Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Wojciech Kromer]

I can't see whole 8GB of ram.

With F2 BIOS release i can only work with kernel param mem=4G.
After updating to F4 BIOS release I can work with mem=8G, but I see this:

# free -m
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:          6473        474       5999          0         29        278

Without mem=8G kernel starts to slow down and hangs while starting 
filesystem.
There is no message.

My whole memory was tested with memtest. Full test took about 48hour. Is 
it wrong?

I have:  Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU @ 2.40GHz
There are 4   *  2GB / 667MHz DIMMs.


# cat /proc/iomem |grep RAM
00000000-0009f7ff : System RAM
00100000-9fedffff : System RAM
100000000-25fffffff : System RAM

# dmesg|grep BIOS-e820
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
 BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
 BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)



I can see that higer memory range was remmaped,
by why accesing something greater than 100000000 is problematic?
Do I need to change something i kernel configuration?







 

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Fri, Sep 14, 2007 at 10:50:24AM +0200, Wojciech Kromer wrote:
> I can't see whole 8GB of ram.
> 
> With F2 BIOS release i can only work with kernel param mem=4G.
> After updating to F4 BIOS release I can work with mem=8G, but I see this:
> 
> # free -m
>             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
> Mem:          6473        474       5999          0         29        278
> 
> Without mem=8G kernel starts to slow down and hangs while starting 
> filesystem.
> There is no message.
> 
> My whole memory was tested with memtest. Full test took about 48hour. Is 
> it wrong?
> 
> I have:  Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU @ 2.40GHz
> There are 4   *  2GB / 667MHz DIMMs.
> 
> 
> # cat /proc/iomem |grep RAM
> 00000000-0009f7ff : System RAM
> 00100000-9fedffff : System RAM
> 100000000-25fffffff : System RAM
> 
> # dmesg|grep BIOS-e820
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)
> 
> 
> 
> I can see that higer memory range was remmaped,
> by why accesing something greater than 100000000 is problematic?
> Do I need to change something i kernel configuration?

What does your mtrr look like?  How about dmesg?  Might be the stupid
mtrr setup some bioses have been doing on intel chips where it would do:
4GB range at 4GB
1GB range at 8GB
512MB range at 9GB
256MB range at 9.5GB
etc.

And then it runs out of entries (which pisses of X).

The simple solution would have been to assign an 8GB range at 4GB or
maybe a 4GB range at 4GB and a 2GB range at 8GB to cover all the ram.
Without the mtrr coverage you get no caching of that memory which makes
use that that section of memory slow.  To make the system useable there
is code in the kernel to discard any memory the BIOS didn't correctly
cover with an mtrr cachable entry.

--
Len Sorensen

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Wojciech Kromer]

> What does your mtrr look like?  How about dmesg?  Might be the stupid
> mtrr setup some bioses have been doing on intel chips where it would do:
> 4GB range at 4GB
> 1GB range at 8GB
> 512MB range at 9GB
> 256MB range at 9.5GB
> etc.
>
> And then it runs out of entries (which pisses of X).
>
> The simple solution would have been to assign an 8GB range at 4GB or
> maybe a 4GB range at 4GB and a 2GB range at 8GB to cover all the ram.
> Without the mtrr coverage you get no caching of that memory which makes
> use that that section of memory slow.  To make the system useable there
> is code in the kernel to discard any memory the BIOS didn't correctly
> cover with an mtrr cachable entry.
>
>
>   
I have  2.6.22.6 kernel

First MTRR looks good for me.
Why it was rejected?
And how to force using it?

here are more details

[root@kromblack ~]# cat /proc/mtrr
reg00: base=0x100000000 (4096MB), size=8192MB: write-back, count=1
reg01: base=0x280000000 (10240MB), size=2048MB: uncachable, count=1
reg02: base=0x260000000 (9728MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
reg03: base=0x00000000 (   0MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
reg04: base=0xc0000000 (3072MB), size=1024MB: uncachable, count=1
reg05: base=0xa0000000 (2560MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
reg06: base=0x9ff00000 (2559MB), size=   1MB: write-through, count=1

