Memory Problems

[theendisgone]

Hi,

I am having problems with my memory...

I have just upgraded to 4gb of corsair ddr 2 twinx 2gb pc6400 ram, but when all 4gb of memory is in my computer i get blue screen of death and windows resets just after a few moments of logging in to windows. but on the other hand when i put 3 sticks of this ram in my computer (any of the 3 sticks) it runs perfect at full speed.

My system is...

m2a-vm asus motherboard (latest bios)
4x corsair ddr2 twinx 2gb pc6400 (hopefully)
amd athlon 6000+
geforce 8600gt
150 raptor drive
Windows vista 64bit (all updates)


anyone any ideas what could be causing this ? i have been messing with it for days now and had no joy

Thanks for any help

[Tetras]

Have you checked the memory voltage is being set correctly in the BIOS? It often defaults to 1.8 and sometimes that can get worse the more sticks you have in (guess the overall supplied drops or something).

Are all the sticks matched? I mean, have you put each dual channel kit in a seperate channel?

[theendisgone]

all the sticks are the same all four are cm2x1024-6400 so it shouldnt matter which way round they go should it ?

I have left the voltage on auto, what voltage would be recommended ?

thanks

[Tetras]

If you got them all at the same time chances are they are identical but it is possible they are different revisions so I'd try to keep dual channel kits running in the pairs they were packaged.

If you got them as a 4 stick kit then it shouldn't make any difference.

I think the rated voltage for those sticks are 2.1, it probably says on the label. Do you know exactly what model name and CAS latency they are? I'm sure Yellowbeard could tell you from that.

[theendisgone]

i got them in 2 packs of 2 but they are all the same.

not sure what the voltage is but here is all the info on them...

cm2x1024-6400 g
xms6405v5.1
5-5-5-12
800mhz
1024mb
xms2-6400

also to add the that there isnt any where in bios to set the lat times.

[Tetras]

Ahhh, those are 1.9v I think, I can't check on the Corsair help site at the moment because it is down, Yellowbeard will have that info but I'm not sure he works on Saturdays.

You won't have the latencies available because they are set to SPD I expect, if you change that to manual they will show.

The latencies are very rarely set wrong though and if they are it is on a lower setting than your memory is capable of (so wouldn't cause a problem). If command rate exists on your board I'd set that to 2T because 1T didn't work with Athlon 64s and 4 sticks on socket 939 and the architecture is the same on AM2.

The most common incorrect setting is insufficient memory voltage as most mobos default to 1.8v which is not enough for many high performance memory modules (like yours). It is fine for regular PC2-4200 / 5300 DDR2 which I guess they assume OEMs/PC manufacturers like Dell install in their PCs

[Yellowbeard]

Ahhh, those are 1.9v I think, I can't check on the Corsair help site at the moment because it is down, Yellowbeard will have that info but I'm not sure he works on Saturdays.

I am officially off but, I drop in from time to time so I don't end up so far behind on MON.

You definitely need to set your memory voltage to 1.9v with that memory. You can go as high as 2.1v if necessary but they are tested at 1.9v. Also, do you have the lastest bios flashed? And what PSU are you using?

[theendisgone]

right after playin and following advice...

i took the sticks out to check the where the same and found they where 2 diffrent revisions so paired them up correctly.

next i pumped the voltage up to 1.9.

then formated and reinstalled vista 64bit which seemed to do the trick untill i installed the graphics drivers ( geforce 8 8600 gt ) then started reseting it self, crashing, dispay would would go off and say no signal, also screen would break up with black lines

yet if i take out 1 stick taking the system back to 3gb it works like a tropper giving me chance to check this forum.

to answer your questions.


the psu is a 400W NorthQ 4300GP-FL Fanless (semi) 0db PSU Green Power 80+

also i installed the latest bios for my motherboad and it started saying 4gb installed memory only 3.5gb avaliable ! so i reflashed with the 2nd latest and it seems to have cured this.


any ideas ? many thanks

[Yellowbeard]

I see 2 potential issues. First, the memory needs to be all the EXACT same revision. Mixing different memory can cause the instability you are seeing. Also, can you list the specifications of the PSU? I don't recognize the name. However, a weak PSU can cause what you are seeing and 400w may not be enough. You most likely need something more robust with a higher rating on the 12v rails.

[theendisgone]

thanks for all your replys...

the first set off ddr sticks are...

cm2x1024-6400 g
xms6405v5.1
5-5-5-12
800mhz
1024mb
xms2-6400

and the 2nd lot are...

cm2x1024-6400c4 g
xms6404v2.1
4-4-4-12
800mhz
1024mb
xms2-6400

is that enough diffrence to cause problems ?

also what psu power rating would you recommed.

thanks again

[Yellowbeard]

What are the spex on the PSU you have now? No need to buy one if yours is adequate.

And, on the RAM, mixing different types is totally unpredictable. So, it is "possible" that this is the cause of your instabilities. Did you buy locally or online?

For a PSU, I would recommend a quality unit with at least 30a-40a minimum on the 12v rail or rails. Overall wattage is not as critical as the specific 12v rail rating. However, to get this rating, you'll probably be getting a 450w or bigger unit.

[theendisgone]

this is my powersuppy: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=510107

[theendisgone]

this is the ram...

just relised i have purchased to diffrent types..

one being

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=255300

and the other being

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=402849

[Yellowbeard]

Originally Posted by theendisgone

this is my powersuppy: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=510107

This link does not have the detailed rail specifications. However, at a glance, the PSU is not adequate for your system. It may not be "the" problem but, I would not use it personally.

Look at the sticker on the side of the PSU and see if it gives rails spex.

[Tetras]

This is the manufacturer link:
http://www.northq.com/products/power...4300GP-FL.html

The review linked on that page has the label as 18A +12v1, 18A +12v2 but doesn't state what the maximum combined load is so what the true capability is ....

then formated and reinstalled vista 64bit which seemed to do the trick untill i installed the graphics drivers ( geforce 8 8600 gt ) then started reseting it self, crashing, dispay would would go off and say no signal, also screen would break up with black lines

Did you install the Vista hotfix for 4GB of RAM and nvida graphics cards?

http://www.nvidia.com/object/windows..._hotfixes.html
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...0105&x=16&y=10

You also made sure the command rate is at 2T right?

[theendisgone]

Just tried installing all the patches, no luck. there isnt many memory settings in the bios so i cant change the command rate.

on the psu on specs i can find is...

voltage = -3.3v | +5v | +12v2 | -12v | 5vsb
Current = 20a | 28a | 18a | 18 | 0.3a | 3a

+3.3v and +5v combined load shall not exceed 180w

12v atx 2.2 standard