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Dual-Channel DDR 400 with CMX512-3200C2 and A7N8X-E Deluxe


nicoletti

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Hello,

 

First of all, I'm sorry for my poor English, because I does not write (nor speaks) well in English.

 

I bought a motherboard ASUS 'A7N8X-E Deluxe', with two RAM sticks Corsair 'CMX512-3200C2' (2x512 Mb - DDR400), an Athlon XP 3200+, a graphic card ASUS V9570/TD and a Serial ATA HD Maxtor (200 Gb).

 

I have installed Windowx 2000 ( with Service Pack 4 ) without any problems on my Serail ATA.

 

I have installed the 2 RAM sticks on the blue motherboard's sockets (DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1) in order to use the Dual-Channel DDR400 Memory mode.

 

I also have installed the driver's last version for all my devices.

 

The BIOS version is 1012, and the BIOS configuration is :

In menu 'Advanced Chipset Features' :

- System performance : User Defined,

- CPU external frequency : 200MHZ,

- Memory Frequency : Auto,

- Memory Timing : User Defined

- Timing Parameters : 8-3-3-3T

- The others BIOS parameters is motherboard's default.

 

But my system is not stable, I very often got blue screens.

It is random. Sometimes Windows crash when I launch only one program, sometimes I can launch several programs and it crash only after several minutes; but it crash very often.

 

The ASUS technical support advised me change the BIOS parameter 'Memory Frequency' and to run a RAM memory test (memtest86) to verify the compatibility of these RAM's sticks with my motherboard, and the result of this test is :

 

- If the 'Memory Frequency' is set to 'Auto' (that means Dual-Channel DDR400 mode) the Test lists approximately 80 errors in Phase 5 and my system is not stable. (I have ran the Test during 20 minutes, just 1 pass)

 

- If the 'Memory Frequency' is set to '83%' (that means DDR333 mode) the Test does not list any error and my system is stable. (I have ran the Test during more then 4 hours and it did not list any error in DDR333 mode)

 

According to these results, the ASUS Technical Support says that the Corsair 'CMX512-3200C2' memory is not qualified to Dual-Channel DDR400 on this motherboard.

 

So, could you please give me your notice since I would like to use my motherboard properly in Dual-Channel DDR400 with Corsair Memory ?

 

I am sorry if I forgot to post any information.

 

Please do not hesitate to ask me if any information is missing.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

Yours truly,

 

Luciano Muller Nicoletti

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Hi Wired,

 

Thank you for your quick reply.

 

I don't think that there are a problem with the memory, since the test is OK with the two sticks at DDR333 .

 

I had already read before a part of the articles that you sent to me, but I had not read them until the end because my sticks are not TwinX (they are CMX) ...

So I will read them until the end. But could you please say to me which is the difference between TwinX and CMX ?

Do you think that I can apply the same BIOS parameters with my CMX?

 

Sorry if my questions are stupids...

 

Thank you very much!

 

Luciano

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Wired,

 

Thanks for the TWINX definition!

 

According to indications of RAM Guy in the article that you sent to me (http://houseofhelp.com/v3/showthread.php?t=26483) ,

I configured the BIOS as follows :

 

Cass : 2.5-3-3-6

DDR Voltage : 2.7 Volts

The others parameters is motherboard's defaults.

The sticks is populated on slots 2 and 3 (ie. B1 and A1)

 

But with this configuration, the Memtest86+ lists more errors than before (320 errors in Test 5).

 

So, according to indications of Jabberwok in the other article that you sent to me (http://asusforums.org/showthread.php?t=728),

I changed the setting

'FSB Spread Spectrum' to Disabled (it was 0.50% before)

with Cass 2.5-3-3-6 at 2.7 Volts

 

But the Memtest86+ lists approximately 900 errors with this setting (always on Test 5).

 

Are there another BIOS configuration that would fix this problem ?

 

Thank you for your patience!

 

Yours truly,

 

Luciano

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RAM Guy,

 

I contacted my retailer but they would like to test themselves the sticks with my motherboard to be sure that it's not a BIOS configuration issue.

On the other hand, I have to pay their tests if they manage to adjust my BIOS to work on dual-channel DDR400 memory mode.

 

I have bought a 'kit' which is supposed to support the Dual-Channel DDR400 'as default'.

