This Ram blows. Its Corsair XMS pc3200 512mb. Ive just installed the Omega drivers for my vid card. (very nice btw +3000 in 3dmark) And after instaling them I thought, why not fix this OC.

My ram was 80% of my FSB. So I try everything possible to try to get it to 100%. My fsb was 185 when i started, put ram to 100%, no boot. Loosen RAM timings, no boot. Drop fsb to 180, no boot. Keep dropping to 166 and yahoo boot!!! I benched it and it made it through 3dmark. But then i go to do more testing in UT2k3 and it dies after about 30 seconds of playing (i had the flag too )

So then im thinking loosen timings more, i do that all the way to 2-3-4-11, still no go. BTW stock timings are 2-3-3-5. I even tried upping the voltage on the ram, still no go.

Here are all the specs

1700+ JHUIB
Epox 8rda+
Connect3d 9500 NP (omega modded )
Enermax 460w PSU
SH!TTY Corsair pc3200

One of you pro's know whats goin on?
Thanks

(i know i know, i added another help me oc thread, sorrry )

Since it's crappy I would gladly take it since I'm old skool beeeeeeeiiiiiitch

Hmmmm, do ya know what chips you have? I got a friend with Samsung chips that do the same thing, f0ckers won't do CAS 2.5

EDIT: oh yah I made a bet on this RAM, I bet an ATX case that it would do CAS 2.5 and now I owe an ATX case crappy Alienware computers suck ass

I agree with jdogg, give it a go at 2.5-3-3-6 or 2.5-3-3-11

Is 2-2-2-11 good? Thats my GEIL 3200 ?

Hmmm, I have some pc-2700 256mb XMS with samsung chips and I ran it at 2.5-3-3-11 up over 200fsb 2.8-2.9vDimm Give the 2.5casL a try and max the voltage...

I'd RMA it, my XMS PC-3200 does 200 fsb no sweat 2-3-3-8. Hell at 2.9 volts I can do 220-225fsb, anything higher and It crashed but I think some mo voltage to the chipset (1.8) and more to the ram (3.2) and she'll push 240,,,

Well I tried all that, it doesnt work. It just wont post I tried 2.9v 170fsb 2.5-3-3-11. And it still wont post. Mabey I should RMA it. But its been so long since i got it, and i dont have the box anymoer. Wil they still take it?

Woa woa woa, slow down some fella, lol

What makes you think it's the RAM ?

Your only running an XP1700+ 1.5 Gig chip. That chip is set at a multi of 11.5 and a stock H-Clock of 133mhz. If your CPU is still clock-locked, then an H-Clock of 185mhz would mean your running at about 2.2 Gig. Not bad for that chip.

Your Mobo is an NForce2 board so your PCI/AGP divider is either locked or you have advanced settings. The max HClock on the board is designed for 166mhz, any thing higher is an overclock for sure. But these are very flexible boards and I have seen your same chip and mobo clocked much higher.

Let me do some research today, I'll be asking some questions about settings. Your RAM could be bad, but CorsairXMS isn't ****ty RAM, not by a long shot. Be back to you soon.

First question, we are talking about two sticks of 512MB XMS 3200 right ?

And they are the same model number right ?

BTW, if you ever need to check the stock timings just set the BIOS DRAM Timing to SPD, then the BIOS will read the SPD chip on the RAM and you can read the settings in the BIOS

As for the RMA, if you think something is wrong, go dirrectly to Corsair, remember your ****ty XMS has a Lifetime Warranty

No we are talking about 1 stick of it. The chip mult is actualy 11 and fsb is 133. The 1700+ is the JUHIB. Another words its the one that OCs like mad. So im positive its not the chip.

Im almost positive that its the ram because theres nothing else that would be holding me back. And when I set the RAM to 100% with the CPU it dosent post.

I know there is an issue here. In the old days before duel channel RAM, overclocking was always easier with one stick. But nowadays you have to have two sticks for duel-channeling and your board supports that for the highest performance.

Try this, Go back to 80%, boot, and hunt down and install a program called WCPUID.EXE and it will tell you from inside windows how all your BIOS settings are effecting things. I hate settings like 80%, so this will let us see just what your RAM is running at when it's at 80% without guessing.

Im not sure which info you wwanted but heres the screenie of when it starts up.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Perfect.

As you can see, your H-Clock is running at 185.84 and your RAM is at the same speed, but the DDR Frequency is doubled just like it should be at 371.68. This means you are running synchronously which is usually a good idea.

