ASUS A8N-Deluxe SLI & XMS Xperts at 2-2-2-5 1T - NO GO

[BSLGamer]

Ram Guy;

 

I just finished the following system:

 

• Asus A8N SLI Deluxe ( Rev 1007 BIOS)
  
• (2) eVGA GeForce 6800 Ultra PCIe video cards
  
• (2) Hitachi 250GB SATA II HD (RAID 0)
  
• Creative Labs Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
  
• AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 Processor w/Thermaltake Model CL-P0075 K450 Fan/Heatsink
  
• PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 510 SLI Power Supply
  
• Corsair XMS Xpert 1GB matched pair (TWINXP-1024-3200XL) @ 2-2-2-5 1T
  
• No overclocking
  

 

This is the problem I'm experiencing with the XMS Xpert sticks:

 

- All games exhibit severe stuttering.

- System occasionally gives memory error beep tones when booting up.

- System occasionally blue-screen crashes.

- System crashes with memory error at default 2-2-2-5 1T or 2-2-2-5 2T settings (manually selected in BIOS) at the following voltages:

-2.60V (Auto Select in BIOS)

-2.75V (Manual Select in BIOS)

-2.80V (Manual Select in BIOS)

-System fails x86 Memtest about halfway through—dual or single channel configuration.

 

These sticks were used with a DFI Lan Part nF4 Ultra D mobo at the 2-2-2-5 1T settings without any problems. At first I thought it was the ASUS A8N--but it turns out that the XMS Xperts are only stable in the ASUS board when the DRAM setting in the BIOS is set to "Auto" and the sticks run at 2.5-3-3-6 2T--they simply won't behave at the rated 2-2-2-5 speed.

 

I installed a pair of Corsair TWINX1024-3200 XMS PRO (Matched Set) in the ASUS A8N-Deluxe and manually set DRAM settings to 2-2-2-5 1T @ 2.75V with the following results:

 

- x86 Memtest run for 8+ hours—no errors

- No stuttering in games

- No blue screen crashes

- No memory error beep tones on boot up

 

I put the XMS Xperts back into the ASUS A8N, made sure they were seated and went into the BIOS and set the DRAM settings to 2-2-2-5 1T @ 2.75V, then 2.80V--either way, all my games began stuttering like crazy again--and when Need For Speed Underground 2 locked up hard after about 15 minutes of gameplay, forcing me to hit the reset button, the system started giving off memory error beep tones. I turned the system off, waited a few minutes, turned it back on and went into the BIOS and set the DRAM settings to Auto, which loosed the timings back up to 2.5-3-3-6 2T, and the system ran normally for the rest of the night without incident.

 

This afternoon I put the TWINX1024-3200 XMS PROs back in and manually set the timings to 2-2-2-5 1T (having the BIOS automatically select DRAM speed puts them at 2.5-3-3-6 2T), and have been playing Need For Speed Underground 2, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Doom 3 without any incident.

 

Any ideas as to why the XMS Xperts can't run at 2-2-2-5 1T on my ASUS A8N, but the TWINX1024-3200XMS sticks can? Thanks for your help!

[RAM GUY]

Lets try replacing your modules.

Please follow the link in my signature “I think I have a bad part!” and we will be happy to replace them or it!

[BSLGamer]

Lets try replacing your modules.

Please follow the link in my signature “I think I have a bad part!” and we will be happy to replace them or it!

 

Well, I've followed the link to "I think I have a bad part!"

 

Did the online RMA Request Form - 24 hours later, no response.

Sent eveything to Warranty@corsairmemory.com - 24 hours later, still no response. :(:

Finally sending the info to RMA@corsairmemory.com and keeping my fingers crossed that someone will eventually get back to me with an RMA. :sigh!:

 

At any rate, Thanks for your initial fast response.

[RAM GUY]

I think customer Service is closed today with the Holiday this weekend.

You can try calling them at 888-222-4346 and dial "0".