My Socket 775 board fried some time ago (while running some very heavy statistical unit testing loads :), so I had to start looking for a new board that would run the Intel Q6600 chips and some newer E8400 and E8600 chips that also support 1333MHz FSB. Unfortunately I found out that my options to buy new boards are limited basically to Asrock. First I bought a Asrock G41M-VS3 board and then ASrock G41C-GS.
However, both boards gave a blank screen, and did not boot. I googled around and found out that quite a lot of people are having similar problems with Asrock boards:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140323170120AAExkqn
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1868135/asrock-g41m-vs3.html
http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f15/asrock-g41m-motherboard-with-ddr3-ram-848185.html
I have tested at least 10 different DDR3 chips, and there is currently only one working (old) chip that I bought from eBay that works just fine with both Asrock G41C-GS and Asrock G41M-VS3. Asrock DDR3 support is horrible:
Samsung M378B2873EH1-CF8 PC3-8500U-7-10-A0 1GB 1066MHz CL7. This chip works also as 1333MHz on both of my boards, although it’s spec’d for lower speeds.
I got blank screen on 2 different models of Kingston DDR3 4GB 1600MHz, but didn’t write down their exact models before returning them to the shop.
On Asrock G41C-GS all DDR2 memory that I tested worked fine, if you just use the DDR2 slots. However, I got a lot of memory errors on memtest86, until I changed the CAS latency from 15 to 18 manually (as specified on the chip). It seems that Asrock memory setting autodetect for DDR2 does not work properly.
Kingston Valueram KVR13N9S8/4 4GB 1333MHZ DDR3 CL9 did not work on either of the boards.
Kingston HyperX Genesis 1600MHz 2x4GB kit KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX does not work on either of the boards.
Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB DDR-1866 CL10 240 Pin HX318C10FRK2/8 does not work on either of the boards.
Corsair Vengeance 4GB PC3-12800, 1600MHz DDR3 CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 worked on G41C-GS at 1066MHz, but I got a blank screen @1333MHz. I didn’t test it on G41M-VS3.
Corsair XMS3 1333MHz 4GB CMX4GX3M1A1333C9 does not work on either of the boards.
Corsair CML8GX3M2A1600C9W does not work on either of the boards.
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 1333MHZ 2x4GB-kit F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL works fine on G41C-GS at full speed, but gives blank screen on G41M-VS3.
Transcend 4GB 2Rx8 DDR3 1333 ECC TS512MLK72V3N 675723-0270 works on G41M-VS3, but does not work on G41C-GS.
Hooray! After 3 months of trying I have found two sets of memories, one which works on the other board and one that works on the other.
Summa summarum, it seems that Asrock is really picky about the memory. The only way to find out what works on your board is to use some arcane chips from eBay (Asrock has tested a couple dozen of chips listed on their web site), or prepare to return & reorder different brands of chips at least 3-10 times before you get a working one. It also seems that if a certain memory works on one Asrock model, it guarantees nothing of other boards. Also, if the memory works at 800/1066MHz, it might not work at 1333MHz on Asrock boards.