Could someone check their 8500 Ballistix for me?

Typhoon

Typhoon

Typhoon

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Hi Guys , just got 2 x 2x1Gb PC 8500 Ballistics kits BL12864AA1065 from an online retailer (not from Overclocker). The antistatic bags were already cut which leads me to believe that these are used in someway. Looking carefully at the contact pins, you can see that they have been inserted into a MB before, not sure if all sticks get tested individually before shipping from Crucial).The lables all seem to be authentic, and mubers match that printed on the antistatic bag, though on one kit there appears to be some label residue (arrowed) on one side of the spreader. The number on the PCB of each stick in 1 matched kit is different (73601 & 73702). The second kit Has the same 2 different numbers printed on them. Can someone check their matched pairs and see if theye have differing numbers. Also is there anyway on confirming that these are indeed PC8500 ram not some clever label swap? I haven't put in in my MB yet (have to pick the new one up from the depot in the morning).
Just want to figure out if its worth rejecting the RAM even if it works fine, to avoid the hazzel and want to start rebuilding the rig this WE. I know I have a lifetime warrantee as a back up.
Cheers

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On the other side of the should be two other labels - clear plastic ones with Batch and P/N's.

Those should all match up too. Also - the SPD tables would have to be programmed correctly for the RAM to be misrepresented as PC8500.

The good news is that Crucial-Lexar only ask for the sticker info for RMAs, so as long as the stickers are proper PC8500 stickers (which they do appear to be) then your warranty is good.

It is also quite possible that the RAM you have has been RMA'd then resold as new (effectively it is (shopsoiled is an old-fashioned term?), so long as the retailer honours the warranty) which might explain the glue residue if they stuck their own RMA returns sticker on it or something.

I wouldn't worry too much unless the SPD tables are not programmed up to the full PC8500 in which case the RAM may nor be Crucial at all.
 
Ah cool, I'll just wait to see what the SPD tables say when I plug it in and Memtest it. I am pretty certain the retailer would't have messed with it, just wondering if some toe rag returned it after swaping label saying he didn't need it or something. Labels on the other side seam fine. Also are these the current heat spreaders? , they don't match ones i got about 8 months ago and look different from the ones on the Crucial site which appear to have two clips on the top to hold the spreader on.
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To be honest, those sticks don't look right to me at all. I have had mine for a couple of months and as you point out, the heatspreaders don't look right. They should have the clips stradling the top of the stcks. Also, the warranty sticker is not on either of my 2 sticks which came from OC/UK.
 
I've just purchased 2 x 1GB sticks of Crucial Ballistix Tracer 8500 ram from an online retailer, and if the anti-static bag had been cut, i.e. not new, guarantee you they would be winging their way back to said online retailer before day was out.

If I buy something new, I expect it to be factory sealed, if not, back it goes, I don't care if its in perfect working condition or not, back it goes.

RMA those suckas sooner rather than later is my advice for what it's worth.
 
I'd probably just use them TBH.

See if they run @ their rated speeds and are stable and if they are then keep them.

Crucial's RMA service is good so if they do fail you'll only be without them for a few days.

I'd imagine it would be better than waiting for this company (unknown quantity in terms of return turnaround) to send out a replacement pair.

gt
 
gt_junkie said:
I'd probably just use them TBH.

See if they run @ their rated speeds and are stable and if they are then keep them.

Crucial's RMA service is good so if they do fail you'll only be without them for a few days.

I'd imagine it would be better than waiting for this company (unknown quantity in terms of return turnaround) to send out a replacement pair.

gt
Click to expand...


Each to his own. If you're happy to use someone else's returns, rejects, fair play. Aint ever gonna happen with me.
 
Thanks guys, yest the Cruscial seal on the box was cut and resealed with the retailers own seal. My Current PC6400 Ballistics look exactly like the ones with the cliped heat spreaders with the tranparent backed labels. I wonder if the white lables are refurbs or something? Well I fitted them in my current MB at it seems to work fine. CPUZ identifies the RAM as MAX Bandwith PC2-6400 (400MHZ), though of the SDP table there is a SPD profile for 533MHx 5.0-5-5-5-15 in the timings table. Don't know how accurate CPUZ is at identifing RAM but I am going be rejecting these when I ring them on Monday. I am guessing there are seconds of some sort which I don't mind, if I paid an eqivalent price; but if I pay retail I expect new ones. Still wondering about the heat spreaders, anyone seen anything like these.
 
Been doing some googling, and it would appear that the heatspreaders sans the clips are the latest design and the .16FD5 is the latest chip revision. Also I have seen pics of new sealed RAMwith white lables like mine. Some reports suggest that these run cooler and oversclock well, and at the moment that are running happily at 533mHz, 4-4-4-12 @ 2.0v so I am not feeling too bad now. Still I have till Monday to ponder what to do.
 
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Typhoon said:
Do you have the white "Warrantee Void if removed" sticker like the pick I posted? Cheers
Click to expand...

Some retailers open all packaging, and put these stickers on components to try and reduce fraudulent returns. I've had retailers put stickers over the components in the middle of the underside of a Core2Duo CPU, which didn't exacrtly please me.
 
WJA96 said:
I've had retailers put stickers over the components in the middle of the underside of a Core2Duo CPU, which didn't exacrtly please me.
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lol

if they're clocking nicely i wouldn't sweat it tbh but that's me, crucial will sort you down the line if they play up.
 
WJA96 said:
Some retailers open all packaging, and put these stickers on components to try and reduce fraudulent returns. I've had retailers put stickers over the components in the middle of the underside of a Core2Duo CPU, which didn't exacrtly please me.
Click to expand...

Ahh... ok panic over, more googling reveals that the waranty sticker is infact from the retailer who sticks'em on everything from CPU's to RAM to MB's, to prevent said fradulant returns. At least I didn't waste the whole W/E and can start on the build :D

I can understand retailers doing that to some extent but a stcker on the bottom of a CPU will probably invalidate the Intel warranty if it over heats, and if anyone had trouble with Crucial RAM, they'll be sending it back to Crucial rather than bothering with a vendors RMA process.
 
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