Faulty memory or MB?

[Dodgy Bob]

Hi all,

Just received new goodies from OCUK. It includes 2 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2-5300C3 667MHz.

Put everything together, booted first time (that's a first and I've been building PCs since 1993)!! However, on installing Windows I started getting errors and I thought of memory problems straight away.

Sure enough, running memtest+ gives thousands of errors on each stick during 1 pass. Tested each stick seperately and in each of the four slots.

But, my question is, as each stick gives errors and the locations reported for the first couple of errors each time I start the tests vary, could this be a MB problem instead of memory?

MB is Gigabyte DS3P rev3.3.

Thanks for your help.

Bob.

 

[Cob]

It's odd that both sticks would be faulty. That would be very bad quality control.

But it's also very odd that all 4 slots would be flakey too.

If they're failing at 667mhz at 3-3-3-12 @2.2v, then I would RMA the memory. It would be cheaper to return the memory than to return the motherboard.

 

[triggerthat]

lol - I had this combination and had problems.

Is your RAM set to +0.4?

 

[Dodgy Bob]

Thanks for reply Cob. Below is the current (auto in bios) settings of the memory. This is what I've been testing on (on got single stick in atm).

 

[stockhausen]

It may not help, but try swapping the PSU if you can. I had similar (but more intermittent) problems with a Motherboard and RAM and the problems disappeared when I swapped the PSU - always worth a try

 

[triggerthat]

Check your RAM volts (+0.4).

 

[Dodgy Bob]

RAM volts are 1.8 (default I believe). Do you think I should change it?

 

[triggerthat]

RAM volts are 1.8 (default I believe). Do you think I should change it?

No, of course not, despite me saying it.

Yes, change it - +0.4v (2.2v) is what it is meant to run at.

 

[m_cozzy]

I had 1x2gb kit 2 week old set of ballistix 5300 and ordered a 2nd, both sticks of the 2nd kit were faulty testing them individually. The existing kit was absolutely fine.
I have just received my rma back today and refitted them to more errors
About to try the +.4volt thing, them retest them individually again if that fails.

 

[Dodgy Bob]

So Triggethat, are you married?

Thank you very much, it worked a treat I only ran memtest for 10 mins but it gave no errors at all.

Looking at the memory specs it's a schoolboy error, it specifies 2.2, but I didn't know that the MB was 1.8 by default.

I used to overclock years ago when I was a young slip of a lad but these days if I want a faster machine I'll buy faster hardware That and the fact that having kids means you have no time to "play". So now I just take all the defaults on BIOS and leave it at that.

tbh though, this little investigation has got me all interested again

Once again, thanks for your help!

 

[triggerthat]

So Triggethat, are you married?

lol - why do you ask?

Now, set your ram to (1:1 - this is the same as 2.0 multiplier) and run it at 333 with 4-4-4-12

 

[Dodgy Bob]

lol - why do you ask?

Now, set your ram to (1:1 - this is the same as 2.0 multiplier) and run it at 333 with 4-4-4-12

Cos you sorted my problem and I want to marry you

I'll get to tweak on Monday (maybe). Spending this evening loading up new machine, emptying sons case of old bits, putting my old bits in his case, loading up his machine.

Tomorrow I have to paint the hall

Sunday is Games Day \o/ (basically a local LAN event we hold every so often).

 

[triggerthat]

Cos you sorted my problem and I want to marry you

I'll get to tweak on Monday (maybe). Spending this evening loading up new machine, emptying sons case of old bits, putting my old bits in his case, loading up his machine.

Tomorrow I have to paint the hall

Sunday is Games Day \o/ (basically a local LAN event we hold every so often).

lol.

Which LAN event is it?

 

[Dodgy Bob]

Just one me and a few mates hold. Just got back now, PC been working fine all day, plugged it in back at home and it's doing that stupid powercycle-before-bios thing (Gigabyte DS3P)