Hamking Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 Hey RAM Guy, I think I have some bad modules. My system is now consistently crashing with a BSoD in windows XP (w/ SP1). The BSoD message as to why its failing changes every time. I've tried re-installing windows onto another hard drive, thinking that my new 250GB drive was bad, but I get the same problems. System Specs: AMD-64 3200+ @ 2.0Ghz Skt. 754 (1Mb cache) TWINX1024-3200LLPT: 2, 3, 2, 6 w/1T timing. MSI K8N Neo Platinum nForce3 250Gb Mother Board. eVGA 6800 Ultra 256MB Antec 550watt True Power PSU. All system specs are at stock settings. Nothing is overclocked. I've had this memory for about year. Within the last couple of months my system has become more and more unstable (I see the BSoD's more frequently now). Please walk me through your troubleshooting process to determine if I have some bad memory. Thanks, --Erik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 17, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 17, 2005 Please make sure that you have the latest BIOS installed on your MB and set the following BIOS settings; DRAM Configuration: Max Memclock: Limit or 200 1T/2T Memory Timing: 1T CAS# latency (TLC): 2 RAS# to CAS# delay (TRCD): 3 Min RAS# active time (TRAS): 6 Row Precharge Time (TRP): 2 High Performance Mode: Manual Aggressive timing: DISABLED Dynamic Over Clocking: DISABLED Spread Spectrum: Enabled HT Frequency: 4x Cool’n’Quiet: Enable Adjust CPU Rotation: Startup Adjust CPU FSB Frequency: 200 Adjust AGP Frequency: 66 Adjust CPU VID: 1.500v CPU Voltage: By CPU VID Memory Voltage: 2.75 AGP Voltage: 1.50V *1.6V if you have 9200 or 9600 ATI or 5200 or 5700 NVIDIA card. All other settings should be left to MB default settings. Then please test them one at a time with http://www.memtest.org and let’s make sure it's not some other issue! I would run the test for at least 2-3 passes to be sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Ok, thank you. I'll give that a shot and let you know how it turns out. Yes, lets hope its not another issue. just a thought... Do you think a bad videocard would BSoD in windows XP with a different BSoD message every time it happens? That would suck, cuz I've already RMA'd my 6800 Ultra once already from it going defective. I just didn't have a big enough power supply at the time, so I upgradded to the True Power 550watt. We'll see.. I guess. Thanks again, --Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 17, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 17, 2005 Any bad hardware on your system can cause it, as far as I am concerned that Microsoft O/S has only a memory error message, it will never tell you that your Video Card caused this, MB, CPU, etc... It may tell you a driver but will point or revert it back still to the memory module. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 18, 2005 Author Share Posted January 18, 2005 Well, I think its pretty safe to say its the memory. Here's what I did: I made sure my bios was up to date, then went in and changed all the settings in the bios to what you had specified. By default my memory had been set to a lower voltage that 2.75, so I set that correctly (is that this memory's normal operating voltage?). Downloaded the latest version of memtest86 (v. 1.4) and then began to test the modules one at a time, in every slot, 3 times. These are my results: (I labeled the modules with a peice of paper and some tape to keep track of which was which.) ---------------------------------------------------- STICK 1 ======== slot 1) ~7000 - 8000 errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) slot 2) ~100,000+ errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) slot 3) ~100,000+ errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) STICK 2 ======== slot 1) ~2000 - 3000 errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) slot 2) ~100,000+ errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) slot 3) ~100,000+ errors (Test #5 @ 98% complete) ---------------------------------------------------- The memory fails at no other point on any other test. Test #5 seems to result in more than enough errors to go around. So... where do we go from here? I assume I need an RMA # now? Thanks for your help thus far, --Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 18, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 18, 2005 Getting these types of errors would suggest some other problem, but we can try and replace your modules if you like. Please follow the link in my signature “I think I have a bad part!” and we will be happy to replace them or it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 18, 2005 Author Share Posted January 18, 2005 Hrm.. ok. How is this suggestive of another problem? Please explain. I mean, I'm not set on replacing my memory... I'm only trying to fix the instability I've been having. Thanks, --Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wired Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 It's hard enough to get one bad stick let alone 2. Also, bad sticks generally error on more than one test. Test 5 errors may be a bad memory controller (which on an Athlon64 is located on the CPU). To be safe you may want to test each stick one at a time