In despair

[pgamble]

Hi guys

 

I thought I'd cracked it.

I had tried another GFX card and using tmods cd bootable prime, the system ran fine.

Asus took my card back on RMA ... It'll be a few weeks.

 

I then wen out and purchased another card - Asus EAX1950pro.

 

I did a clean install - c drive - 200GB Seagate, d drive - 250GB HDS, e drive 200GB Seagate.

 

OS on to C - completely clean slipstream XP2 install.

 

Install ran fine - no errors.

 

Installed latest nf4 drivers from nvidia site

Installed latest ATI drivers from ATI site

 

Did a load of disk copies from the 250GB drive which I had backed up everything important on.

 

Machine was left running over night. At 3am, I shut it down and it proceeded to 'install' 80 MS updates.

 

No crashes at all.

 

The following morning I continued to install stuff - Office 2000, Outlook 2002, iTunes, MsMoney2003.

 

During one of the installs I had my first spontaneous reboots - I couldn't believe it.

 

It was like a creeping death.

Following that, I removed some things I thought may cause issues -

 

All the Asus Enhanced Display Driver, Asus Security Online, Game face stuff and ITE.

 

Reboots became regular very quickly and startup may take 3 or 4 reboots before it comes up. When it does come up it routinely says certain things could start (Money Express, Norton said TCP/IP wasn't installed - even though immediately after I connected to google - also some errors relating to kernel.dll not loading things). This seem to be for a single boot - because the next time it is fine.

 

I really don't know where to start looking now.

 

I have replaced the 3500+ with an FX-60 so it's not the processor

I've replaced the Asus X850XTPE with and Asus X1950pro so it's not the gfx card

I have cleared, repartitioned and reformatted the disks and completely cleanly reinstalled the OS - so it isn't the disk.

 

 

I have tested using tmods mprime since the rebuild and it fails again straight away with Rounding was .5, expecting less that .4 - Hardware failure detected. This is exactly what I had before the new gfx card, new CPU and new OS build.

 

Given that it happens outside of XP it suggests it's nothing to do with bad drivers or anything to do with the OS.

 

Why was it solid for 12 hours - when building the OS etc ?

 

This is costing me an absolute fortune and I really don't know what to do now.

 

Please help me.

[Sharp]

Your last thread,

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69073

 

Memory failed memtest.

What happens if you use 1 stick in the top orange slot.

 

Test these settings with Prime95. (single stick and 2 sticks)

GENIE BIOS Setting

>DRAM Configuration..................Press Enter = New Menu

FSB BUS Frequency....................200

LDT/FSB Frequency Ratio..............X 5.0

LDT BUS Transfer Width...............16 16

CPU/FSB Frequency Ratio..............AUTO

PCI eXpress Frequency................100Mhz

K8 Cool 'n' Quiet Support............Disable

Cool 'n' Quiet MAX FID...............AUTO

CPU VID StartUp Value................StartUp

 

CPU VID Control......................AUTO

CPU VID Special Control..............AUTO

LDT Voltage Control..................1.20 V

Chip Set Voltage Control.............1.50 V

DRAM Voltage Control.................2.70 V

+0.3v if not 3.2v....................Disabled

 

Run MemTest86+.......................Enabled, disable later

GENIE BIOS Setting >DRAM Configuration

DRAM Frequency Set (MHZ).............200 (DRAM/FSB:1/01)

Command per clock (CPC)..............Enabled

Cas latency (tCL)....................2

RAS to CAS delay (tRCD)..............2

Min RAS active time (tRAS)...........6

Row precharge time (tRP).............2

Row cycle time (tRC).................11

Row refresh cycle time(tRFC).........14

Row to Row delay (tRRD)..............2

Write recovery time (tWR)............2

Write to read delay (tWTR)...........AUTO

Read to write delay (tRWT)...........AUTO

Refresh period (tREF)................AUTO

Write CAS latency (tWCL).............1

DRAM Bank Interleave.................Enabled

 

