Crucial RAM only works with 2.8V?

[XIII]

I just got my new system up runing it took me a while to figure out that something was wrong with my Crucial 3200 (2x512MB) RAM (NOT Ballistix).

I got bluescreens during Windows XP installation and tried with an old 256MB(PC 2100) stick and it worked fine.

I tried the Crucial RAM in different slots and it only works as a single stick in slot 2 or both sticks in slots 2&3 and ONLY if I set the DRAM Voltage in BIOS to 2.8V.

Now the default voltage is 2.6 V so I'm afraid I might destroy my Crucial sticks if I run them on 2.8v.Is it safe? I know the RAM is fine, I just pulled them from my old NFforce 2 board and they ran good.

If I use CPU-Z and try to click on the "memory" tab, it crashes every time, didn't happen before with the sam RAM.

Do you guys have any idea's I could try? Any settings etc.? :confused:

 

 

 

DFI NF4 Ultra-D

AMD64 3200+(Winchester)

Leadtek 6600 GT

Crucial 2x512 MB RAM (PC3200, not Ballistix)

W.D. 200BG HD

Antec Sonata case with Antec true 380S

Windows Xp

[XIII]

Suggestions anyone.I'm currently running my RAM at 2.9v.(had some crashes)

Do I need a new powersupply? Could that be it?

Would a 430 w. p.s like this be good? Seasonic S12

 

I don't know what to do, just buy a new p.s or what? Other people had no problem with the same case/p.s/ though.

 

 

 

DFI NF4 Ultra-D

AMD64 3200+(Winchester)

Leadtek 6600 GT

Crucial 2x512 MB RAM (PC3200, not Ballistix)

W.D. 200BG HD

Antec Sonata case with Antec true 380S

Windows Xp

[deja100]

well, since those crucial modules are rated for 2.6V, running them at 2.8 is definitely not a good thing, especially considering they ran fine at 2.6V in your previous board. some would say that .2V wont hurt them and they may be right. that will depend on the chips and how hot the extra voltage makes them. in the end i cant give you a definite yes or no as to whether it will damage the chips or not. but since they shouldnt need that much you should drop them back to 2.6 and try other things. ive never played with a 64-bit system, but most things should still apply.

 

first of all, did you leave your memory timings on AUTO? if so set them manually. memory manufacturers often put relaxed timings (higher than rated timings of the module) just to ensure the memory will boot in any system. i know the nforce2 chipset often becomes unstable at higher timings and this may be the case for the nforce4 chipset as well. the regular crucial PC3200 is rated at cas3 (crucial isnt nice enough to publish the other timing parameters), however the average timings ive seen for "bargain" PC3200 is cas3-4-4-7. so set the memory there and work from there. you may need to lower or raise the timings but that will give you a starting point.

 

second is there an option to change the chipset voltage and did you play with this? on nforce2 boards this starts at 1.6 and is usually fine for memory up to 400mhz. im sure its similar with 64-bit nforce chipsets.

 

try disabling the "command per clock" option. this is often necessary with larger memory amounts and higher memory speeds. it usually can be enabled at 400mhz but your memory may just not like it.

 

try this and let me know how it goes.

[XIII]

Thanks for your reply.Well I played around witht he different settings you suggested but no change I'm afraid.It usually boots in to windows and crashes right away.I haven't tried to up the chipset voltage as I'm afraid it might damage something.

I'm not sure what to try next? :confused:

[RGone]

@XIII, as a matter of fact the first memory I overclocked with would now be about 4 year old PC2100 Crucial memory that many of us ran on overclocked and 3.4volt over-volted modded ABit KR7A raid boards. I ran that board day in and day out at 3.34 volts for 11months until I took it out of service and with no memory problems.

 

At this point in time it seems that many in AMD land are not used to the way the dual channel setup is working but for those moving over from Intel DFI boards the slot useage I have heard is not a surprise.

 

A single stick of ram goes in the slot numbered #2 and is Orange. Dual channel with only 2 sticks is done using the two Orange memory slots. Don't think that actually follows the memory slot numbering as is read off the board stenciling but is what is supposed to work.

 

I have not actually tested if perhaps the memory chosen in bios is under-volting and thus 2.6V is not 2.6V but rather in fact 2.8V is 2.6V but I have seen engineering making the recommend to set 2.8V in bios for most all memory. Doing so seems to get around the rash of problems that AUTO settings causes for some.

 

The boards are new and am expecting mine in the next day or so and I can then try to get myself better up to speed as to how in fact the boards are acting but for now 2.8V is seeming a minimum voltage setting on memory. Will have a better idea later.

 

EDIT: after my post, I went back and read your post again and will say that I ran my chipset at 1.8V from the day I installed my pre-production NF4 SLI board. It was needed to run in the range of 270FSB that I was using for testing. LTD voltage seems to like at 'least' 1.4Volts.

 

RGone...

[XIII]

Thanks for the info.I'm running my sticks in the orange slots, that's the only way it works.

So is it safe to up the chipset voltage and or the LTD voltage?

Is there a program that somewhat accurately measures voltages etc. in Windows?

[RGone]

XIII, I have seen the chipset voltages that AG used when running 310x8 with his setup and an X850 Pci-ex video card and his LTD was 1.4Volt minimum and the chipset he used was 1.8V from the first of his setup. It never gave a minutes problem and is exactly what I ran as well.

 

There is supposed to be a new IHdoctor that is beta and available from beta download site of DFI at the driver section in beta section. It has been tweaked to be more accurate on just the NF4 board. I never use those windows monitoring softwares as I don't pay that stuff much attention and do not need somethign else taking away from my cpu cycles, but that beta IHdoctor is pretty accurate according to AG.

 

RGone...