TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX + Asus P5KC = Rage

[Thundordan]

First off, I've been through these and other forums A LOT but I still can't fully fix my problem.

 

Motherboard: sucks monumentally, causing freezes and/or boot failures in many many cases, overclocking or not.

 

 

I managed to input as many things as I could manually to stabilize my system:

 

 

-Ai Overclock Timer:-----------[Manual]

-CPU Ratio Setting:------------[09.0]

-FSB Strap to North Bridge:----[333MHz]

-FSB Frequency:--------------[333]

-PCIE Frequency:-------------[100]

-DRAM Frequency:------------[DDR3-1333MHz]

-DRAM Command Rate:--------[1N]

-DRAM Timing Control:---------[Manual]

-------Timings: [9] [9] [9] [24 DRAM Clocks]

 

...(auto)

 

-DRAM STATIC READ CONTROL: [DISABLED] (these 2 set to [auto] cause "overclocking falilure" even when I'm not overclocking)

-DRAM DYNAMIC WRITE CONTROL: [DISABLED] (this would mean the mobo thinks I'm overclocking my ram to 1333 altho it is meant for 1333)

 

...(auto)

 

-DRAM Voltage ----------------[1.60V]

...(auto)

 

 

 

My system is now STABLE, but EVEREST sees my modules as DDR3 SDRAM at 1066 (533)MHz (no matter how much over 1066 the frequency is set in BIOS)

 

+ the timings are 7-7-7-20 (/27-59-4-8-4-4) @533MHz for one stick, and 6-6-6-18 (/24-51-4-7-4-4) @457MHz for the other.

 

[edit]: Fixed. (AND, Vista sees my 4096 MB (as seen in BIOS) at 3326 MB (could this be cause it's Vista 32?))

Any help would be much appreciated :): Oh, and 3DMark 2006 Sees my RAM as DDR2 :D: :(:

[TheSorcerer]

AND, Vista sees my 4096 MB (as seen in BIOS) at 3326 MB (could this be cause it's Vista 32?)

 

This is because your Vista is 32 Bit. Due to technical limitations 32-bit operating systems can only address up to 4gb of ram. However, because of so called "memory mapped IO reservations" some of the 32-bit ram address space is reserved for IO operations and is not available for ram. Read more here.

[Thundordan]

This is because your Vista is 32 Bit. Due to technical limitations 32-bit operating systems can only address up to 4gb of ram. However, for some reason (I'm not sure why actually) Windows Vista 32bit can only access 3,3gb - Windows XP is limited to 2,8 GB when 4 GB are installed.

 

Thanks mate,

 

Now all I have to figure out is how to get the 1333 DDR3 to actually work on factory frequency and not 1066 DDR2 :P

[007bont]

try to enable CHA and CHB skew support:

 

set both items in CHA to 300ps

 

and set both items at 000ps for CHB

 

 

these options are available from bios 1105!

[Thundordan]

Thanks for lending a hand, mister Bont :D

 

But here's what happened: The PC booted fine, loaded windows and just when the screen changes to my desktop, it goes black and the HDD stops. I waited 30 sec and then I pressed the Power Button and released it quick. (my ports weren't working)

 

After this the PC "woke up" as if it was sleeping and the desktop started loading.

 

Long story short, it didn't change anything, Everest still says I have "DDR3 SDRAM" of 1066 MHz.

 

 

 

PS: How did you get your ram working? is it 2x 4GB DDR3? The P5KC isn't even supposed to support those :D

[007bont]

just to clarify....when you set the bios as you descripted in the 1st post, is your system stable then?

 

if so i would download cpu-z and see what it says under the memory tab.

 

btw im running ddr2 modules

[Thundordan]

Yes it is. Stable. This mobo seems to be incredibly vulnerable to changes though.. half of the other configurations I tried (although safe) kept freezing up my PC.

