ryandinan Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 I too am having difficulty with the RMA process.... I submitted an RMA request this past Wednesday, as both of my XM2X1024-800 modules reported severe errors under memtest-86. Once removed from my system, I regained stability. So, I get an email back the next morning saying my RMA was approved, and that if I don't receive an RMA number in 24 hours, to email the warranty service department at Corsair with my case #. Well, more than 24 hours rolls around, and I have nothing more from Corsair. I email their warranty service department with my case# and all email correspondence to date (not much). I was hoping for a RMA number that Friday, that way I could ship them out to be received by Monday morning, that way they could get replacements sent and to me by the end of that week. Looks like that's not going to happen... and right now, my computer is running Vista like crap with only 1GB of memory... can't run many games well with that... Maybe their warranty service department was out sick all day on Friday... :laughing: -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wired Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 I too am having difficulty with the RMA process.... I submitted an RMA request this past Wednesday, as both of my XM2X1024-800 modules reported severe errors under memtest-86. Once removed from my system, I regained stability.Were you testing those sticks one at a time, or together, and if so, was it with the 512 sticks in your profile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 5, 2006 Author Share Posted November 5, 2006 Were you testing those sticks one at a time, or together, and if so, was it with the 512 sticks in your profile? Wired, I tested each stick separately, in the same slot. Both 512 sticks passed memtest-86 without errors for several passes; however, both 1024 sticks came up with errors almost immediately - and lots of em. Currently, with only the 2 512 sticks in my system, I can pass Prime95, as well as StressPrime 2004 for as long as I let it run. Before, it would give me the rounding error in less than one minute, and my system was very unstable. Pretty sure I have two bad sticks of XMS... :( Hopefully the RMA process will get underway first thing on Monday am, so I can get my system back up to a point where I can run some games without thrashing... -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 6, 2006 Author Share Posted November 6, 2006 Hello, I'm beginning to get worried, as I still have not received my RMA#, even though my RMA was approved on Thursday last week. By looking at other people's posts here in this forum, it looks like I am not alone in this regard... If there is some problem in the RMA/Warranty department of Corsair that is preventing a timely response, please let us all know, that way we can rest comfortably, knowing that we're not being ignored... Since this is my first "bad" Corsair part, I'm more than willing to accept that this type of thing just happens on occasion. But please make sure you take care of your customers. These modules aren't cheap, by any means - and having duds on your hands that you can't get replaced is very disturbing - and costly. Thanks for your time - -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 ryandinan, I assure you that we are not ignoring you. Per RAM GUY: Please either call our customer service at 888-222-4346 and dial "0" or follow this link: http://www.houseofhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33980 Also, you may want to look over this thread. Many other users of the P5B MOBOs are finding some manual settings that seem to help. http://www.houseofhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54705 Sorry for the delay and thank you for your understanding and patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 7, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 7, 2006 Please Change ‘Write to Precharge delay’ in the BIOS (same page as for latencies) from default 10 to 15 and then test the modules again with the Voltage set to 2.1 Volts and the tested settings set manually! Then test with http://www.memtest.org to be sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Please Change ‘Write to Precharge delay’ in the BIOS (same page as for latencies) from default 10 to 15 and then test the modules again with the Voltage set to 2.1 Volts and the tested settings set manually! Then test with http://www.memtest.org to be sure! Thanks RAMGUY - I'll give it a shot before proceding with the RMA (I was just about to FEXEX these to you today!). Crossing fingers! By the way - There seems to be lots of issues with the Asus P5B and memory-related problems... I hope this works! Thanks, -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 By the way -I noticed in another thread on this forum, you said to the poster that it was NOT OK to mix modules in his MB like I am; for example, I have a matched pair of XM2X512-6400 and a matched pair of XM2X1024-6400 (3GB total). Each pair is running dual-channel (512's are in channel A1-B1; 1024's are in channel A2-B2). The reason I have two different types, is due to lack of foresight in memory requirements for several applications that I run - so I decided to get more... I figured sticking with the same Corsair XM2X moduels/timings would be fine... Is this bad? Thanks! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 This is one of those things, if it works it's not bad. If it causes problems, it's bad. If you you are stable then you got lucky to an extent. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 8, 2006 Author Share Posted November 8, 2006 Well, after reading through that thread that RAMGUY suggested (even though it pertained to the Asus P5B DELUXE versions - I only have the vanilla P5B), it seems that changing the timings to 5-5-5-12-6-42-3-11-5-14 did the trick. I did not bother finishing memtest-86 yet, but so far the 1024 modules have reported no errors. I fired up XP and Vista and so far, it appears to be stable. Just so I understand this correctly - you guys only provide the 5-5-5-12 timings, and the rest are "motherboard-specific"? If this is the case, than Asus has a serious issue with not setting the last 6 values correctly for these modules (they all defaulted to 10). Looks like (so far) we avoided an unnecessary RMA. I will let it run memtest-86 overnight to see how she does! Thanks again! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Just so I understand this correctly - you guys only provide the 5-5-5-12 timings, and the rest are "motherboard-specific"? If this is the case, than Asus has a serious issue with not setting the last 6 values correctly for these modules (they all defaulted to 10). That's what we have been trying to get across in some other threads. Congrats on the stable system and thanks for the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 12, 2006 Author Share Posted November 12, 2006 Well, it looks like I spoke too soon... I let memtest-86 run overnight, and when I got up, there was a screen full of errors :( Is my RMA # still valid to use, or did you cancel it? Thanks! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 Ok, now things are getting strange... Seems like this may be a motherbaord incompatibility issue now... If I run both sticks of 1024MB together with these new timings (on a non-overclocked setup), I can run memtest86+ for hours and hours without errors. Same thing holds true with both sticks of 512MB. However, once I put all 4 sticks in (in either dual channel, or dual channel asymmetrical mode), I get all sorts of errors. Also, if I overclock my system just a hair, I get errors. It would seem that the motherboard does not like the mixed sizes of memory, nor does it like being overclocked at all. This is very disappointing, considering that's the reason I went with the core2 duo setup to begin with. However, it seems to be more motherboard related than memory-related (even if it is picky with the memory). Since I cannot return the sticks of 512 RAM, is there any way to turn them in to you guys as a "credit" towards more 1024 RAM? There was no reason why these sticks shouldn't be compatible together, as they were the same manufacturer, same timing, etc. - just different capacities... Thanks for any help! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 14, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 14, 2006 That would suggest some other problem, and did you try and set the settting I mentioned previously and set the memory frequency to DDR667 as well at 2.1 Volts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 RAMGUY, Thanks - Yes, I tried the timing you suggested, as well as setting the voltage to 2.1 (the highest my mobo allows). Like I mentioned before, with these timings and voltage settings, I can get both pairs (on their own) to operate correctly in a non-overclocked setup. I cannot however, put both pairs in the machine at the same time. I get major errors, and Windows will sometimes fail to load, giving me a blue stop screen (something about win32.sys, and sometimes one about memory_management). As soon as I take one matched pair out, I have no more problems. I do believe this is a motherboard issue, as it does not like the different pairs of memory, even if they are basically identical in terms of speed and timings. Do you think it could be something else? Thanks again for all the help! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 14, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 14, 2006 Maybe! What are the exact settings you are trying to run at with 4 modules? I would suggest 667 Mhz at 2.1 Volts! And what is the make and model of your PSU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 RAMGUY, Since these modules are rated at 5-5-5-12 @800MHz, that is what I am attempting to run them at (I have tried 5-5-5-18 as well). They work at these speeds, buy only if the other pair is not in at the same time. What I would like to be able to do, is overclock my setup to 7x400 (2.8GHz, 1600 FSB), and keep my memory at 800MHz by running the 1:1 divider at that speed (mobo will show 533MHz for RAM speed, but it is actually 800MHz). My system will post, load and run windows fine under this scenario, but I get