Same TWIN2X4096-6400C5, but different volages! Plus general voltage questions.

Hi, and thanks for having me at the forum!!!

I bought 4gb of RAM earlier this year = TWIN2X4096-6400C5. But with the current amazing prices, I bought the same again just recently......although I am on a 32-bit OS at the moment, I intend to upgrade at some point in the future to 64-bit.......at least my RAM will be waiting for me then (and it may have shot up in price).

Anyhow, everything about the two RAM pairs is the same - even the serial numbers on the enclosed leaflet is the same for both packs. But, on the original pair of sticks it says "1.90V ver3.1" whereas on the new ones it says "1.80V ver3.1". So can anyone explain this change and what significance it may have?

My mobo specifies that the RAM must be 1.8V. However, when I built the PC I was liaising with a PC builder.....he sent me a custom BIOS flash he made using Intel Integrator Assistant which - among other things - changed the DRAM voltage to 1.96V. However, he has since said that there is no way to verify 100% whether this has worked. There is no readout in the BIOS, and the sticky in this forum says the CPUZ stat does not measure, it just reports. So:

1. Is there a utility or way to see what voltage the RAM is currently running at?

2. I guess if I can do "1" this will be easier to answer! But I'm wondering what the best way out of this tangled mess is?!? I don't want to find that the new RAM is not compatible several months/years down the line!

I'd really appreciate any support you could offer.

Thanks

Max

Hi and thanks for your reply.

But I'm afraid most of it went over my head and is probably a bit beyind me. What I really want to know first and foremost is how I have come to buy the same product, but the sticks are saying they are a different voltage?

The other thing I reall y want to know is if there is a utility or a way to see what voltage my RAM is currently running at?

Many thanks

Max

Hi, and thanks for having me at the forum!!!

 

I bought 4gb of RAM earlier this year = TWIN2X4096-6400C5. But with the current amazing prices, I bought the same again just recently......although I am on a 32-bit OS at the moment, I intend to upgrade at some point in the future to 64-bit.......at least my RAM will be waiting for me then (and it may have shot up in price).

 

Anyhow, everything about the two RAM pairs is the same - even the serial numbers on the enclosed leaflet is the same for both packs. But, on the original pair of sticks it says "1.90V ver3.1" whereas on the new ones it says "1.80V ver3.1". So can anyone explain this change and what significance it may have?

Your situation looks like either a misprint or a later testing. You will be fine.

My mobo specifies that the RAM must be 1.8V. However, when I built the PC I was liaising with a PC builder.....he sent me a custom BIOS flash he made using Intel Integrator Assistant which - among other things - changed the DRAM voltage to 1.96V. However, he has since said that there is no way to verify 100% whether this has worked. There is no readout in the BIOS, and the sticky in this forum says the CPUZ stat does not measure, it just reports. So:

 

1. Is there a utility or way to see what voltage the RAM is currently running at?

2. I guess if I can do "1" this will be easier to answer! But I'm wondering what the best way out of this tangled mess is?!? I don't want to find that the new RAM is not compatible several months/years down the line!

You can contact Intel and see if they will give you the termination points for DRAM voltage readouts and use a digital multimeter to view the actual voltages.

and extract the ISO image. Burn the ISO image to an CD-ROM disk. Boot to the Memtest CD.

Run Memtest for two full passes. Results?

In addition, with some MB's (Mostly ASUS) you have to disable legacy USB in the bios when running any memory test.

Have not got round to Memtset yet, but will post results once I have.

Just a couple of things though. RE: the above quote - does anyone know if this is the case with the Intel DP35DP? I thnk Legacy USB has to be enabled to use the keyboard in BIOS, so I'm wondering whether I will be able to use the keyboard in Memtest if I disable legacy usb....?

Also, should I whack all 4 sticks in when I run Memtest, or one at a time/in pairs, etc.? I presume because Memtest is pre-Windows load up that the 4gb/32-bit OS limit is irrelevant. I that correct?

Cheers

Max

Hi

I'm out this evening, so I will leave Memtest running and post results....

