Mushkin PC3500 Black LVL2 solution for 2-2-2

All users of this memory who have Abit GAT supported boards might want to try this solution http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=2435912#post2435912 if they can't run PC3500 Black LVL2 at 217mhz 2-2-2-5/6 (ras to cas of 2) and are forced to run 2-3-2-6

but i was thinking if GAT AUTO is different depending on the memory used, so it might be too tight for mushkin but not corsair or ocz so i played with the RCT and RD settings and found I can now boot using RCT = NORMAL and RD = 9

Game Accelerator = AUTO
Refresh Cycle Time = NORMAL
Read Delay = 9 clocks (10 and 11 clocks cause pc to boot but freeze before loading memtest86)
Read Delay Adjust = DISABLED
Command Per Clock = DISABLED

Swapped my 2.4C cpu for 2.8C to see how the Mushkin's max memory oc with NB Strap 667FSB fairs.

P4 2.8C | SL6WT | Malaysia | Batch: L321B418 | Pack date: 15/8/03
Abit AI7
128MB Gigacube 9600PRO Stock
2x 512MB Mushkin PC3500 Black LVL2 dual channel
80GB WD 800JB
550W Antec TrueControl PSU

Ratio: 1:1
NB Strap: 667FSB

@238mhz 2-2-2-6 at 3.2v vdimm

Game Accelerator = AUTO
Refresh Cycle Time = NORMAL
Read Delay = 5 clocks
Read Delay Adjust = DISABLED
Command Per Clock = DISABLED

Sandra 2004 STD
Buffered: 5918/5871
Unbuffered: 3544/3564

Aida32 v3.88
Read: 5786
Write: 2147

Pcmark2002
CPU: 8327
MEM: 11321
HDD: 1107

note: CPUZ has a bug in reporting ratio and mem speed while NB Strap is set at 667FSB - cpuz mistakenly reports 5:4 ratio when it's really 1:1

what does NB strap do? I just got a gig of the LvL2 black myself and it seems to gail prime95 when i use the test that stresses memory the most @214 2-2-2-5. any clues? my fsb is 267mhz on a 2.6c abit IC7

I have a stick of that stuff here that won't even do 200mhz 2225 without prime95 errors, I emailed mushkin months ago about it...have yet to hear a reply. You might want to call them and see about replacing it if it doesn't perform to spec.

Edit:
Just noticed the mushkin site says Sold out indefinitely for this memory, might not be possible for either of us to get them to replace it.

bob
are you testing the mushkin at 1:1, 5:4, or 3:2 ratio?
i've heard that mushkin only guarantees spec at 1:1 speeds

lol, yeah I did all my testing at 1:1. Here I'll copy a portion of the email that I sent to mushkin 2 months ago. It details the testing I did.

Portion from my email (warning its a tad long):
I run memtest86 for 12-24 hours on each system), I started at my P4s 200mhz default (I have a Abit IC7, P4 2.6c and your memory, powered by a 480w Antec TrueBlue Power supply) and I figured I'd start with the timings you programmed the spd (2.5,2,2,6), and low and behold memtest86 passed (I had to use 2.7v to get windows to boot but memtest86 passed with 2.6). Well thinking it was fine, I went onto my next test which is 2 instances of prime95 (2 to test hyperthreading) for 24 hours, and what do you know it kept randomly failing and was causing me all sorts of headaches, finally I went to 2326 timings and it fixed it. This worried me as I was still only running at 200mhz and I was using your programmed timings. Well I proceeded to test your rated speed for this memory and it failed at 216/217mhz each time, with the 2326 timings that you rate this memory for and 2.7v (that's the high closest my board supports to your max of 2.75v). Thinking maybe one of the dimms was bad I started testing each on its own. Once done I found one of the Dimms will run the spd timings at 200mhz (2.5,2,2,6) and it would even run 2225 quite easily, so the disclaimer that your memory will run 2226 for only some 875 boards and 2326 for others didn't seem to apply to me (since mine appears to be fine with 2225). This stick went right up to 216/217 with 2225 and 2.7v. After seeing the first stick I was starting to worry maybe my board was at fault, maybe something with the dual channel. Well those fears weren't valid, as soon as I put the other dimm in I had to goto 2326 at 200mhz, and at 216/217 I couldn't get it stable with the rated timings. In fact, upon letting memtest86 test this particular stick, I came back to my system had rebooted and was saying my bios was corrupted. A quick clearing of my bios and a few mins later I had found my problem, it was the second stick which apparently is bad. Now just so I'm clear, I did all of the above tests with 2.7v, and the game accelerator options were set to all auto with the last 2 disabled. Caching bios and video were also disabled. Legacy usb is also disabled