Corsair and DFI LanParty Ultra-D

[Segovia]

Hello all. I'm building a new system. My components should arrive today. You'll notice my sig does not include a PSU, that's because I'm waiting for the shop to get back to me on availability of a couple different models. No matter, I have made sure it will meet DFI's specs as described in the PSU thread.

 

Originally I had planned to go with an Abit AN8 Ultra (wanted the passive chipset cooling), but due to availability, I decided to go with a DFI Ultra-D. So when I ordered the DFI, I did not even consider that Corsair memory would give me any problems. So I didn't bother to change the RAM I had ordered. I did, however, make a cursory check at the Corsair site, and the TwinX was not only listed as compatible, but also as their "most popular" (whatever that means) sticks for the board.

 

So, a couple days pass after I place my order and while browsing dfi-street to learn more about the power requirements (my current PSU is 20pin) of this board, I happen upon a thread that says that Corsair memory is "Not Recommended" for this board.

 

Now I'm getting worried. As I search around, I see quite a few threads describing some rather severe compatibility issues with Corsair and this board. Won't post, highly unstable in Windows, constant crashing/BSOD's, spontaneous reboots, memtest errors, etc etc. I also see that Corsair is listed as "Not Recommended" on the RAM thread.

 

So my question is - Am I setting myself up for failure by even trying this memory? Should I just cancel the order now and try to get some RAM that is known to be stable with this board?

 

I don't mind to play with the timings/voltage a bit, but I do not wish to have 3 days of hair-pulling frustration either. I've used Corsair cmx in two athlonXP builds and always got great stability and good overclocks.

[Guest Hudson]

Well the deal seems to be that some folks can get it to work fine, but there are a lot of folks in these forums who have had a lot of trouble with Corsair RAM on these boards (myself included). Essentially you're taking your chances with Corsair RAM on these DFI NF4 boards. If you can, you're likely going to save yourself a lot of trouble by going with memory from the recommended list. Corsair and DFI does not mean a guaranteed problem, but you saw yourself how many people in these forums are having problems. Just my two cents...

 

--Hudson

[hawkeyefan]

I don't understand all this Corsair talk going on around here.

 

I get the distinct impression there are a lot of DFI NF4 owners who simply don't have the patience to set up their RAM. If it's not automatically stable with the bios you're using, then it isn't compatible? gimme a break...

 

 

BTW, of the 11 of the 11 officially recommended memory modules for the DFI LP NF4 series, TWO OF THEM ARE CORSAIR TWINX

 

so yeah, your ram will work just fine

 

also 3dmark05/03/01 world records were just brought down on an SLi-D with Corsair XMS

[Segovia]

I've read some of your input in other threads, Hudson, and your Broken thread. You've had quite a rocky ride. Are your issues solved now? Are you able to run dual channel? Do I need to go to 2.8 volts to get this memory stable? I know that Corsair has always advised at least 2.7 with any of the modules I've ever used. Sorry if you've already answered that in another thread, but I've read so many in the last hours that I'm getting confused! :drool:

 

I'm excited to get my new system going. (Birthday present from the wife.)Everything is waiting for me at the shop, I just need to go pick it up.

 

I don't know in which parts of Canada you live, but here in Montreal it's a pain in the butt to get anything that is popular. I hate to have to wait another few days for different memory, but on the other hand, it's certainly preferable to the frustration that could ensue if I can't get this memory working...

[Segovia]

I don't understand all this Corsair talk going on around here.

 

I get the distinct impression there are a lot of DFI NF4 owners who simply don't have the patience to set up their RAM. If it's not automatically stable with the bios you're using, then it isn't compatible? gimme a break...

 

Well I have seen several threads where it seems fairly clear that the problem is not even memory related, but rather CPU or PSU issues. As I said, I don't mind to play with it a bit, that's to be expected on a high performance board, but the thread that lists "Corsair - Not Recommended" in bold red font gave me hesitation. Surely *all* memory from one of the largest memory makers in the world cannot be "incompatible"???

[ExtraPickles]

I don't understand all this Corsair talk going on around here.

 

I get the distinct impression there are a lot of DFI NF4 owners who simply don't have the patience to set up their RAM. If it's not automatically stable with the bios you're using, then it isn't compatible? gimme a break...

 

 

BTW, of the 11 of the 11 officially recommended memory modules for the DFI LP NF4 series, TWO OF THEM ARE CORSAIR TWINX

 

so yeah, your ram will work just fine

 

also 3dmark05/03/01 world records were just brought down on an SLi-D with Corsair XMS

Rather than just trumpeting to the skies that Corsair is the chosen one how about offering some of these guys some real help with settings and BIOS screenshots?

 

-pickles

[Squid1]

Google survey.

 

Numbers of hits for terms:

 

%%

 

corsair ddr: 1.8 mio

corsair ddr problem: 0.4 mio = 22%

 

ocz ddr: 3.1 mio

ocz ddr problem: 0.3 mio = 10%

 

geil ddr: 2.3 mio

geil ddr problem: 0.2 mio = 10%

 

g.skill ddr: 0.24 mio

g.skill ddr problem: 0.02 mio = 10%

 

crucial ddr: 2.5 mio

crucial ddr problem: 0.3 mio = 12%

[Sharp]

Hello,

 

I don't understand all this Corsair talk going on around here.

 

I get the distinct impression there are a lot of DFI NF4 owners who simply don't have the patience to set up their RAM. If it's not automatically stable with the bios you're using, then it isn't compatible? gimme a break...

 

 

BTW, of the 11 of the 11 officially recommended memory modules for the DFI LP NF4 series, TWO OF THEM ARE CORSAIR TWINX

 

so yeah, your ram will work just fine

 

also 3dmark05/03/01 world records were just brought down on an SLi-D with Corsair XMS

 

Lots of people buy memory modules and plug them in their new DFI board and expect it to work and all the good modules do, just like that.

 

But when it comes to some Corsair modules it is a different story.

 

Yes a few people have absolutely 0 problems but quite a lot of people cannot get their PC stable.

 

So what do they do?

They come here and ask for advice and we try to help, I try to suggest some memory timings, other people try to suggest memory timings and other things.

 

Sometimes a BIOS flash can help but a lot of times no matter what they do the Corsair modules just dont want to work.

 

Because of this it is not a good idea to buy Corsair modules.

 

Angry_games and Rgone have spent a lot of time testing various modules and they have created this thread to help Corsair users.

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25447

 

People have been warned about Corsair modules and common sense indicates that it is not a good choice for the DFI LanParty nF4 board.

[Guest Hudson]

I'm not sitting here lambasting DFI or their boards, though surely I could. I have a thread that describes the last three weeks of hell my life has been trying to get these Corsair sticks to work on this DFI board, and it's a pretty hefty thread so don't say I haven't had the patience to try different timings:

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29490

 

Considering the amount of people here having difficulties with Corsair, I wouldn't advise a blanket statement that "the RAM will be fine". As I've stated in numerous posts I've put in threads in an effort to help others with similar problems, DFI and Corsair doesn't guarantee that your rig won't work, but a significant portion of folks are definitely not having a smooth experience.

 

Support in here is good, the folks are friendly and the suggestions are genuinely helpful but it truly irks me when people suggest that we're not bothering to try different settings or ignoring other suggestions that don't mention the pickiness these boards have with Corsair RAM. The stuff ran flawlessly in other machines I've used it in, I'm not suggesting Corsair is the problem either, it's the combination of board and RAM that seems to be problematic.

 

--Hudson

[hawkeyefan]

Hello,

 

 

 

Lots of people buy memory modules and plug them in their new DFI board and expect it to work and all the good modules do, just like that.

 

But when it comes to some Corsair modules it is a different story.

 

Yes a few people have absolutely 0 problems but quite a lot of people cannot get their PC stable.

 

So what do they do?

They come here and ask for advice and we try to help, I try to suggest some memory timings, other people try to suggest memory timings and other things.

 

Sometimes a BIOS flash can help but a lot of times no matter what they do the Corsair modules just dont want to work.

 

Because of this it is not a good idea to buy Corsair modules.

 

Angry_games and Rgone have spent a lot of time testing various modules and they have created this thread to help Corsair users.

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25447

 

People have been warned about Corsair modules and common sense indicates that it is not a good choice for the DFI LanParty nF4 board.

 

 

wow, you guys aren't kidding

 

thnx for the links

 

absolutely bizarre, it really defies logic

 

what's more bizarre is that what works for one doesn't work for another with identical setup

 

I was wrong, maybe I'm just extemely lucky with mine?

 

what makes the least amount of sense is where you have TCCD/Brainpower that don't work while Patriot/G.Skill/Geil made of exact same thing work great

 

baffling, but I suppose mine works because it's value ram, rather than in spite of that

[hawkeyefan]

I'm not sitting here lambasting DFI or their boards, though surely I could. I have a thread that describes the last three weeks of hell my life has been trying to get these Corsair sticks to work on this DFI board, and it's a pretty hefty thread so don't say I haven't had the patience to try different timings:

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29490

 

Considering the amount of people here having difficulties with Corsair, I wouldn't advise a blanket statement that "the RAM will be fine". As I've stated in numerous posts I've put in threads in an effort to help others with similar problems, DFI and Corsair doesn't guarantee that your rig won't work, but a significant portion of folks are definitely not having a smooth experience.

 

Support in here is good, the folks are friendly and the suggestions are genuinely helpful but it truly irks me when people suggest that we're not bothering to try different settings or ignoring other suggestions that don't mention the pickiness these boards have with Corsair RAM. The stuff ran flawlessly in other machines I've used it in, I'm not suggesting Corsair is the problem either, it's the combination of board and RAM that seems to be problematic.

 

--Hudson

 

 

apologize, didn't mean to intimate that people don't know what they're doing, should have worded that better

 

I guess i just meant that since their RAM is in the mail, they should probably just try it out and see what happens, can't hurt

[Squid1]

what makes the least amount of sense is where you have TCCD/Brainpower that don't work while Patriot/G.Skill/Geil made of exact same thing work great

 

There is still plenty of opportunity to screw things up, namely with SPD values, and in particular with SPD values in dual-channel kits. Bad QA (insufficient testing) can also be a factor.