HELP - HP Proliant ML350p server RAM issues

[TMBS]

Hi

 

We have a HP Proliant ML350p SIMS server that started giving us issues yesterday when staff were trying to save their registers. Spoke to our SIMS support who said that the server needed more RAM. Ordered this yesterday:

 

Crucial 16GB DDR3-1866 RDIMM CT4025883 | ProLiant ML350p Gen8 | Crucial UK

 

Went to replace it today and it detects the new 16GB of RAM but gets to this screen and goes no further:

 

 

At this point the keyboard and mouse won't work either. If I put the old RAM back in the server boots up no problem! But then we can't use SIMS.

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tracey

[Steve21]

What processors do you have? As not all will support 1866 in the first place which may be upsetting it too

 

Steve

[TMBS]

Intel® Xeon® CPU E5-2609 0 @ 2.40GHz

 

How do I find out if it's compatible?

 

Thanks

[Guest Guest]

According to the HP spec that RAM should work fine. I assume this is a Gen 8?

[Steve21]

The "Gen" will support it, but it still depends on the processor.

 

https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c05227249

 

Half way down the doc:

 

E5-2609, E5-2603

1066 MHz

 

https://ark.intel.com/products/64588/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2609-10M-Cache-2_40-GHz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI

Memory Types DDR3 800/1066

 

 

(Just to clarify as I know someone will say it but if you check the board you'll find Gen8 only supports to 1600 pre-IVB and 1866 on IVB in regards to downscaling speeds etc)

 

Steve

Edited April 25, 2018 by Steve21

[PotNoodleTech]

So you've got a hard disk failure according to the RAID card.

 

What hard drive configuration is in the server? If you only have one hard drive in it and it has failed, that will be why it is not getting past the BIOS screen.

 

If your unsure, take the RAM back out.

[TMBS]

The "Gen" will support it, but it still depends on the processor.

https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c05227249

 

Half way down the doc:

E5-2609, E5-2603

1066 MHz

https://ark.intel.com/products/64588/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2609-10M-Cache-2_40-GHz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI

Memory Types DDR3 800/1066

(Just to clarify as I know someone will say it but if you check the board you'll find Gen8 only supports to 1600 pre-IVB and 1866 on IVB in regards to downscaling speeds etc)

Steve

 

Thanks for the info Steve - really useful! That's where I've gone wrong as I'd ordered 1866. Luckily my supplier will swap! Can you just confirm that this is correct:

 

Crucial PC3-12800 8GB 8GB DDR3 1600MHz ECC 2 memory module

 

[TMBS]

So you've got a hard disk failure according to the RAID card.

What hard drive configuration is in the server? If you only have one hard drive in it and it has failed, that will be why it is not getting past the BIOS screen.

If your unsure, take the RAM back out.

 

 

The RAM has been in and out all afternoon! With the new RAM in I get the hard disk error with the old (and some borrowed from the second server) it's fine! Why the incorrect RAM gives a hard disk error I don't know.

 

Thanks for your reply!

[TMBS]

Crucial PC3-12800 8GB 8GB DDR3 1600MHz ECC 2 memory module

 

So we've just replaced with the above RAM and it's not working again. Same thing again, shows it's found 16GB RAM then gives a hard drive error and sounds like a Boeing 747!!

 

Where am I going wrong?

[computer_expert]

I know HPE kit can be rather picky with non HPE parts - are you able to access iLO when the server is in the error state? If you are, have a look at the integrated management log & iLO event log and see if there is anything useful there

 

edit - not that it should make much difference, but are you mixing and matching PC3 & PC3L (low voltage) ram?

Edited April 26, 2018 by computer_expert

[TMBS]

I know HPE kit can be rather picky with non HPE parts - are you able to access iLO when the server is in the error state? If you are, have a look at the integrated management log & iLO event log and see if there is anything useful there

edit - not that it should make much difference, but are you mixing and matching PC3 & PC3L (low voltage) ram?

I can't access anything when it's in the error state, keyboard and mouse won't even work.

 

No, not mixing and matching RAM.

 

Thanks!

[Steve21]

Did you get this sorted in the end?

 

The document I linked above says it won't work with 1600 LV on a E5 CPU if that's what you re-ordered. Also if you're using multiple sticks, are you sure you have them in the right channels? As that will affect the supported speeds too. (As an example for 2x 8GB sticks you should be using #1 and #4 for a single CPU, not #1 and #2 etc)

 

The processor still won't support the higher speed ram as I mentioned above but should downscale to it if you dropped speeds to a supported model.

 

Steve

[XiJ]

We had a similar issue I think. From memory (sorry!) it was that each bank of 3 slots would only take 16gb if you used a 16gb module.

[chazzy2501]

err, as the bios says 1 of your hard disks is about to fail! The speed and reliability issues are bound to be related to that drive not a lack of RAM! Replace the original RAM and get to fixing your HDD array! STAT!