Wierd memory issue on my brand new OCZ 4GB ??

Snow-Munki · 7 Nov 2008 at 20:13

Hi,

Just bought 2 * 2GB OCZ gold DDR2 ram from OCUK.

Fitted them in and wierd issue I've found. With both sticks in dual channel so 1&2 or 3&4 when it boots up the normal windows noise is static instead. And as soon as I play an AVI my PC screen turns purple and crashes.

With a either stick in either slot one at a time everything is fine.

With both sticks in using general windows is fine just no sound and as soon as I play an avi it will crash.

Any ideas ? Not sure where to start looking really, duff motherboard ?

decto · 8 Nov 2008 at 11:22

What mainboard are you using?

Do you have a separate soundcard or are you using onboard ? If separate have you removed and refitted it?

Have you set the voltage and the timings manually in the BIOS?

With 4GB have you tired increasing the North Bridge voltage a little?

Which OS?

AD

Chong Warrior · 8 Nov 2008 at 19:24

I've just got some of these from Ocuk and my PC won't even boot into windows with either stick in... works fine with other memory. Crap!

Snow-Munki · 9 Nov 2008 at 21:35

Ok finally worked after upgrading to the latest bios.

Weird though as the OCZ site says that the Gold RAM I bought should be 5-5-5-18. On their site it says 1.8 volts. On Overclockers site it says 2.1v

When I try to put 5-5-5-18 my Pc just crashes, should I up the voltage to 2.1 ??

Chong Warrior · 9 Nov 2008 at 21:44

I've got mine @ 2.0v and it's working with those timings.

Also CPU-Z says this about the RAM = 5-5-5-15 @ 1.8v @ DDR333

Snow-Munki · 9 Nov 2008 at 21:59

ok even stranger. My bios on the gigabtye motherboard just says auto for DDR voltage and then changes to +0.05 / +0.10 / +0.15 etc. I think the default is 1.8

I tried to calculate and changed it to +0.3 so 1.8 + 0.3 = 2.1 volts

5-5-5-18 still crashes !

Just looking at everest with default DDR voltages and it is report 1.95 volts. So what's correct ?

Duff RAM ?

gordan · 9 Nov 2008 at 22:34

Is the RAM in the motherboard manufacturers QVL? If it isn't there is no guarantee it will work. I got bitten by that in the past, memory compatibility has gotten really bad in the past year or so.

It gets even worse when you try to run 4 DIMMs rather than 2. I've found that with a single pair of DIMMs, I had to run my Patriot DDR3 modules at 1.90V set (2.00V measured), even though their spec says 1.80V. With 3 pairs it couldn't hit the specified speed/timings at all. In the end, I've managed to get them to run passably at 1500MHz (1600MHz spec) at 9-8-8-20 (7-7-7-18 spec) at 2.20V set (2.30V measured, 1.80V spec).

Memory seems to be the most overbinned/underspecified part in most modern computers. I guess that explains why all the ECC server memory is so conservatively specced.

decto · 10 Nov 2008 at 00:22

You may need to up the voltage of the northbridge by 0.1V to get 4GB stable

AD

Aod · 10 Nov 2008 at 01:53

decto said:
You may need to up the voltage of the northbridge by 0.1V to get 4GB stable

AD

if not the northbridge, the (G)MCH which is the memory controller!

Snow-Munki · 10 Nov 2008 at 13:24

Aod said:
if not the northbridge, the (G)MCH which is the memory controller!

that means nothing to me

Bu't i'll up the northbridge tonight and give it another go !

Thanks.

Nitristion · 10 Nov 2008 at 15:36

Why is none of this written down on the damn RAM packaging/manual?! D=

Snow-Munki · 10 Nov 2008 at 16:54

ok then.... Northbridge voltage in the bios is - Normal / 0.025 / 0.05 / 0.1 / 0.15 / 0.2

I tried 0.05 and ram as 2.1 with 5-5-5-15. Still crahses

Should i up the northbridge some more, I have no idea what is 'normal' ??

Thanks again !!!