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Optimal ram settings for compatibility

ARCADE

By ARCADE
in Memory

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ARCADE

ARCADE

Posted
Posted

First time posting here so here goes.

 

The ram in question is TWINX1024-3200C2.

My motherboard is an Abit NF7-S Revision 2.

 

Using the corsair webiste I was able to find the correct memory settings for the ram but there is no mention anywhere as to what voltage I should be using. Thus far I have been using the default settings from the motherboard and all was fine until about a week ago when the game I play, World of Warcraft, was patched. Since they have patched the game it crashed to desktop with a debug screen posting an error about memory could not be "read" or "written".

 

I am not the only user with this problem and after many of us posting this error on the Tech support forum Blizzard has finally posted a sticky thread on this issue. Basically they are saying their game is soo cutting edge that this latest patch is finding potential instabilities in our systems since it is straining them beyond what most other games or applications have in the past.

 

Here is the link to their sticky.

 

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-tech-support&t=256094&p=1&tmp=1#post256094

 

Now I have run two seperate memory diagnostic programs and both found no errors with my memory. So I'm pretty much stumped. I figured perhaps if I gave my ram more juice it may help so I bumped it up to the next voltage setting but I still crahed. I did not want to keep increasing the voltage as I don't know if there is such as thing as too much.

 

Hopefully I can get some new sets of eyes on what Blizzard has posted and get me some feedback on what you all think.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Martin

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CandyKid

CandyKid

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Welcome to the forums, Martin!

 

What settings are you currently running?

 

If you have a revision 3 or above, I believe you'll need to run 2.5-3-3-6 and they will take up to 2.9 volts.

 

Also, have you been watching your temperatures?

 

Running the memory in sync with the CPU?

 

PLUR

CK

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CandyKid

CandyKid

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Wow.

 

I just read that thread and am both angered and amazed.

 

I see nothing in there that would lead me to beleive it is a hardware related issue. All I see is...

 

1) There is an incompatibility between the new patch and a widely used driver. Perhaps upgrading your mainboard/video/sound drivers would help.

 

2) There is an error in Blizzard's code.

 

Unfortunately, from the machines I saw crashing, it wasn't just VIA or nVidia boards nor was it just a 32-bit or 64-bit machine issue, nor an AGP or PCIe issue.

 

What I see is that somebody made a mistake, but that's just my opinion. If you can run SiSoftware's SANDRA and Memtest86+ and Futuremark's 3D Mark programs, then it is not your hardware. It is programming.

 

PLUR

CK

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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Thank you for your reply.

 

As you can imagine I too am quite frustrated with their response which is why I've begun posting on hardware forums since they are stating it is something in our machines and not in their code.

 

I have set my memory to the setting you posted, but thus far only took the voltage up to 2.8 volts.

 

With regards to temperatures my system is well taken care of in that regards. I have three 3" case fans in my system. One is in the side panel, one at the back, and one in the top of the case. The case also has an LCD display for the internal temperature which currently is at 83.4 F.

 

With regards to memory being in sync with the CPU I backed out and cheked my BIOS. I beleive what you are looking for is the following setting.

 

CPU FSB/DRAM ratio 3/3 (400 MHz)

 

Should I set this to 6/6, seems to work out the to the same? Or should I set it to SPD which is what the motherboard manual says it was by default.

 

In trying to get rid of these crashes to play this game I have upgraded to the latest ATI Catalyst Drivers, as well as the latest NForce 2 mainboard and sound drivers (I'm using the onboard sound).

 

I have run Memtest in the past, and last night I ran their suggested Windows Memory Diagnostic and passed all test. I have run both 3DMark 2003 and 2005 and no crashes. The only program I have not run which you suggested is SiSoftware's SANDRA. If you think this one may find something the others could not I will give it a shot.

 

Unfortunately I too have it in my mind it's in their code and not in my machine. I just figured I would give them the benefit of the doupt and try up a hardware forum to get third party feedback. If it is my machine and I can fix it he'll I'd be happy since then I could at least play a game which I'm paying for monthy but have not been able to play in over a week.

 

Thanks again,

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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I thank you again for your help into this matter.

 

I went and downloaded in installed that SiSoftware SANDRA program but I ran into a problem. I tried the burn in wizard but as soon as it starts it craps out and gives me an error message. I've uploaded it to a site so which gave me this link for viewing.

 

http://img164.exs.cx/img164/9246/errormessage8qm.th.jpg

 

Hopefully that works out.

 

Now I don't know if I downloaded an incorrect version or if this means there is something wrong with my system. Also it seems from the window behind the error screen that the burn in wizard is not part of the program and that I would have to purchase the retail version?

 

Martin

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CandyKid

CandyKid

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Try This Link

 

I don't know if the burn-in wizard is part of the free version, but you can do a lot of burning with it, if only one part at a time.

 

Do the CPU arithmatic, multimedia, memory, etc.

 

Do evreything it'll let you do! Basically, I think this version has all the benchmarks enabled, but they alone should kick your system where it counts.

