ASUS P5E3 Pro, x48 express, 4 stiks (4x2Gb) ddr3 1333 not stable

[zamorano]

Hello,

My computer spec:

Motherboard ASUS P5E3 pro

Chipset Intel x48 express (with Twister III cooler)

Southbridge (with fan attached)

CPU Quad core 9550

4 ram sticks Kingston of 2Gb each one,
low density chips (256mb), total mem 8 Gb.
factory timings 9-9-9-24 for dram frec 1333

Case 1) conected 3 ram sticks, the pc boots with ddr at 1333 in asyncronus dual channel and it's stable.

Case 2) conected 4 ram sticks, the pc boots with ddr at 1333 in syncronus dual channel and after 2-3 minuts freezes.

Case 3) conected 4 ram sticks, set Dram freq to 1111 mhz, and the pc it's stable, in fact I set timings to: 6-6-6-16-3-48-7-4, 8-5-5-4-7-4-7, and its working smoothly.

If someone can suggest any action to estabilize the system at ddr frecc 1333 will be appreciated.

Thxs in advance.

NOTE:
I tried rising memory controler voltage but pc continue frozzen at ddr frec 1333 (4 sticks).

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Try only three sticks at 1333MHz.

 

[zamorano]

Try only three sticks at 1333MHz.

Thxs for your anwser AMINSITE,

I allready try 3 sticks at 1333, and i confirm thats works fine, but Im trying to use 4 ram sticks at 1333.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

How much did you try raising the memory controller voltage?

 

[zamorano]

until 1.68 or 1.69 v...

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Have you tried with the stick you removed to go from four sticks to three?

 

[zamorano]

Have you tried with the stick you removed to go from four sticks to three?

Yes, I tried 3 sticks, and i can confirm pc boots, everything in auto and RAM frec gets 1333 hz, PC working stable.

I posted 3 cases that i allready tested, all of them....

Im trying to get 4 sticks working at 1333, but if it were not possible I left them working at 1111 mhz (now im using that configuration, and playing Fallout 4 without any problems).

But If it were possible to touch anyting in the bios to stabilize the system at 1333 mhz it will be great.

Than you very much for your respones

- - - Updated - - -

All the sticks were tested with memtest and no errors were reported.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I was not asking you to test with three sticks again. I'm asking if you have tested, individually, the stick you removed.
Not just Memtest, but actually using the system to see if it freezes.

 

[zamorano]

Finally i found a solution...

conect only 1 stick to the MB, star up with everything in auto on bios except ddr frecuency manualy set up to 1600, after post go into bios and copy memory timings:

DDR 1600 timings: 9-9-9-25-5-88-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7

change DDR frequency to 1333,

shutdown, install 4 sticks and set timings to ones i get on 1600 config
and know the pc its stable.

RAM benchmark with Everest:
Read: 7971 MB
Write: 7090 MB
Copy: 7440 MB
Latency: 67.4 ns.

With the previus config:
DDR 1111 timings: 6-6-6-16-3-48-7-4-8-5-5-4-7-4-7
Read: 7340 MB
Write: 7076 MB
Copy: 7339 MB
Latency: 72.8 ns.

sightly differences but know i can adjust the timings...

NOTE:
DDR 1333 timings on AUTO,

DDR 1333: 9-9-9-24-4-74-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7 (not working for 4 sticks)

DDR 1600: 9-9-9-25-5-88-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7 (working 4 sticks at 1333)

tRAS: incremented from 24 to 25.
tRRD: incremented from 4 to 5.
tRFC: incremented from 74 to 88.
tWR: incremented from 10 to 12.
tRTP: incremented from 5 to 6.
WRITE to READ Dealy (s): incremented from 5 to 6.

Now that I know the system can be stable i will try to adjust the timings.

I left the info just in case were usefull for somebody.

Thanks.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Thanks for following up, glad you're getting some progress!!
Maybe try the original timings with a higher RAM voltage?

 

[zamorano]

Thanks for following up, glad you're getting some progress!!
Maybe try the original timings with a higher RAM voltage?

My memory KVR 1333D3N9/2G
maximun voltage 1.575v

DRAM voltage 1.56v (next step in bios is 1.58v)
DDR 1333 standard timings (AUTO)...
9-9-9-24-4-74-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7
PC freeze after 4:30 minutes.

DRAM voltage 1.56v
DDR 1333 Manual timings modified tRFC from 88 to 82
9-9-9-25-5-82-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7
PC freeze after 6:30 minutes.

DRAM voltage 1.5v (auto)
DDR 1333 standard timings (Manual), modified only tRFC from 74 (standard) to 88 (incremented)
9-9-9-24-4-88-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7
PC keep stable.

So looks like the critical parameter in this configuration for my Motherborad & 4 sticks DDRAMs its increment the tRFC.

RAM benchmark with Everest:
Timings: 9-9-9-25-5-88-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7
Read: 7971 MB
Write: 7090 MB
Copy: 7440 MB
Latency: 67.4 ns.

Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-88-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7
Read: 7993
Write: 7092
Copy: 7439
Latency: 65.6

(only as a reference).

Question:
If I increment DRAM voltage and MCH voltage can this help to reduce the tRFC???

