OCZ PC3200 Plat Problems - Need info and help

Ok, I could use a little help here.

I bought some used mem from a reputable seller on the forums and I *thought* it was working correctly for a while in my dual rig.

rig specs:
PC-DL mobo
2x Xeon 2.4 M0 chips @ 3.2ghz (they are stable)
fsp 550-60 power supply.


I was running the motherboad stable for a while (folding, prime, etc...) at ~240 fsb and now I'm just trying to run at 220 fsb, at 2.5-3-3-7 with this mem:

OCZ 3200 Platinum Rev2 2x512mb dual channel 2-2-2-5 rated timings
OCZ4001024ELDCPER2-K

When I run this mem in dual channel now I get a blue-screen when windows boots and when I swap the memory out with good memory I still get the error until I do a recovery console fixmbr / fixboot. Then windows works ok again (with different memory). But anytime I try to put this OCZ mem in it gives me a blue screen on boot then restarts right away (I don't have enough time to see what the error is). So I used to be able to use this mem but now it won't even make it into windows.

I have a volt-mod on my PC-DL and have tried a multitude of voltages but no luck anywhere. I"m not even sure where I'm supposed to be running it at really? Anyone know what is default is and how high is 'safe' or how high of voltage I would need to run 220 @2.5-3-3-7?



So any suggestions? I thought 220 at relaxed timings should be no problem for this mem? What would cause the instability all of a sudden. I'm sure its not the mobo/cpu's because I swap in my old 2x512mb of ram and run perfectly fine at the same settings and same speeds.

2.8v should be plenty for 220 @2.5-3-3-7. Maybe one of the sticks died, have you ran memtest?

Yeah I ran memtest with both of them in dual channel, had 2 errors within I'd say about 20 minutes.


Then I tried running it again later and test 5 ran for ~3 hours without any errors. I'm not sure which tests I should try or just run default (all tests).

Which test were you getting errors in? Can you try testing each stick on it's own at 200FSB 2-2-2-5 timings and 2.7V?

Thanks

SteveOCZ said:

Which test were you getting errors in? Can you try testing each stick on it's own at 200FSB 2-2-2-5 timings and 2.7V?

Thanks

Click to expand...

The ocz in Dual channel with my other gig of ocz (valueram, that works well and is stable at these timings) all ran memtest overnight with no errors.


Now I'll test each OCZ Plat. stick by itself at default as you said steve. Any special tests to run, or just let memtest run all of them in a loop? And how long should I test each stick for?



Also sometimes when I had the OCZ in the PC wouldn't even boot up at all. It seemed fine with either stick though (although I didn't let it try to boot to windows).


Thanks for the help so far guys.

First stick survived 6.5 hours at 200, 2-2-2-5, 2.7volts, looping through all the tests of memtest.


At 7 hours I'm switching over to the other stick...

Ok

Thanks

Well both sticks survived 7+ hours and over 40 passes of memtest at default settings.

So I booted into windows with one stick and it passed 13.5 hours of my usual torture test:
1 instance OCCT without affinity
1 instance Prime95 Blend test without affinity
4 instances Prime95 Large FFT test with affinity on each set to processors 0 to 3.

So I guess I will boot with the other stick into windows and try the same thing.



Then what? Try memtest with both sticks at default in dual channel?

Other stick passed windows test. Booted with both sticks at default in dual channel and suvived the torture tests in windows for 2+ hours.

Restarted and changed timings to 2.5-3-3-7 = no boot. I'm starting to think these OCZ sticks just don't like supposedly looser timings.

Now I'll have to see if my other set of OCZ valueRAM can run 2225 and maybe I can run all four at tighter timings. I wanted to run all four sets and the valueRAM is 2.5-3-3-7 and I assumed the Platinum would be fine at these timings, but apparently not...

The platinum should have no problems running looser timings. It may be a bios issue, but I will see if we have this board at OCZ and get someone to test it out. Are you on the newest bios?

Yes I believe I am running the newest bios, 1009.

It just seems weird, must be some kind of compatibility issue. They seem to run fine single/dual channel at 2225, and run fine single sticks at 2.5-3-3-7, but won't boot in dual channel at 2.5-3-3-7.

I appreciate you going through the trouble about testing it (if possible). I can also try this memory in my other motherboard (NCCH-DL) which uses the same chipset though. So I'm not sure how much good that would do.

There is a lot of posts over here --> http://xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70451&page=1&pp=25

about OCZ (and other makes) not working in CAS2.5 anymore, only booting in CAS2. hope it helps.

Tiesto said:

There is a lot of posts over here --> http://xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70451&page=1&pp=25

about OCZ (and other makes) not working in CAS2.5 anymore, only booting in CAS2. hope it helps.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tiesto. Seems quite a few more have experienced this or similar problems in the last month, though there has been no clear solution discussed yet.

Still being looked into, but can your other sticks run 2-3-3 timings? That may be a temp solution for the moment

SteveOCZ said:

Still being looked into, but can your other sticks run 2-3-3 timings? That may be a temp solution for the moment

Click to expand...

That's what I was trying, but they don't run those timings up too far (speed-wise). I had em both at 2337 but I think that may only be good up to ~210 or so.


Anyway, tony (bigtoe) from xtreme said it may be an spd programming issue, and I sent him an email about it. You both have been very helpful so far.

Are these Rev.2's? If so... I run mine at 2.65 or 2.55 and I get 263.5 1:1 at 2.5-3-3-5 when I Pi or Bench. I run it at 260 daily at those timings. Maybe try undervolting it. When I tried to ramp mine up they began to loose stability.

Richard

eightballrj said:

Are these Rev.2's? If so... I run mine at 2.65 or 2.55 and I get 263.5 1:1 at 2.5-3-3-5 when I Pi or Bench. I run it at 260 daily at those timings. Maybe try undervolting it. When I tried to ramp mine up they began to loose stability.

Richard

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion but lowest I can go is 2.702 volts with my voltmod in place. (Don't really want to mess with that because I know its working)

Anyway I tried at that voltage and it was still unstable/blue-screened, even at 200 fsb 2.5-3-3-7.

Hmm, I wonder how they are heat wise. BTW, were you running a VMOD on previous ram? If not, why use a VMOD on Plat 2 since I might be missing something with that.

Yes, I've been running it vmodded almost right out of the box. Right after my PQI memory wouldn't boot up in it (only memory I had for it at the time). Max vmem on this board is a paltry 2.5 volts stock, and it tends to undervolt slightly, hence why I needed a vmod.

I have a fan blowing on part of them, and they don't get too hot when running under 2.8-2.9 volts or so.

SteveOCZ said:

Which test were you getting errors in? Can you try testing each stick on it's own at 200FSB 2-2-2-5 timings and 2.7V?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Steve,

I'm having some similar issues, running 2.5-3-3-7 at even 230 and have sent you a PM. I'm on a different mobo, but I'm following this thread to see whether there is something posted here that can help me, as well.