Memory fails stability test after 1 year

[aquatoid]

Hello there.

I have a problem with a ram module, and wanted to know what's happened.

I'm a very "end user" :), and please be patient for my bad English, it is not my native language :)

 

A year ago I and a friend of mine built two PCs, both of them including these (identical) components:

 

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo e6400

MB: Asus P5N32-E SLI (nVidia nForce 680i SLI)

RAM: Corsair 1 GB CM2X1024-6400 DDR2-800 (XMS2-6400C5)

 

I knew the stability problems that some P5N32-E SLI motherboards had with some ram modules, but I was lucky, and all worked fine (nor was my friend's one, he had to send back the MB);

the voltages seemed fine, so I decided not to perform any change, and to avoid problems I decided not to perform any overclock.

 

Six months ago I bought another RAM module identical to the first one (1 GB CM2X1024-6400 DDR2-800 (XMS2-6400C5)), I installed it and all worked fine, in dual channel.

 

That until yesterday:

the system started to crash very frequently, especially during the copy of large files, or while loading antivirus and firewall, or at startup.

When I understood that was a memory problem, I tought that the P5N32-E SLI was having its revenge, but it sounded very strange to me, after a year without any issue.

 

So I tried switching the ram modules, changing slots, etc., and I had these results:

 

-When the two modules are both installed and working in dual channel, I get crashes very often.

-When the NEW module is removed, and the OLD module is in, I get crashes less often.

-When the OLD module is removed, and the NEW module is in, the system works fine.

 

So I tested te two modules individually running the Memory Stability Test of "Rightmark Memory Analyzer". It runs completely in every case, but I got a lot of errors only with the OLD module. Errors I've never got before.

Evidence seems to point at it as the cause of the troubles. It is?

 

Thank you.

[RAM GUY]

Please make sure that you have the latest BIOS for your motherboard and then load optimized defaults and set the Memory Voltage to 1.9 volts and then set the timings to 5-5-5-12 (CAS-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) and then test the modules one at a time with http://www.memtest.org! Please allow memtest to run 2-3 passes on each module. If you still get errors, we will be happy to replace them! I am not familiar with the memory testing utility you used, and I would suggest using memtest if you want to be sure you have a faulty module. However if you would just like to get it replaced, then please use the On Line RMA Request Form and we will be happy to replace it.

[aquatoid]

All done.

I got a lot of errors running memtest with the module I suspected to be faulty. I think I will have it replaced :)

Thank you for your help.

[RAM GUY]

No problem, lets get them replaced!