So although the BIOS setting is labeled 80%, your really running perfectly in time with your OC'd CPU.

Now if you want to run Asynchronously with the RAM at 200mhz/400mhz DDR, then we are going to have to play around some, but remember it will yield little improvement because you will still have a bottleneck between the DRAM and the CPU.

Let's put a couple of things into perspective here.
You have a CPU which runs stock at 133mhz, a Mobo which is designed to support up to 166mhz stock, and RAM designed to allow up to 200mhz. And out of all this, your running at 185mhz. Doesn't look bad to me.

I know this board will allow a little more speed, and your RAM will let that happen, but in order to get a lot more out of this your going to have to do some real hardware mods, like V-Moding the Mobo or something like that.

The reality is that your biggest performance increase will come from adding another RAM module of the same model number, so that you can make use of the Duel Channel RAM support the NForce two boards provide.

Why in the post does it say RAM frequency is 148mhz or w/e ddr? And if its suppose to let me go to 200mhz, why doesnt it even make it to 186?

But when I drop the FSB to 166 and put RAM to 100%, then in post it says RAM frequency is 166, 333 DDR?

Thanks for all your help BTW!!!!

My 8RDA+ hit 200 no prob with the same mem and chip. I notice though that you have left your multi up there so if I were you and since you are trying to test the memory I would take the cpu completely out of the picture by setting your multi to 8 which with a FSB of 200 would put your chip at 1.6Ghz which is just slightly above stock speeds. Then start with your mem. If you are now able to boot up at 200 and prime95 your system then the prob is not you mem but rather your oc.

Thats a good idea, i think ill give it a go

What was the voltage and timings on your ram?

That RAM is supposed to run at 200mhz @ 2.5 or 2.6V. That is spec for it from what I have seen. So there is no reason you should have to go above that on the memory voltage. But be certain and check the manufacturer's website by model number.

Understand that the FSB/DDR frequency is all marketing bull, the true frequency of the signal is the same as the H-Clock and they double it because they are saying that your getting the same bandwidth as if it were old SDRAM at that doubled frequency. The truth is that if your H-Clock or base frequency is 185mhz, then that is what is really hitting the RAM as well, unless you clock asynchronously and run the RAM at a different speed then the CPU.

Until very recently, I always looked at anything that said 266 or 333, or 400, and halved it imeadiately in order to make sure I was thinking in terms of reality and the true frequency of the signal.

How do you think they get away with Intel systems claiming an 800mhz FSB ?
It's a 200mhz signal to the RAM, which is DDR, so now it's 400, and it's Duel Channel, so wow !, I have 800mhz Memory.

My lucky day

But again let me remind you, although your RAM, and Mobo should be able to run on up to a 200mhz signal, your CPU will still be down around the 185 your getting, so you may see a higher number here or there, but you won't see any real increase in speed except maybe in a synthetic memory benchmark.

Wellza ok, i think i have somethin. I put mult on 8 and i can get the FSB all the way to 200mhz

Then i increased the mult until it wont post and Im sittin at 11*200 right now.

Performance didnt really increase, i got +200 mhz in 3dmark 2k1. But i still think (know) that the mem isnt sync with the proc.

Mabey you arent understanding me right, There is an option like on the NF7 to run ram at lower clock speed that proc. But on NF7 its like 5/6 or 3/4 or w/e.

Well on this board its in percentages for ex. you can run your memory 80% of your CPU clock speed. What im doin. Heres a better example. FSB =100 RAM =100 Percent=100
FSB=100 RAM=80 Percent=80

Thats what i mean, thats what im doin. And thats y i knoe that it isnt sync!!!

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP GUYS!!!!

Yes, but that's why I had you run WCPUID, so you could see the true settings and at least in that pic you posted, you were running synchronously without any doubt.

Play with it and see what you come up with. That's how you will learn, and that is the only way you will be certain of yourself.

You play with it and test it along the way. Change a Bios setting, boot and check WCPUID to see what really changed, then bench it to see the real effects.

It doesn't matter in the end if I was right, wrong, or even if we agree, because with a day or two of playing with it, you will know exactly what's happening and why, and if you fully understand that, then you will fully understand all the rest.

Anyone can tell you to change a setting, but can they help you learn why your changing it ?

EDIT: Oh, and there is more info available in WCPUID then just that one screen, play with it, there are memory timings, etc if I remember right. There is another one called CPUZ that is very similar, you can get it and find your favorite.

Good point, thanks for all the help!!! Brownie points for ya

BTW where ya been latley?