Memtest86+ reports 2 errors...

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 00:15

Hello.

Hello all.

I have just built a new computer and am having issues.

New build spec:

Case: Corsair 600t
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-PRO
CPU: Intel i5 2500k
Cooler: Coolermaster V8
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2 x 4GB 1600MHz 8GB total
Hard drives: Corsair DDR3 SSD 120GB for programs and Western Digital 500GB HDD for files
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64bit
PSU: Artic 600W which I carried over from my last build.

I'm having problems with random freezes/lock ups and am slowly working my way through trying to sort this out.

Firstly I was running an overclock of 4.5GHz which was completely stable running Prime95 however I just done a motherboard BIOS update and its all been reset to standard.

After a lot of digging around I found there seems to be an ongoing issue with Corsair Force 3 SSD's, which is what I have, causing freezes/lock ups which is exactly what I'm suffering from. However I read elsewhere I should test my RAM just to rule it out before looking more into the SSD so I've ran Memtest86+ and within 30 minutes it found an error but I lot it run on and when I checked back several hours later it was showing 2 errors...picture can be seen below...

I don't really know if this could be causing my problem or not but I guess that any kind of RAM error is not good so should I be looking to return it? It's 2 x 4GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz which my motherboard has defaulted to 1333MHz

Any help greatly appreciated.

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 02:54

Well I changed it to 1600MHz and left voltage at the normal 1.5V and I still got 2 errors but I've noticed the numbers under GOOD and BAD have changed:

Not too sure what this means but I'd hazard a guess that one of the RAM sticks is faulty and as it came in a set I'd have to send both back for replacement or change to another brand.

I will remove and test one stick at a time in the morning.

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 15:06

OK I'm back with an update. I ran memtest86+ again only this time with one RAM stick at a time and I ran it for 2 hours with each stick and I got no errors at all. What does this mean now? Faulty motherboard or something else?

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 15:20

At least I'm not on my own but its very frustrating.

How do I test the RAM in dual channel and then single channel?

I've no spare RAM compatible with this motherboard.

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 15:50

Problem I have is I can't get access to one of my slots as my CPU cooler is blocking it.

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 15:54

Subliminal Aura said:
I feel your pain... Since it was never populated we can eliminate it from the test

OK thats good then. So if I try my 2 RAM sticks separately in the remaining 3 slots and it all passes with no errors whats next on the to do list?

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 15:58

Subliminal Aura said:
Put them in together but in single channel ie different coloured slots hence testing if the work in single channel but fail in dual.

OK I understand now. One in black and one in blue. If they work in single and fail again in dual (like before) whats the cause?

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 18:27

Well I've both RAM sticks running in single channels and its been running for an hour now and its given me one error so far. So what exactly does this mean?

To recap each RAM stick gives no error when I've just got one installed but gives me 2 errors when I fit both in dual mode and 1 error (so far) when running both in single mode.

Thanks.

kris214 · 10 Sep 2011 at 19:17

King Damager said:
Whilst you're here and messing about, depending on when you bought your Force 3 Drive I'd recommend upgrading to the latest 1.3 Firmware. It's quite clear that you do have a few issues with your RAM, but at least by upping to the latest SSD firmware you may be able to minimise the chances of it being that...

kd

The SSD was bought less than 3 weeks ago and should have the 1.3 version of firmware already on it but in a thread I found on the corsair forum it seems lots of people are having the same problem with these drives even after doing the update...something to do with the sandforce controller.

Back to memtest86+ and its now got 2 errors and 2 passes. The error seems similar to the picture screens above except the GOOD and BAD numbers are different once again. Should I now be looking to return this RAM or is it caused by something else? Like I say the tests work fine with just one stick installed but 2 errors when i have both installed on single channel and dual channel.