Then, I do not agree to pay a surcharge to my retailer in order to find the 'good BIOS configuration'.

 

I thus hesitate to make the RMA that you have proposed to me.

Could you please inform me if with the RMA, you go to replace my 2 sticks with 2 others who have been tested separately in every socket of one A7N8X-E Deluxe?

 

Thank you very much.

 

Yours truly,

 

Luciano

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  • Corsair Employee
Well I have reported the problem too ASUS. I would if possible test the modules in another system and make sure one is not failing. If they both pass in another system, either you will have to wait for ASUS to sort out the problem, and run the memory Freq at 83% until then, or use other memory (But they may have the same problems from what I have tested in the lab with this MB) or use another model of MB like A7V880 or the non -E version of A7N8X would be better choice!
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RAM Guy,

 

It is a little difficult for me to test my modules in another system.

 

But I am almost sure that the problem does not come from the modules but from A7N8X-E Deluxe; because I have requested today to ASUS Support if they have a QVL (Qualified Vendor List) about 1 GB PC3200-DDR400 DIMMs that have been tested and qualified for use with this motherboard in Dual-Channel Memory mode, and their answer is below :

================================================================

Dear Friend :

Thank you for contacting ASUS Customer Service.

 

My name is ZYC, and I would be assisting you today.

 

sorry , no QVL (Qualified Vendor List) about 1GB memory modules available

...

if possible , please use Kingston pc3200 value ram with Hynix D43 memory

chip or Winbond BH-5 memory chip .

 

Thank you for using ASUS products and services!

 

If you have any problem about our products, you can visit our support site

below to search the solution at the first time!

 

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/support.aspx

 

YC Zhang

 

ASUS Customer Service Center (Beijing, China)

 

*If you have any suggestion or complaints about our tech support service,

please send your valuable info to support@asus.com.cn , we arrange

specilists to handle relative issue, your suggestion may give us more

elicitation to serve our customers much better.

---------- Original Message ----------

From : luciano.nicoletti

Sent : 04-9-16 16:52:41

To : "tsd@asus.com.tw"

Subject : Motherboard A7N8X-E Deluxe

================================================================

 

So, I go to pray ASUS to fix the problem that you have reported to them.

If they can't fix it, I don't know yet what I will do...

 

Thank you to have reported this problem to ASUS. I think that you have more power 'against' them than us (simple consumers)

 

Yours truly,

 

Luciano

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  • Corsair Employee
Well I don’t know about that, they seemed to imply that other memory works its not their problem when I talked too them. But I think they are not being realistic in the suggestions. First off Winbond stopped all DRAM production last December and Hynix D43 is no longer in mass production as well. Not too mention there is a added cost when using Hynix IC's because of some issue Hynix had with FTC. So they are suggesting you use memory that is no longer available and or will be extremely expensive to use. Personally I would just use another Model of MB!
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For your information, I asked Mr YC Zhang <tsd@asus.com.tw> if we can replace the motherboard model, and his answer is :

 

=================================================================

 

Even you can replace a same a7n8x-e deluxe , you will also encounter the same unstable issue .

 

=================================================================

 

It means that the A7N8X-E Deluxe doens't work properly with in Dual-Channel DDR400 with the CMX512-3200C2.

Even if they say in their A7N8X-E Deluxe User Guide :

 

Important notes on memory configuration : 'Always install DIMM with the same CAS latency. For optimum compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory modules from the same vendor.'

Obtain DD400 DIMMs only from ASUS qualified vendors for better performance. Visit http://www.asus.com/ for the QVL (Qualified Vendor List).

 

And if you go to http://www.asus.com/ to see their QVL , :eek: the CMX512-3200C is listed there !

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RAM Guy,

 

They said that my MB is fonctionnal and that I will wasting my time if I want to replace my MB with a same model board.

 

So, they said that if they were me, they would like to install memories to DIMM1 and DIMM2 to setup Single Channel DDR400 mode, because that is much stable than Dual Channel DDR400 , and system performance is almost the same , the difference is lower than 1% .

 

Otherwise, they think the VIA chipset has no such strict with Dual Channel DDR400, but nVIDIA NF2 chipset does . If I change to an A7V880 , the system performance is almost the same with A7N8X-E Deluxe.

