Dud Crucial PC2100

[jkersenbr]

OK, I just made the move to a Duron/DDR setup from a P3/SDRAM setup a few weeks ago. And I've really been disappointed by the FSB limitations of my new system. I believe my problem is the fabled good-overclocking Crucial DDR.

My stuff:

Abit KG7 Standard
AKBA Duron 600@866 (or similar depending on multiplier/fsb) @ 1.9 v (until I can afford a Tbird)
Taisol 742092 with 80mm Thermaltake fan and Arctic Silver II
256MB Crucial PC2100
Asus v6800 pure Geforce256 DDR
Soundblaster Live
3com 905c nic


First off, I have established the overclockability of the Duron. It's not stellar, but it does 866 fine @ 118F full load. For my FSB testing, I decrease the multiplier to 5.5 so I know the CPU isn't the bottleneck.

Secondly, all these same cards ran in my old P3 system on a 155FSB with the same AGP/PCI dividers.

My problem: the memory appears to suck to me. Won't even do any faster than the "Fast" timings @ 133/CAS2. I've never seen "Turbo" or "Ultra" timings POST at all, at any FSB (even 100).

The fastest I've even gotten it to boot at is 144. Frequent BSOD's (in Windows2000) @ 144/CAS2/"Auto" and 144/CAS2.5/"Auto". No boot @ 144/CAS2.5/"Normal". Won't even POST @ 150/CAS2.5/Auto. Yes, I have bumped the DDR voltage. Have taken it as far as 2.8v with no stability change over the KG7's default (2.65). I hesitate to push the voltage more without a heatspreader.

Everybody I talk to says Crucial is awesome and will almost always hit 150 CAS2. Wrong! I've got proof of a dud stick.

I downloaded Memtest and ran it @ 133,140,141,142,143,and 144 MHz @ CAS2.5/"Auto"/2.75v. Works fine until 143, then boom, errors on on 144. 850,000+ errors in the Memtest's second test (first pass). I cancelled the test because it was obviously bad.

Now, a question:
Does my testing with Memtest isolate the problem to the memory, or could my mobo still be in question. I understood the KG7 to be good to at least 155FSB with good components or I would have never bought this thing.

I hate dumping another $100 on Kingmax or something if my mobo is really the problem.

Moral: Don't believe everything you hear about Crucial. It doesn't all overclock well.

 

[Jon]

1 stick doesn't spoil the lot.

Sorry you got a bum stick but you can't say Crucial sucks because of it. Same goes with all hardware. Overclocking isn't an exact science and Crucial doesn't support it...as Intel, AMD, etc. don't. People get bad CPUs, bad memory, bad boards, on and on.

I've got 8 systems with Crucial in each and every one of them. It all overclocks well for me. I get 150-166MHz out of my SDRAM and DDR.

Would you stop buying AMD if you got a CPU that wouldn't overclock? Would you stop overclocking at all if you then flunked out on a Pentium?

I don't believe everything I hear about Crucial. I believe what I see...

 

[Placid]

Make sure you put the memory in the farthest bank from the cpu.
Ultra/turbo not working at 133mhz is common on that board.
Try raising the memory voltage up to 2.7-2.8v.

The KG7 is not known as one of the most memory freindly boards.

 

[jkersenbr]

Jon:
You're right. One stick doesn't spoil the whole lot, but when one stick is the only Crucial I've ever ran (SDR or DDR), it sure makes me think twice about dropping $75 on another stick.

Would flunking out with a particular component make me stop overclocking at all? In this case it is close because of $. Because memory prices are nuts now, I now have to choose between buying a different stick of DDR or the Tbird I was planning on getting after selling off my old P3. I'm leaning to a stock Tbird until memory prices are sane again.


Placid:
If you don't put the memory in the farthest bank, the KG7 beeps and throws a warning on POST. It's in the farthest bank. I said in my post that I already tried 2.8v in everyday use. I just didn't try it with Memtest.

 

[Placid]

Do you have a friend who overclocks that will test the memory in his machine?
Also you should run the memtest with the memory voltage up as the voltage can make a big difference with crucial.

 

[jkersenbr]

Nope, no other overclockers around here.... I live in the middle of nowhere in a town where most people think HP makes the best computers.

I just tried Memtest with 2.8v. No difference. I'm going to get a heatspreader and try higher. I hesitate to go much more with bare chips. Maybe 2.9 will get it to 150, but I doubt it.

 

[Morbid]

I have 256mb stick of Crucial PC2100 DDR... doing just fine @ 150FSB w/2.8v.

 

[Placid]

Maybe you can find something of help here:

http://www.amdmb.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58982

 

[jkersenbr]

Now that's a darn good link. Thanks!

I applied the settings except the 3.0v DDR. I'll try that after I get my heatsprearders.

Helped a little bit. Solidified 144 CAS2. Still no go higher. 146 CAS2.5 passes Memtest but BSOD's Windows. Made a nice little memory benchmark boost too.

155 still doesn't finish posting. It freezes between the BIOS memory count and the drive initialization.

 

[montano]

I've always used Crucial memory in the boxes I have built. They have never failed me. I consider them to be among the best. I am trying Kingmax in my new system, only because Crucial has yet to make DDR 333. However, I will buy a stick of Crucial once the 333 hits the market.