A-Data DDR400 can't do 400MHz

Got the stuff in my sig. I'll be redundant in case somebody can't read my sig.

MSI K7N2 Delta-ILSR
AMD Athlon XP 2700+ (TB-B core, 333MHz FSB, 256KB L2, '03 week 16)
512MB DDR400 by A-Data (chip is V-Data, but newegg says it's manuyfactured by A-Data?)

Everything worked fine at 180MHz FSB (effective 360). I was gradually raising FSB and vCore. I then moved up to 200MHz FSB (effective 400MHz). Now my diagnostic LED stop at "initializing memory". I hit power button, fans/lights start, and drives power up so I know the proc is fine, but I get no video and a wierd beep pattern*. It might be my video card (Celestica Radeon 9200SE), but I have FSB Spread Spectrum and AGP Spread Spectrum both set to disabled, so I doubt that, and also the "Booting VGA BIOS" LED sequence comes AFTER "Initializing Memory", it hasn't gotten that far. I wonder why a DDR400 chip can't run a 400MHz. I've even tried clearing CMOS and it still doesn't work.


*-Beep pattern is very strange. I've never heard anything similar from any of the computers I've had... I don't exactly remember it, last heard it an hour ago, and now it's not beeping, just diagnostic LEDs are stuck at initializing memory. It think it was something like:

"high-short high-short low-short pause-short low-short"

And it would keep repeating.

Any ideas on getting this fixed? (I recommend nobody buy this brand of RAM if you're planning on using it at rated speed, because it'll probably break...)

Well what memory timings are you trying to run? I've never tried the stuff myself, but I understand it's capable of high speeds at relatively loose timings.

only thing i cant think of is like u said.. the video card or the memory. do u have a agp lock? also try running the memory at lax timings 3.3.3.8 or 3.4.4.8 or something like that. also try max vdimm just for the heck of it..

I would try max vDim if I could get it to boot so I could get into BIOS... The A-Data website said it needs 2.7V, and I think mobo defaults to 2.5v... So retarded... (I am going to rant for a moment)... If somebody bought an XP 3200+ with deafult FSB of 400 and motherboard did 400FSB at first boot then they'd never be able to get their system up!!! (ranting done now ). I think MSI shows the timings in backwards order from other boards... My current timings are 8-4-4-3 (at "auto" BIOS setting) or 7-3-3-2 (at "High Performance" BIOS setting).

If you reset the CMOS will it not reset the FSB to 166 and allow you to post?

If I reset CMOS it should return FSB to 100MHz... that's the default. I think I forgot to pull the plug when I used the CMOS clear jumper. I did try the other jumper that limits FSB to 100MHz, but that didn't work.. Now I'll try CMOS clear with the power unplugged...

...& or remove the battery.

CMOS clear and jumper FSB 100MHz limit didn't work, still stuck at "initializing memory". I am not sure as to how to remove the battery. It is in a socket flat against the board, and I don't want to damage the board removing it.

It's ummm a replacable part and intended to be removed. I usually use a small flat bladed screwdriver to carefully pop the battery out. You won't damage anything if you use common sense.

run the mem timings like i have in sig it should work fine if it doesnt then RMA it

Edit: have u got other ram to try to make sure its not your motherboard???

Unplugged p/s, removed battery, then plugged in a booted. Still same problem. Now unplugged again, going to wait 5-10 minutes to make sure it loses all settings. Then I'll plug back in and reboot, if it doesn't work then, I'm returning the memory and getting a better brand.