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Dell PowerEdge T150 Rejecting OEM RAM on Slot A2

Dell Server (Poweredge T150) rejecting OEM RAM on slot A2
Basic Information
Release Year	2022
Product Type	Server
In Production	No
Official Website	https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/poweredge-t150/overview

Consumer-impact summary

This page documents a known issue with the Dell PowerEdge T150 server, where certain configurations using third-party (OEM/non-Dell-branded) ECC UDIMM 32 GB DDR4 modules fail to fully POST when the A2 memory slot is populated. The problem has been consistently replicated and affects memory compatibility and upgrade paths for homelab and SMB users.

This bug limits the possibility of users choosing different memory modules and all the response we get from Dell is "buy our stuff".

System: Dell PowerEdge T150
CPU: Intel Xeon E-2324G (tested), IMC on-die
BIOS version: 1.12.0
RAM type: DDR4 ECC UDIMM (unbuffered) 3200 MT/s
Modules tested: OWC 32 GB ECC UDIMM 2Rx8 3200 MHz, Dell/Samsung 8 GB ECC UDIMM
Issue: System fails to POST when all four DIMM slots are populated with third-party 32 GB ECC UDIMMs
Suspected cause: BIOS-level SPD validation or IMC training failure on slot A2 with non-Dell SPD profiles
Workaround: Use at least one Dell/Samsung OEM module in slot A2

Observed Behavior

Working Configurations:

1× OWC 32GB → ✅ POSTs in any slot (except A2)
2× OWC 32GB in A1 + A3 → ✅
3× OWC 32GB in A1 + A3 + A4 → ✅
3× OWC 32GB + 1× Dell 8GB (in A2) → ✅ Fully bootable with 103 GB usable

Failing Configurations:

4× OWC 32GB → ❌ Fails POST (hangs at “Configuring Memory… Done” or “Loading BIOS Drivers”)
2× OWC 32GB in A1 + A2 → ❌
2× OWC 32GB in A3 + A2 → ❌
3× OWC 32GB + 1× OWC 32GB in A2 → ❌

Technical Analysis

Memory Training / SPD Compatibility

All OWC modules were tested individually and passed Memtest86+
dmidecode reports consistent configuration (2Rx8, 3200 MT/s, Unbuffered ECC)
Manufacturer ID may be missing or malformed on SPD, leading to BIOS rejection
BIOS likely implements stricter SPD validation on slot A2 (Channel 1 primary)
Module works in A2 only when it’s a Dell-certified part (SNPHTPJ7C/32G, SNP9D57RC/32G, etc.)

Performance Impact When Using Mixed Configuration

Current working config:

3× 32 GB OWC ECC UDIMM
1× 8 GB Dell/Samsung OEM ECC UDIMM
Total RAM: 103 GB usable

Flex Mode (Intel IMC)

Memory controller runs “flex mode” interleaving:
- Dual channel for 8 GB on both channels
- Remaining 95 GB runs single-channel

Performance Loss (Estimated)

Metric	Value
Dual channel memory	~16 GB (15%)
Single channel memory	~87 GB (85%)
Bandwidth loss in single-channel segments	~15–30%
Weighted average memory performance loss	~5–12%

Latency remains unaffected. Most real-world workloads are not bottlenecked by memory bandwidth, so this configuration is still viable.

Recommendations

✅ Use at least one Dell-branded ECC UDIMM in slot A2
⚠️ Wait for potential BIOS update to loosen SPD checks on A2

Notes for Buyers

Part Number	Status	Type
SNP9D57RC/32G	✅ Dell Certified	ECC UDIMM
HMAA4GR7CJR8N-XN	✅ Compatible	ECC UDIMM
OWC3E2D42R832GB	⚠️ Partial (only if A2 not used)	ECC UDIMM