[root@kromblack ~]# dmesg|grep mtrr
mtrr: your CPUs had inconsistent variable MTRR settings
mtrr: probably your BIOS does not setup all CPUs.
mtrr: corrected configuration.


and other interesting dmesg fragments:

Entering add_active_range(0, 0, 159) 0 entries of 3200 used
Entering add_active_range(0, 256, 655072) 1 entries of 3200 used
Entering add_active_range(0, 1048576, 2097152) 2 entries of 3200 used
end_pfn_map = 2097152
DMI 2.4 present.
ACPI: RSDP 000F6F10, 0014 (r0 GBT   )
ACPI: RSDT 9FEE3040, 003C (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
ACPI: FACP 9FEE30C0, 0074 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
ACPI: DSDT 9FEE3180, 4A88 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI     1000 MSFT  100000C)
ACPI: FACS 9FEE0000, 0040
ACPI: HPET 9FEE7D80, 0038 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU       98)
ACPI: MCFG 9FEE7E00, 003C (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
ACPI: APIC 9FEE7C80, 0084 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
ACPI: SSDT 9FEE7E80, 015C (r1  PmRef  Cpu0Ist     3000 INTL 20040311)
ACPI: SSDT 9FEE8430, 0275 (r1  PmRef    CpuPm     3000 INTL 20040311)
No NUMA configuration found
Faking a node at 0000000000000000-0000000200000000
Entering add_active_range(0, 0, 159) 0 entries of 3200 used
Entering add_active_range(0, 256, 655072) 1 entries of 3200 used
Entering add_active_range(0, 1048576, 2097152) 2 entries of 3200 used
Bootmem setup node 0 0000000000000000-0000000200000000
Zone PFN ranges:
 DMA             0 ->     4096
 DMA32        4096 ->  1048576
 Normal    1048576 ->  2097152
early_node_map[3] active PFN ranges
   0:        0 ->      159
   0:      256 ->   655072
   0:  1048576 ->  2097152
On node 0 totalpages: 1703551
 DMA zone: 56 pages used for memmap
 DMA zone: 1125 pages reserved
 DMA zone: 2818 pages, LIFO batch:0
 DMA32 zone: 14280 pages used for memmap
 DMA32 zone: 636696 pages, LIFO batch:31
 Normal zone: 14336 pages used for memmap
 Normal zone: 1034240 pages, LIFO batch:31


ACPI: HPET id: 0x8086a201 base: 0xfed00000
Using ACPI (MADT) for SMP configuration information
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000000009f000 - 
00000000000a0000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000000a0000 - 
00000000000f0000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000000f0000 - 
0000000000100000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fee0000 - 
000000009fee3000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fee3000 - 
000000009fef0000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fef0000 - 
000000009ff00000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009ff00000 - 
00000000c0000000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000c0000000 - 
00000000c4000000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000c4000000 - 
00000000fec00000
swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000fec00000 - 
0000000100000000
Allocating PCI resources starting at c8000000 (gap: c4000000:3ac00000)
SMP: Allowing 4 CPUs, 0 hotplug CPUs
PERCPU: Allocating 36744 bytes of per cpu data
Built 1 zonelists.  Total pages: 1673754

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 09:01:44AM +0200, Wojciech Kromer wrote:
> I have  2.6.22.6 kernel
> 
> First MTRR looks good for me.
> Why it was rejected?
> And how to force using it?
> 
> here are more details
> 
> [root@kromblack ~]# cat /proc/mtrr
> reg00: base=0x100000000 (4096MB), size=8192MB: write-back, count=1
> reg01: base=0x280000000 (10240MB), size=2048MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg02: base=0x260000000 (9728MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg03: base=0x00000000 (   0MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
> reg04: base=0xc0000000 (3072MB), size=1024MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg05: base=0xa0000000 (2560MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg06: base=0x9ff00000 (2559MB), size=   1MB: write-through, count=1

