Asus P4P800-E Deluxe and TWINX1024-3200C2

Ram Guy,

 

Putting together a new system with a P4P800-E Deluxe Mobo, Cosair TWINX1024-3200C2 DDR400 XMS3200 for Dual Channel, Intel Prescott 3EGhz 800 Mhz.

 

I have the latest BIOS loaded with the recommended Bios settings you suggest on your site. (2-3-3-6).

 

I've ran Memtest86 through several passes without any errors.

 

The problem is after windows XP has been loaded and all the latest and correct drivers are installed, I seem to be loosing my internet connection through the Marvell onboard NIC sometimes. The system becomes rather unstable with some or all of the icons dropping off the systray and the monitor flickers. I looked in the system error files and Microsoft suggests that it could be a memory problem, a faulty NIC driver, or a bad NIC chip on the board. I have tried both the original and latest Marvell driver but get the same instable results.

 

I've tried to set the BIOS to the default settings for the memory but get the same instability as well.

 

1) Is there something in the BIOS settings that I could have missed?

 

2) Could it be bad memory even though it passes Memtest several times?

 

3) Could it be a faulty CPU? Doesn't Memtest look at this as well?

 

4) Finally, could it be a bad Motherboard?

 

Thanks!

I have exactly what u have. this is my settings:

AI Over Clock Tuner: Manual

CPU Freq: 200 MHz

System Performance: Auto

Memory Frequency: 100%/DDR400

Dim Voltage to 2.75 Volts

SDRAM CAS Latency: 2T

SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay (tRCD): 3T

SDRAM Row Precharge (tRP): 3T

SDRAM Active to Precharge Delay (tRAS): 6T

 

my comp is running fine with this settings.

Could this be related to your VGA card. Does the problem only occur when you are accessing the internet or does it also occur during other operations? Also I assume you have the latest OS updates, including Microsoft .net framework (which is used by some video drivers).

 

Have you tried any other RAM in the system?

 

DO you have any PCI cards installed? It is possible to get driver conflicts with soundcards for example.

 

1.) I doubt this is a bios setting. Unless it is related to RAM timings but you are running good Ram timing.

 

2.) I doubt that also except as mentioned above.

 

3.) Doubt it. I would expect more than just video corruption. You should have BSOD's or simply not booting.

 

4.) Very definitely.

 

I would look at driver conflicts first. If you have any extra cards installed, remove them and uninstall the drivers (though to do this well can be difficult).

Then test to see what operations will cause the failure.

You didn't update the Marvel NIC drivers from the Windows Update site, did you? If so, rollback the driver, it's well known to cause system instability.

Thanks for the replies,

 

1) No, I did not load the Marvell Driver update from Windows, I used the original from the motherboard disk, and the latest one from the Marvell site. Each loaded on different installation of OS with the same problem.

 

2) All of the latest drivers and updates from windows are installed, and yes, the instability occurs on the internet or not. Also unstable if i disable the onboard LAN and install a 3com NIC correctly on a new OS installation.

 

3) VGA card is an ASUS V9520/TD GeForce FX5200 8X AGP 128MB DDR with the latest driver from Nvidia.

 

Description of errors include monitor flickering, icons dropping off the systray, occasional Microsoft errors including iexplorer.exe and a few others where microsoft wants to send an error report. NEVER got a BSOD.

 

** I agree that it probably is not the Memory or even the CPU, most likely the MB or even the VGA? Both are new.**

 

Thanks!!

Ram Guy,

 

I followed your instructions to the letter on running Memtest three times on different days. Each time Memtest was run, I let it go through 6 passes. I NEVER got an error.

 

Motherboard faulty then?

 

Thanks!

Motherboard faulty then?

 

Not necessarily. Possibly. Does it occur during OS installation or only after all your drivers are installed? The loss of icons on the desktop or in the task bar really sounds (to me) like a software/driver conflict as opposed to a mobo/vga failure. I would expect hardware to give you more of a complete corruption. Losss of video, apps closing/crashing and system reboots, BSOD's.

Ok, went through many troubleshooting steps here. tested RAM 10 times with at least 6 passes with not one error! tried different CPU, P4P800-e Deluxe Motherboard, cables, CDROM Drives with still no stability. Tried one last thing and set the BIOS to all default settings for the memory in the advanced/chipset and jumperfree areas. System was stable!!!!! I am writing this email now with these default BIOS settings. It is obvous now that it is the memory that is bad, even though it did pass Memtest86 many times? What do I do now? I brought the memory at ZipZoomFly over a month ago, and they said they will not RMA. I would like to get both sticks replaced since there TWINX. HELP! :confused:

Thanks for all of your help.

 

I finally tried 2 new drives, WD Raptors, and the system is stable now!

 

The MB Must have not liked the two Maxtor DiamiondMax 10's.

 

System is Very FAST and stable with 2-3-3-6 settings using the TWINX1024-3200C2 sticks.

 

Thanks again all!!

 

PS: By the way RAM GUY, could I upgrade and get another TWINX1024-3200C2 and put them in the two empty black slots? Would they be running in dual mode as well?

...could I upgrade and get another TWINX1024-3200C2 and put them in the two empty black slots? Would they be running in dual mode as well?

 

They would be running in dual-channel mode. But due to the limitations of the Intel i865PE chipset, your memory will run at only 166MHz/DDR333/PC2700 maximum instead of the normal 200MHz/DDR400/PC3200 with all four memory slots occupied with double-sided modules (all of Corsair's 512MB modules are double-sided).

How about if I replace my current TWINX1024-3200C2 and only have TWINX2048-3200C2? could I still keep it running with 2-3-3-6 settings and at 400 Mhz?