...but I'm still not sure whether I should put all 4 sticks (8gb) in and have them checked all together? Is it OK to do this? Obviously | wiil only use two at a time with Windows 32-bit, but like I said above, I would like to know now that all 4 will be OK together (for when I eventually go 64-bit).

Also, I'm going to use the latest version - MemTest86+ 2.01. When I used an older version, the advice was to run test #5 for at least 5 passes, then all others for at least 2 passes. Then there was an additional Test #9 which you had to ask Memtest perform. So I did that a couple of times too. Is this a good approach for the current Memtest as well?

Many thanks

Max

Thanks.

But I'm not too sure how I would go about changing the memory frequency. I don't think you can do that in the BIOS (Intel DP35DP). If I can change it, what should I change it to?

Incidentally, I have tested the original pair and found no problems (I had also tested it when I first bought it). One thing that was a bit strange - MemTest said there was 4027M RAM. Fine. But when it ran each test, it woudl run it 3times, once each for the following ranges:

128K - 2048M

2048M - 3068M

4096M - 5056M

Just seemed odd to me that it never did 3068 - 4096M, and that it was testing a range that is not there (4096-5056)! Is this normal?

Cheers

Max

Hi

Like I said, these kind of things are not adjustable in the BIOS for this board. AFAIK, the only way to adjust the frequency, voltage, etc. of the RAM is to use the Intel Integrator Assistant to make a custom BIOS flash....something I don't thing I have the level of knowledge or time to attempt!!!!

The motherboard also strongly recommends using 1.8V RAM *ONLY*. A PC builder gave me a copy of his BIOS flash (made with the Intel Integrator Assistant) that changed the accepted voltage of the RAM to 1.9V because that is what my first set of Corsair RAM asked for.

....and that is ALL I really want to know! With that being the case, am I now going to have problems running all 4 sticks seeing as the new pair says 1.8V?

I don't want to overclock or anything like that. And I don't want to fiddle about adjusting frequency or timings or anything like that......I just want to ensure that all 4 sticks will work together, as I presumed they would being they are the same model.

Cheers

Max

Will contact Intel, but I am quite sure it is not possible without using the IIA.

Last night, I put in one of the new sticks and left in one of the old ones (do there is now one 1.8V stick and one 1.9V stick. Left Memtest running overnight - and had no errors. So from that I conclude that there is no difference between the sticks worth worrying about......they seem to work happily together. I will test the other stick tonight.

If I put all 4 sticks in and do not make the adjustments you suggested, will there be problems? Are you suggestions to make the RAM work, or just to get them working at optimum/FULL performance?

Cheers

Max

That's the same answer as #2!

Anyhow, Memtest not showing any errors, and Windows boots and operates fine with one old/one new stick - so I presume the 1.8V is either a mis-print (as someone previously siggested), or that it is simply irrelevant!

I still don't understand the suggestions to change the frequency and voltage, etc. But heck, all seems to be running fine as is, so I'm presuming there is no pressing need to do any of those things.

Cheers

Max

On a related topic..... In my case I have four sticks of this RAM, but two are 1.8v and two are 1.9v. Obviously different versions then. But are they going to cause issues when I come to have them all in one system (at the moment I am on a 32-bit OS and therefore only use two sticks)?

I have an Intel DP35DP mobo and have put up the DRAM voltage in the BIOS to 1.96v (as I'm using the 1.9v sticks).

Cheers

Max

Damn! Well, thanks for resurrecting my old thread about the issue....here's the link:

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=74158

If you get the chance and wouldn't mind, do you think you could have a read and let me know what you think?

Many thanks Wired.

Looks like they're the same version, so the voltage is probably just a misprint. However this all goes back to the fact that they weren't sold together so they can't be guaranteed together.

Ultimately, are you currently having any issues when running all 4 together? It won't damage the system or anything unless you overvolt the memory (past 2.0v).

As I'm on XP Pro (32-bit) I only have two sticks in at the moment. My query is really for future concerns - whilst I think about it and before i forget about it! Good news that it won't damage anything. But I'd still love to get to the bottom of whether it was a printing mistake, a purposeful change, a change in stats or an actual change in hardware, etc. etc. So if anyone could shed any final conclusive light on this that would be great!!!

Thanks for you time and help Wired - really appreciate it.