Does this count as faulty RAM?

Bugblatter · 25 Jan 2007 at 13:45

Hi guys, I got a couple of sticks of Crucial Anniversary RAM, 2x1GB, and found that one of the sticks gets loads of errors in MemTest even at stock speeds.

The bad stick fails at stock speeds (667MHz) when the RAM voltage is 1.8V, which is what the motherbaord automatically sets it to. I havent' tried it at a higher voltage.

I'm trying to RMA the RAM, but the guy at OCUK is saying that it's supposed to be run at 1.9V. I said that the standard voltage for DDR2 is 1.8V, and he replied that it's not standard DDR2.

Upping the voltage may well get it working, but it would also mean that the ceiling for that stick would probably be lower than it should be.

By the way the good stick is currently running happily at 1037MHz with 1.8V, although the timings are pretty loose, haven't tried tightening them up yet.

Anyway I reckon the stick's faulty, but I'd like to check my facts with you guys.

Cheers

sniper007 · 25 Jan 2007 at 13:50

Any stick failing mem test at stock I would (and have) personally RMA'd with no problems before.

nightic · 25 Jan 2007 at 13:54

Bugblatter said:
Hi guys, I got a couple of sticks of Crucial Anniversary RAM, 2x1GB, and found that one of the sticks gets loads of errors in MemTest even at stock speeds.

The bad stick fails at stock speeds (667MHz) when the RAM voltage is 1.8V, which is what the motherbaord automatically sets it to. I havent' tried it at a higher voltage.

I'm trying to RMA the RAM, but the guy at OCUK is saying that it's supposed to be run at 1.9V. I said that the standard voltage for DDR2 is 1.8V, and he replied that it's not standard DDR2.

Upping the voltage may well get it working, but it would also mean that the ceiling for that stick would probably be lower than it should be.

By the way the good stick is currently running happily at 1037MHz with 1.8V, although the timings are pretty loose, haven't tried tightening them up yet.

Anyway I reckon the stick's faulty, but I'd like to check my facts with you guys.

Cheers

What Vdimm your motherboard sets as standard and what your RAM needs to run at it's stated speed/timings are two separate things.
If running it at PC2-5300 speed with the rated 3-3-3 timings, then it almost certainly will require more voltage. In fact Crucial rate these sticks at 2.2V IIRC.
Loosening to 4-4-4 should be happy at 1.8V though.

nightic · 25 Jan 2007 at 13:56

sniper007 said:
Any stick failing mem test at stock I would (and have) personally RMA'd with no problems before.

It's not failing at stock though - the PC2-5300 (333/667MHz) 3-3-3 speed/timing is rated as requiring up to 2.2V by the manufacturer.
Most DDR2 sold as '3-3-3' will typically require slightly higher voltage.

simonnance · 25 Jan 2007 at 14:38

mine will about run at 4-4-4-12 @ DDR2 400 ish on low volts (board doesnt give 2.2V, upgrading soon).

charltonfan1 · 25 Jan 2007 at 17:25

Basically try upping the voltage slightly until it passes (if it passes)

You cannot RMA it becuase it won't run at 1.8v when it is rated for higher

Bugblatter · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:39

nightic said:
It's not failing at stock though - the PC2-5300 (333/667MHz) 3-3-3 speed/timing is rated as requiring up to 2.2V by the manufacturer.
Most DDR2 sold as '3-3-3' will typically require slightly higher voltage.

I think the 2.2V is what you can run them at, not what they require. Otherwise if it required 2.2V to run at 667MHz with the 3-3-3 timings then it would still count as being ok, which can't be right.

Well I tried MemTest with the RAM at 1.9V, everything else standard, and still got 5 errors, a lot less than at 1.8V but still not right. At 1.925V I get 2 errors, at 1.95V I don't get any.

I spoke to Corsair and they said that the RAM can sometimes need a little more than 1.8V, but the guy said if I'm still getting MemTest errors at 1.9V then its definitely faulty.

But I'm wondering whether to just run it at 2.2V and see how far it overclocks, and return the unopened replacement sticks I bought. I dont want to run the risk of OCUK saying the stick isn't faulty, and then I'm down £200 and have 2GB of RAM I don't need.

monkeypants · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:42

Give it 2.2v, that's what the manufacturer says it needs to run at 667Mhz 3-3-3-10 error free.

nightic · 26 Jan 2007 at 20:12

Bugblatter said:
I think the 2.2V is what you can run them at, not what they require. Otherwise if it required 2.2V to run at 667MHz with the 3-3-3 timings then it would still count as being ok, which can't be right.

Nope, the 3-3-3 timings take more voltage.
By all means drop them to the more common 4-4-4 and you'll see that 1.8V will be enough for 400MHz+

Bugblatter · 29 Jan 2007 at 12:39

Thanks guys, you've helped to clear that up for me.

I'm still not sure that stick's up to the usual quality, as the other stick does the same overclock without extra voltage, but there's obviously a risk that OCUK will test it, say it's ok and I'll be stuck with those sticks plus the replacement sticks I ordered.

So I'm gonna keep these sticks and return the replacements, which I haven't opened.

Thanks again