I answer your query? Please click on ‘Mark as Accepted Answer’. ‘Thumbs up’ the posts you like!

View More

View All

No Events found!

Top