errors when all three memory banks in use (A7N8X-D rev2.0)

by **JadeMonkee** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:52 pm

Hello there,
I was sure that I would be able to find some info on this in previous topics, but the search capabilities on this forum are pathetic.
So I thought I'd best post the question.
I just purchsed a single 512MB memory module (kingmax 512MB DDR400 Tiny BGA) off of a friend, but when I install it alongside my existing 2x 256MB Kingmax DDR400 TinyBGA memory modules, I get errors (random reboots, + errors in P95 and Memtest86).
Now I have run memtest86 with only the 2x 256 modules installed (ran it with those memory modules in slots 2 + 3, as well as in slots 1 +2), and recieved no errors.
I have also run memtest86 with only the 512MB module in slot 3 and received no erros after 8 passes.
But, when I have all 3 memory slots full (that is with the 256MB modules in slots 1 and 2, and the 512MB module in slot 3), I recieve an error on pass 5 of memtest, and within 10 minutes of running the P95 stress test.

Any ideas anyone?
I am about to run it with one 256MB module in slot 3 (down-grading the dual channel feature to only 256MB), with the 512MB in slot 1, and the other 256MB in slot 2 - but I don't really want to do this because of it inhibiting the Dual Channel feature.
Is this a common problem with a simple solution?
Thank you for your time.

PS, what's the deal with the search feature anyway? I could only search by username, or resort to the (inprecise) Google search... why?

by **Unbreakable** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:03 pm

Relax mem timings. Don't worry about disabling Dual Channel mode, you lose 3% performance at worst...

by **JadeMonkee** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:22 pm

Timings are 11-3-3-3T
I thought that would be relaxed enough.
Also, how come the 2x 256MB modules run fine with those timings, and so does the 512MB module, but not when all three are in use?
And, I have the voltage at 2.7v - which from memory was the highest the modules could take.

Also, I just ran the test with the 512MB in slot 1, and the others in slots 2 and 3, and received 22 errors on test 5 (this is, however, less than the last configuration with all three memory banks full, where the errors continually clocked up).
Cheers.

by **Unbreakable** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:09 pm

Havin all 3 slots filled is known to cause problems.
Search for a feature called "CPU Interface" and relax it too.
Have you tried this combination?
256--512----256
slot1--slot2----slot3

by **Chrysalis** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:23 pm

you could be having a power issue, what psu do you have and full system spec.

by **JadeMonkee** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:28 am

I used to have my full spec in my sig, but I guess through dis-use they erased my sig... What happened to this forum anyway? New webmaster or something? Alot of things have changed since I last visited... not for the better.

Here are the specs:
AMD AthlonXP 2800+ @ 11x200 (can't remember the vcore... 1.7v I think)
ASUS A7n8x-Deluxe v2.0 | 1005 Uber
2x 256 DDR400 Kingmax TinyBGA @ 11-3-3-3T @ 2.7v
(1x 512MB DDR400 Kingmax TinyBGA @ 11-3-3-3T @ 2.7v)
Seagate 120GB SATA 7200 HDD
Gigacube 9700Pro @ stock (after I get this RAM sorted I am attaching the VGA Silencer and OC'ing it)
Creative Audigy 2 Platinum (w/ the front panel)
1x Liteon 52x CD Burner, 1x Lite-on DVD Reader - both on Primary IDE
Antec TrueBlue 480w PSU

Don't think anything else matters.
Temps are not a problem.

I just ran it with the 512MB in Slot 3, and 1x 256MB in slot 2: No problems after three passes in memtest.

@Unbreakable:
I will try that combo now.
Also, I can't remember what CPU interface does. Is it known by any other names?
EDIT: Nevermind, just entered BIOS. It's set on Aggressive, but I'm not going to change that if I can avoid it.

by **JadeMonkee** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:58 am

ERR0RED!!
6200 of them....
That combo didn't work....

Is this truly an inherent fault in the board?
'cause why the funk did they sell a board with three memory slots, when all three couldn't actually be used?? Shouldn't that be grounds for an RMA? (I know I couldn't get one as it's been 2 years since I bought the board...). Shouldn't ASUS have to be somehow responsible for this? I mean, I bought the board with only 2x256MB RAM expecting to later upgrade to 1GB. But now I can't, not without throwing away my 2x256MB sticks and buying another 512MB stick. That's not only a waste of money, but downright deceptive of ASUS.
It's **** actually.

by **Chrysalis** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:11 pm

Well I currently using 1 gig of ram with 2x256 and 1x512 in dual channel mode no stability issues, so its not a bug in the board but possibly a fault with your board. I think your psu is more then enough so unless that itself is faulty there is no issue there.

Here is what I would reccomend, in the following order, trying 1 at a time.

Update your bios to 1008.
Revert to stock voltages.
Revert to stock ram timings.
Try 166FSB.

I suspect the 200fsb might be the issue here, I use 133fsb.

by **JadeMonkee** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:14 am

Dropped the mem timings to 11-4-4-3T, and memtest completed without an error.
I ran p95 once, but I stopped it after half an hour as it had not yet completed even one of the tests (it usually does one in ~15 minutes), also, as I went to open IE this morning, I received an error preventing it from opening. I've spent the whole day trying to fix that - I think it may be a virus, so it could explain the long times taken in P95.

EDIT: AVG didn't find any viruses... hmmmm.

EDIT2: I thought I had the RAM problem fixed, as it passed memtest at 11-4-4-3T, as well as 11-4-4-2.5T.
Alas, neither of those timings work on P95; it fails after <15 minutes... this sucks. What also sucks is that I've not been able to fix my IE problem, and now starting GTA San Andreas results in a BSOD every time. Really sucks.

EDIT3: What does it mean when P95 hangs? The same thing (as commented on earlier) happened again; P95 just sat on one test for far longer than it should. This time it did so on it's 7th test. I had the RAM timings set to Optimal (8-4-4-2.5T)
What's weird though is that while it was 'hanging,' the computer was slow to respond as if it were working hard, but upon entering task manager, it said that only 5% of CPU power was being used. This coupled with the fact that it was taking a god-awful long time to complete a test - but won't report a failure - has me worried.

by **JadeMonkee** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:27 am

Just so people know:
I have upgraded to both the latest memtest and P95 versions.
Memtest completed succesfully twice last night with 1G @ 8-4-4-2.5T (the 'optimal' settings of RAM).
Prime95 today ran for 3hr44min without hanging. I am going to leave my PC running all da tomrrow on a stress test to see how well it goes.
My IE is still screwed however; but things are looking up.

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