 

 

I am personally surprised that they have recommended to install the memories to DIMM1 and DIMM2 to setup Single Channel DDR400,

Because on their A7N8X-E Deluxe User Guide they never had recommended this configuration.

 

In fact, it is write :

 

=============================

Important notes on memory configurations:

1. Installing DDR DIMM other than the recommended configurations may cause memory sizing error or system boot failure. Use any of the recommended configurations in "Table 1."

=============================

 

But in their "Table 1", there are not the configuration that they have recommended to me (i.e. DIMM1 + DIMM2 mode Single-channel).

 

I don't know if it is their Customer Service or their User Guide that is wrong....

 

:confused:

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Just for information,

 

The CPU_FSB Jumper seems to have a bug on this MB.

If you try to set it to pins 2-3 (that means 200MHz FSB) for AMD Duron, you will see on BIOS that you can allways run on FSB400.

It's very strange! I have tried this settings with a friend and even if you set MANUALLY the jumpers to FSB200, the system continues to run on FSB400.

 

I am not sure, but I think that it can damage AMD Duron procesoors...

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I changed the SDRAM CAS Latency to 2T (before it was 2.5T)

and the Graphics Aperture size to 128MB (before it was 64MB)

 

The others settings is the same as before :

 

CPU Freq.: 200Mhz

CPU Multiplier: 11x (Menu, not Auto)

System Performance: User Defined

Memory Freq.: 100%

Memory Timings: User Defined

Precharge: 6

RAS-CAS: 3

RAS Precharge: 3

CAS Latency: 2T

FSB Spread Spectrum: Disabled

AGP Spread Spectrum: Disabled

CPU Vcore: 1.65V

Graphics Aperture: 128MB

DDR Voltage: 2.7V

AGP Voltage: 1.5V

AGP 8X Support Enabled

AGP Fast Write Enabled

 

And the errors on test # 5 (memtest86+) disappeared!

but test # 6 reports now 15 errors .

 

I hope that this information could help you finding a solution for this problem.

 

Regards,

 

Luciano

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I have the same mother board, same memory and same problem. I have spent the better part of today finding at least a dozen people on differnt boards who have the same problem. Some of these people have different mother boards with the same issue. The only link I can find is the ram. Most of these people having problems have Corsair "Value Ram" , one person had Kingston.

 

I think it is "Voltage" issue.

 

I have spent all day messing with the BIOS and came up with this:

 

CPU Freq: 200

CPU Multi: 11.0x

Mem Freq: 100%

CPU Vcore: 1.675v (I pushed this up from "Auto" which was 1.50v)

DDR Ref Voltage: 2.7v (I pushed this up from 2.6v)

 

This setup is currently stable but not tested thoroughly.

 

I think in some cases:

 

1) the mother board is not feeding the appropriate voltage to the chip and memory when set to "Auto" (which appeard to be my case)

 

OR

 

2) some chips tolerances are just enough out of wack that those people wanting to use them for the "their" intended purpose of DUAL CHANNEL 3200 can not, due to "pushing the envelope" of this "Value Ram".

 

Maybe Both.

 

Please let me know what your thoughts are...I just built this system fresh and this is my last snag and it is really bugging me.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Regards,

Adam

______________________

 

Audio Machine:

WinXP Serv Pk1

Giga Studio 3/Ableton Live 4

 

ASUS: A7N8X-E Deluxe

AMD 3000+ 400 FSB

N-vidia GeForce AGP 8X:MX4000 64MB (400mhz)

1 GB Kit Corsair "Value Ram" DDR 3200

1 PCI Card - M-Audio: Audiophile 2496

Master - Seagate 40GB

Slave - Seagate 60GB

SATA RAID Array "0" Striped, 2 Seagate 120 GB HD (240 GB Total)

Thermaltake Purepower 420W

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Hi LAFilm,

 

welcome to this post !

 

I would like to test your 'Voltage' solution, but I don't know the Impacts that a change on the the CPU Vcore can have on my CPU (Athlon XP 3200+).

 

On the other hand, I personally think that it's a problem with the motherboard (specifically with nForce2 chipset) and not with the modules ...

 

I opened a support request with ASUS Support HERE http://vip.asus.com/eservice/techserv.aspx

and they are investigating the issue with the 'AUTO' settings on the BIOS-advanced-chipset-features.

 

(FYI : You can also open so many requests as you want with them)

 

Regards,

 

Luciano

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