RAM issue

[spac3d]

My friend was having an issue with his computer, and myself having 4x1GB sticks of Corsair 800Mhz DDR2, offered to put my ram into his computer to see if it was his RAM. It turns out after putting the sticks back into my PC, my graphics card just continuely at 100% fan and nothing happens on the screen.

It's really weird. It works with 2 sticks of ram, but the ram that I have put back (Been working fine with no crashes for 6 months) has stopped by system from booting.

My setup is:

Motherboard: ASUS M3A78 PRO - Bios 0902
Graphics: Geforce 275GTX 896MB
CPU: AMD X2 6000+
PSU: 550W Silent CoolerMaster Pro (2-3 Months old).
RAM: Corsair 800MHz 6400. I've noticed the sticks of ram in the board now (working) are 5-5-5-12, and the sticks of ram that I am trying to put in are 5-5-5-18. Strange though, as it has been working completely fine for some time now. I have my ram running at 1.9V (As recommended).

I may try and update my bios and see if that fixes anything, as the g-card is relatively new.

[Tonka777]

Try setting the timings for all of the sticks to the same value in the BIOS, set them at the slowest (highest) timings to avoid instability issues from running the slower modules faster than spec.

I think the voltage setting for all the Corsair 800MHz RAm is 2.2v, it certainly is on mine. Could you post a link to the exact modules you are using? It should also tell you on the packaging and possibly the label on the modules themselves.

If you still don't get any luck, you could try putting a PCI card in to see if you get an output from that instead. I have heard of occasions where the BIOS is displaying an 'Invalid Checksum' error and sits there spinning the PCI-E GPU fan at 100% and not outputting a picture.

[spac3d]

Yeah, it certainly might be a checksum error. I could resetting the motherboard, but did it out of frustration with the battery and not the jumper. :/

It says 1.90V on my actual ram sticks, I'm using the CM2X1024 - 6400, 'XMS2-6400'.

[spac3d]

My RAM works in his motherboard, and he doesn't crash.

His RAM works in my motherboard (Same, CMS2 6400), 5-5-5-18, ver 5.2, mine, v1.7, and I have had no crashes.

My RAM does NOT work in my motherbaord.

100% FAN no display

WTF.

[Will404]

Try increasing the NB voltage, as running 4 sticks of RAM opposed to 2 often requires a bump in the NB voltage to continue to run stablely.

Also you could try running memtest on your PC with his RAM, however it sounds as more as though you need to increase NB volts than the memory playing up

[spac3d]

What's NB? Northbridge?

[Pob255]

Yep.

Also if you've got a can of compressed air give the slots a blast.
After a while you can get a dust build up in the corner of the base of the memory stick and the slot.
Not an issue while the memory is in, however by removing the memory and putting it back you can push/knock dust into the slot which can gum up the contacts.

If you can boot on only 2 sticks, then download CPUZ and use it to find out the setting of the sticks.
JEDEC standard for pc2-6400 is 400mhz, timings 5-5-5-15, 1.8v

[spac3d]

Yeah man, I thought of that.. but it's a new mobo, and I did the 'Mega Drive' trick. haha

[joel_spencer]

Sometimes, changing the slots round will make it work. I had a similar issue during a recent rebuilt where the ram worked perfectly one way round but the other way round everything powers on but no display. This can also happen with memtest errors and blue screening, bit random but it works.

[spac3d]

All working fine and stable on my mates ram..