asgallant Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 I just built a system using the Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H with the Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) TW3X4G1333C9A kit. I have been having problems with the system freezing up and screwing up the screen with graphic artifacts (link to related threads here and here, to see the progress of diagnosis). It was suggested that my problem might be a memory compatibility issue, as this kit is not listed as compatible on either Gigabyte's QVL list or Corsair's memory configurator. Is there a known compatibility issue between this MB and RAM kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackrat Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 That RAM is Phenom II compatible so there should not be an issue with using it but Gigabyte has had some RAM compatibility issues so you should make sure that you have the latest BIOS and e-mail Gigabyte tech support to see if they have found issues with this RAM on that specific mobo model. http://www.corsair.com/products/phenomii/default.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 I have a support ticket with Gigabyte about this as well, I was hoping Corsair had some test info about this particular combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackrat Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Maybe next week when they open for Biz Ram Guy will respond if they know of any issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 That's what I'm hoping for. My impeccable timing led me to post here on the night before Thanksgiving, when the American staff were pretty much guaranteed to not be hanging around the forums until next week. >;o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted December 1, 2010 Author Share Posted December 1, 2010 *bump* *bump* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 Apparently, there is an issue with Phenom II/Athlon II memory controllers when running DDR3 above 1333MHz (see here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?PHPSESSID=3e56d07bec5f15d442d5fb0921a76438&/topic,2515.0.html). My RAM is running at 1333 stock, but the symptoms are a possible match, so I tried underclocking RAM to 1066 and thus far (after 8+ hours of testing), the system has been rock stable. Neither Prime95 nor SuperPi has caused it to freeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackrat Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Athlon II X3 CPU's only officially support running of DDR3 RAM up to 1333 MHz. Socket AM3 is only guaranteed to run RAM up to 1333 MHz. if your CPU is rated to run DDR3 RAM at this speed. Athlon II X2 (Dual Core), CPUs for example use socket AM3 but only officially support running DDR3 RAM @ 1066 MHz. CPU's designed to run DDR3 RAM @ 1066 MHz. may not run at higher frequencies - per my signature - as this is overclocking of the RAM and not officially supported by AMD. http://www.amd.com/PublishingImages/Public/Graphic_ChartsDiagrams/BenchmarkJPEG/Chart-Athlon_X3_0MB_L3_DDR2_DDR3.jpg http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/processors/athlon-ii-x2/Pages/AMD-athlon-ii-x2-processor-model-numbers-feature-comparison.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 The reason >1333MHz isn't supported is because it blows out the memory controller; what I find odd is that I'm having the same symptoms without running my RAM over the spec'd frequency. My CPU is an Athlon II X3, so it should have no problem with DDR3 1333. The disappearance of the problem when running RAM at 1066MHz seems to rule out the MB, but I'm still left with either defective RAM or a defective CPU. No issues reported in Memtest86 aligns with reports from users with blown memory controllers, so I'm leaning towards CPU on this one. Does that sound right to you guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackrat Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Unfortunately there is probably no means to know other than substituting components at this point. It's very possible that swapping the CPU/RAM/Mobo might fix the problem but there's no guarantee without knowing the exact cause of the issue(s). None of the components needs to be defective to have slight timing issues. Running the RAM @ 1066 MHz. instead of 1333 MHz. reduces the timing issues. That's why OC'ing varies from component to component. Did Gigabyte tech answer your inquiry? Have you tried manually setting the CPU-NB to 1.26 V. This helps many folks who are overclocking the RAM and if your IMC is a little weak, it might help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgallant Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 I'm not OC'ing - this is for an HTPC where quiet operation and low power consumption trump performance - everything is running within specs, so absent hardware conflicts there shouldn't be any issues. Gigabyte says there is no conflict between this RAM and MB combo, so that leaves defective components. I'll see what happens if I bump the CPU-NB voltage a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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