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Help Me Diagnose My Memory Problem


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I think I may have bad memory but I'm not 100% sure so I want to run this by you people to see what you think.

 

I currently have an intel 875P motherboard, 2.8Ghz P4 with 2 sticks of 512MB DDR400 Corsair ram running in Dual Channel. My CPU is overclocked to 3.5GHz, my memory runs at normal DDR400 speeds, I've been running it this way for year and half now with no problems, but in the last few days my PC has started to become really unstable with random IE crashes and reboots etc. So I ran the memory stress test portion of Prime95 and it wouldn't run for more than 2 mins before reporting errors, but the CPU FPU stress test part run for hours with no problems. However, if I downclock my memory to DDR333 speeds it runs 100% stable. I have since done lots of tweaking and tests and have determined the following....

 

1. CPU at 3.5Ghz + DDR400 memory speed = UNSTABLE

2. CPU at 3.5GHz + DDR333 memory speed = STABLE

3. CPU at 2.8GHz + DDR400 memory speed = STABLE

 

Now beforehand I was convinced I had bad memory, but the last one has really thrown me and lead me to suspect it's more than just my memory, maybe faulty motherboard. What do you guys think?

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Can you tell me our modules part# (How To Read the Memory Label) and the make and model of MB you have along with the CPU speed and it’s FSB as well? In addition, please tell me the bios settings you have set for both CPU and memory and any performance settings that you may have set?

 

It's Corsair XMS Pro (with the flashing LEDs) PC4000/DDR500 512MB, two of them in Dual Channel configuration.

 

Motherboard is Gigabyte 8KNXP (rev 2.0) with intel 875P chipset.

 

CPU is Pentium 4 (Northwood) 2.8GHz (800 FSB), I use a 1:1 memory ratio divider to get DDR400 speed. It's overclocked to 3.5Ghz (1000 FSB) and I did use a 5:4 ratio to keep the memory at DDR400 speeds, but now I have it using 3:2 ratio to get DDR333 to make it stable. I let the memory choose it's own CAS settings.

 

Another point I should add is that I've tried each stick individually and get the same problems.

 

Another thing I noticed is that my CAS settings have defaulted to 2.5 4 4 8 whereas before I had them running at 2 3 3 6. Now my BIOS no longer gives me the option to select CAS 2, only 2.5 and 3 is selectable, and if a select 3 my PC refuses to POST and I have to reset the BIOS. Funny thing is if I set my computer to...

 

3. CPU at 2.8GHz + DDR400 memory speed = STABLE

 

...it defaults to CAS 3 4 4 7. Whereas if I set it to...

 

1. CPU at 3.5Ghz + DDR400 memory speed = UNSTABLE

 

...and force my CAS settings to 3 4 4 7 (using same memory speeds as No. 3) it refuses to even boot (have to reset BIOS). This is starting to look like mobo issue.

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You should run memtest86, at stock settings.

 

I've tried MemTest86 and get the same results as above for 1, 2 and 3 (ie. UNSTABLE, STABLE and STABLE). The error it reports for configuration No.1 is 6 errors with Test No. 5. Exact details are

 

Test: 5

Pass: 0

Faling Address: 00008ea4310 - 142.2MB

Good: ffffffff

Bad: fdffffff

Error Bits: 02000000

Count: 1

Chan: (doesn't show anything)

 

...that repeated 6 times but with slightly different Failing Addresses.

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But what is the exact part# of your modules?

 

And what do you have the Dim Voltage set too? And have you teied the modules one at a time?

 

Forgot to add, I haven't changed the DIM voltage in my BIOS so it's running at whatever the default is. And yes I've tried each module individually and get the same problems.

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  • Corsair Employees
Forgot to add, I haven't changed the DIM voltage in my BIOS so it's running at whatever the default is. And yes I've tried each module individually and get the same problems.

:wtfeh: :asskick: :nutkick: :faceslap: :stickpoke :beatchair

Please try and set the Dim Voltage to 2.7x Volts and test the module again, but errors in test 5 would suggest some other problem.

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