4 Gig memory issue AV8 3rd eye

[Snakedoc]

WORKAROUND
For Windows Vista to use all 4 GB of memory on a computer that has 4 GB of memory installed, the computer must meet the following requirements:
• The chipset must support at least 8 GB of address space. Chipsets that have this capability include the following:
• Intel 975X
• Intel P965
• Intel 955X on Socket 775
• Chipsets that support AMD processors that use socket F, socket 940, socket 939, or socket AM2. These chipsets include any AMD socket and CPU combination in which the memory controller resides in the CPU.
• The CPU must support the x64 instruction set. The AMD64 CPU and the Intel EM64T CPU support this instruction set.
• The BIOS must support the memory remapping feature. The memory remapping feature allows for the segment of system memory that was previously overwritten by the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) configuration space to be remapped above the 4 GB address line. This feature must be enabled in the BIOS configuration utility on the computer. View your computer product documentation for instructions that explain how to enable this feature. Many consumer-oriented computers may not support the memory remapping feature. No standard terminology is used in documentation or in BIOS configuration utilities for this feature. Therefore, you may have to read the descriptions of the various BIOS configuration settings that are available to determine whether any of the settings enable the memory remapping feature.
• An x64 (64-bit) version of Windows Vista must be used.
Contact the computer vendor to determine whether your computer meets these requirements.


I found this on the Micorosoft site, can you confirm if the above is true? Particually the bit about memory remapping?

H

[Snakedoc]

I have installed a trial version is XP 64 and found this stable with the memory. The issue must lay with Vista. I have seen other posts elsewhere about this issue, though I am uncertain of which motherboard was being used.

[Snakedoc]

I think I *may* have found a "sort of" work around for this issue. I went to "System config", "boot" and then "advanced". Here there are some nice options to play with, one of which is how much memory you can tell Vista it has at boot up and how many processors. I set my processors to "2" and ticked the box on the ram. After a restart, windows saw my ram as the "magic" 2.75 gb and was stable! With the 4 DIMMS populated with 4*1 gb. So I thought, I will increase this a bit, and pushed it up to 3.25 gb, which again is stable, or so far it seems! I may try and push this to 3.5 gb and see how that goes. This leads me to belive the issue lays once more at the feet of Vista! Cant be driver related or 4 dimm slot related or memory related. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Snakedoc]

Although I have "kind of" resolved the issue in a way. I cant use 4 gb with Vista of XP 64. Both can see the amount of RAM but cant use it effectively. For example, If I tell Vista 64 bit to read the amount of memory it has, it reads it as 3.25 gb. If I dont tell it, it reads 4 gb but stalls and is unstable. XP 64 reads the memory, but if I load a large program which takes more than 3 gb, the app starts to stall like vista and be very slow when reading memory, I guess above the magic 3.25 gb. So my question and support queerie is still open as far as I am concerned. I have played with MTRR and memory hole auto/software/disabled, none of these options allow me to use 4 gb with this mobo. Can someone recomend a BIOS setting which will allow me to use the full 4gb in both Vista and XP 64? Its been doing my head in for weeks now!

I am using BIOS 27 at present and have tried 28 with no change, so reverted back again. Is there a better BIOS which will support this amount of ram and memory re-mapping? Are we likely to see a new BIOS for this board to address this issue?

[Snakedoc]

Is anyone from Abit going to answer?

[ABIT Sean]

I will have to check with head office to see what can be done to resolve this issue.

The problem is the AV8 has been discontinued for almost 2 years now so im not sure if it is possible to fix the issue.

[Snakedoc]

Ok thanks. Odd that the specs say it supports 4gb yet cant operate with that amount of memory. I only bought the board from new a year ago.

[Snakedoc]

Hmmm seems I have been forgotten, I keep emailing Abit, but no reply. Gigabyte resolved this issue with their boards, so why wont Abit? The issue is obviously BIOS related.

[ABIT Sean]

Sorry for the slow reply. I sent a report to my head office to see if a bios update could fix the issue but as yet ive had no response. As AV8 has been discontinued I feel that it is not one of the bios teams top priorities.

I will let you know when I have more info.

[Snakedoc]

Never got that answer!

Ditched the board for Intel and and Asus one 4 gb ram, no probs!