Asus Maximus Formula SE procedure fixes memory problem

[sparcgap]

I just built a machine with an Asus Maximus Formula SE, E6750, and 4 x

CM2X1024-6400 ram. Memtest-86 (v3.3) showed two memory locations giving

errors on tests 1, 3, 4... using the default setup parameters with the

0401 BIOS (locations: 1013.9MB and 3035.0MB i.e., 0003F58FE58 and

000BDBD13EB).

 

I tried lots of settings and read this forum and decided to upgrade the

BIOS to 0701 with no improvement.

 

After the upgrade I re-tried various suggestions noted in the forum

here: I tried 5-5-5-12 2T (default is 5-5-5-15 Auto), setting the ram

voltage to 2.1V, disabling the legacy USB and lots of other timing

settings. Nothing worked i.e., either the same or worse.

 

 

What worked is curious: Starting from default parameters, I set the ram

frequency to 1111MHz with 5-5-5-12 2T and rebooted. The machine failed

to reboot so I used the power button to shut it down and then restart.

After going through the boot sequence, I got a message saying that OC

failed and to use F1 to enter setup or F2 to load the default parameters

and continue (I think the first boot failure to reboot caused this

message since otherwise I don't get it).

 

I chose F2 and the system booted memtest-86 from CD and it ran without

errors (24+ hours). When I quit and rebooted the system, it failed as

before. So, my conclusion is that some parameter is not getting reset

when I push F2 and the system works -- or, maybe the ram gets into some

state that works -- don't know. Unfortunately, I don't know what

parameter fixes my problem.

 

The only data that I have is that with default parameters, the ram speed

as measured by memtest-86 is 17461 MB/s and with the F2 trick, it is

17427 MB/s. Again, after rebooting, it goes back to 17461 MB/s and

fails again.

 

I have been able to repeat this procedure but it doesn't seem like a

good way to boot a machine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[RAM GUY]

Please make sure that you have the latest Bios version and then load setup/optimized defaults and set the Dim Voltage to 2.0 volts (+.2 Volts W/Giga-Byte) and then LEAVE the timings set to Auto, and set the memory frequency at DDR667 and then test the system with http://www.memtest.org! If you still get errors, please follow the link in my signature “I think I have a bad part!” and we will be happy to replace them or it! However, if you get errors with both modules that would suggest some other problem and I would test them in another system or MB to be sure. In addition, with some MB's (Mostly ASUS) you have to disable legacy USB in the bios when running any memory test.

[sparcgap]

Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestions and the errors got worse. I am still puzzled why the ram works fine when I select the F2 option I mentioned. Can you deduce what settings for timing gave the difference in the memtest ram speed of 17461 MB/s when it fails and 17427 MB/s when it works?

 

Thanks, /Gil

[DerekT]

Thanks for the reply. I tried your suggestions and the errors got worse. I am still puzzled why the ram works fine when I select the F2 option I mentioned. Can you deduce what settings for timing gave the difference in the memtest ram speed of 17461 MB/s when it fails and 17427 MB/s when it works?

 

Thanks, /Gil

 

F2 will boot with setup defaults. You can consider it as a safe mode. You do not want to do this continually :p: Can you setup your system with auto on the CPU and 5-5-5-12 with 2.0v. Test each stick singly in the first DIMM slot.

 

Results?

[sparcgap]

DerekT, at your suggesting, I spent a lot of time today testing each memory module with all the default settings except the RAM voltage set to 2.00V, the Ram frequency set to 667MHz, and the Legacy USB support disabled (this was at the suggestion of Corsair's RAMguy). I tested each module in slot A1 with the rest of the slots empty and found two of my four sticks gave errors.

 

I did the tests twice just to make sure and then put the two good sticks in slots A1 and B1 and ran memtest86 for 2 passes with no errors (same settings as above). If they run Ok overnight, I'll fiddle with the settings to see if they are Ok with the default setting or some subset of the mods above.

 

BTW, I am using the http://www.memtest.org memtest86 v1.70. It seems to correctly report the CPU, L1, L2 and Ram speeds. I used the Asus Probe and CPU-Z to gather as many of the same parameters as I could to see if they matched. My older copy of memtest-86 v3.3 didn't report the speeds correctly.

 

Also, running these tests brought up a couple of new error locations.

 

Finally, I still haven't figured out the F2 trick. I got fooled in my first try on the single stick tests by the OC failed! message. I selected F1 to go into the BIOS and then quit but something got changed and the tests were not accurate in that the sticks passed (just like the F2 trick) -- (I suspect and Asus BIOS (0701) bug). My rerun of the tests go no OC error and I found that quitting memtest86 by pushing the power button avoided these errors . That is when I got the errors on the two, presumably bad sticks.

 

Comments?

[DerekT]

Can you isolate the issue by testing the sticks in another motheboard. RMA will not be a problem but if your issue is the motherboard and it looks to me that it might well be "a" issue if not "the" issue, then RMA might well just put you back where you are at this time.

 

If the DRAM tests out fine in the other board, then RMA of the board is necessary. If the DRAM tests out bad in the other board, then RMA of the DRAM is necessary. Since you are getting two sticks working, and two not working you might well be having a board that is overvolting the DRAM in which case, the issue will very likely repeat. You may wish to RMA both board AND DRAM if th issues you have with the BIOS remain on the good sticks. Keep in mind that DRAM is passive, they do not cause physical damage external to themselves but the board can damage the DRAM.

[sparcgap]

I ran the two 'good' sticks overnight with no errors. I will try tweaking the voltage down to 1.9V and playing with the timing at DDR2-800 just to see if they will run at close to the default board settings.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have another DDR2 board and I believe I am leading the pack among my friends as far as DDR2. I bought this board mostly as an experiment since I don't usually OC but wanted to learn something about tweaking the timing, etc. I guess I got my wish -- a little more than I wanted.

 

I think you could be right about the sticks -- it could be the combo of the board and the sticks that doesn't work but at least I have 2GB which is enough to get started on my real project which is setting up several OSs using VMWare.

 

I'll report back after I play with the timing.

[sparcgap]

After identifying the two 'bad' sticks, this morning, I set the ram voltage to 1.9V and the ram frequency to DDR2-800MHz and left it running while we were out. No errors in over 3 hours.

 

So, following all this fiddling, I reset the BIOS to the default settings except for turning off legacy usb support and rearranging the boot order. It appears to be working fine after 12+ passes.

 

One thing I have noticed is that the voltages I read with the Asus PC Probe II tool (running in XP) are a bit off from the nominal listed in the config screen in Probe. Especially the NB which reads 1.46V instead of 1.30V. Also, the ram voltage reads 2.00V instead of 1.89V and the ram ref voltage reads .99V instead of .95V but the rest of the voltages are very close. Of course, it could be the A/D circuitry is off or it could be that the actual voltages are off or the Auto settings don't use the nominal values that are shown in Probe. The NB is 12.3% high so this is off more than I would expect.

 

Any info on this would be appreciated.

[DerekT]

After identifying the two 'bad' sticks, this morning, I set the ram voltage to 1.9V and the ram frequency to DDR2-800MHz and left it running while we were out. No errors in over 3 hours.

 

So, following all this fiddling, I reset the BIOS to the default settings except for turning off legacy usb support and rearranging the boot order. It appears to be working fine after 12+ passes.

 

One thing I have noticed is that the voltages I read with the Asus PC Probe II tool (running in XP) are a bit off from the nominal listed in the config screen in Probe. Especially the NB which reads 1.46V instead of 1.30V. Also, the ram voltage reads 2.00V instead of 1.89V and the ram ref voltage reads .99V instead of .95V but the rest of the voltages are very close. Of course, it could be the A/D circuitry is off or it could be that the actual voltages are off or the Auto settings don't use the nominal values that are shown in Probe. The NB is 12.3% high so this is off more than I would expect.

 

Any info on this would be appreciated.

 

You need to addres these issues with ASUS and find their reasons as to why the Probe raised voltage outputs are occurring and you might also do well to research this board for others with the same board. They can show you how to use a digital multi-meter and where to find the points of reference on the board. Two forums for this are:

 

http://www.ocforums.com

http://www.xtremesystems.com

 

and of course the ASUS contact:

 

http://vip.asus.com/forum/topic.aspx?board_id=1&model=Maximus+Formula&SLanguage=en-us

 

If you find that two sticks are producing errors and if you replace those sticks with the other two and they do not issue errors, then check both error producing sticks singly. If both produce errors, then look to the warranty page and request RMA.

 

Look to the voltage issues of that board as well, since DRAM is passive and does not physically harm devices such as motherboards, etc. Motherboards however, are not passive can, will and do physically hard devices such as passive DRAM and you do not want to receive your RMA and repeat this issue again.

[sparcgap]

I just wanted to say thanks to DerekT for the help and also the Corsair ramguy. I did all the tests and found two bad sticks out of the four and am rma-ing them. I can run Ok with 2GB in the mean time.

[RAM GUY]

NP Please let us know when you get the new modules.