Stability problems with mem in dual channel mode

Hello....

I just built a new system and have found that I have stability problems when
I configure the memory in dual channel mode. I'm thinking it is the type of
memory that I have, but I'm not sure. When I say stability problems, I mean
games will crash constantly with my memory running in dual channel 128 bit
mode. If I switch the dimm's from bank 3&4 to banks 1&3, it then uses them
in single channel 64 bit mode.

Here is the current hardware/Softwa

Win XP Home SP2
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2gig
Board: nForce4 BFG, built by Chaintech (VNF4 ULTRA Zenith)
System Bios Date: 07/19/05 (upgraded to most recent)
Video: nVidia BFG GeForce 7800GT
Sound: Creative Audigy 2 ZS (intergrated motherboard sound disabled)

MEMORY: (and I think this is the problem) two 512 Centon Dual Channel PC3200
DDR SD DIMMS. 1024 total. If you are farmilliar with using Everest Home
addition software, you can use it to see the name of the memory modules.
These are listed as NANYA M2U51264D58HB3G-5T.

Has anyone used this memory in dual channel mode with any success ???
Although it is being sold as "dual channel PC3200", it dont think it is
cutting it. At the very least the latency is high.

I just ordered new memory: Corsair TwinX1024RE-3200LL. That is registered
dual channel low latency mem that is advertised to be made specificly for
AMD 64 dual channel.

Hopefully, I'll be able to run that in dual channel mode with no stability
problems.

Once I get that straightened out, I'll work on tweaking my new system a bit.
My old system was an AMD Thunderbird 1.4 gig. Although it ran very hot even
with a copper SK-6 heat sink, I could overclock it quite a bit with no
problems. I had that thing jacked up for years and never a problem. I'm
hoping that once I get my dual channel memory problems worked out on my new
3500+, I'll be able to get a bit more out of it. It sure does run cool
enough for it at 33 deg C.

One more quick question... If anyone is farmilliar with the nForce 4 PCIEx
boards. I don't see any settings in the bios for locking the PCI clock. I
see the CPU clock, the PCIEx clock, but not the PCI clock. I can't tweak
anything if I can't manage the PCI clock.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

In the meantime, try raising the DIMM voltage

"Michael" wrote in message
...
Hello....

I just built a new system and have found that I have stability problems
when
I configure the memory in dual channel mode. I'm thinking it is the type
of
memory that I have, but I'm not sure. When I say stability problems, I
mean
games will crash constantly with my memory running in dual channel 128 bit
mode. If I switch the dimm's from bank 3&4 to banks 1&3, it then uses
them
in single channel 64 bit mode.

Here is the current hardware/Softwa

Win XP Home SP2
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2gig
Board: nForce4 BFG, built by Chaintech (VNF4 ULTRA Zenith)
System Bios Date: 07/19/05 (upgraded to most recent)
Video: nVidia BFG GeForce 7800GT
Sound: Creative Audigy 2 ZS (intergrated motherboard sound disabled)

MEMORY: (and I think this is the problem) two 512 Centon Dual Channel
PC3200
DDR SD DIMMS. 1024 total. If you are farmilliar with using Everest Home
addition software, you can use it to see the name of the memory modules.
These are listed as NANYA M2U51264D58HB3G-5T.

Has anyone used this memory in dual channel mode with any success ???
Although it is being sold as "dual channel PC3200", it dont think it is
cutting it. At the very least the latency is high.

I just ordered new memory: Corsair TwinX1024RE-3200LL. That is registered
dual channel low latency mem that is advertised to be made specificly for
AMD 64 dual channel.

Hopefully, I'll be able to run that in dual channel mode with no stability
problems.

Once I get that straightened out, I'll work on tweaking my new system a
bit.
My old system was an AMD Thunderbird 1.4 gig. Although it ran very hot
even
with a copper SK-6 heat sink, I could overclock it quite a bit with no
problems. I had that thing jacked up for years and never a problem. I'm
hoping that once I get my dual channel memory problems worked out on my
new
3500+, I'll be able to get a bit more out of it. It sure does run cool
enough for it at 33 deg C.

