DFI NF590 SLI-M2R/G - new build, CANNOT get it stable

[EricLee31]

DFI NF590 SLI-M2R/G (beta BIOS 11/10/2006)

A64 X2 4200+ Windsor 65W 2.2GHz

2x1GB OCZ OCZ2P800LP1G DDR2-800 (M2R/G optimized 4-4-4-15 @ 1T @ 2.20V)

Thermaltake W0106RU 700W PS

 

 

With everything set to auto (200fsb x 11), the memory ends up running at 366 once I hit the OS as 2200/400 (400 being the target speed I selected in the bios) = 5.5 and the BIOS apparently rounds that up to 6 so the ram speed divider ends up being 2200/6 = 366.67. So... the only good way to get an actual 400MHz on the ram is to OC the cpu to 2400 or above but even then, the system is highly unstable. Sandra mem tests will corrupt memory to the point that nothing will run w/o Dr Watson stepping in and a reboot is required. Forget Prime95 - that's a guaranteed bsod.

 

I have manually set the memory timings to 4-4-4-15 1T @ 2.2V (although Smart Guardian reports 2.1V in Windows - the health page in the bios says 2.2 tho) and I can get it a little more stable at 5-5-5-15 2T but even then a Prime95 run will eventually crash it or if I ieave a long network file transfer going, eventually that'll die too. Those settings keep it stable long enough to get Windows installed but of course it's gonna die soon enough.

 

Is there something I'm missing? Does anyone have specific known good timings for the OCZ ram that's optimized for the LP boards? I've been following guides for memory timing that others have posted for other memory with similar specs but none of it has helped and of course, every mfr is going to have a slightly different profile anyway.

 

I never had this sort of trouble with my LP NF4 board and this really has me stumped. Moreover, I can't move anything from the old system to the new until I know it's stable and I'm going on a week and a half of working with this rig with no stability whatsoever.

 

Ultimately I'd like to OC everything in sight of course but if I can't even get it stable at stock speeds, I consider that a huge problem. If the eventual memory speed is SO tied to the CPU clock, that's one heck of a moving target and it's not unreasonable to want to run the cpu at stock speeds (200x11) and still get 400 on the ram. It doesn't make sense to me that I should be absolutely required to up the clock on my CPU just to run the ram at the speed it's supposed to run.

 

I have screen shots of bios settings, CPU-Z info, etc, should that be of use to anyone.

 

help!

[Booster]

Try again with 4-4-4-15 2T timings and what are you increasing the voltages when you are overclocking?

[EricLee31]

Try again with 4-4-4-15 2T timings and what are you increasing the voltages when you are overclocking?

 

Seriously, stock would make me happy right now. Stock speeds at stock voltages/timings.

 

1T/2T makes no difference. CAS4/CAS5 makes no difference. With the stock multiplier of 11 for this chip, I have to run the bus to 220 or so to get the RAM to hit 400 - I have gone from 1.20 to 1.45 on the chip with no real change no effect. I have tried every step of NB voltage as well as HT voltage and drive strengths from lowest to highest. When I get a blue screen (only about 50% of the time - the rest of the time, it just goes black and hangs or reboots), it's always memory related: pfn_list, memory_management... that sort of thing. CPU temp is never topping 51C before a crash and it's usually 48 or 49.

 

I specifically bought the DFI edition of the OCZ memory to avoid compatibility issues and it seems that's all I have. Are there published timings for this RAM on this board?

 

Anyone?

[chris.y2k.r1]

How about your PSU - are the readings solid?? What about HTT - Where is your HTT speed at? It sound out of range. If this is something you aren't familiar with - do a search on it. Your symptoms sound an aweful like that of those with HTT out of range.

[Booster]

I think over on OCZ's official forums there is a NF590 prime thread and I think they used the DFI special for one of them. If not its also a great thread to get some settings that can help you start. My prime stable entry I used the OCZ timings as a guidline also and tweaked a tiny bit from there.

 

Also try dropping the multiplier to 10 and see if that helps.

[chris.y2k.r1]

I think over on OCZ's official forums there is a NF590 prime thread and I think they used the DFI special for one of them. If not its also a great thread to get some settings that can help you start. My prime stable entry I used the OCZ timings as a guidline also and tweaked a tiny bit from there.

 

Also try dropping the multiplier to 10 and see if that helps.

 

I got all my parts last night -

 

Operton 1212

DFI NF590

OCZ PC6400 for NF590

Samsung Sata 3 400GB

PowerTek 750W Power Supply (Very happily surprised at this one - more on that later)

 

Anyway, bone stock bios settings, all I changed to get it to run was the boot order, Set the Multi to X, the FSB to 200 and DRAM VOLTAGE to 2. I did not prime test yet but it seems to be very stable for far. No crashes or goofiness at all. I will report back here with more details when I get home from work. Also, it would help if you could tell us if you are still having the problem and what changes you've made so far. It you did fix the problem - how? If you are hiding - why?

[chris.y2k.r1]

By the way, make sure you set the DRAM to 2.2 VOLTS!! That's the stock current rating.