 

I havn't installed it in awhile, but I think you can set it to run ALL the benchmarks at once.

 

PLUR

CK

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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Well I was able to install the alternate version of SiSoftware Sandra and it ran the tests. Other than suggesting that I defragment my harddrive all tests pasts. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if future patches correct this error.

 

Thank you for all the help,

 

Martin

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CandyKid

CandyKid

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I don't want anybody to get the wrong impression of me, so I'll list a couple of my favorite games...

 

1) Diablo I/Hellfire

2) Diablo II/LOD

3) Starcraft 1/Expansion

4) Warcraft 1, 2, & 3

 

Do we see a trend? I'm not here to bash Blizzard, but I am severly dissappointed in what I'm seeing.

 

Blizzard, get your act together.

 

PLUR

CK

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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The latest fix for this error posted by someone was to lower their ram from 200 to 180.

 

I'm not exactly certain how to do this. My motherboard is posted in the first posting. In the manual I beleive the section I want to look at is called CPU FSB/DRAM ratio. In there the options I have are AUTO (which I switched to for now), by SPD (no clue what that means) or a bunch of fraction (3/3, 3/4, etc.) When I went into my BIOS chosing those fractions did show me potiential speeds but I'm not certain which one I should try first. I mean I definately won't want to take the ones that are over 400 MHz, but I'm not one to mess with things until I get a better understanding. I don't know if I should change the memory timing when I lower the speed for one.

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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Martin,

Can you tell me the complete system spec and I would be happy to suggest some settings?

 

 

AMD Athlon 3200+

Abit NF7-S revision 2

Corsair TWINX 1 Gig kit PC3200

Sapphire Radeon 9800XT 256MB

Enermax 450 Watt power supply

 

Those are the core of what make up my system.

 

If you get a moment please check out page 10 of this forum link I am posting below to get an explanation as to what has me asking this question.

 

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?FN=wow-tech-support&T=256094&P=10

 

For some reason many user are experiencing game crashes since Blizzard release a new patch some weeks ago to World of Warcraft.

 

Some users claim to have been able to get rid of the crashes by underclocking their RAM.

 

I am basically looking for feedback on this, though over all suggested ram settings would be nice to have as well.

 

I guess I need to know if there is any problem with setting my DDR400 TWINX kit to run at DDR333 as well as will I need to change the ram timing if I do this.

 

Currently it's running at the suggested 2.5-3-3-6 and RAM speed set to AUTO in the BIOS so I would assume it's clocked at 400 MHz.

 

Martin

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  • Corsair Employees
RAM GUY

RAM GUY

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I would try the modules in slots 2-3 and set the Dim Volatge to 2.8 Volts and maybe try the AGP Voltage set to 1.6 Volts first. But to run the memory at DDR333 set the memory frequency at 83%.
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ARCADE

ARCADE

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I would try the modules in slots 2-3 and set the Dim Volatge to 2.8 Volts and maybe try the AGP Voltage set to 1.6 Volts first. But to run the memory at DDR333 set the memory frequency at 83%.

 

The modules are in DIMM slots 2-3 currently following the setup instruction in the motherboard manual. I have upped the voltage to the RAM up 2.9 Volts which is the maximum allowed in the BIOS. However I have not yet tried to juice up my AGP slot which is at 1.5 volts as default.

 

I will try to run the RAM at DDR333 and see if my gaming in WOW continues to crash.

 

Thank you for your feedback,

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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And please tell me the exact part# of your modules.

 

 

Hopefully this is what you are looking for.

 

TWINX1024-3200C2

LOT # 0410056

 

I lowered my ram to 333 MHz and still get the error, so keep them ideas coming.

 

EDIT - one theory now is that the RAM is being pushed harder this path and overheating. Someone posted they purchased a heatsink for their RAM and it seems to have done the trick. I'm pretty sure my modules have heatsinks though.

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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Well I don't really do much of anything else other than play WOW, but yes, that error is unique to that game, and only present since the last patch.

 

Blizzard logic is that it's not their code because if it was, all players would be affected. I am in the minority on this one.

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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Can you remove the patch, or reinstall the game sans latest patch?

 

Code can definitely crash on some systems and not others.

 

I wish, but you see WOW (World of Warcraft) is a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). It's the type of game where you pay $15.00 a month to play.

 

As I'm sure you can guess I and the unfortunate others afflicted with these errors since the patch don't feel like we are paying for a playable service.

 

Martin

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ARCADE

ARCADE

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That is correct. They implemented a content patch a few weeks back.

 

My PC case has an internal temperature sensor on a wire. I put this sensor between my two memory modules while playing the game and the readout at the front of my case climbed up to 114 Fahrenheit. This seems rather hot to me, but I have no clue just how hot RAM can or should get. Typing this up now out of the game the temperature has already dropped to 101 Fahrenheit.

 

Following Blizard's logic that their game taxes systems which results in this error could I be dealing with heat issue with my RAM?

 

Actually hoping that is the case right now so that I can get some feeback on how to cool my RAM.

 

Martin

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