Dual Core Nightmare

[juvenile2k]

So I was playing around with my comp tonight, trying to tighten up my timings alittle bit so i set 3-4-3-6. Got into windows, but immediate instability, Clock it a little looser to 3-4-4-8. Run a quick 3dmark06 just to test for major instability. Runs perfectly. Start a prime and after 1 hours only ONE core fails. WTF. I have prime'd with my original ram settings for 30+ hours with no errors, but I dont understand how changing my ram settings could only make one core fail.

seriously, wtf.

[Lackadaisical]

What are your secondary ram timings?

[juvenile2k]

These are the settings I was trying. They were the settings on the right, the left ones were my current settings.

 

 

I set everything back to what it was and it was still failing prime after only like 10 minutes, each core was alternating failing it seemed like every time I primed. (At this point wanting to throw computer out window) Anyways, I backed the clock speed down from 2860 to 2820 and now its rock solid again. Sigh, just to add I have learned not to entirely trust software readings, but oddly enough, were as before my cpu was drawing per cpu-z and everest around 1.312 ~ 1.328v, it is now consistently drawing between 1.328 ~ 1.344v under the default voltage speed option in the bios.

 

 

I think I've found the source of my problems, a dying OCZ modstream 520W. This is the old version with the low 12A rail. I'm pretty sure I'm overloading the PSU, I was playing some games tonight after priming for 4 hours with no problems and the computer simply shut itself off right in the middle of the game. No errors, nothing just shut itself off.

Luckily I have a 620W corsair PSU on the way.

 

I really should have known this was happening hopefully if I'm correct. My computer is extremely loud because of the fans and under extremely heavy load I can literally hear whats seems like the fans slowing down under extremely heavy load.

 

Temps are WELL within range.

[juvenile2k]

Edit: Thought the PSU fixed it, I spoke too soon. Brand new 650W Trio in there and its still doing it.

[sailindawg]

When I was overclocking my 4400, I was initially too tight with my secondary timings. My experience with my RAM, was overclocking the RAM on a single core 3700. For the 3700, tighter timings, both primary and secondary timings were fine. Using essentially the same timings for the 4400 initially, I could not get my RAM to run at 1T timings. I could only run 2T. After doing some research on Mushkin's Tech forum, I tried secondary timings that ran the Trc, Trfc, Trrd, Twr, Twtr & Trwt much looser than I was trying to run them. They also suggested a Tref of 3632 or 3684. At Tref 3684, I was rewarded with not only 1T timings, but could also get my cpu to run at 10x285, with my RAM on 9/10 divider.

 

Check your secondary timings. The dual cores seem to like looser rather than tighter timings here.

 

My OCDB Entry. Check out the RAM timings.

[juvenile2k]

Ya I've loosened my timings up big time since I started having the problem. The real problem now is the computer like to shut itself off randomly. I cleared the cmos for 5 min and took the battery out and reseated all my cards and it primed for an hour, then promptly still shut itself off. :/

[sailindawg]

Use the Memtest 86 to test your mem timings before booting to windows. Memtest should be in the BIOS of your board as an option. The only thing you need to do is to disable USB mouse support in order for Memtest86 to run. The USB mouse support is only for when booting to a dos disk, it allows one to still use the usb mouse. Having it disbled does not impact you usb mouse in Windows. But test you mem timing first. One needs 8 full passes of Memtest to consider timings stable. A quick test is a few passes of Test #5 or #8. #5 is a bit quicker. Both tests will fail if your mem timings are incorrect. First get your memory stable at stock speeds. Then try overclocking. Also, try to research other people's OC's and their timings using your RAM.

[Capt Proton]

Ya I've loosened my timings up big time since I started having the problem. The real problem now is the computer like to shut itself off randomly. I cleared the cmos for 5 min and took the battery out and reseated all my cards and it primed for an hour, then promptly still shut itself off. :/

Are you using CoreTemp by any chance?

[juvenile2k]

Actually I am and have been for awhile now. For a few weeks and the problem just started last night while core temp was not running. I think I have actually narrowed it down to faulty ram. After working on this . all day I have everything overclocked to what it was except the ram is majorly underclocked and it hasnt shut itself down yet. I am just amazed as I have never heard of bad ram shutting down a computer if it turns out to be the problem.

[Elaruwan]

Remember that with AMD64's the Memory controller is on the CPU. This means any changes to the controllers settings (IE secondary timings) can cause the controller to break, and send incorrect information to any of the cpus.

 

This will be seen by you as a fault on one of the cpu's because it will be given incorrect information, do the calculation on it, and end up with incorrect information.

 

Its a terrible cycle

[juvenile2k]

Ya I know what your saying about the mem controller, I have just literally never heard of faulty RAM causing a computer to abruptly shutoff. Its just such a weird problem for it to cause, you would think something like that would be power related.

 

EDIT: Not the ram, put a known good stick in and bam shutdown after a few hours.

 

Anyone think its possible that my motherboard just doesnt want to do 315 bus speed anymore? It's a year and 2 months old and has been something I've been thinking about.

[elessar777]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but the 165Opteron's are very sensitive to MAL and RPT timings. Also I would think that Tras of 6 is a bit tight.

 

From experience I would highly recommend setting your MAL to 9 and RPT to 7. I have mine set to 10 and 8 respectively and any lower than MAL of 9 usually gives me problems. In any case setting these two 2ns apart is usually a good way to go

 

Start with 10/8 and if everything is fine you could try tightening them to 9/7

 

let us know how it goes