P55M-UD2, i5-750 & F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

[Logicaluser]

Intel i5-750
Gigabyte P55M-UD2, latest BIOS
Coolermaster Hyper 212+ CPU heatsink
MSI GTS 250 1GB
OCZ 500W ModxStream PSU
4GB of G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ (2x2GB DIMMs) - rated DDR3 1600 1.5v 9-9-9-24

Just recently assembled this system for a friend and have been unable to get it stable yet, even at stock clock speed & auto voltages (RAM voltage/timings manually set) I've yet to OC my other p55/i5 system, and had no difficulties setting it up, so don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to tinkering on the P55 platform. I'm not after much, stable @ stock would be fine, at most an OC of 3.2-3.4ghz would be nice.

The system seems to freeze solid (hard reboot required) randomly while idle, often after under a minute idle/without load. I've tried a bunch of different settings that I've seen recommended, and the system has tested +2 hrs linpack or 3hrs prime95 largeFFT stable with a few different configs, yet each has either locked up soon after the load ended, or BSOD'ed when running Sandra CPU benchmarks right after hrs of prime95 load, frozen shortly after boot while at idle, etc....

Obviously I've missed something, but I've yet to find anyone with a similar config and only 4GB of this RAM (DDR3 1600 1.5v 9-9-9-24 rated), so I've been hesitant to try the solutions offered for ppl running 8GB or RAM rated @ 1.65v

Will post followups with changes to my settings as I try stumble through finding a solution

Current settings:
CPU Clock Ratio 20x

Advanced Core Features [Press Enter]:

Intel(R) Turbo Boost Tech................[Enabled]
CPU Cores Enabled........................[All]
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)..................[Enabled]
C3/C6/C7 State Support...................[Enabled]
CPU Thermal Monitor......................[Enabled]
CPU EIST Function........................[Enabled]
Bi-Directional PROCHOT...................[Auto]

QPI Clock Ratio..........................[Auto]
QPI Link Speed........................[4.8Ghz]
Uncore Clock Ratio....................[16x]
Uncore Frequency.........................2133MHz

>>>>> Standard Clock Control <<<<<

Base Clock (BCLK) Control................[Disabled]
BCLK Frequency ..........................[133]
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.)..........[Disabled]
System Memory Multiplier (SPD)...........[Auto]
Memory Frequency (MHz)................1333
PCI Express Frequency (MHz)..............[Auto]
C.I.A.2..................................[Disabled]

>>>>> Advanced Clock Control <<<<<

CPU Clock Drive..........................[ 800mV]
PCI Express Clock Drive..................[ 900mV]
CPU Clock Skew...........................[ 0ps]

Advanced Memory Settings:

Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.)..........[Disabled]
System Memory Multiplier (SPD)...........[Auto]
Memory Frequency (MHz)................1333
Performance Enhance (SPD)............. [Turbo]
DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD)............ [Expert]
Profile DDR Voltage ..................1.5
Profile QPI Voltage ..................1.1
Channel Interleaving.....................[Auto]
Rank Interleaving........................[Auto]

>>>>> Channel A & B

Channel A Timing Settings [Press Enter]:
Cas Latency Time........................[9]
tRCD....................................[9]
tRP.....................................[9]
tRAS...................................[24]

>>>>> Advanced Timing Control

tRC....................................[Auto]
tRRD...................................[Auto]
tWTR...................................[Auto]
tWR....................................[Auto]
tWTP...................................[Auto]
tWL....................................[Auto]
tRFC...................................[Auto]
tRTP...................................[Auto]
tFAW...................................[Auto]
Command Rate (CMD).................. 1 [1]

>>>>> Misc Timing Control

B2B Cas Delay..........................[Auto]
Round Trip Latency.....................[Auto]

Advanced Voltage Settings:

******Mother Board Voltage Control ******
Voltage Types............Normal......Current
--------------------------------------------

>>> CPU
Load Line Calibration...................[Enabled]
CPU Vcore..................1.18750v..[Auto]
QPI/VTT Voltage..........1.100v.....[Auto]

>>> MCH/ICH
PCH Core....................1.050v.....[Auto]
CPU PLL......................1.800v.....[Auto]

>>> DRAM
DRAM Voltage..............1.500v.....[Normal]
DRAM Termination.........0.750v.....[Auto]
Ch-A Data VRef............0.750v.....[Auto]
Ch-A Data VRef............0.750v.....[Auto]
Ch-B Data VRef............0.750v.....[Auto]
Ch-B Data VRef............0.750v.....[Auto]

Miscellaneous Settings:[/SIZE]

Isochronous Support....................[Enabled]
Virtualisation technology..............[Enabled]

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Have you set your own QPI/Vtt, this is key. Try 1.2-1.25 and see how things go

Have you tested this memory on your other board at all, or one stick at a time to be sure it is not faulty?

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Have you set your own QPI/Vtt, this is key. Try 1.2-1.25 and see how things go

Have you tested this memory on your other board at all, or one stick at a time to be sure it is not faulty?

I have yet to manually adjust QPI/Vtt. Changed to 1.21v QPI, will test now and see how it goes.

Also have not tested the sticks individually or in the other board, can try that tomorrow morning and see what happens.

