512 - 1 gig upgrade problem with corsair cl2 3200

G'day all, I bought a 2004 stick of Corsair 512mb pc3200 CL2 XMS ram, CMX512-3200C2 lOT# 0411040-0, and added it to my existing 512 bought 5 months earlier (late 2003) of the same model, cl2/pc3200, 512mb. My problem is that i can not run the combined 1 gig of ram asynchronous (SPD) at 200, with my barton 2500+ (not overclocked, (i.e. 166 fsb)) on an Asus A7N8X-X (bios 1007). Memory timings are 6-3-3-2.5, which i found on the corsair website, and I have also tried the less aggressive settings in the bios (8-3-3-3 i think) to no avail. Default ram power setting in bios (i.e. lowest). If i remove either stick, the stabilty problem goes away. Anyone have any explanation as to why this is happeneing? I was told by the shop that i need twin or paired? sticks, and even then they may still not run at 200? What then happens to owners of barton 3200+ which uses 200 fsb?? I should also mention that i have noticed the 2004 stick has shiny black paint on the heatsink, and the white corsair writing has scratched off from the metal holding clip easily. The 2003 is matt grey and fine. I have assumed this is just a reduction in budget on the paintwork in 2004? Someone else has previously posted the same observation, but no answer was given as to whether this is normal. Cpu-z reports both sticks with the same correct description. thanks in advance for any replies, cheers Mike N

What is the exact part # on your memory? FYI, athlon CPUs don't particularly like running memory in async. Also, I haven't been able to find any info saying that that board supports dual channel memory config.

Ok sorry, maybe I didn't make this quite clear and it appears I know even less than what I thought I did. I am not running in Dual channel mode as yes, the a7n8x-x does not support it. Ok i'm not sure if i should be saying this but i will anyway. When i had just the 1 stick of 512meg of ram, i "believed" i just had the barton 2500+'s fsb overclocked to 200, and i was running my ram in sync (100%), as you guys have mentioned, as i read it was the best thing to do, i.e. i overclocked my 2500+ to 3200+ settings. I bought the pc3200 ram purely for this purpose, as my understanding at the time was that this ram can run at 200, i.e. pc3200 can run up to 200 whatever the units are, mhz?? as opposed to pc2700 at 166? and therefore it would just be the cpu that i am pushing? Anyway I had been doing that for the past 6 months, no problems in prime95 torture test and games like ut2004. My memory timings where however on non-aggressive (optimal) as i did not look into what this meant at the time. So all i wanted to do when i bought this second stick, was chuck it in slot 2 and run at same settings, i.e. 200 fsb, ram in sync, as i was under the impression there would be no problems since i thought i had bought identical ram , just 6 months older. Now if thats any clearer you can tell me whether i simply just do not know what i am doing hopefully? The only reason i mentioned doing it async at 200 for the ram, and 166 fsb for the cpu, as someone suggested doing it to see whther the 2 modules can run together at 200?, and i wasn't sure what you would think of my overclocking the cpu fsb... though i think i am ok, as i believe i am not overclocking the ram?? I have run goldmemory for 2 days no problems as far as i could tell, and memtest86 for ages too. When i ran the test, the bios setting where 190 fsb, ram in sync, and 2.5-3-3-6. A note on that, my ram is actually suppose to be capable of 2-3-3-6 timeings correct? I just read more about timings in your forums, cl2 = 2-3-3-6. When goldmemory is running tests, is the ram still using my current bios settings? or do these not apply? I would have thought they would. Wired, i will get the exact part no# off the ram in 48hrs, i have to go away sorry. I hope you still have the time to help then, as i greatly appreciate both your help so far. Thanking you Mike N

2.5-3-3-6 latency on AMD platforms for that particular memory. Like Ram Guy said, try those settings at: 333 FSB / memory 333 Basically you should run it in 333 / 333 mode, or 100%, because if it's a true memory problem, then you'll still get memory errors. Running it like this will also eliminate any possible fake errors because of it being run in async (333 / 400) or by being overclocked (400 / 400)

Ok thanks wired, i understand now. Why the difference with 2 sticks together though? I have been told by others that its incompatibility of timings in the computer of all the different parts? cheers

Ok i now have my settings to spec, 333fsb/ram. Wil run goldmemory test again, though i did have no errors when fsb was on 190... I should mention this though as this is the secondtime it has happened, CPU-z version 1.22 is again displaying a weird number for the amount of ram for dimm1 (the new ram's slot), now it is saying 12544 mb, last time something else huge. Any idea on that one? Software error? Why then is it ok for dimm2. pics attached for evidence. I'll get you that serial number tomorrow night if thats ok, 20 hrs from now approx. cheers

Woah, a 12.5 GB stick, NICE! :) LOL, never seen that before.