One more quick question... If anyone is farmilliar with the nForce 4 PCIEx
boards. I don't see any settings in the bios for locking the PCI clock.
I
see the CPU clock, the PCIEx clock, but not the PCI clock. I can't tweak
anything if I can't manage the PCI clock.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

Is that a socket 940 or 939? the socket 940 requires registered memory,
while the 939 does not.

"ViciousXUSMC" wrote in message
lkaboutcomputing.com...
Is that a socket 940 or 939? the socket 940 requires registered memory,
while the 939 does not.

Socket 939. I dont have any stability problems running the mem in single
channel 64bit. As soon as I set it up to run as dual channel 128 bit, I
start having problems with games crashing. I think it is the memory itself

Michael

Make sure your running the newest version of your Bios on your motherboard,
there have been a slew of changes latley with the amd 64's and how they
interact with memory.

Also what core are you using? the San Deigo and Venice core have totally
diffrent memory controllers than the others.

Dude, I would NOT buy the (£200 plus) Corsair PC3200RE-LL! As it is
*Registered* memory and so far when testing my pair in non-ECC
Registered motherboards it has not been compatible even once. This is
why everyone is asking whether your MoBo is Socket 939 or 940 as 940 is
ECC and 939 is NOT ECC ;¬)

Have you run MemTest+86 to test the RAM is not faulty? My Bro has had
about 6 pairs of Corsair DDR2 memory (same model) which have ALL been
faulty, so bad to the point that the supplier has requested his Intel
(Socket775) NForce4 Motherboard, CPU and RAM to completely test the
setup. I know you dont own Corsair ram yet but I'm just saying that
even with popular brands you dont always get decent ram.
As for memory timings, how are they set up?
Have you looked at the BFG web site and seen which RAM has been tested
with your motherboard? That would be the first thing I'd do before
buying new RAM.

I have an DFI LanParty SLI-D (NF4) MoBo and apart from being *extremely
difficult* to set up but it was really good as there are more bios
settings than any other board I've ever seen. Especially the memory
timings! (tCL, tRCD, tRAS, tRP, tRC, tRFC, tRRD, tREF to name a few and
they REALLY do affect the RAM)
I've had my Athlon64 3200 (Venice core) upto 2.5 Ghz on stock cooling
with this MoBo! I use some Corsair PC4400C2.5 and my 'FSB' is 275,
however I've also trashed my O/S several times with incorrect settings.

As for PCI clocks? I fail to see why you would want to change the clock
for PCI unless you have a PCI GFX card? which I know you dont as the
7800 is PCIE. sound card on PCI? never heard of anyone O/C'ing a sound
card but then I always use on board sound.
I can check on my MoBo to see if there is a PCI clock setting ...
maybe there is a spread spectrum control for PCI like there is for
Sata?
I dont use Google that much (only when work is getting to me) so email
me at frobin robin at hot mail dot com if you have any questions.

Regards

Hiya..

You are 100 % correct about the registered mem. I'm using socket 939.
Although I see reports of 939 boards running with ECC mem, registered mem
probably won't work. I'm not sure what I'm going to get yet. I did check
both Chaintech's mem list and BFG's too.

I tested the memory with memtest86 and my current mem seems to be OK. It
did, however, fail once. I have the latest bios and I've tinkered with the
mem voltage. I still have the same stability problems with this mem in 128
bit mode regardles of what I do. It works fine in 64 bit.

As for the PCI clock. I dont want to change it, I want to lock it. Seems
as if the PCI clock is tracking the HT bus.

Michael


"Frobinrobin" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dude, I would NOT buy the (£200 plus) Corsair PC3200RE-LL! As it is
*Registered* memory and so far when testing my pair in non-ECC
Registered motherboards it has not been compatible even once. This is
why everyone is asking whether your MoBo is Socket 939 or 940 as 940 is
ECC and 939 is NOT ECC ;¬)

Have you run MemTest+86 to test the RAM is not faulty? My Bro has had
about 6 pairs of Corsair DDR2 memory (same model) which have ALL been
faulty, so bad to the point that the supplier has requested his Intel
(Socket775) NForce4 Motherboard, CPU and RAM to completely test the
setup. I know you dont own Corsair ram yet but I'm just saying that
even with popular brands you dont always get decent ram.
As for memory timings, how are they set up?
Have you looked at the BFG web site and seen which RAM has been tested
with your motherboard? That would be the first thing I'd do before
buying new RAM.