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Try 1.65V on the RAM, see if it's stable then.

Yes, increasing DRAM voltage can help increase speed and/or reduce timings.

 

[zamorano]

Try 1.65V on the RAM, see if it's stable then.

Yes, increasing DRAM voltage can help increase speed and/or reduce timings.

DRAM voltage 1.5
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-88-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=2N
Read: 7993
Write: 7092
Copy: 7439
Latency: 65.6

Change Command Rate from 2N to 1N
DRAM voltage 1.5
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-88-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N
Read: 8202
Write: 7101
Copy: 7447
Latency: 64.5


DRAM voltage 1.58v.
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-82-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N, tRFC 88 -> 82
PC freeze after 5:30 minutes.

DRAM voltage 1.58v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-82-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N
PC freeze after 5:30 minutes.

DRAM voltage 1.60v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-82-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N
PC freeze after 2:40 minutes.

DRAM voltage 1.62v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-82-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N
PC keep stable
Read: 8280
Write: 7103
Copy: 7458
Latency: 64.6

DRAM voltage 1.62v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-72-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N, tRFC 82 -> 72
PC freeze after 2:40 minutes.
Read: 8299
Write: 7100
Copy: 7488
Latency: 64.2

DRAM voltage 1.64v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-72-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N, tRFC 82 -> 72
PC freeze after 2:40 minutes.
Read: 8258
Write: 7096
Copy: 7497
Latency: 64.3

Looks like i get better results with 1.62v and tRFC 82, CM 1N...

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Looks like positive progress!

 

[zamorano]

Looks like positive progress!

Progress..... halt!

Will i was working whit this config:

DRAM voltage 1.62v
Timings: 9-9-9-24-4-82-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N

Pc freezes.
So i tried CM=2N
tRFC 90

but not succes.

tried rising NB voltage to 1.31,
DRAM 1.56v
CM 1N
Pc freezes.

downgrade DRAM freq to 1111,
Timings 6-6-6-16-3-48-7-4, 8-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N

and keep stable,.

this memories hasn't cooler may be 1.64v was too much for them?

 

[ATMINSIDE]

As long as you have airflow over them the voltage is plenty safe.

 

[zamorano]

As long as you have airflow over them the voltage is plenty safe.

Yesterday was a warm day here... so another try...

DRAM voltage 1.62
Timings: 9-9-9-25-5-88-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7
Case open, big fan at full speed on top, so fresh memories this time...

Temps:
System 29 ºC
CPU 47 ºC
GPU 27ºC

Testing with HeayLoad memory test 15 minutes and keep stable....

So looks like RAMs need to rise the voltage a better cooling.

Great!

- - - Updated - - -

and DRAM freq was set to 1333.

 

[zamorano]

Time config: 9-9-24-4-tRFC-10-5-10-5-5-4-7-4-7, CM=2N
DRAM voltage: 1.62v

tRFC time Freeze
74 2:30 Yes
82 6:30 Yes
88 5:53 Yes
90 5:38 Yes
100 14:25 Yes
110 15:30 Yes

maximum tRFC in bios it's 110.....

may be 1.64v estabilize the RAM if not i will use

DRAM voltage 1.62
Timings: 9-9-9-25-5-88-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7
that looks like more stable.

thx for your comments.

 

[zamorano]

For memory stability test I was using http://www.jam-software.com/heavyload/,
but i set free memory treshold of 512Mb, that was too low and many warnings from windows runing out of memory, so I set it to 2048 Mb & repeat memory test...

Finally the most stable config was...

DRAM voltage 1.5
Timings: 9-9-9-25-5-110-12-6-10-6-5-4-7-4-7, CM=1N
Cooler: 2 fans on top of the 4 memory sticks.

Read(MB/s): 8228
Write(MB/s): 7102
Copy(MB/s): 7416
Lat(ns): 65.3


Heavyload memory test
free memory treshold: 2048 Mb
runing along 53 minuts and PC freezes, windows warning messagge "Out of memory".

Forget Heavyload... dosen't work for me so I'm using now...

OCCT

 

[zamorano]

Well, now that i have an stable system.... what about Overclock CPU and RAM.... let's give a chance just for fun....

MB: P5E3 Pro.

CPU: Quad Core 2 9550 oc 3230 Mhz

FSB: 380 Mhz

RAM:KVR1333D3N9_2G x 4 sticks, oc 760 Mhz (1521 Mhz)
2 sticks: 9905403-011a01LF ELPIDIA
2 sticks: 99U5458-001.A00LF Kingston

DRAM v: 1.64v

Timings: 9-9-9-25- tRFC = 110, CM=1N

PCI-E freq: 102 Mhz.

Graphic card: Gforce GTX 950 2 GB DDR5.

Memory Benchmark (Everest)

DRAM 1333
Read (MB/s): 8228
Write (MB/s): 7102
Copy (MB/s): 7416
Latencia (ns): 65.3

DRAM 1521
Read (MB/s): 9164
Write (MB/s): 8050
Copy (MB/s): 8414
Latencia (ns): 59


I tried DRAM freq 800 Mhz with Dram v 1.68 but system it'snt stable, any suggestion?

Thxs.