New Build Problems!

Flying Anorak

Flying Anorak

Flying Anorak

Associate
Joined
30 Dec 2009
Posts
80
Location
NW London
Hi,

I hope you can help me. I've built many new PCs over the years and I've never experienced the problems I having with this one!

My new PC spec is:-

Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Motherboard
Intel i5 750 CPU
6GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 Memory (3 x 2Gb)
Antec TP 650W PSU
Gelid Tranquillo Cooler
Asus Xonar DX7
Gainward Golden Sample GTS260 Graphics Card
2 x Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB Sata Drives
1 x Samsung Blue Ray Drive
Windows 7 Ultimate Retail

I've built it to a high standard with all the cables neatly routed out of the way, good cooling etc, but I keep getting randon lock ups! Basically it stops responding, the mouse freezes etc and the only way out is to re-boot the PC.

I have tried removing the soundcard and I've removed and swapped around the Corsair memory (the MB has 2x2 matched slots) and even taken one stick out but with no joy. I have installed the drivers that came with the Graphics Card and Motherboard, but I've not updated the BIOS or downloaded any Win7 updates yet as I can't get the PC stable enough to install any AV software before I go on line!

I have even swapped around the SATA channel that the optical drive is on, all with no joy. I've also done a re-format and re-installed Win 7 (it did hang once during install!).

Any ideas? My gut instinct is that total lock ups like this are likely to be memory related and whilst Windows sees 6GB of RAM as being installed, its interesting to note that one of the Gigabyte utilities reports 6GB of RAM but only 4GB of which is usable!

Help...what else can I try or do now?

Cheers,

Paul.
 
Have you Overclocked your system? Also have you tried setting the RAM timings and voltages manually in the BIOS?
 
Last edited:
The i5 cpus use duel channel ram so that could maybe be why you are having problems using 3 sticks although It should just run them in single channel.

Try maybe using one stick at a time?
 
Thanks - no have not overclocked at all (haven't got it that far!) and have not changed any RAM timings or voltages from the stock default settings - should I?

As regards two or three sticks - I have tried just using two (in the same colour coded slots) and it still crashes. I have not tried just two in the non matched slots though (i.e. one blue and one white) yet.

Do you think memory is the likely cause - dont think its the heatsink on the CPU as surely that would shut down if temp got too high rather than hanging up wouldnt it?
 
Tri channel ram will work - that just means they are matched in a kit and will run the same on a X58 board. That does not mean they will not work perfectly on the P55 chipset in dual channel. I would not use all three sticks of ram at the same time.

What I suggest is that you start again, I know it will be a pain but at least then you will have got it right.

First thing to make sure of is that each of the sticks work perfectly. For that you will need memtest86. Run the application with one stick in the closest slot to the CPU. Once you have a full pass of all the tests, repeat the exercise with that same stick of ram (cos you know it works) in each of the remaining three slots. What you are doing is removing the slots as problems.

Now that is done, swap out the working stick of ram and do memtest with the other two. If all three pass perfectly then it is not your ram.

Let us know what happened and once we know we can move to the next part of finding a solution.
 
Thanks - I can probably find a use for that RAM in my i7 MB so would I be making things easier for myself if I just bought some more Dual Channel memory?

Obviously we're focussing on the memory here - do you think this is the likley cause of my random lock ups?
 
007 is spot on - look there is minor differences between each and every stick of ram. Even if they are part of a kit.

The major difference is that with a kit you are pretty much certain to get the spec printed on the label with that kit. But even within a kit each ram stick will not have the same over-clocking characteristics.

We are starting with the ram as that is most likely what prompted the problem in the first place.

One other thing please clear cmos and reset your bios before you start.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom