machine_check_exception errors - bad RAM?

[MrSparkle]

Ok, so I put together this box about a month ago and had problems with my RAM causing IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL errors while trying to install windows.

 

I updated my BIOS and things seem to stabilize. I ran memtest in dual channel config and no errors popped up. 3DMark benched the right numbers and The system was running well.

 

But, I've had it bluescreen out on me with machine_check_exception errors while running some intensive games like Half-Life 2 and World of Warcraft. Doesn't happen very often (only once while playing through HL2 and twice in a week of playing WoW). Some reading on the net points to all kinds of things that may cause the machine_check_exception errors but the one that caught my eye was RAM issues.

 

I decided to run memtest on my two sticks individually and both of them come up with errors. Still no errors are caused while in dual channel mode though.

 

Here are the errors:

 

1:

Hours: 9:30, 41 Passes, 11 errors

Tst: 6, Failing Address: 0001c422120 - 452.1mb

good: fffbffff

bad: fffbfeff

err-bits: 00000100

 

2:

Hours: 9:00, 38 Passes, 5 errors

Tst: 4, Failing Address: 0000377b8a0 - 55.6mb

good: 1cbde243

bad: 1cbdf243

err-bits: 00001000

 

The RAM is running with the default options in the BIOS.

 

So is this bad RAM? Or something that can be fixed by tweaking BIOS settings?

 

Help me DFI-Street, you're my only hope.

[Fire-N-Ice]

are you overclocking?

if so have you upped the voltage to the cpu?

either way, I'd try it.

If you're at stock voltage now, try 1.325 start up, 110% special (I run 125% but I'm OC'ing), and 1.325 for the other.

 

I doubt it's bad ram. If this doesn't work then read the memory guide here, and tweek the settings.

 

Is this a new problem, or something that's been going on since you changed something, or something from day 1.

[MrSparkle]

no overclocking.

 

it must have been a problem from the time I got my machine stable and working and installed windows. I haven't changed a thing since then.

[SageI]

Try running your CAS latency at 3 instead of 2.5 and see what happens.