Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB PC4000 kit gone bad (merged)

[n_w95482]

I've been having similar issues with my 2 GB kit. I bought the initial set back in the beginning of August, which worked perfectly until about early/mid October. I started getting BSOD's and other instability either while in Windows or when trying to boot into Windows. I put the sticks into my Athlon XP 2500+/Abit NF7-S box to see if it would have the same problems, which it did.

 

After a quick RMA to Crucial, I put the replacement sticks back into the XP (had the A64 apart for another problem) and it ran great for about two days. When I went to go reinstall Windows on it, I got a BSOD. Replacing the memory with my old Kingston PC3200 fixed the problem. I then got my A64 back together and ran Memtest86+ on it, which it found one error after 30 minutes.

 

I've done multiple tests since then, each one turning up more errors than the previous one. The last test I did was with the memory in the XP, which turned up with tens of thousands of errors after about two hours. I ran the memory at PC3200 speeds in the XP and at PC4000 speeds in the 64. I have yet to try messing with Tref (at 3120 I think)/related settings or lowering the voltage.

 

I was thinking about coming here and checking to see if there was any issues with the motherboard/memory, but after my testing I thought that it was just the memory that was the problem. I called Crucial and spoke to Jim (the Crucial guy in this thread) and he told me to check DFI Street first before I go ahead with an RMA request. I was a bit surprised to find this thread only a few seconds after I first got to the forum .

[Sharp]

Hello,

 

Try this without overclocking anything.

Also use the orange slots.

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......................1.4v

CPU VID Special Control..............104%

LDT Voltage Control..................1.30 V

Chip Set Voltage Control.............1.60 V

DRAM Voltage Control.................2.80 V

 

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)....................2.5

RAS to CAS delay (tRCD)..............3

Min RAS active time (tRAS)...........7

Row precharge time (tRP).............3

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

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

Row to Row delay (tRRD)..............3

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

Write to read delay (tWTR)...........2

Read to write delay (tRWT)...........2

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........................AUTO/Normal

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What happens?

[LanceDiamond]

Not to be a pain in the butt, but two questions:

 

1) Did Jim from Crucial mention what he thought you'd find here that might affect your need for an RMA? From much reading here and on HardOCP forums, all I have seen can be summed up thus: Something is wrong with some of this memory and Crucial isn't real sure what it is.

 

2) In ref to the above "try this" why would you want to try PC4000 memory at PC3200 speed - what is that supposed to tell you? I ran mine at stock - 250mhz 3-4-4-8 - had to use 2.7v for any stability and still found errors 3 weeks after it was working just fine.

 

These 1gb x 2 Ballistix run HOT - I suspect this memory is cooking itself. I don't understand why memory run at stock speed and voltage in adequate airflow with low ambient temps should be anywhere near as hot as this stuff gets. It can't possibly be a good thing it's so hot.

[sniggle]

i will have my replacements on either saturday or monday so we'll see if they're any better. i will definitely be using some active cooling from the start with these, although i find it pretty obnoxious that i'm forced to do so.

[Reinvented]

I was going to get some of these to replace the 4x512 sticks of Plat Rev. 2, but I don't want cooked memory. So, I'm going to go the extra mile and pick up a set of Mushkin Redline XP4000.

[n_w95482]

Not to be a pain in the butt, but two questions:

 

1) Did Jim from Crucial mention what he thought you'd find here that might affect your need for an RMA? From much reading here and on HardOCP forums, all I have seen can be summed up thus: Something is wrong with some of this memory and Crucial isn't real sure what it is.

 

...

 

These 1gb x 2 Ballistix run HOT - I suspect this memory is cooking itself. I don't understand why memory run at stock speed and voltage in adequate airflow with low ambient temps should be anywhere near as hot as this stuff gets. It can't possibly be a good thing it's so hot.

He told me to come here and try copying other users' settings and perhaps play around with the voltage a little bit. As for cooling, my 7700 is so big, the fan on it blows air on both of my memory sticks . They still run super hot though. The Kingston only gets lukewarm.

[Vigilante]

Well, I finally got my 3rd set of this memory, this set appears to be newer than the last 2.

 

Here are the numbers on it:

 

CL1115W.VW

56278

 

I put them in and set them to default speeds, it ran completely through memteset 3 times with no errors at 2.8V. I then said what the heck and set the memory to what I am wanting them to run at on my system. I set it to 3,3,3,8 1t at stock voltage of 2.8, set tref to auto and set trc to 11 and trfc to 13. I left all other settings default. I ran memtest all through the night for 14 1/2 hours with not a single error, which was about 25 complete passes.

 

I am now running superpi and then, OCCT, and will finish it off with Prime95. Hopefully 3rd time is a charm, and they won't go out in a month like my 1st set did. I will keep you all posted.

 

BTW, this was the last set Newegg sent me.

[Vigilante]

UPDATE:

 

Well my 3rd set of Ballistix have held solid so far. I ran superpi a few times with no problem, OCCT passed as well. I also ran prime95 for 10 hours and had no issues. At this point I would call my system solid, I actually ended up lowering the voltage to 2.7 volts as well. All I have to do now is wait and hope they don't fail in a month or so.

[n_w95482]

After I go flash the 704-2bta BIOS in a few minutes, I'll try testing the memory with Sharp's settings as well as various voltages @ 250, 3-4-4-8. Hopefully I can get these sticks to work .

[Keekles]

running at 2T, these settings from the crucial guy work great on 704-2bta

 

Motherboard: DFI Lan Party NF4 Ultra-D SLI

Processor: AMD Athlon 64bit 3200+

Timings: 3-3-3-8

CPU voltage: 1.40v

CPU/FSB fequency ratio: 8x

memory voltage: 2.6v

FSB: 250MHz

LDT/FSB ratio: x 3.0

CPU above VID: 104%

TCL: 3

TRAS: 3

TRP: 3

TRC: 8

TRRD: 2

TWR: 2

TWTR: 2

TRWT: 3

TREF: 2592

DRAM Response time: Normal

[n_w95482]

I tried using the settings from Sharp as well as running it at 250, 3-4-4-8, 2.6-2.8v, and with a desk fan blowing on the memory at 2.7v. All settings produced memory errors in Memtest86+, although it seemed like there was a lot less than before. I'll go ahead and try the Crucial guy's settings, but I have a feeling that they won't work there either.

 

Edit: The testing was done with the 704-2bta BIOS.

[bb7_rider]

running mine at 275 3-3-3-6 1t at 2.8v no problems so far, booted at 300 3-3-3-6 1t 2.8v but as to be expected that wasnt very stable... 275 appears to be fine though, with tighter than stock timings, and stock volts i have a 120mm fan blowing on my ram and my case is airconditioned most of the time, im thinking its definatly a heat issue killing everyone elses chips, something i obviously dont get.

 

Under normal circumstances pulling the heat spreaders off would void warranty, maybe if crucial, since this problem is so big, allowed a few people to pull them off and run proper ram sinks and see if this stopped it, without coiding their warranty in case it didnt work, would be very helpful. i for one wouldnt want to risk it and lose my warranty given how many have died, but if i got the ok from crucal to do it keeping my warrnty id be fine with it, then maybe in future these should ship with ramsinks not heatspreaders, as an option anyway because people running 4 sticks obviously couldnt use ramsinks, that is if they helped the problem anyway :dog: