Having a problem with New memory install...

R

RedIrocZ-28

n00b
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
9
Guys, I am having an issue with the new RAM that I bought. I'll give a short but descript back story to get everyone up to speed. I updated my hardware to an Athlon 64bit 3700+ San Diego, ASUS A8N-VM motherboard, Radeon X1900GT graphics. I had 1 stick of Geil PC3200 RAM (512mb) from my old machine that I used to get the new one running until I could save the rest of the money the following week for the RAM update.

The stick of Geil I had was the one with Blue heatspreader CL=2.5 6-3-3 (this is the one I used to get the machine running)

I bought 3 more sticks of 512mb PC3200, except this time the RAM stated it was CL=2.5 8-4-4. I didn't notice this before I purchased it, it was on newegg and I had no idea the same RAM could change so much.

Now, on to the issue. I get the new RAM and notice that it is not the same as my old stick so I decide to omit the original and install the other 3. I installed them into the A1,A2, B1 slots on the motherboard. Computer boots and I load up Rainbow 6: Vegas and start playing, within 5 minutes I crash to Desktop. Loat it up again, and crash to desktop. Load it again, now I crash to a reboot.

So I systematically start removing and replacing sticks of RAM. I run dual channel in the A slots, with nothing in the B slots, try single sticks in A1 or A2. I still get random crashes to desktop in game unless I have only 1 stick in the motherboard. And even still, I will crash to desktop if I have one of the new sticks in very infrequently.

As you can probably imagine by now I didn't have this issue when using the original RAM I had. So, what can I do to test the RAM out, any quick fixes? I've been trying to update the BIOS of the motherboard but its fighting me every step of the way.

Thanks in Advance for any advice guys.
 
the original stick doesn't bsod?


did you manually set the timings to what the ram is rated for? perhaps bump up the voltage to 2.7 or 2.8v?
 
I haven't yet had a BSOD. I get Crash to Desktop when opening applications or games or a Crash to Reboot of the computer.

I am thinking that the problem is with the motherboard BIOS. There was a certain revision I believe to the motherboard BIOS that was a fix to Single Channel/Dual channel operation issues.

I know that this has to be RAM or BIOS specific because of this little tidbit I forgot to mention. When I had 2 sticks in Dual channel (A1 and A2) slots, I would try to launch ASUS update to do a BIOS update, and I would get an error message from ASUSBIOS.DLL. In The error message would be a Square box, no words, just a square box. So then I removed 1 stick of RAM and left 1 in the A1 slot and I could load ASUS Update just fine with no error messages.

I have to assume that this is a BIOS related issue but I cannot be certain. Bad RAM is out there, and my limited experience doesn't give me enough to go on.

EDIT : I cannot do anything with the memory voltage, I can change the CL and the other options but I have yet to see where I can change the voltage. Which I believe is the reason this is probably a BIOS issue. I hope.
 
Um, 1 and 3 would be my A1 and B1? Or do you mean like sequentially 1st and 3rd slot from the processor? I have not tried either of these configurations though.

In my motherboard manual it shows to run Dual channel you have to use A1 and A2 or A1,A1,B1,B2.


Here is a picture I found of my memory options in the BIOS.

bios13in.jpg
 
set:
cl to 2.5
tras to 8
trp to 4
trcd to 4
leave the rest on auto

including Read Preamble and Async Latency. ;)

if you're in dual channel, something will say so, either in the boot screen, or you can use cpu-z to check in windows
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
 
Eclipse, which configuration would you suggest I put the memory in when I set those timings?

By the way here is how my slots are numbered from Left to Right.

|A2| |A1| |B2| |B1|
 
judging from the slot colors, you want one in black and one in blue. so from the cpu, closest being 1 and furthest being 4, i'd use 1+3 ;)
 
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