XMS2 DDR2 800Mhz memory issue... 4GB Corsair.

iv-tecman · 15 Mar 2010 at 16:49

Can someone please help me with this…

I’ve upgrade my main rig, and I’ve been left with a pile of parts that I’m now building into a PC to be sold, however I’ve pretty much ran into a problem…

The memory from the old system was Corsair (TWIN2X2048-6400) XMS2-6400 2048MB 5-5-5-12 2X240 DIMM Black XMS2 Heat Spreader

He wants 4GB, luck would have i had already purchased what I felt was the same type of Corsair XMS2 memory for a upgrade I never did. Its listed as Corsair 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Memory Kit Non-ECC Unbuffered CL5

I remember some years ago when I put the first 2GB into the ASUS P5B Deluxe with the E6600 Core 2 Duo it blue screen Windows XP within 10mins everytime… Corsair recommended upping the vaults in the BIOS to 2.5v and I did just that… Cured the problem and ran for me like this for three years…

I purchased the above upgrade as like I said, they wanted the full 4GB (family member wants a new, reasonable spec PC) and now I’ve got it up and running its doing the same as before, blue screening the OS even with voltage set to 2.5v. I read the back of the packet for the new memory it said 1.9v, so I set it to 1.9v and still the same…

Can someone confirm that the upgrade I got will work with the existing memory, if at all? System works fine with 2.5v for the older memory, or works fine with the newer memory BIOS set to auto, but not together…

Are they not the same memory modules? Thought they were, both are XMS2 DDR2 800Mhz and both look identical.. Black heat spreader, everything looks the same… The only thing I’ve not done is set the timings to 5-5-12 as like the existing memory using 2.5v, maybe that’ll cure the fault?

Thanks..

Devrij · 15 Mar 2010 at 17:35

I had the same meory you just got, and I had issues with it until I got rid of it. Passes memtest just fine, but fails everday use. Try running memtest to see if it is actually a faulty module.

Yellowbeard · 15 Mar 2010 at 19:22

Are you mixing 2 kits of memory? Your post is confusing. Mixing 2 differnt kits of memory is not advised as it may be unstable.

Please list the complete Corsair part numbers, MOBO, etc and ALL BIOS settings you have made for RAM, CPU, and voltages.

iv-tecman · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:31

Yellowbeard said:
Are you mixing 2 kits of memory? Your post is confusing. Mixing 2 differnt kits of memory is not advised as it may be unstable.

Please list the complete Corsair part numbers, MOBO, etc and ALL BIOS settings you have made for RAM, CPU, and voltages.

Hi.... Yes the part numbers are not the same. Therefore yes I think I am mixing two products, well same company different part numbers. Two modules with the same part numbers work fine but put all four in and the machine will post and get to the OS but its not stable..

Motherboard is an ASUS P5B Deluxe, with an E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.4ghz. TBH I think you've pretty much told me that I can't mix these two kits.. He'll have to make do with 2GB or buy 2 x 2GB modules...

Thanks - least I tried to get them all working. With DDR2 memory prices being a little higher then usual, maybe sell them to fund the purchase of 2 x 2GB modules..!!

Yellowbeard · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:42

If it's blue screening, you may be able to make it work. Most likely, you need to in crease the voltage to the memory controller. Try the 1.35v to 1.5v range.

iv-tecman · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:50

Yellowbeard said:
If it's blue screening, you may be able to make it work. Most likely, you need to in crease the voltage to the memory controller. Try the 1.35v to 1.5v range.

Oh Ok. That sounds promising, I'll go and try this... Yes, its blue screening, memtest passes with all modules, however I'll give it one last try with your recommendations and I'll post back if it works and if not I'll provide BIOS settings just for you to check, seems you know what you're talking about..

Judging from the sig, corsair tech support chap??

Listy · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:58

I use 4x1GB of DDR2 in my P5B Deluxe from different manufacturers (2 are Corsair Dominators and 2 are G.Skill HZs) and they run like a champ at 2.1v @ 458Mhz with no stability issues at all.

Having to use 2.5v to even get stable would be very worrying to me if a manufacturer gave me that nugget of info!

Also please see my posts (especially read the linked page) in the following thread about using 2x2GB memory in the P5B Motherboards:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18117855

Hope my rambling on is some use

iv-tecman · 16 Mar 2010 at 11:01

The Asus P5B deluxe board is a bit picky about its memory… Anyhow, just to let you all know that this is now working I set the voltage to 2.15v and left everything else on auto and its now running stable…..

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t see any reason as to why these two kits wouldn’t work in the same board, they are both DDR2 XMS2 800Mhz memory kits. Couldn’t see why they would cause such faults….

I suspect the board, its given me grief in the past with memory..

Yellowbeard · 16 Mar 2010 at 16:14

iv-tecman said:
I’ll be honest, I really didn’t see any reason as to why these two kits wouldn’t work in the same board, they are both DDR2 XMS2 800Mhz memory kits. Couldn’t see why they would cause such faults….

There are many reasons you can have 2 modules of the same specification not work together properly.

Different SPD
Different ICs
Different PCB
The MOBO BIOS
The Memory Controller or a related setting in BIOS for 4 modules

iv-tecman · 16 Mar 2010 at 17:42

Yellowbeard said:
There are many reasons you can have 2 modules of the same specification not work together properly.

Different SPD
Different ICs
Different PCB
The MOBO BIOS
The Memory Controller or a related setting in BIOS for 4 modules

Oh ok.... But I guess if both kits were the same, and therefore all 4 modules were the same then I'd have had this up running much quicker without BSOD?

Learnt quite a bit from this, they say you learn the hardway..!!

Yellowbeard · 16 Mar 2010 at 17:45

It's possible but then your BIOS and the memory controller would become the focus. Some boards just do not do well with all memory slots filled. And, just like with OCing, it can vary from individual board to board.

iv-tecman · 16 Mar 2010 at 18:06

Yes... I also found this thread http://forum.corsair.com/v2/showthread.php?t=53815&page=4

Seems this board was a right PITA unless you updated the BIOS settings.. Now I remember the issue I had when I got the first kit of modules..

The options to ramp up the volts to 2.15 were not there unless you flashed the BIOS.

Mine was done sometime ago and I totally forgot.. Anyhow, its now running at 2.15 and running just fine.....

Oh and I knew I'd seen that user ID Yellowbeard before.... lol