[mythtv-users] AMD, more than 4 GB of RAM? 4 slots, ECC or slower memory timing settings?

[diane mittnik]

Anyone else having problems with AMD Phenom cpus and more than 4 GB of ram?

Because of power consumption, I can't run more than one server 24/7.
So in addition to MythTV, (FE/BE) (with many tuners, and a few
additional front end diskless terminals) I'll need the FE/BE to do
double duty as a file server and for other services.  And for other
reasons, I'll need to use more than 4 GB of Ram.  Yes, some of us can
and do/will make use of more than 4 GB of Ram. Even with Linux.

I'm thinking of waiting for the price drop on the Phenom II cpus
(maybe this week?), or depending on the time frame, Phenom III (with
the less desireable/more expensive 3x2 GB ram/6GB total).  However, as
one of the previous threads ran into a problem with more than 4 GB of
ram (on 4 slots) and my experience with ASUS boards back in the
Athlon/Duron days that supplied boards with 3/4 slots (SDRam) but
stated (other board manufacturers also) that slots 3 or 3 & 4 could
only be populated if ECC Ram was used (usually stating it in the
printed docs, after you bought the board, or found online after a lot
of googling, after the first time burned)...

1. Anyone else getting good uptime with AMD Phenom and more than 4 GB
of RAM being used?

2.  Anyone populating more than 2 memory slots with more than 4 GB or
RAM and getting good uptime/stability, or having problems?

3.  Any admins out there know for a fact that memory timings can be
slowed down in the BIOS from, ie: 4,4,4,12  to 5,5,5,15 for better
stability in scenarios with more than 2 memory slots populated?
Better solution...

4. Any admins out there know for a fact that AMD/Phenom boards can use
ECC RAM to increase stability/uptime when more than 2 (that means 4)
memory slots are populated?  Not a great solution as ECC RAM costs $$

5.  Any admins out there know of AMD/Phenom boards that are rated with
4GB of memory for each slot (that's a max of 16 GB, 4GB x 4 slots)
that are stable with 8 GB (4 GB x 2 slots) or 8 GB (2 GB x 4 slots in
a motherboard that may have higher stability by default because of the
16 GB capability?) of memory?  Or 16 GB, (4 GB in all 4 slots) of
memory either non ECC or ECC?

The cost of two 4GB sticks are definitely not in the sweet spot.  nor
are two 4GB sticks of ECC Ram, or four 2GB x 4 of ECC Ram.  But it
looks like it's going to be either a board with two 4GB slots filled
(less desirable because of the low (1?) number of these boards with
the corresponding lack of board choices/capabilities (hdmi yes/no,
digital sound yes/no, eSATA yes/no, other options important to mythtv
yes/no, etc.), or more likely, a board with four 2GB of ECC ram, if
this is the only practical solution to stability issues.

Once again, while MythTV should be stable (long uptimes), this FE/BE
will be performing additional duties where stability is very
important. I'm used to uptimes measured in years, not days.  And I'm
tired of swap issues, and as I see it on this list, swap normally
means death to MythTV performance.

thanks,

D.