Edit: Locked up within 5min at 1.21v QPI/Vtt, all other settings as per template above, trying 1.25v
Edit: Also locked up at 1.25v QPI/Vtt, same circumstances

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Hmm try that with ram voltage manually set at 1.5-1.54

Also try performance enhance standard, and extreme (Sometimes extreme is better than the others, not sure why)

What is is locking up in, try memtest86+ so we are only mainly testing memory here
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

The machine has been locking up while at idle/ with no load, with either CPU-Z+HardwareMonitor+the Sandra window open (but nothing running) or just when left at desktop with no apps open. I can grab memtest86+ if it'll help

Oh, I'm running Windows 7 x64 if it matters

RAM voltage is set to "Normal" (1.5v) currently, will try 1.54v now and see what happens, and then I'll see if the performance enhance setting has any effect

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Ahh ok, I just wondered since you didn't mention what was going on when things crashed.

Ya, get the latest Memtest86+ above and test 5-10 full passes or overnight while you sleep

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

I'm unsure why/how, but it seems to be freezing even sooner after bootup the last 10-15 or so bootups, before I can even launch apps, with a variety of seetings, even when reverted to the template above Beforehand I had at least a minute and could actually open apps, start a benchmark, etc... sometimes

I tried 1.56v for the RAM (no 1.54 in bios), and 1.5v with 'standard' on the performance enhance, no effect.

Memtest is running now.

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Memtest86+ has been running for the past 11hrs or so, 16 passes, no errors.

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

I have tested the machine with the 4GB kit of F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM (rated @ 1600mhz 7-8-7-24 @ 1.6v) out of my other stable i5-750/p55-UD3R build and it still freezes when idling, a few minutes/seconds after load stops, etc... same symptoms

Used the same settings as the template above, RAM @ 1333mhz 9-9-9-24 @ 1.5v

I'm puzzled as to what I should try next...
Different PSU perhaps? Different video card?

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

I've now swapped the PSU with another 500w OCZ ModxStream PSU that's been running stable a year or so, and the machine still freezes at idle/light CPU load, most often soon after heavy load stops
(I.E. prime95/Linpack/etc... running for awhile, and the machine locks up within a minute or two of me clicking stop)

I tried disabling LLC, no difference


Next I'll swap in a different graphics card...

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Hmm, very odd to hear since it passes mem test so long. Are you sure the Vcore is stable for your settings?

Maybe try a clean OS install?

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Maybe try a clean OS install?

I could try it, however the OS install is virtually clean already (-3 days old), all I've installed are drivers, directX, java and system diagnostics/feedback apps (Sandra, CPU-Z, HardwareMonitor, Speedfan, OCCT, Prime95, etc)
Oh, and fallout 3

Hmm, very odd to hear since it passes mem test so long. Are you sure the Vcore is stable for your settings?

I'm not sure, Vcore is set to auto, as is the base clock/multiplier/etc....
In-Windows voltage readings range between 1.232v at full load turboboost 1core, ~1.12v full load 4cores, to 0.848v/0.896v idle


At this point I'm not trying to overclock, just to get it stable at stock clocks.

It seems like it cannot be a defective/incompatible memory problem since the same issue occurs with the known stable (+6months) DDR3 kit from my P55-UD3R build, as well as when I swapped in a different PSU. (Both still installed, issue unchanged)

What are my next steps? At what point do I RMA the motherboard as defective?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Well maybe some drivers are the issue, that's more what I was asking about a clean install for.

I'd only really do it if you have a second disk that would be easy for you to do it with, otherwise I know it can be a hassle if it's not something you are used to doing.

Vcore Auto may be the issue, try setting this yourself to a higher value than you see now under load, and use level 1 LLC

I doubt it is the motherboard, not very likely. Try more voltage and see how it does, if it still fails then I would think about RMA'n the CPU not the board

[Logicaluser]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

So.... I pulled the video card yesterday, and the machine did not freeze when equipped with an 8600GT.

I reinstalled the GTS 250 and the freezing returned, even after I uninstalled the nvidia drivers, as well as when booted into safe mode (although it seemed to take far longer to freeze?)

So... to confirm my suspicions I again swapped the GTS 250 out with a similar card (9600GSO 512MB w g92 core & 6-PIN PCI-E power) and have been testing since early this morning without a freeze, so it seems a likely suspect.

However... the machine I swapped cards with (p45-DS3R/E5200) has somehow yet to freeze either, even tho its running the GTS 250 now. I mean... I've only tested it for a couple hrs now, its just puzzling that it hasn't froze yet, even when put though the same conditions. Still testing, if it freezes I've confirmed the issue, but if it doesn't I'm confused.

Is it possible there is something to do with some aspect of the P55/i5-750 combo (or its settings) that is exposing a flaw/weakness in the GTS 250 and freezing the system? (yet not affecting the other cards?) Or something on the P45 that is different enough to prevent the freezing?

I could try it in my other 9 month old P55/i5-750 build and try to replicate the crash, I just went to the least used machine we have I could pull a similar video card from

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P55M-UD2, i5-750 &amp; F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ unstable at stock clocks

Hmm, not sure what to surmise until you have finished testing the 250 on the P45 setup.