 

 

I didn't try CPU-Z but Everest (should be equivalent) says this:

 

Memory Type: DDR3 SDRAM

Memory Speed: DDR3-1066 (533 MHz)

and the timings are as in my first post

 

BIOS Says I'm running on DDR3 1333MHz, 9-9-9-24, 1.70V (which are the modules' factory defaults, same as what I've manually implemented)

 

 

What I noticed is, whatever I overclock my RAM to, if it's over 1066MHz, (1333, 1400, etc), it never actually goes past 1066 in windows..

[RAM GUY]

With 4 modules I would suggest setting the memory frequency at DDR1066 and set the memory Voltage to 1.7-1.90 Volts and set the NB/MCH/SPP Voltage to +.05 Volts as well and test the system with http://www.memtest.org. In addition, with some MB's (Mostly ASUS) you have to disable legacy USB in the bios when running any memory test.

[DerekT]

Also, I see you are setting the Command Rate to 1N. I advise you to set to 2N.

[Thundordan]

With 4 modules I would suggest setting the memory frequency at DDR1066 and set the memory Voltage to 1.7-1.90 Volts and set the NB/MCH/SPP Voltage to +.05 Volts as well and test the system with http://www.memtest.org. In addition, with some MB's (Mostly ASUS) you have to disable legacy USB in the bios when running any memory test.

 

Thanks for your reply, This is what I have: http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TW3X4G1333C9DHX.pdf

 

I'll try it and let you know if it didn't work

 

Yeah I've heard about the legacy USB..

[Thundordan]

Also, I see you are setting the Command Rate to 1N. I advise you to set to 2N.

 

Tried both, didn't seem to change anything in Everest's Memory section..

[RAM GUY]

The memory is being set to DDr1066 because of your CPU.

[Thundordan]

The memory is being set to DDr1066 because of your CPU.

 

I know they're linked but..

So.. should I try a different setting for the CPU?

 

I had tried the CPU Ratios 8.0 and 9.0. with different FSBs but no change in the ram speed

[RAM GUY]

The only way to get the memory to run faster would be to over clock over clock the CPU, and I am sorry I cannot tell you how to do that.

[Thundordan]

The only way to get the memory to run faster would be to over clock over clock the CPU, and I am sorry I cannot tell you how to do that.

 

Ok, thanks Ram Guy.

 

But I'm afraid even overclocking doesn't work.

 

I did overclock my cpu to 2.6, 3, 3.1 and 3.2 GHz and no matter what DDR frequency BIOS said I have (1333, 1400, 1600), readings in Windows still said it runs at 1066

[RAM GUY]

How are you over clocking the CPU? By the multiplier or by the CPU Frequency or using the AI tuner?

[007bont]

while your at it, could you please post a screenshot of Cpu-z (not everest) and specificly the one from the "TAB" memory?

[Thundordan]

How are you over clocking the CPU? By the multiplier or by the CPU Frequency or using the AI tuner?

 

while your at it, could you please post a screenshot of Cpu-z (not everest) and specificly the one from the "TAB" memory?

 

OKAY. I after installing CPU-Z, I saw Everest was reading things wrong (thank you 007bont):

 

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4264/everestmg9.th.jpg http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5139/cpuzvz5.th.jpg

Sandra: http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/7630/sandratm8.th.jpg and an efficiency setting of 50.91%

 

To answer Ram Guy's question, I was OC-ing in BIOS, using either just the multiplier, either the frequency either both. Tried everything, but at the moment CPU is on auto and the ram is at 333, 1333 and 9-9-9-24.

 

So The BIOS changes I made were WORKING all along but everest for some reason thought and still thinks my modules have the highest stock setting of 1066 MHz.. If Everest gets that bad reading from the motherboard then it means my P5KC thinks I've actually overclocked my "1066" memory to 1333, 9-9-9-24 although those are the normal settings.

 

However, I noticed Sandra gives me horrible Bandwidth readings (and latency readings) compared to those other products, at least half of which should be under my Corsairs. Is that score normal?

[Wired]

Everest and CPU-Z are both reporting that the SPD is set to 533 Mhz. While it should actually be set to ~667 Mhz, this has no bearing on the ACTUAL speed, which is correctly reported in CPU-Z's memory tab.