GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

[jaansk]

Hi all!

I haven't been tweaking memory settings or OCing before, but buying an extra 2 gigs of RAM is what brought me to this course :)

I have a 965P board with E6600 running at 2,4GHz.

One Corsair CM2X1024-6400C4 set (2 gigs) will run just fine in dual channel. It can do the advertised 4-4-4-12. In BIOS it says the SPD is set to 5-5-5-18, but setting manually to 4-4-4-12 works just fine with +0,3V.

The problem is, whatever I do, I can't seem to get 4 sticks (2 sets of CM2X1024) running at the same time. All it does is cyclic rebooting after 3-4 seconds uptime.

I can get 3 sticks to work in "Flex mode". This seems to set the frequency to 533 instead of 800 as per CPU-Z. A peculiar thing is that it only works when the single channel stick is in slot 4, but not when in slot 2 (1 and 3 are also filled).

I have tried upping the MCH voltage, running the CPU at 266x9 instead of 400x6, switching sets between slots...

I have read this thread also, which deals with a similar issue. The 9x266 setup I tried with the same timings LSD posted.

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/ep35-ds3l-4x1gb-sticks-ram-27449/?highlight=EP35-DS3L

Maybe I'm totally missing smth here, but it would be great to not have to find a way to replace the sticks with a 2x2GB set, so any help would be appreciated.


Here are the current BIOS settings:

Robust Graphics Booster [Auto]
CPU Clock Ratio [6]
CPU Host Clock Control [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (MHz) [400]
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) [Auto]
C.I.A. 2 [Disabled]
System Memory Multiplier (SPD) [2.00]
DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) [Manual]

CAS Latency Time [4]
Dram RAS# to CAS# Delay [4]
Dram RAS# Precharge Delay [4]
Precharge Delay (tRAS) [12]
ACT to ACT Delay (tRRD) 3
Rank Write to READ Delay 3
Write to Precharge Delay 6
Refresh to ACT Delay 42
Read to Precharge Delay 3

Memory Performance Enhance [Standard]

System Voltage Control [Manual]
DDR2 OverVoltage Control [+0.300V]
PCI-E OverVoltage Control [+0.05V]
FSB OverVoltage Control [+0.1V]
(G)MCH OverVoltage Control [+0.1V]
CPU Voltage Control [1.35625V]

Thanks in advance,

J.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

Ya, 4x1GB or 2x2GB needs some different settings then 2x1 for sure. First of all, have your an memtest86+ on each stick by itself to be sure NONE of them is dead or dying? If not, you should DOA ram can get shipped out anytime. Best to test now and not later after many hours of trying things. Latest Version 2.01 >>>
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

As for your settings, this should get you working for sure >>>

Robust Graphics Booster [Auto]
CPU Clock Ratio [6]
CPU Host Clock Control [Enabled]
CPU Host Frequency (MHz) [400]
PCI Express Frequency (Mhz) [Auto]
C.I.A. 2 [Disabled]
System Memory Multiplier (SPD) [2.00]
DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) [Manual]

CAS Latency Time [4]
Dram RAS# to CAS# Delay [4]
Dram RAS# Precharge Delay [4]
Precharge Delay (tRAS) [12]

ACT to ACT Delay (tRRD) 3-4
Rank Write to READ Delay 3 (may need 4-8)
Write to Precharge Delay 6
Refresh to ACT Delay 52-65<< Needed for 4x1 or 2x2GB of ram

Read to Precharge Delay 3-6

Memory Performance Enhance [Standard]

System Voltage Control [Manual]
DDR2 OverVoltage Control [+0.300V]
PCI-E OverVoltage Control [+0.05V]
FSB OverVoltage Control [+0.1V]
(G)MCH OverVoltage Control [+0.1V] <<< +0.2 - 0.25 - 0.3 << Needed for 4x1 or 2x2GB of ram

CPU Voltage Control [1.35625V]

[jaansk]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

Thanks for the quick reply!

I haven't done a FULL memtest on these, but I can run each of the sets stably with Vista 32 for quite a few days. Have also used the second slot pair alone and it works fine.
Will do a full memtest just to be sure, but my guts say they will pass...

I did encounter instability when it was running in Flex Mode with 3 GB, with occasional BSOD etc, but not with any of the 2GB sets.

I tried the settings you posted:
ACT to ACT Delay (tRRD) 3 and 4
Rank Write to READ Delay 3 and 8
Write to Precharge Delay 6
Refresh to ACT Delay 52 and 65

Ran these with 4-4-4-12 and 5-5-5-18, MCH overvoltage at +0,3V, but still no success.

When it has rebooted itself a few times with the 4 sticks in, if I take out 2 and go to BIOS, it has set the CPU Host Clock Control to Disabled and set the DRAM timing to Auto and before entering BIOS it shows my E6600 is running at 1,6GHz (which should be 266x6 instead of 400x6). It seems to load the Backup BIOS also after doing this, which is F8. I flashed the main BIOS to F11.

This is after it has failed with 4 sticks. When I set it to 400x6 again, it works with 2 sticks just fine.

The Corsair's SPD is also interesting. Here are some CPU-Z screenshots.





It says 4-4-4-12 and 2,1V on the stickers on the memory.


Think I could be better off with 2x2GB instead?
If the memtest shows nothing it seems to be a dead end...

I greatly appreciate any further suggestions.

Best,

J.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

Ya, See what memtest does. They (Corsair) may have just not programmed a SPD set of timings in there, if the sticker is correct then you would see EPP profile as well in CPU-z tab, so they must not have programmed the timings in is all.

How hot is your NB? Can you add a fan on it and see if that helps any? 965 NB gets hot I know that for sure. I put a ThermalTake Extreme Spirit II on my GA-965P

Are you SURE you are using enough CPU voltage?

Try act to act of 5 as well. But It really is looking like you either have a Failing stick or the ram is just not compatible. Or you could have BIOS issues with Certain versions, have you tested a few different Versions? I know when I last used my 965P I was using F12

[jaansk]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

I'm not sure why CPU-Z says the core voltage is 1,328V. In BIOS, the standard or "auto" setting is 1,35000V. I have it slightly upwards.

I am not sure how I can measure NB temp. Everest currently says CPU at 33C, mobo at 35C (it's been running the memtest 15 mins ago), but there's no NB temp. I can probably get a fan sometime next week, but it would be good to know if the NB temp is an issue. The cyclic reboot appears even after the machine has been shut for some time.

I did the memtest on one of the pairs, no errors, will do it on the second also.

Set the ACT to ACT at 5, this didn't help.

I tried to run the sticks at single channel also. One of the pairs works in single channel, the other caused the same kind of rebooting cycle.

Will post back after the second memtest.

If it could be of any importance, I have an everest report at:
www.sokkphoto.com/dl/Report.html


J.

[jaansk]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

OK, just memtested the second set, no errors. Note that this was the set that refused to run in single channel mode in side by side slots. The sticks boot to POST and work running on their own in single channel.

I am beginning to think there is smth wrong woth the set that won't run in single channel together, although memtest shows thyre ok.

[jaansk]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

The weirdest thing just happened.
I'm running the machine eith 4x1GB for the first time. But I switched the one Corsair set that didn't work in single channel to my old pair of PQI 800 C5 sticks.
Right now I'm at 5-5-5-18 and the sub-timings that you suggested.

The only thing I'm worried about a bit is that I don't know if the PQIs can handle 2,1V for a sustained period. I have the memory voltage set to 2,0V, maybe I'll go to 1,9V.

I think I'll have to return the set of Corsairs, although they work just fine when together, just not in 4x1GB conf. The funny thing is they already ARE replacements of one faulty set. I think I'm still gonna give it a try and swap these.

Thanks LSD!

J.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-965P-DS4 v2 and 4x1GB Corsair 6400 C4

I'm not sure why CPU-Z says the core voltage is 1,328V. In BIOS, the standard or "auto" setting is 1,35000V. I have it slightly upwards.

I am not sure how I can measure NB temp. Everest currently says CPU at 33C, mobo at 35C (it's been running the memtest 15 mins ago), but there's no NB temp. I can probably get a fan sometime next week, but it would be good to know if the NB temp is an issue. The cyclic reboot appears even after the machine has been shut for some time.

CPU-z shows you actual voltage the CPU is getting inside windows after vdrop, this will decrease further at load which is called the Vdroop. Both are Intel safety features and are normal

Motherboard in Everest is your NB temp sensor, so that is a good temp. What I meant was to test it with your finger while Memtest86+ was and had been running for a bit. If you can touch it for more then 10 Seconds then you are fine, if not you may need a 40MM fan on there

The weirdest thing just happened.
I'm running the machine eith 4x1GB for the first time. But I switched the one Corsair set that didn't work in single channel to my old pair of PQI 800 C5 sticks.
Right now I'm at 5-5-5-18 and the sub-timings that you suggested.

The only thing I'm worried about a bit is that I don't know if the PQIs can handle 2,1V for a sustained period. I have the memory voltage set to 2,0V, maybe I'll go to 1,9V.

I think I'll have to return the set of Corsairs, although they work just fine when together, just not in 4x1GB conf. The funny thing is they already ARE replacements of one faulty set. I think I'm still gonna give it a try and swap these.

Thanks LSD!

J.

YA, sounds to me like you have a dead stick or set. I'd return them both. As for now please do not run unmatched ram, aside from the voltage differences the Chips on the ram will be out of sync and give you errors, or corrupt Data on your disk. Best to use one or the other set.