Any known problems with Crucial RAM and Asus P5K Premium?

[Maud'Dib]

Hi

First post here, and i'm afraid it's a bit of a doozy of a problem, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I got the parts for a new system the other day and have been having problems with it randomly freezing after I tried to add the second 2gb memory module (I had heard Vista 64 had problems with more than 3gb of ram unless it was patched/sp1, so used one module for the install).

The spec is
Intel q6600
Asus P5k Premium wifi revision A03, Bios 0404
Crucial DDR2 800 2gb modules
Seagate 500gb HDD
Antec Sonata 550 with 550watt PSU

Normal anti-static precautions were taken (wrist strap worn at all times, pets and small children kicked out etc)

Basically the build went like a dream, and was running happily until I powered down (and turned off at the mains) and went to fit the second Crucial memory module.
After fitting the second module Windows kept crashing, so I ran the vista memory test (on the DVD) which reported a problem.
It's also now crashing in the bios/at boot - if it's crashed it needs a full powerdown (and power off at the mains/supply), or it tends to lock up during the bios boot screen.

Removing the second module seemed to clear the problem up initially, but when I booted the next morning I was seeing the same problems I had when the second one was installed.
It's even crashing during the bios/before it hands over to the OS.

I've tried the following

Reseating the memory - i've tried the first module in all the slots on it's own, and in slot A1 with the second module in A2.
I've tried the second module in Slots A1, A2 (with module 1), and B1.
I've tried raising the DRAM voltage from the recommended 1.8 to 1.85 and 1.9v

I've tried the video card in another machine - one of the symptoms when Windows crashes is the screen goes funny, so I tried it in a friends machine for an hour (the longest mine is staying up since the problem started is about a minute or so), to try and rule out overheating/faulty card.

I've tried the machine without the optical drive, so it's just booting into windows
I've tried it with just the optical drive so it's booting to the vista install disk (and the memory test on it).
I've tried it with a USB memory stick - the plan was to try and flash the bios, but gave up on that idea
It hardlocks with all 3 of the above after about a minute.

I've tried disabling all the onboard features that are optional (networking, audio, firewire, third party ide chip

I've tried the basic system outside of the case on the motheboard box to rule out shorting (i used some spare motherboard risers I had).

Despite all of those tests at the moment the system will only remain operational for about a minute or two after booting from cold, and then seems to lock up completely (ignores keyboard commands), and a forced reboot tends to result in it locking up again during the bios screen.

It's even crashing when sat in the bios - despite the CPU temp not going higher than about 55c according to the hardware monitor.

It's starting to look very much like i've either got a pair of duff memory modules (or they are not compatible - they were bought using the crucial memory tool on their website), or something has died/is overheating on the motherboard.
I'm about at a loss as i've done virtually all the checks I can think of/can do with what i've got available (I don't have spare DDR2 memory, and the only PCI Express motherboard i've got access to is an AMD).
I'm waiting on a reply from Scan tech support at the moment as that is where I bought the motherboard/cpu/videocard, but if anyone can think of any other tests I can try the help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance

[Gr44]

I wasn't clear if your PC is still okay with the first module? Or if it is crashing with that module as well now?

My Ballistix RAM needs 2.2v or it crashes left right and centre... yours is 1.8v though - says that on the side of the RAM modules yeah?

Errr - you have the extra power connectors plugged in the motherboard, yeah? Can't remember how many there are at the moment but atleast 2 plugs extra I think... 2x 4 pin plugs IIRC ( next to each other - near the top I think )

55c is very high if it's just idle in the bios...! Though it shouldn't cause it to crash... might be worth checking the heatsink is on tight and has a nice contact with the CPU - reseat it.

My friends Q6600 on air hits about 25-30c idle.

Sounds stupid but... try changing the SATA cable(s) on your drives.

Edit:

Welcome to the forums!

[Thorsson]

Crucial Spec is 2.2v. That's certain. Mine runs fine at 2.1v, but you're asking for trouble at 1.8/1.9v.

P.S. It's Muad’Dib.

[Thorsson]

My friends Q6600 on air hits about 25-30c idle.

No way. That would be PDC to ambient. Whatever he's using to measure temps is a turkey.

[Gr44]

Just checked out the Crucial website - the Ballistix is 2.2v. The budget stuff is 1.8v. I guess 'Muad'Dib' has the lower end RAM on his system.

