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ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO @ [H]
- Thread starter FrgMstr
- Start date
I got lots of problems with this mobo and the g skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ. I'm not sure who's to blame. It wouldn't boot at all at first, then it booted but always got errors trying to install windows, finally installed windows and bsod's. Memory passes memtest but after reading online you got to memtest it when it's cold because this is when it errors with the board.
I have typically had mixed results with G.Skill memory. That's typically why I've stuck with Corsair more often than not in my own systems. The stuff just works. We've also had pretty good success with the Patriot memory. I've also enjoyed working with OCZ RAM in the past.
I liked gskill with my 939, only ever had 1 bsod in xp because of nvidia drivers. Now I got a bunch. I got the stuff 4 days ago, not sure what to do rma the ram only or the mobo too? or everything and go intel?
You shouldn't have to switch to an Intel board. I've never had any problems with any of the recent Socket AM2+/AM3 stuff. Have yuo set your RAM timings manually? If not try matching them to the specifications shown on the label. Some boards just don't play nice with the SPD values of some modules.
I set the timings all except the command rate which you can't change. I'll have to wait till the morning to see if it causes problems, seems like it does it when it hasn't warmed up.
edit: OH NOES! Just ran a memtest. 1376 errors in 40 seconds.
rat
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Don't set timings, let the bios automatically configure the default timings and try it again.
Asking memory manufacturers (especially the ones you get on sale most often) to have their sticks run at advertised timings is about as practical as shoving toothpaste back into the tube.
Running F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM G.Skill ram with this board here. No overclock, no manually entered timings, nothing. Stuck it in the last 2 banks (for unganged mode) and left everything else alone. No problems.
The Gskill techs told me to set the timings, I had it on auto before it didn't work either. If you look at newegg on the reviews gskill is telling lots of people with problems to manually set the timings. I already got an rma number from newegg, and I bought some memory that was listed as compatible on asus's website. After googling alot it seems this mobo is a lottery if your ram works or doesn't, gskill says it is compatible, but go to their forums there are tons of threads about asus mobos not being compatible. Im just not going to risk it, I'll send it back and get something asus says is compatible.
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rat
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Hrm. I'm just going to run through my usual questions:
Are all the slots full?
Did you blow dust out of the slots before putting the new sticks in?
Did you try different slots instead of the ones you had sticks in previously?
Have you run memtest with only one stick in the system at a time?
You could be looking at a bad slot situation. Test one stick in each slot until you have a combination in which one stick DOES NOT result in errors when installed in a specific slot. Install the other sticks, one at a time, in that same slot. If they result in errors, could be bad stick. If they don't result in errors but do when you put them in any other slot, could be a bad slot. There was a post on here a while back where memory errors would crop up if the water cooling bracket for a kit was overtightened. If you're not using a standard clamp that goes onto the motherboard's CPU sink cage, that's another possibility.
I manually set the timings again on the new ram and I ran memtest 8 hours with no errors on a cold boot. Maybe I forgot to change the settings of the old ram when I put it in since this is slower ram. But it's working great now.
Most of the memory problems with this board seem to stem from the fact that it is locked in at 1T command rate in the BIOS. I have never had a problem with mine, but why they don't provide such a simple option to change the command rate in BIOS is beyond me.
I don't know why either seems simple and they will get less returns from people thinking their board is faulty and less ram returns at stores. Mine is going good now, I ran memtest the last 3 days while I was a work no errors. I guess I didn't reset the settings when I first put in the replacement ram and that's why I got errors the first time. It's been great so far now that I don't have that gskill ram.\
Side note. Took me forever to figure out the optical audio out is listed as the second spdif connector and not the first in the drivers. I was going crazy trying to figure out why I don't have sound.
Well I got more problems now, I noticed that my ram is only running in single channel so I went to put both sticks in the black spots, doesn't post, I tried both blue slots doesn't post, I then tried b1 and b2 doesn't post, it will only post in a1 and a2. I tried clearing the cmos each time I changed the ram, still didn't work. I don't know why. Any clues?
Edit: Im using two 2gb kingston sticks that are listed as compatible on the asus website.
Edit: Im using two 2gb kingston sticks that are listed as compatible on the asus website.
Have you tried different RAM? Just to see what it does. Make sure your voltages are dialed in within specifications if you haven't already. Other than that, I'd say you've probably got a bad board.
I set all the settings manually when it does post in the a1 and a2 slots but once I change the slots I can't post, then I tried clearing the cmos still no good. I don't have any other ram, but with the previous set of gskill I had problems too but that was probably bad ram. I'll call asus see what they can do for me, I think on monday it will be 25 days since I bought it I think I can still get a replacement from newegg.
Edit: Well I was playing around some more I got it to boot twice with the ram in both the black slots but it froze both times in the bios, I am now running in both the blue slots and everything seems to be going well. But to get it to boot I had to put only one stick in the blue or black slot, boot it, set the settings in the bios and then add the second stick, only worked twice with black slots though. I'm not sure if this mobo is bad or just picky with its settings, I'll see how it goes now that it is running in dual channel mode, probably going to run some more memtests. I'd keep the mobo if all was well with the blue slots but I might add another 2x2gb later on and if the black slots don't work that wont really work out to well.
Edit: #2 more craziness, so now I am pretty sure it is a bad mobo, if you move the case or bump it while the ram is in the dual channel slots you get a bsod on both the black and blue, bad solder joints? I figured this out because when it worked in the blue slots the case was on its side running fine as soon as I set it up right bsod, I reset windows and bumped the case with my hand and bsod.
Edit: #3 I wonder if the cpu has anything to do with it or if it just the mobo still, in single channel I was 100% stable at 3.4 ghz but at dual channel I had to lower the multi to the stock 3.2 on an x4 955
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rat
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Or you could have a short from the case itself. Take it out of the case and run the motherboard on a desk. Try to duplicate your issues.
If I leave it in the a1 and a2 slots I don't get this problem, i can move/slightly bump the case with out a bsod. It only happens when either both the black or both the blue slots are filled. I'm just going to send it back tomorrow for a replacement or a refund and I will pick a different mobo.
rat
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Is this in the case or out of it?
Because the fact that you are getting BSODs when you move the case.......
It could be the case itself just being *enough* out of spec for it to cause an intermittent short. I my M4A mobo in a temporary case when I first got it and had static discharge issues (i'd just touch the metal chassis and the system would reboot)... bought a proper case for it, problem went away.
In the case (antec 300) I can run in the a1 and a2 slots fine, i can bump it no problem, out of the case the mobo had problems with the gskill ram I first bought but that ram tested faulty with memtest but it wouldn't boot with that ram in dual channel either. Im just going to send the mobo back because it boots fine in a1 and a2 but in dual channel in any slots is iffy.
Well I got my m4a88td-v today, it's pretty nice, it's like the m4a785g but with everything bad fixed (you can change the command rate), almost the exact same layout. Works great, the bios has problem it also freezes if I am in it for more than 20 seconds but no problems in windows or in any stability test, could be because the bios is new and only has had one update so far. I recommend this over the m4a785g, it's a little more expensive but you also get usb 3.0 and sata 6gb