I have an DFI LanParty SLI-D (NF4) MoBo and apart from being *extremely
difficult* to set up but it was really good as there are more bios
settings than any other board I've ever seen. Especially the memory
timings! (tCL, tRCD, tRAS, tRP, tRC, tRFC, tRRD, tREF to name a few and
they REALLY do affect the RAM)
I've had my Athlon64 3200 (Venice core) upto 2.5 Ghz on stock cooling
with this MoBo! I use some Corsair PC4400C2.5 and my 'FSB' is 275,
however I've also trashed my O/S several times with incorrect settings.

As for PCI clocks? I fail to see why you would want to change the clock
for PCI unless you have a PCI GFX card? which I know you dont as the
7800 is PCIE. sound card on PCI? never heard of anyone O/C'ing a sound
card but then I always use on board sound.
I can check on my MoBo to see if there is a PCI clock setting ...
maybe there is a spread spectrum control for PCI like there is for
Sata?
I dont use Google that much (only when work is getting to me) so email
me at frobin robin at hot mail dot com if you have any questions.

Regards

I have an update... Looks like the problem is solved. Before I upgraded to
the most recent bios, my system wouldn't load windows with the DIMMS in bank
1&2. So, I moved them to bank 3&4. In those banks, the computer booted up,
showed 128 bit mem mode, but it was unstable. I then updated the bios.
Still, I couldn't run in 128 bit mode without stability problems, so I
switched the DIMMS to bank 1&3. It was 64 bit, but it was stable. I never
tried to use bank 1&2 again after I updated the bios because windows
wouldn't even boot up with the DIMMS in 1&2 before. I put the DIMMS in bank
1&2 again, and windows booted up properly. For the past three hours, I've
been running heavy games with no problems at all. So that was it. It
needed the new bios, and after that, I needed to put the DIMMS back in slots
1&2. And like a retard, I ordered new registered mem for a socket 939
thinking that I needed registered mem to solve the problem. I have to
return it when it gets here, but no big deal.

Michael


"Frobinrobin" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dude, I would NOT buy the (£200 plus) Corsair PC3200RE-LL! As it is
*Registered* memory and so far when testing my pair in non-ECC
Registered motherboards it has not been compatible even once. This is
why everyone is asking whether your MoBo is Socket 939 or 940 as 940 is
ECC and 939 is NOT ECC ;¬)

Have you run MemTest+86 to test the RAM is not faulty? My Bro has had
about 6 pairs of Corsair DDR2 memory (same model) which have ALL been
faulty, so bad to the point that the supplier has requested his Intel
(Socket775) NForce4 Motherboard, CPU and RAM to completely test the
setup. I know you dont own Corsair ram yet but I'm just saying that
even with popular brands you dont always get decent ram.
As for memory timings, how are they set up?
Have you looked at the BFG web site and seen which RAM has been tested
with your motherboard? That would be the first thing I'd do before
buying new RAM.

I have an DFI LanParty SLI-D (NF4) MoBo and apart from being *extremely
difficult* to set up but it was really good as there are more bios
settings than any other board I've ever seen. Especially the memory
timings! (tCL, tRCD, tRAS, tRP, tRC, tRFC, tRRD, tREF to name a few and
they REALLY do affect the RAM)
I've had my Athlon64 3200 (Venice core) upto 2.5 Ghz on stock cooling
with this MoBo! I use some Corsair PC4400C2.5 and my 'FSB' is 275,
however I've also trashed my O/S several times with incorrect settings.

As for PCI clocks? I fail to see why you would want to change the clock
for PCI unless you have a PCI GFX card? which I know you dont as the
7800 is PCIE. sound card on PCI? never heard of anyone O/C'ing a sound
card but then I always use on board sound.
I can check on my MoBo to see if there is a PCI clock setting ...
maybe there is a spread spectrum control for PCI like there is for
Sata?
I dont use Google that much (only when work is getting to me) so email
me at frobin robin at hot mail dot com if you have any questions.

Regards