Asrock ConRoe865PE and Core 2 Duo

[Cool Barn]

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EDIT: I worked out the BIOS settings to fix the RAM timing problem (this is my first time with an Asrock board). I have set the box to run at DDR400 and disabled the Flexibility setting. Methinks Asrock were a little TOO flexible ;):

 

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Hi all,

 

I have two questions for you gurus out there.

 

Firstly I have 4 x 512MB of Corsair TwinX 3200XL DDR400 RAM, two of which are Revision 1.1 and the other two are 1.2. I have run them together successfully in dual channel in three motherboards to date - an Asus P5P800, Asus P5P800SE, and now in an Asrock ConRoe865PE. As a pair (Rev 1.2) they ran great at 2-2-2-5 timings, but when I installed the second pair (Rev 1.1) I noticed instability at these timings so I changed them to 3-3-3-8, and still run all four sticks at those latencies to this day. I haven't bothered to run them any tighter because everything is super stable, although hopefully they would be able to go tighter than 3-3-3-8.

 

As mentioned I have just upgraded my motherboard to an Asrock ConRoe865PE which is both Core 2 Duo and DDR compatible. I currently run a Pentium D 945 processor. The only caveat is that to be able to run a Core 2 Duo processor I have to be running CL2.5 memory.

 

Would 4 x 512MB sticks of Corsair 3200XL be classified as CL2.5 memory? Obviously two sticks by themselves would be fine, but I would rather run all four sticks at once as I much prefer 2GB to 1GB of total system memory.

 

(If that memory does turn out to be compatible with the new motherboard and processor, what are the quickest timings you would recommend that I run them at?)

 

My second question is related to a problem I have discovered with my current setup. In the BIOS I have manually set the motherboard to run at DDR400, but according to the BIOS all four sticks are running at DDR333. I have set the RAM voltage to High. This is verified by CPU-Z, which reports that my memory is actually running at a 3:2 divider at 133 MHz at 2.5-3-3-8.

 

So even though I've set the memory in the BIOS to run at DDR400 3-3-3-8, it's actually setting its own 3:2 divider and running it at 2.5-3-3-8.

 

I've got the latest BIOS version 1.40. Is underclocking RAM something Asrock boards do when they detect all four RAM slots being used or something? And if so is there anything I can do to force the RAM to run at the speeds I tell it to?

 

Thank you very much for your time. There are a lot of questions there, and if anybody takes the time to answer even one of them I will be very much appreciative :):

 

Thanks again.

[Wired]

The only caveat is that to be able to run a Core 2 Duo processor I have to be running CL2.5 memory.

 

Would 4 x 512MB sticks of Corsair 3200XL be classified as CL2.5 memory? Obviously two sticks by themselves would be fine, but I would rather run all four sticks at once as I much prefer 2GB to 1GB of total system memory.

They mean that it doesn't support CAS 2.0, but 2.5 and 3.0 are ok.

[Cool Barn]

They mean that it doesn't support CAS 2.0, but 2.5 and 3.0 are ok.

Oh, I see. So if the Core 2 Duo didn't run stably at 2.5 you could change it to 3 and that would be okay? By their wording I thought it had to be at 2.5 only - no more no less. That's why I was worried about my current setup - I wasn't sure if all four sticks could run together stably at 2.5.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

By the way I just checked out the BIOS options again and worked out how to change those settings (I'll edit my original post). I am now running at DDR400 at 1:1 at 2.5-3-3-8. I will keep an eye on the stability over the next few weeks, hopefully there will be no problems. Has anybody else with this setup got any other bits of advice at all?

 

Providing everything runs well at those timings then with a bit of luck Santa will bring me a Core 2 Duo processor, all I have to do now is make sure I'm a good boy.

 

Cheers :):

[RAM GUY]

No problem, please let us know if you have any more questions!

[todorp]

I have Asrock ConRoe865PE, E6400 and TWINX2048-3200C2. ASRock support emailed me that ConRoe865PE and E6400 work only with DDR400 CL2.5 and CL2 and not with CL3. I bought TWINX2048-3200C2, because I thought it is the best.

 

The system works OK if not loaded. When loaded to about 60% of the CPUs it gives me unspecified errors and latter restarts. The Windows XP sends the error reports to Microsoft and today for a first time suggested to test the memory, which I did.

 

CPU-Z reported the TWINX2048-3200C2 pair as 3-3-3-8 by SPD when on paper it should be 2-3-3-6. I run memtest and got an error about every 0.5%. Downloaded the memset for 865 chipset and set the memory to the SPD 3-3-3-8, it didn't work. Reduced the 200MHz to 173MHz, it didn't work as well.

 

What else I can do ?