Could a bum stick of crucial be causing my freezing?

Hi,

I rarely post on this board (memory) but I have been posting about this issue on some of the other boards. I encounter IE dying pretty frequently. I also get occasional BSOD's while using a normal amount of apps. I have 2 256 dimms of crucial ddr 2100, so I took out the 3-4 one. I'm gonna see if that has anything to do with it. If problems persist I'm gonna try just the other dimm.

Oh yea, I'm running them at stock 133 X2 (2100).

Is this reasonable? I bought them from newegg.com

Thanks,
Rosco

What temps are you getting on your CPU and what PSU do you have?

My temps are up to 50c cpu idle, and up to 45c system idle. VERY warm. I was running at stock voltage with a 133system bus (as it says in my sig) but I just today increased to to 1.50 actual (1.525 in BIOS).

I just got a BSOD so I switched with the other stick just now. I use a 300w PSU. My case sucks, it has very poor ventilation, but it's all I've got until I get my rackmount (aka job!).

I use 2 60mm fans, it's really all theres room for. I've been changing things around, right now their set to both flowing in, nothing really seems to work. The whole system is very quiet, and quiet = warm. I might get a case soon if I find one real cheap.

Let me know if you have any ideas.

-Ross

If you aren't already, try running with the side panel off if you can:
50c is HOT! I rarely see one of my rigs remain stable at 50c.....I get nervous when they get over 45.

I think the issue is all temps, and that the ram is probably ok.

It's actually a desktop case, and at the moment the top/sides are removed.

Like this it averages 40c system, and 43+- cpu.

It's clearly a circulation issue. I live very close to SVC computers and I'm hoping maybe I can just go there and buy a few fans this week. I just got these 6cm fans, paid 6 bucks each but oh well, if their not cutting it their not cutting it.

SVC has a sale on some 8cm fans for 5 bucks that are adjustable...cool blue leds too. I might just get two of those and then two fan adapters and hopefully they'll both fit. I might have to have the exhuast fan in the back adapt outwards...it'll look a little weird but a small price to pay for decent temps...

If I only had a job..........

Well the other dimm didnt fair too well, but since I've just been running the one thats in now I've had no problems....

Should I put the other one back in and do the memtest to make sure before returning it??

Ok so I was running it with just that one dimm that worked with no problems. I put it back in to test them both together with memtest.

ERROR!! The machine wouldnt boot, I got a post code from the on-board led display that wasnt in the manual and I emailed Abit about it. They promptly said it was a memory issue. Took the alleged bum stick out and was back in business.

Now I remember when I first started getting this machine going, I had both dimms in it. But they were in the reverse order. So I put them both back in, and put them in the order they were when I was first putting this machine together. Well, it starts up with no problems now. But failed memtest horribly!

I set it to test 400mb and in about 2 minutes I had 6-7 errors! Where as in about 6 hours I had 0 errors with just the one dimm.

So I guess this means that one of them is definetly bad right? So I should ship it back for a new one? Or should I ship them both back in hopes to get 1 512 dimm or something?

What should I do?

Details: both dimms are 256mb crucial ddr 2100. On an Abit IT7 with a 1.6A

Well first thing is to test the stick that you think is no good all by itself in the slot you had the good one in.. It might just be ther dimm slots your using.. But to be sure that the one is bad test it by itself first...

The other thing i cant believe that no one else mentioned yet is that fact that your 300 WATT P/S could also be the other factor you should be looking into... 300 WATTS isin't that much power for that sytem plus 2 sticks of 256 alone take a nice chunk of power.

But first fine out how that stick does (the bad one you suspect) by itself. If that thing tests fine then its either the slots your suing whch you could try changing around.. meaning have one in the frist to the CPU and then the second one in the last slot... If thats no good its the P/S...

Also i dont know why your cpu is running so hot... Is it hot in your room? Like real hot like no air conditioning and its like 90+ degrees in there? I know a friend that is using the retail heatsink fan that came with his 1.6A CPU and he's overclocking with the same M/B as you with 2 sticks of 512 Corsiar 3200 and he's running his system at 2.7 Ghz... Stable. 1.7 volts.

Are ou using the retail H/S? Did you use some thermo greese between the CPU and heatsink?

I will be testing just the other dimm tonight. I tried running it on its own before and thats how I decided to start calling it the bum stick, it froze the pc very quickly.

Anyhow the details here: I live in San Jose, and it's pretty warm here. No AC, its up to 85 in my room on hot days like today.

Yes I use the retail hsf. However I lapped it to 600 and I use AS3. However I think I used too much and I plan on relaying it this weekend.

ross2k said:

I will be testing just the other dimm tonight. I tried running it on its own before and thats how I decided to start calling it the bum stick, it froze the pc very quickly.

Anyhow the details here: I live in San Jose, and it's pretty warm here. No AC, its up to 85 in my room on hot days like today.

Yes I use the retail hsf. However I lapped it to 600 and I use AS3. However I think I used too much and I plan on relaying it this weekend.

Click to expand...

Ok cool... yeah sounds good man.. A bum stick it might be... it happends... Crucial is a good solid company i'm sure they will take care of you.

But yeah test just the one stick first one more time.

Yeah 85 Degrees is pretty hot... but thats what everyones going threw in the summer.. I'm sure some nice fans in that case will help out alot... Hell stick a floor standing fan about 2 feet from the side and blast it and see it that helps in the mean time jsut to get the temp down.

I tried running my window fan down on it and that did help temps (of course).

But its way too hot in here to let the computer get all the attention! I keep telling myself things will get better if I ever get a rackmount!