tabaxter Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 Okay long story shortened as much as I can. I bought myself 2x XMS3200 256 modules and each of my 2 kids 1 x 256 Value modules for new computers 2 years ago. Last year the memory in my machine (XMS) failed and you arranged a warranty replacement. These had to be sent back to you in the states so in the mean time I used it as an excuse to buy 2 corsaire TWIN 512's for my machine. When the replacements turned up I took one of the value modules out of one kids computer and replaced it with the two XMS modules. I then put the other value module in to the other computer giving both kids 512mb. Recently my sons computer with the XMS memory kept crashing doing strange things etc. I had a hell of a job installing XP and I assumed mother board issues. As a check I removed the XMS from this computer and put one of the value modules in, and the machine now works perfectly!!! I am non plussed at the coincidence here yet it cannot be related to mother board etc. as this memory has always been in a different machine to the one in which the original memory failed. Also the twined memory in the original machine still seems to be working fine! Bizarre thing is the value memory is wholy reliable whilst the XMS seems to keep failing. Tech details for the machine in which this XMS resided are: ASRock Socket A mother board K7S8XE(sis chipset) Athlon XP 2000+ chip. Memory run at 133mhz synchronous with the chip. Used Auto detect of the timing settings. I have subsequently tried chaning the CL to 3 and running at 100mhz but the machine still exhibits the problems so I have to concluded faulty Ram, but any advice you can give would be well received. Only the excelent interface with yourselves last time has kept me from writing corsair memory off as poor and trying something else but todate the other two machines have been fine and only the XMS 256 have caused any problems so I keep trying :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employee RAM GUY Posted January 28, 2005 Corsair Employee Share Posted January 28, 2005 Just to be clear, you have 2-256 Meg of XMS modules (What Part# please) in a ASROCK K7S8XE, is that right and the system is not stable? And can you tell me the bios settings you have set for CPU and memory? If you are using default settings that may be the issue, please go to bios setup and load setup defaults and then set the Dim Voltage to 2.7 Volts and set the memory Frequency at 100% or 1-1 and then test the system with http://www.memtest.org. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabaxter Posted February 14, 2005 Author Share Posted February 14, 2005 Just to be clear, you have 2-256 Meg of XMS modules (What Part# please) in a ASROCK K7S8XE, is that right and the system is not stable? And can you tell me the bios settings you have set for CPU and memory? If you are using default settings that may be the issue, please go to bios setup and load setup defaults and then set the Dim Voltage to 2.7 Volts and set the memory Frequency at 100% or 1-1 and then test the system with http://www.memtest.org. I have 2 X CMX256A-3200C2PT and they were in an ASROCK K7S8XE motherboard. Subsequent to my post to you I decided that it could have been the motherboard so I would have to replace the board in my computer and pass down my Asus A7N8X-Deluxe to my son, forcing myself onto a new processor and graphics card. Ah the things you do for your kids eh! ;): Anyway upshot was I passed him down all but the HD and the memory from my machine so I put his old HD in and the above mentioned memory. It all worked fine until I tried to reload the OS which failed part way through copying the files trying to skip multiple files. I tried two disks and cleaning one other...... Now I guess you wonder why I'm telling a memory guy this, well after 4 days of just trying to load XP Home and failing I had tried everything. I swapped all the cables, the HD and tried multiple OS disks, then tonight I realised that the only common thing still in the machine was the memory sticks!!! I took the CMX out put in one value stick and it installed like a beaut no problem. Naturally I could not quite believe this so I took out the value put back in the CMX and tried again. The install failed on the same files as usual again so it seems it actually IS the memory stopping me from being able to install XP. I downloaded memtest and then came into this forum to look for advice. Setup now is: 2 memory sticks as above. Asus A7N8X - deluxe Athlon XP 2600+ (barton core methinks) memory frequency set to 166 i.e. synchronous with processor bus but did not choose any other memory options i.e. left the rest of the settings auto. MEMTEST reports settings of 2.5-3-3-7 (isnt the 2.5 cas level and should that be 2 on this CL2 memory?) am at 70% of memtest with no failures at the moment. Will report results when its done.. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employee RAM GUY Posted February 15, 2005 Corsair Employee Share Posted February 15, 2005 Please try and set these settings manually with our XMS3200C2 modules and then test the system with http://www.memtest.org one module at a time to be sure or if it fails the install again. CPU Freq: 166 MHz Memory Frequency: 100% Dim Voltage to 2.7 Volts Resulting Frequency: 166MHz SDRAM CAS Latency: 2.5T SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay (tRCD): 3T SDRAM Row Precharge (tRP): 3T SDRAM Active to Precharge Delay (tRAS): 6T If you get errors then lets get your modules replaced. 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...
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