more ram + new heatsink + new case = can't overlock anymore (help)

[Urraca]

Okay so I have been running my 2.4c at 3.0 ghz + solid for months on end. I decided i needed another 512mb of ram, a new heatsink (got a zalman alcu-7000), and a new case. So I installed everything and start up my computer. Well this is where the problem began.

I get the message that the CPU has changed or is inoperable (this is in the boot screen). So I go into the BIOS and restore the default settings on the motherboard. I get into windows, and I get a message saying that my hardware has changed significantly since I originally activated windows, and must reactivate. So I did.

So I reboot to re-overclock. I bring the FSB up to 250 at a 5:4 ratio giving me a total of 3ghz. So I get into windows and according to MBM5, my CPU is now running at 2.39 GHZ, under the default settings, and the system is very unstable and crashes. I have tried different vCore settings, up pretty high and still have the same problem.

Any ideas of what could be wrong.

The only differnt specs from below are i now have a another 512mb of ram (filling up all 4 DIMM slots) and a new HSF.

 

[ryuji]

verry interesting,you try removing teh mobo battery and then putting it back in?(wipe the bios settings)

 

[lawrence131]

I'm not sure if this applies to Intel mobo/cpu or not but with A64's, the more DIMM's you use up the harder it is to OC your memory. Many people have to goto 2T instead of 1T whenever they use more than 2 DIMM's and also get lower max frequencies and must relax timings. Even if you're not overclocking your memory, you might have to try 2T with more relaxed timings if you want all 4 sticks.

Try leaving everything the same except taking out the 2 new memory sticks to see if you get stability again. If that's the case then you'll have to get 2 large sticks instead of using 4 small ones for your memory requirements.

 

[Nitrogen]

Yeah, generally speaking, higher density memory modules and having more modules can make it more difficult to overclock. Thus, the 2x256MB Patriot LA (I think) modules are frequently seen in insanely high overclocks. The 1GB modules don't do quite as well, despite using the exact same chips.

Secondly, I suppose there could be a memory timing mismatch. Are the new ones the same modules you already had? You may want to try manually setting the timings to match the slowest timings between them. The motherboard should do this automatically, but stranger things have happened.

That's all just memory stuff. It could be that your heatsink isn't mounted properly--check the mounting and temperatures for that. Pretty basic stuff so far, from what I'm seeing. Good luck with that.