memtest errors, as well as random system restarts under 3D gaming applications... (this is only with one pair in at a time; with both pair, I will have difficulty getting windows to load). The model of my PSU is CoolMax CXI-450B (450W version), which is powering 1 SATA HD, 1 IDE HD, 1 IDE DVDRW, and (the biggy) a Radeon X1900XT (stock speeds). Everything else is built into the motherboard, with the exception of some fans (4 of them). Voltage does appear to be consistent and steady, even under load. I considered the possibility that this may be due to a PSU issue, but this supply should be adequate, as it provides 35 amps across the 12v rails - and I'm not running that much extra stuff inside the machine... But I do notice system restarts under video-intensive (3D) loads.... perhaps the X1900XT is drawing too much power? I still don't really see how this could cause memtest86+ errors though...? Thanks RAMGUY! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 14, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 14, 2006 First thing, that is one heck of an over clock even if the system was not heavily loaded. Second thing, your PSU is marginal at best and if you want to over clock with that configuration I would suggest a 500 Watt PSU minimum. Our HX520W would be a good match for that system. Third thing, With 4 modules I doubt you would be able to run the memory at 800 MHz its just too much loading on the memory controller. I would suggest 667 MHz and go from there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Did some more research about my PSU... The only reason I got it, was because it was a package deal with my processor from NewEgg... and I thouht 450 would be plenty of power... Looks like 450W on this supply is really more like 400. Lots of people complaining about random system restarts under gaming with this powersupply... Especially with a Radeon X1xxx card. Seeing that I'm running 3 drives and a X1900XT, that may just be too much for it. So, I just ordered a Thermaltake W0106RU (700W). We'll see if this fixes the problem. (Crossing fingers)! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 14, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 14, 2006 Ryan, I see a lot of users complaining of problems with that unit as well. If you dont get our PSU I would suggest PC Power and cooling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 I was looking at PC Power and Cooling as well - VERY expensive stuff, but well worth the money (so I am told) - but a bit too rich for my blood. Your 620W PSU looked very nice as well, but the ThermalTake one offered more power (700W), 4 12v rails, a bigger fan, and a bit better efficiency - all for about $30 less. I figured that if I was going to swap out PSU's, I'd go for a really big one, just to be sure... If I don't like this one, I'll send it back and try yours ;) -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Third thing, With 4 modules I doubt you would be able to run the memory at 800 MHz its just too much loading on the memory controller. I would suggest 667 MHz and go from there! Really?? Even on a non-overclocked system, I shouldn't expect to be able to run 4 modules together at their rated speeds? This is the first I've heard about this... Is this only with DDR2 memory, or does it have somthing to do with the motherboard chipset, etc? If this is generally true, shouldn't there be some sort of disclaimer for those wanting to run with all their slots full, saying something about the possibility that they may not be able to run at full speed? Thanks RAMGUY... I'm awaiting my new PSU, and hope that cures my ills! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 18, 2006 Author Share Posted November 18, 2006 Well, the new psu is installed, and nothing has really changed... I still can't run both sets at the same time (stock, underclocked, or overcocked). Is there any way to turn in these two 512 sticks towards credit for another set of 1024 modules through you guys directly? Or am I basically stuck with them? NewEgg's return policy on memory is only 15 days. It's been quite some time past that, so I think my only option is to work though you. I don't expect anything at all, but Im keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks for any help on this RAMGUY! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted November 20, 2006 Corsair Employees Share Posted November 20, 2006 Please try and set the memory Frequency at DDR667 and see if the system is more stable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryandinan Posted November 20, 2006 Author Share Posted November 20, 2006 RAMGUY, Sorry if I wasn't clear in my last post - When I mentioned the "stock, underclocked, overclocked) I meant the memory clock (I've been running the system at stock speeds). I've tried testing the modules together at all speeds, up to their rated maximum speed. 667 did nothing more to get rid of the errors and instability. I really just think that this board does not like the mixed capacities...? Thanks! -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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