DQS Skew Control.....................AUTO

DQS Skew Value.......................0

DRAM Drive Strength..................AUTO

DRAM Data Drive Strength.............AUTO

Max Async Latency....................6ns

Dram Response........................Normal

Read Preamble Time...................5ns

Idle Cycle Limit.....................AUTO

Dynamic Counter......................AUTO

R/W Queue Bypass.....................AUTO

Bypass Max...........................AUTO

32 Byte Granularity..................AUTO

[pgamble]

Hi matey

Can we have a chat on MSN - your off line at the moment.

[Sharp]

I will sign on tonight, ~9.30pm

[ganders75]

Um, I'm not sure, but isn't that memory more the 2.5-4-4-8 version?

 

If so, your settings should look similar to the following. Are any different that you see?

 

Genie BIOS Settings:

FSB Bus Frequency............................. - 200
LDT/FSB Frequency Ratio....................... - AUTO
CPU/FSB Frequency Ratio....................... - Auto
PCI eXpress Frequency......................... - 100Mhz

CPU VID StartUp Value......................... - AUTO

CPU VID Control............................... - AUTO
CPU VID Special Control....................... - AUTO
LDT Voltage Control........................... - 1.20v
Chip Set Voltage Control...................... - 1.50v
DRAM Voltage Control.......................... - 2.8v

DRAM Configuration Settings:

DRAM Frequency Set............................ - 200=RAM/FSB:01/01
Command Per Clock (CPC)....................... - Enable
CAS Latency Control (Tcl)..................... - 2.5
RAS# to CAS# delay (Trcd)..................... - 04 Bus Clocks
Min RAS# active time (Tras)................... - 08 Bus Clocks
Row precharge time (Trp)...................... - 04 Bus Clocks
Row Cycle time (Trc).......................... - 09 Bus Clocks
Row refresh cyc time (Trfc)................... - 16 Bus Clocks
Row to Row delay (Trrd)....................... - 03 Bus Clocks
Write recovery time (Twr)..................... - 03 Bus Clocks
Write to Read delay (Twtr).................... - 02 Bus Clocks
Read to Write delay (Trwt).................... - 03 Bus Clocks
Refresh Period (Tref)......................... - 3120 Cycles
DRAM Bank Interleave.......................... - Enabled

DQS Skew Control.............................. - Auto
DQS Skew Value................................ - 0
DRAM Drive Strength........................... - Auto
DRAM Data Drive Strength...................... - Auto
Max Async Latency............................. - Auto
DRAM Response Time............................ - Fast
Read Preamble Time............................ - Auto
IdleCycle Limit............................... - 256 Cycles
Dynamic Counter............................... - Disable
R/W Queue Bypass.............................. - 16 x
Bypass Max.................................... - 07 x
32 Byte Granularity........................... - Disable(4 Bursts)

 

Errors in test 5 like you saw in your last post could be many things. Try using just one stick and see if you can reproduce it. If you cannot, try with the other stick?

[pgamble]

Hi

 

RAMGuy - Corsair support says the 4400c25 is infact identical to the 3200XL - it just goes through different tests. He said I should try to test at 2-2-2-5 because he didn't think the 4400 would work at 2.5-4-4-8 on the DFI board (even though it worked on mine for 14 months without issues !).

 

I tested it to humour him. It worked in memtest (most things do). What it wouldn't do is work in prime.

 

PC is up again and relatively stable (ie. not spontaneously rebooting all the time) aside from the prime bit. It is clear to me that there is an underlying hardware issue and it has to be either the mb, memory or PSU. I have swapped everything else with new and still get the same issues.

 

I have a huge overdraft now ... so I can't afford to get other memory to test etc.

 

I both gutted and exhausted.

 

Paul.

[Sharp]

Memory timings are related to frequency.

 

Yoiur modules are rated 275Mhz @2.5-4-4-8

 

If you decrease the frequency you can decrease the timings.

That is Why I posted the 2-2-2-6 settings.

 

Give them a try, you never know it may solve your problem.

[pgamble]

I have always run at 200Mhz - i.e. stock frequency.

I have now tried them at 2-2-2-5. Memtest passed - it seems ok with any of the previous options at 1t or 2t with or without interleave. It is prime that is dieing on me (obviously along with the reboots).

With the 2-2-2-5 or 3-4-4-8 timings at least Windows is not rebooting all the time at the moment.

 

I currently have them at 3-4-4-8 at 2t and no interleave. I also have the drv st at 5 and the dr data st at 3 as recommended by DFI Support in Holland (Wendell).

 

I've got prime running against each core (390m a piece). Core A0 failed on test 3 of 1024 batch (circa 9mins). Core A1 has so far got to test 5 of 10k. I restarted A0 after A1 got to end of 8k ffts. A0 has not got to test2 of 8k and A1 has got to test 1 of 896k.

 

It's clearly happier with these settings but there is still a problem - it just takes longer to see it.

 

Is it possible after all these tests I've done to say that the problem definitely lies with RAM or it's config on this board ?

 

Apparently the only way I can RMA them is to send them to the states which will cost a lot and take a while. I wish I had some other memory to test against.

 

I'm not going to be able to afford new mem this side of xmas so I'd rather prove the fault lies with memory first.

 

Is OCZ 1GB or 2GB Enhanced Latency PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum the best bet for these boards ? What is the best current choice to work out of the box (or is that never going to happen ?).

 

Cheers

 

Paul.

 

Prime now at test4 8k on A0 and test3 896k on A1. It's obviously a lot closer to being happy at the moment at these settings.

 

The reason why I say at the moment is because at stock settings the machine built and ran beautifully for 12 hours yesterday before becoming a wreck - so it makes me think this is a progressive problem.

[Kingfisher]

Have you tried adjusting RAM voltage? Have you tried 2.6v?

[pgamble]

Yup. I used to run stock .... more recently I've focused on 2.8v because DFI and Corsair told me to. It's hard to know what causes instability. Voltage doesn't seem to have been the major factor.

I've run so many tests now it gets a little difficult to remember.

[Sharp]

Sometimes the memory works better in the yellow slots.

 

Have you tried my settings yet?

[pgamble]

I did try them. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's 2-2-2-5, 2.5-4-4-8, 3-4-4-8 or 2-2-2-6 with volts at 2.8. Memtest passes with all at 1t and bank interleave but windows is not stable and prime won't run unless drv st is 5 and data drv st is 3 with 2t and bank interleave disabled.

 

I've been running 3-4-4-8 with above settings since 3pm. Core A0 failed after 9 mins and I restarted after about another 10 mins. I has run ever since and A1 didn't fail at all. It's now 7:30 - no more errors.

 

Given that it failed once means there is still something not quite right but it is clearly more stable at these settings.

 

The real issue is that it didn't fail for 14 months at 2.5-4-4-8, Dram at 2.6, 1t with Bank Interleave enabled. So why has it suddenly changed over the last 2 months or so.

 

Corsair and Wired2Fire (a custom PC specialist in the UK) think it almost certainly the motherboard because of the sudden and mainly untrapped reboots. Most believe that as memtest runs from the BIOS with no issues at all with a range of settings that it probably isn't the cause. Prime tests far more than memory and we know it's not gfx, CPU, peripherals (all removed except one disk until recently), OS or harddisk (I've only just put one on and it was failing with tmods bootable prime cd - so it has to be PSU, memory or motherboard. I'm told it's almost certainly not the PSU as the reboots don't have a pattern of occuring under load or changing load - it's more often that not when idling with nothing running in the foreground or on reboot.

 

I just need DFI Europe support to acknowledge that the board is almost definitely the problem and to help me through the RMA process.

 

I want to cry :-(