If they have bright yellow heatsinks on them Muad, up it to 2.2v.

[Gr44]

No way. That would be PDC to ambient. Whatever he's using to measure temps is a turkey.

That's using all the usual temp monitors... It isn't stock cooler though, Artic freezer or something I think. 2x 92mm fans on it.

[Maud'Dib]

Ooops, I messed up the username
Thanks for the welcome


The ram is indeed the budget stuff, hence trying it at 1.85/1.9 as well as auto (going by the spec on the Crucial site).

The system is crashing with just the original module in it now, it did work ok for the initial setup install, and again for a while after I removed the second module - but started having problems the morning after.

I've got the 8pin additional power connector plugged into the motherboard, and the 6pin one into the videocard.

I've reseated the heatsink/fan (it's the intel standard one) , using Artic Silver.

I've also tried a different SATA cable, but the system is currently unstable regardless of if it's running Windows, a CD/DVD test (using the PATA connection), or a USB memory stick - at one point I was going to try and flash it to a newer bios, but the machine crashed whilst I was backing up the existing bios (at that point it didn't have anything on the PATA/SATA/Floppy connections).

It's basically crashing at any point, regardless of if it's managed to get into windows or is sat in the bios.

The Asus hardware monitor page in the bios seems to be showing that the voltages/temperatures are all ok, right up to crashes.


Thanks for the replies guys

[Thorsson]

I'd say you have a motherboard problem then. Let's just hope it's not like one ASUS board I had which was overvolting the RAM and killed my two (Crucial as it happens) RAM sticks.

[Thorsson]

That's using all the usual temp monitors... It isn't stock cooler though, Artic freezer or something I think. 2x 92mm fans on it.

There's good measures, like CoreTemp & Everest that take the temp of the individual CPU cores, and there's most other measures that use the motherboard external diode, which is ~15C lower.

[Gr44]

What GPU do you have?

I don't know much about the Seasonic PSU's but... does anyone think that might be causing the issue? It's a high end PC you have there.. will need a nice stable PSU.

CoreTemp & Everest being 'the usual'. Yeah, his various 25-30c depending on core at idle usually. Slowling getting hotter now he has had it some time and dust is all over it mind

[Maud'Dib]

GPU is an Asus branded ATI 3870 - it's been tested in my nephews machine (which has an Antec 500 PSU).

I rang Scan earlier who suggested what i'd pretty much concluded it's got to be either the memory or the motherboard (memory controller).

I'm going to kidnap my younger nephews PC overnight* as whilst I was talking to Scan I remembered** his machine is based on the P5K (cheaper) motherboard and so should let me test my memory (although I doubt it is the memory as it would be odd for two modules to die, especially if one worked fine for about 4-5 hours).


*To limit his WoW withdrawal symptoms.

**I'd been thinking it was like my other nephews machine and running PCI-E video but with DDR1 memory.

[Maud'Dib]

Replying to myself here (sure sign of madness?).

I just borrowed my nephews machine (a P5K) to test my memory in, instant memory errors, millions of them on the module that i'd originally used to install my machine with.

So it's definately faulty ram, although whether the ram is faulty due to something on the motherboard killing it or just bad luck/batch/incompatible I don't know, but i'll be on the phone to Crucial first thing Monday to see what they say, and to try and arrange a replacement set.

Hopefully I'll get the replacement ram from crucial with their normal speed (if I can get an RMA number monday and get it sent off, past experience has told me i'll probably get the replacement memory by the end of the week).


Thanks for the help guys

[Gr44]

Do'h. Atleast it looks like you've narrowed it down !

Best of luck mate, keep us informed of how you get on... If we can ( try ) to help any more then by all means post back!

[Maud'Dib]

A quick update.

I received the replacement RAM from Crucial this morning, and the first glance told me there was something different about it - namely it had two Crucial stickers per module, was made in Singapore rather than the US, and on looking closer had a different part number*

I've got it fitted now and unlike the first lot of ram the machine is now running happily with both modules fitted, but time will tell (I'm leaving it running a few tests for a day or so before I move my personal files etc over to it).

I guess not all Crucial ram is created equally


Thanks again for the help

*The 3 digits after the main part number were slightly different I believe (where it goes xxxxxxxxxx.yyy).