GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

[wayne.i.hill]

I just built a new HTPC using the GA-H55-USB3 with an i5 661 cpu. After installation of Windows, I started getting stability issues. After running memtest+, the trouble was found to be a faulty stick of ram. I RMAed it a just received a new set. Again one is faulty, but the other stick passes the memtest fine. However, when in windows, prime95 fails almost instantly. Is it possible it is the mobo? cpu? or settings in the BIOS?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

Are you using the white slots only? If not you need to

You also need to set your own ram voltage to spec manually, and you may need to increase the QPI/Vtt depending on the ram timings and speeds

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

Thanks for the quick response!

I am using Slot DDR3_1 (white) for all tests

I have tried the defaults settings 7-7-7-16, Volts 1.50, multiplier (Auto)

and recommended settings 7-7-7-20, volts 1.64 (recommends 1.65, but not an option in the BIOS) and 10X multiplier.

the one stick passes memtest86 under all settings, but I still get errors in prime95

I have increased the vtt up to 1.34, is it save to go beyond that?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

One stick passes, but the other does not correct? Is this testing one stick at a time in the same slot?

If so then you may have a faulty memory stick and would need to RMA the set.

No, do not use more than 1.2-1.25 QPI/Vtt on this board, Intel Max is 1.21

Errors in prime95 could be Vcore, but if you have one faulty stick it does not matter about Prime95 because it is going to fail anyway due to this faulty module.

You need to setup a RMA if one stick fails in the same slot with the same settings and the other one does not, that clearly means the stick is not functioning properly.

Are you sure they did not send you the same memory back you sent in, sounds odd to get a faulty stick out of two sets right in a row.

Are you using the latest BIOS, shouldn't matter much though if the above is true as that sounds to me like one faulty stick again.

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

The prime 95 fails occur even when using the one good stick. I should add that this is the Blend test.

Yeah, 2 faulty sticks in a row does seem strange. But they are different serial numbers then the previous ones.

Note, I just ran Small FFT for 30 mins, and no errors on any of the cores.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

Well like I said prime95 errors aside, it sounds like you have a faulty stick again.

It's good to hear serials are different though!

More Vcore is all may need to pass prime, but you could also need to adjust QPI/Vtt, you can use 1.66 Dram voltage as it will be closer to 1.65V (1.64 will be less than that even like 1.62-1.63)

So can you please test with memtest86+ latest version, each stick again one at a time in the same slot with ram voltage set to 1.66. Let each test run 5-10 full passes
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

What memory is this anyway?

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

This is with BIOS version F5, which I believe is the most recent.

I set the Vtt to 1.21 and Dram to 1.66 and will start the tests right away.

Thanks again, for your quick replies.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

K, good luck!

Maybe it was just the ram voltage set at 1.64 was too low, but it does sound like a bad stick to me from your comemnts, we will know after you test more though.

What memory is this, can you please give the model # or a link

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

Sorry, missed that last part of your comment,

OCZ3P1333LV4GK

Newegg.ca - OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1333LV4GK

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

One stick had over 30 errors after one pass, the other I ran all last night and after 21 passes it still had no errors. So definitely one bad stick.

However, the blend test still shows errors when using just the good stick.

[wazza300]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

try and rma both sticks if you can and start afresh,or maybe switch to another brand??

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

I will attempt to set up a RMA for the RAM kit today.

I was thinking of switching brands, but the first RMA took so long that now I am past the 30 day return date.

Although to their credit, the one good stick seems awesome; it runs 1333 stable even at 1.5V.

The thing is, if another piece of hardware is faulty, I would like to troubleshoot it before having to send the RAM back and wait another month before resuming testing.

[wazza300]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

looks to me that the first two sticks were bad,and now your left with one good and one bad stick,try to return just the one bad stick,you will be able to run your pc in single channel with one stick while you wait on a replacement

[wayne.i.hill]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

Wish I could, but the memory is paired.
First time was only one bad stick as well, but they still required I send back both.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-H55-USB3 Prime95 errors due to mobo?

This is normally how you have to do it, send both back.

Are you dealing with a store/shop still or now with the manufacturer? If you are still dealing with a shop maybe you can get them to refund you instead, or switch brands/models for you since this one appears to not be such a hot product.