NF7 and Mushkin Blue Line 3200 problem in XP

hi guys,

here is my issue:

I run an Abit NF7 v2.0 with barton 2500+ and 2x512mb Muskin Blue Line 3200 RAM at 2-3-3-7. Current FSB = 200, Multi = 12.5 vcore 1.825, result, 100% stable cpu, and UNSTABLE memory.

here is what im talking about. When i run memtest, i dont get a single error regarding the memory. But if I run prime 95 testing memory (blend test) i get an error within 1 minute. If i keep the fsb at 200, and take memory down to.. say... 356 I do not experience the error. My memory simply doesnt run prime95 at 400mhz in windows, but it passes all tests in memtest. My processor is not the issue because i run it way under spec to do these tests, and i have concluded that it is exlusively the memory that fails.

Vdimm = 2.8 or 2.9 (nf7 overvolts to over 3v at 2.9v setting) = plenty of voltage.

timings = 3-3-3-8 (still fail) 3-4-4-8 (still fail) but the specs are for 2-3-3-7 (which of course fails)

Mushkin runs memtest to decide whether their memory is faulty. I run memtest and find no problems. That means neither will they, but it fails prime 95 and more importantly (seeing as how prime 95 is not entertaining) CS: Source crashes due to memory errors on a regular basis. These disappear when i drop the memory clock speed to 356.

the issue is obvious, I cant prove to Mushkin that this ram doesnt run because it runs in memtest! but i dont do anything in DOS, so when it fails every few minutes in CS:SOURCE or Prime 95, we have a problem. I have messed with everything and i simply cant get a stable 400mhz.

any suggestions will be very highly appreciated guys, thanks alot!

welcome to the forums!!!!

since you're running this on a NF7 you should try to keep the TRas at 11 or maybe 10 instead of 7 (depending on the memory). Also, have you tried the Cas at 2.5 yet? I've found that a lot of ram likes the case at 2.5 on an nforce board. hope this helps.

i have tried cl2.5 but i havent tried Tras 11 so im gonna do that now thx for the response.


Edit


Yea i just tried and it failed after 1 minute of prime95, as usual. But i know that if i were to run memtest forever it wouldnt get the error. sigh...

you could also try switching the ram around in the slots.... I've had cases where ram would work o.k. in one slot but awful in another slot..... all the while getting no errors at all in memtest.

Sounds weird, I have had a similar problem with Mushkin 2-2-2 special on my intel set up. But I fixed it just by upping the voltage. As suggested above, what slots is your ram in?

im using slot 1 and slot 3 *dual channel setup*.

here is what i did. I took the ram out of slot 1 and left only 512 in slot 3. I ran prime 95 - no problems. I ran it at 432mhz and still no problems.

i took the other stick and put it back in, but into slot 2 instead of 1 this time. 400mhz fail after 1 minute. Im gonna try only using the problem stick now.

ok i ran prime 95 using only the memory module i had removed in the previous step. That is now deemed the BAD module because it fails prime 95 at 400mhz on its own, without the good module.

Im currently running prime with just the good module and no errors are occuring. It is safe to say that 1 module is working and the other isnt.

any comments?

sounds about right..... did you use both modules in the same slot to make sure it's not a bad slot?

yep i tried them both in slot 1. Right now im running the good module in slot 1 at 432mhz prime 95 = no problems. The bad module couldnt even do 390 with such stability.

nimba said:

yep i tried them both in slot 1. Right now im running the good module in slot 1 at 432mhz prime 95 = no problems. The bad module couldnt even do 390 with such stability.

Click to expand...

I hope you can rma it.... the same thing happened to me a long time ago... bought some Kingmax pc3200 and couldn't figure out what the problem was.... couldn't get the ram over 160mhz.... since I was a newbie at the time it took me two months to figure out that i had one good stick and one bad stick. Wish i was a part of this community back then....