So first it says there is 8GB ram at 4GB.  Then it deletes the top 2GB
of that and then another 512MB.  So now there is 5.5GB at 4GB.  It then
says there is 4GB at 0GB, then deletes the top 1GB of that, and then
another 512MB, leaving 2.5GB at 0GB.  So overall that sounds like 8GB
total.  It also seems that if it had mapped 2GB at 0GB and 6GB at 4GB
the MTRR would have been a heck of a lot simpler (but a 32bit OS would
have had 512MB less ram of course).

> [root@kromblack ~]# dmesg|grep mtrr
> mtrr: your CPUs had inconsistent variable MTRR settings
> mtrr: probably your BIOS does not setup all CPUs.
> mtrr: corrected configuration.

Now that does sound odd.  How many CPUs does the machine have?

> and other interesting dmesg fragments:
> 
> Entering add_active_range(0, 0, 159) 0 entries of 3200 used
> Entering add_active_range(0, 256, 655072) 1 entries of 3200 used
> Entering add_active_range(0, 1048576, 2097152) 2 entries of 3200 used
> end_pfn_map = 2097152
> DMI 2.4 present.
> ACPI: RSDP 000F6F10, 0014 (r0 GBT   )
> ACPI: RSDT 9FEE3040, 003C (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
> ACPI: FACP 9FEE30C0, 0074 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
> ACPI: DSDT 9FEE3180, 4A88 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI     1000 MSFT  100000C)
> ACPI: FACS 9FEE0000, 0040
> ACPI: HPET 9FEE7D80, 0038 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU       98)
> ACPI: MCFG 9FEE7E00, 003C (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
> ACPI: APIC 9FEE7C80, 0084 (r1 GBT    GBTUACPI 42302E31 GBTU  1010101)
> ACPI: SSDT 9FEE7E80, 015C (r1  PmRef  Cpu0Ist     3000 INTL 20040311)
> ACPI: SSDT 9FEE8430, 0275 (r1  PmRef    CpuPm     3000 INTL 20040311)
> No NUMA configuration found
> Faking a node at 0000000000000000-0000000200000000
> Entering add_active_range(0, 0, 159) 0 entries of 3200 used
> Entering add_active_range(0, 256, 655072) 1 entries of 3200 used
> Entering add_active_range(0, 1048576, 2097152) 2 entries of 3200 used
> Bootmem setup node 0 0000000000000000-0000000200000000
> Zone PFN ranges:
> DMA             0 ->     4096
> DMA32        4096 ->  1048576
> Normal    1048576 ->  2097152
> early_node_map[3] active PFN ranges
>   0:        0 ->      159
>   0:      256 ->   655072
>   0:  1048576 ->  2097152
> On node 0 totalpages: 1703551
> DMA zone: 56 pages used for memmap
> DMA zone: 1125 pages reserved
> DMA zone: 2818 pages, LIFO batch:0
> DMA32 zone: 14280 pages used for memmap
> DMA32 zone: 636696 pages, LIFO batch:31
> Normal zone: 14336 pages used for memmap
> Normal zone: 1034240 pages, LIFO batch:31
> 
> 
> ACPI: HPET id: 0x8086a201 base: 0xfed00000
> Using ACPI (MADT) for SMP configuration information
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000000009f000 - 
> 00000000000a0000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000000a0000 - 
> 00000000000f0000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000000f0000 - 
> 0000000000100000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fee0000 - 
> 000000009fee3000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fee3000 - 
> 000000009fef0000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009fef0000 - 
> 000000009ff00000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 000000009ff00000 - 
> 00000000c0000000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000c0000000 - 
> 00000000c4000000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000c4000000 - 
> 00000000fec00000
> swsusp: Registered nosave memory region: 00000000fec00000 - 
> 0000000100000000
> Allocating PCI resources starting at c8000000 (gap: c4000000:3ac00000)
> SMP: Allowing 4 CPUs, 0 hotplug CPUs
> PERCPU: Allocating 36744 bytes of per cpu data
> Built 1 zonelists.  Total pages: 1673754

So what does the dmesg say about the memory table it got from the bios?
That is the e820 table.

--
Len Sorensen

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Wojciech Kromer]

>> [root@kromblack ~]# cat /proc/mtrr
>> reg00: base=0x100000000 (4096MB), size=8192MB: write-back, count=1
>> reg01: base=0x280000000 (10240MB), size=2048MB: uncachable, count=1
>> reg02: base=0x260000000 (9728MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
>> reg03: base=0x00000000 (   0MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
>> reg04: base=0xc0000000 (3072MB), size=1024MB: uncachable, count=1
>> reg05: base=0xa0000000 (2560MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
>> reg06: base=0x9ff00000 (2559MB), size=   1MB: write-through, count=1
>>     
>
>   
Yes, it's a bit strange, but there should be a way to configure it in linux.
I found only memmap option which does selection of regions, but not 
remapping.
> So first it says there is 8GB ram at 4GB.  Then it deletes the top 2GB
> of that and then another 512MB.  So now there is 5.5GB at 4GB.  It then
> says there is 4GB at 0GB, then deletes the top 1GB of that, and then
> another 512MB, leaving 2.5GB at 0GB.  So overall that sounds like 8GB
> total.  It also seems that if it had mapped 2GB at 0GB and 6GB at 4GB
> the MTRR would have been a heck of a lot simpler (but a 32bit OS would
> have had 512MB less ram of course).
>
>   
I have 64 bit compilation of course.
>> [root@kromblack ~]# dmesg|grep mtrr
>> mtrr: your CPUs had inconsistent variable MTRR settings
>> mtrr: probably your BIOS does not setup all CPUs.
>> mtrr: corrected configuration.
>>     
>
> Now that does sound odd.  How many CPUs does the machine have?
>
>   
It's Intel-quad, so there are 4 CPUs.
> So what does the dmesg say about the memory table it got from the bios?
> That is the e820 table.
>   

It's in prevoius mail:

# dmesg|grep BIOS-e820
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 04:35:43PM +0200, Wojciech Kromer wrote:
> Yes, it's a bit strange, but there should be a way to configure it in linux.
> I found only memmap option which does selection of regions, but not 
> remapping.

No it is entirely the BIOS's job to do that.  It would be very hard for
linux to safely change that.

> I have 64 bit compilation of course.

So in your case it would have been just fine with a simpler mapping.

> It's Intel-quad, so there are 4 CPUs.

Weird.  The message about the MTRR on all the CPUs not maching sound
like a strange bios bug.  Are you running the latest bios version?

> It's in prevoius mail:
> 
> # dmesg|grep BIOS-e820
> >BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
> >BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
> >BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
> >BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
> >BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
> >BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
> >BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
> >BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
> >BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
> >BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)

Looks to match the MTRR setup at least.  So how much ram does the kernel
actually want to use?

--
Len Sorensen

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Wojciech Kromer]

>   
>> It's Intel-quad, so there are 4 CPUs.
>>     
>
> Weird.  The message about the MTRR on all the CPUs not maching sound
> like a strange bios bug.  Are you running the latest bios version?
>   
>   
See the story below.
> Looks to match the MTRR setup at least.  So how much ram does the kernel
> actually want to use?
>
>   
a)With mem=8GB parameter I had:

#free -m
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 6473 474 5999 0 29 278


b) Without mem=8GM system slows down while booting and sometimes restart...