on another board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 ahso. Well... here's what I'm going to do: I picked up a cheap azz 512mb pc3200 stick of memory from my old work. I'm going to test my system with that memory and see if I get the same errors or not (before returning it... hehe). It actually is starting to look like somthing other than the memory at this point. The wierd thing is... when I run memtest86 it errors like a MOFO if I just use one stick at a time. When I use both sticks I can run memtest86 over night, with no errors. The other wierd thing I've noticed happeneing is that certain programs that can read the CPU speed from the processor itself (like counter strike:source, or 3dmark03) give inconsistant readings. Sometimes it will say the right speed (2Ghz), other times they will say its a 1Ghz processor, and sometimes it'll be rediculous and say its an athlon64 clocked at 2800~Mhz! For a while... I thought it might be the motherboard, if not the memory, but now it looks like it might actually be the CPU itself. We'll find out soon enough. Thanks for your input thus far, --Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 OK... yeah... same errors. 98% done on test #5 and it just eats it hard. yeah... its definately my processor now that I think about it. I just remembered this wasn't the CPU I got with my AMD retail edge program. I sold that for this one... That'll be the last time I buy a "new" OEM cpu off ebay... *siiiigh* looks like I'm gunna have to eat this one. Wired kinda saved us some trouble there when he mentioned it could be the memory controller. Thanks again for all your helps. --Erik :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 19, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 19, 2005 You might double check with the MB maker for the latest bios, if the CPU you have is one of the latest cores you might have to get the latest beta bios from the MB maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 I don't think that's an issue, seeing as how I got this processor in early august. the latest version of my bios was released after I got the processor, so I'm pretty sure everything checks out. Everything was fine, up until a few months ago, I started to notice stability problems. Now my processor doesn't display its correct Mhz rating anymore to programs that can actually decect the CPU speed. Sandra says its a 1.0Ghz proc as well. is there a possibility that some of the instability might have been related to having the memory under volted? I did have it set to "DEFAULT" for the longest time, thinking the motherboard would auto dectect the correct voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 woa.... wait a second... RAM GUY I just thought of somthing. Why did you reccomend I enable cool 'n' quiet for my processor? It makes the processor run at 1Ghz all the time. is it supposed to adjust back to normal when I run a game or somthing? Because it doesn't. I just turned off Cool 'n' Quiet, and its running at 2.0Ghz again. ok... now I'm officially confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 19, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 19, 2005 Well that would suggest a possible bios issue, because it should throttle back and forth when needed. Also you might check the CPU Temp and see what it's running! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 well my processor temp is fine. I have a thermaltake venus 12 on there with silver paste crap. my proc doesn't really get hotter than about 42c at full load (and I don't even have the fan turned up all the way). generally its around 38c. I've been pondering this dillema and I'm actually starting to realize that its not the processor at all. Once I changed that "cool n quiet" setting off, its been working just fine. To tell you the truth... the system has been stable ever since I swapped stick1 to slot 3, and stick2 to slot 1, and upped the memory voltage like you had suggested. Logicly, why would it be the memory contoller/processor if memtest86 errors on test #5 with just 1 stick in every slot, yet doesn't generate a single error when I have 2 sticks in slots 1 & 3??? the cool and quiet issue definately points a finger at the motherboard too, like you mentioned... Hrm... so the bios is having some problems/errors with the way it address the memory (and some other settings as well), or I have a quarky, slightly defective, motherboard. Well... its running stable now. If it can prove itself to stay stable, I'll just wait to upgrade my board when I go to socket 939, and save some money. I'm sure glad its starting to look the way its looking. now I don't feel like too much of an idiot buying that processor off ebay. I'm still never buying OEM again though... thats for sure! Thanks alot guys, --Erik :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted January 20, 2005 Corsair Employees Share Posted January 20, 2005 No problem, and thank you for letting us know! Please let me know if you have any more questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamking Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 will do. Thanks alot :) --Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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