I would love to return this entire order except the case and CPU and get an MSI board, an SSD that doesn't have sandforce and RAM that doesn't have Corsair written on it

kris214 · 11 Sep 2011 at 02:12

I'm now starting to think everything is defective...I just got a BSOD while running Prime95 and several other programs:

BSOD with Kernal_data_inpage_error

Followed by black screen with Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device Or Insert Boot Media In Selected Boot Device And Press A Key

Only way to get past this is to reset and I entered the BIOS and my Corsair SSD is not detected and been replaced with "Boot Device 1 - Disabled in BBS Order"

Powered off the whole system and switched back on again and entered BIOS and the SSD is back. Load windows and everything seems to be normal now but I didn't get any message saying "this system has recovered from a serious error" so its as if it never even happened.

So what is the problem now? Up until now the system has only froze/locked up while pretty much idling such as watching a movie or browsing the internet but now its BSOD and the SSD is going AWOL in the BIOS.

Really need help on this one as I'm seriously tempted to return everything.

kris214 · 11 Sep 2011 at 12:03

Hi and thanks for the reply.

With the 2 sticks running in single channel I lot it continue and after 4 hours it got a total of 4 errors and 2 passes.

I'm now doing single stick tests for a minimum of 6 hours...this is gonna take ages lol.

Once that's been done I'm going to clone the SSD to a spare HDD I have and run for a while just to see if my BSOD continue but I'm guessing they won't but I'm still expecting system to freeze/lockup due to the memory.

I've already got a new build in mind, shame all my money has been pumped into this thing

kris214 · 11 Sep 2011 at 13:10

I'm just stating what the comp has done which was BSOD followed by a disappearing SSD!

I'm testing the memory now one stick at a time, no errors yet but I've a long way to go!

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:19

Well so far my RAM is passing every test on memtest86+ for at least 6 hours...absolutely no errors which is good.

So why does it fail when I have both sticks fitted? Board issue or is this just typical memtest behaviour when 2 or more sticks are installed or is it indeed still a RAM issue?

All help appreciated guys

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:30

Yes BIOS is at stock settings and no overclocks or overvolting has been applied.

Pictures are at the top of this thread so if thats the kinda proof your on about then yeah.

Top picture is RAM set at default 1333MHz despite being 1600MHz and the picture a little further down is when I set it to 1600MHz.

When I ran both sticks in single channel mode I got 4 errors but never thought to take a picture.

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:33

I've just noticed something with memtest86+ whilst doing my single stick tests...the timing shows as 6-6-6-20 / single channel but in the BIOS it clearly shows it set as 9-9-9-24

Please please please don't tell me I have to do these tests again??

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 00:48

Well thank God for that lol.

Oh great, I look forward to it haha.

Cool, so its quite common then? no one found a fix other than to return the RAM?

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 01:03

I'm finding it all a bit odd. I mean they won't run together in dual channel without errors, they won't run together in single channel without errors yet they give no errors when only one stick is fitted. I'm now starting to think its the motherboard.

I've just done some more digging on google and I can't find a single thread where someone else has RAM failing both dual and single channels yet passing fine when only one of those sticks is installed at one time.

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 01:17

At this moment in time throw it all out the door lol. Board BIOS has been updated. Hmm more testing should be alright haha.

Yeah I'm going to bed here in a minute but I've noticed something. I've just popped both sticks in side by side which should be single channel mode, right? I mean on my board there are 4 slots which are colour coded like Black, Blue, Black, Blue so to run dual channel, as described in motherboard book I need to fit both sticks into two slots the same colour ie Black and Black OR Blue and Blue and if I run a stick in Black and another in Blue it should be single channel...is this right? Cause I have one in Black and one in Blue and memtest is showing it as dual channel?

I get the feeling I'm overlooking something obvious but just can't find out what it is.

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 08:57

I figured out my mistake...I had one stick in each bank ie DIMMS 2 and 3. I reinstalled them in DIMMS 3 and 4 and there both running now in single channel. Been running now for 7 hours and there's no errors.

So my memory runs fine in single channel but not dual. Is this still bad memory?

kris214 · 12 Sep 2011 at 13:27

Correction...memory passes ok with memtest86+ in single channel but windows crashes after 20 minutes with lots of memory error warnings. Think I'll return the memory for something else and hope its not a motherboard issue.