==== So the story begins ===========================

It's strange GIGABYTE missinformation, but:
- my board came with F2 release
- after detecting memory problem, I've upgraded it to F4 (latest at this 
moment)
- next day came with F5 release ,
there was only one info: "Fix PS2 keyboard compatibility issues",
so I decided *not* to upgrade BIOS

But yesterday I've finally upgraded to F5 release.
... and here is *surrprise*: MTRR changed to:

#cat /proc/mtrr
reg00: base=0x00000000 ( 0MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
reg01: base=0xc0000000 (3072MB), size=1024MB: uncachable, count=1
reg02: base=0xa0000000 (2560MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
reg03: base=0x100000000 (4096MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
reg04: base=0x200000000 (8192MB), size=2048MB: write-back, count=1
reg05: base=0x260000000 (9728MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
reg06: base=0x9ff00000 (2559MB), size= 1MB: write-through, count=1

Now there are no complains about MTRR in dmesg.

E820 seems to be the same:

BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)

And finally I have my 8GB working without any kernel parameter,

# free -m
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 7988 1120 6868 0 88 612

Now i need to rerun memory tests.
Thank you for helping me with this stuff.

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Wojciech Kromer]

>
> # free -m
> total used free shared buffers cached
> Mem: 7988 1120 6868 0 88 612
>
> Now i need to rerun memory tests.
> Thank you for helping me with this stuff.
>
>
Uff. Now full memtest takes less than 2 hours.

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:43:42AM +0200, Wojciech Kromer wrote:
> Uff. Now full memtest takes less than 2 hours.

Being able to cache memory helps a lot.

--
Len Sorensen

Re: Intel-Quad on GA-P35-S3 motherboard with 4*2GB

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Wed, Sep 19, 2007 at 11:28:16AM +0200, Wojciech Kromer wrote:
> a)With mem=8GB parameter I had:
> 
> #free -m
> total used free shared buffers cached
> Mem: 6473 474 5999 0 29 278
> 
> 
> b) Without mem=8GM system slows down while booting and sometimes restart...
> 
> 
> ==== So the story begins ===========================
> 
> It's strange GIGABYTE missinformation, but:
> - my board came with F2 release
> - after detecting memory problem, I've upgraded it to F4 (latest at this 
> moment)
> - next day came with F5 release ,
> there was only one info: "Fix PS2 keyboard compatibility issues",
> so I decided *not* to upgrade BIOS
> 
> But yesterday I've finally upgraded to F5 release.
> ... and here is *surrprise*: MTRR changed to:

Never ever trust the "changelog" of the BIOS release to contain all the
changes.  That would be admiting to having made mistakes after all. :)

> #cat /proc/mtrr
> reg00: base=0x00000000 ( 0MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
> reg01: base=0xc0000000 (3072MB), size=1024MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg02: base=0xa0000000 (2560MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg03: base=0x100000000 (4096MB), size=4096MB: write-back, count=1
> reg04: base=0x200000000 (8192MB), size=2048MB: write-back, count=1
> reg05: base=0x260000000 (9728MB), size= 512MB: uncachable, count=1
> reg06: base=0x9ff00000 (2559MB), size= 1MB: write-through, count=1

Well they are in sane order now (the previous order was weird)  And they
don't do as much setting a range as one thing and then deleting small
pieces from it afterwards.

> Now there are no complains about MTRR in dmesg.
> 
> E820 seems to be the same:
> 
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f800 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000000009f800 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000009fee0000 (usable)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee0000 - 000000009fee3000 (ACPI NVS)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fee3000 - 000000009fef0000 (ACPI data)
> BIOS-e820: 000000009fef0000 - 000000009ff00000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000c0000000 - 00000000c4000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
> BIOS-e820: 0000000100000000 - 0000000260000000 (usable)

Well that part always did look sane.

> And finally I have my 8GB working without any kernel parameter,
> 
> # free -m
> total used free shared buffers cached
> Mem: 7988 1120 6868 0 88 612
> 
> Now i need to rerun memory tests.
> Thank you for helping me with this stuff.

Well now things look good.  Nice to know BIOS updates occationally fix
things, even if they don't admit to it.

--
Len Sorensen