Memtest-ing Platinum PC3700EB 1GB Dual Channel

[Snafu]

Just started baseline testing of new system. Ran Memtest86 (v3.1) from boot. Does well until it stalls during test 5 (about 56% complete, 5:19 minutes into testing). I left it for an hour and nothing. Had to manually reboot.

I doubt this is normal so I am hoping for suggestions.

I do not know the settings (I did not put the pieces together) and I have not got into the bios.

FYI - ran Memory Bandwidth in Sandra 2004 SP1. Results:
RAM Bandwidth Integer Buffered ISSE2 4452MB/s
RAM Bandwidth Floating point Buffered ISSE2 4461MB/s
Impressive when compared against other benchmarks.

Thanks for any help.

[eva2000]

take a read http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442

stalling is unstable at best.. use memtest86+ v1.11 instead

if you have not set the settings in bios that could be part of the problem

might want to post in OCZ support forum http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=46

[PCBruiser]

You have to disable Legacy USB Support in the bios for memtest to run without errors or stalling. There is a conflict between memtest and Legacy USB Supprt that is unrelated to your ram. It always causes errors or other problems if it is not disabled when using memtest. You will need a PS2 keyboard, and after testing you can reenable Legacy USB Support.

[Farmer]

I can't seem to run this version 3.1 without errors no matter what I have the timings at! I've tried about 4 different settings and no clean run, so I'm starting to run out of ideas here. Gonna try the v1.11 and see what I get...

Later....

[Snafu]

Will read through the thread and download v1.11. Thought this was the best forum to post - I doubt the RAM is at fault - I am more likely the culprit ( :coocoo: ). This is my first try at oc'ing.

I have not started oc'ing as yet. I want a good baseline before oc'ing - starting with memtest. Right now bios is set at "auto" - when put in manual mode the settings that appear are 2.5-4-4-8. If I switch this to manual settings for this RAM would be a good start? Should I try something a little safer like 3-4-4-8?

Have not disabled legacy USB support but when I installed XP Pro I did not set-up the USB so I thought it would be okay - guess not. I have since installed SP1. How do you disable the legacy USB??? In the meant ime I will read through the thread.

Once I run memtest v1.11 and make any necessary changes I will post what works and what does not.

Thanks all.

[PCBruiser]

You only need to disable Legacy USB Support while using memtest, otherwise you can have it enabled without problems. It is in the Advanced bios menu under USB. And, yes, it is ALWAYS better to set your RAM timings manually. Furthermore, you may very well need to increase the voltage to the RAM from default to get it to run stable. Most dual channel RAM needs more voltage than the auto default setting to run stable.

[Snafu]

Downloaded v1.11. Did not make any changes to the bios before running.
As before it stalled during test 5 (@5:19).

Went into bios and disabled the legacy USB before running memtest86 again. No problems with memtest (took ~9:30) :thumbs:

PCBruiser: you can say "told ya so" :thumb:

Although "auto" was on for the settings, memtest listed fairly loose settings of 3-3-2-8 and FSB at 199MHz (1MHz short - hmmm?). Volts were not shown. ASUS probe lists 4 voltages but not sure which is for the RAM (vcore @ 1.584, 3.3 @ 3.408, , 5 @ 5.16, 12 @ 12.22).

Memtest did not show anything unusual. Temp monitor did jump 10 degrees during the test but held steady ~42C (kept the case fans on high).

In any case, time to try some oc'ing. Aside from changing the settings to manual any suggestions. ASUS does have some oc settings (by 5%, 10% and 30%). Should I try these in addition to changing the cas settings? Recommended voltage?

Maybe post a new thread?.

[Farmer]

I switched to the v1.11 also and finally had success with the test. Ran for 2 hours, 12 passes, error free. 2.5-3-2-6, 235fsb x 14, 2.85v. Now maybe I can up things a bit, and get a better feel for what is going on...

What is so different with the versions BTW? Really strange...

Later....

[Snafu]

Glad to hear it worked for you too but darned if I know the difference.

On memtest86.org it has v1.11 as the latest but go to memtest86.com (linked by memtest86.org) and v3.1 is claimed to be the latest. :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:

Thanks for your settings. Not sure if I can jump up that much the first time (paranoia with smoke coming out of the box) but it gives me a target to shoot for. :thumb:

What case and cooling are you using?

Thx.

[Farmer]

LianLi PC61 case w/ fans everywhere! The cpu HS is a Zalman 7000-Cu, but I added a fan to the NB, a 92mm fan blowing on the ram, 4 case fans, and an Arctic-Cooling Silencer on my Radeon. Gotta do something to quiet this thing down... :lol:

Later....

[PCBruiser]

Snafu, always use manual settings for doing overclocking. The AI settings immediately cut back your memory speed to compensate for increasing the CPU frequency. So, it becomes a net wash - faster CPU, slower memory. Set your RAM timings to spec under Chipset, then slowly increase the CPU External Frequency a couple of steps at a time until you can;t get any further. Once you know where you max out, you can try tightening the ram timings a bit. Once you change the timings to manal in the AI Overclock Tuner, additional settings will open up to set your voltage on the ram, and DRam Frequency. Set the DRam Frequency to 400, and depending on what happens in memtest as you start upping the CPU External Frequency you may need to increase the voltage on the ram a step or two.

[Snafu]

Cool case. Sounds like your next step is water to get rid of the noise. :thumb:

I need to look at a bigger HS (looking at a thernaltake), a ram fan and something a little bigger for the 9600xt. A little bit at a time. :thumbs:

[Snafu]

PCBruiser, Thanks for the advice. :thumb: Will stick with manual settings. :thumbs:
P.S. where's the "I told ya so!"

[PCBruiser]

Snafu, I am water cooled - Koolance Exos. And, I never do "I told ya so..." :lol: :lol: :lol:

Edit: More about the Koolance Exos and my experience doing it here:

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65208

[Snafu]

I manually set the RAM timings to 3-3-2-8 in the Bios (disabling the RAM timing by SPD). Now the stupid question. How do you increase the CPU External Frequency? I am not sure how this is done in the Bios (Asus version 1014 – I have downloaded version 1016 but not installed not sure if it is needed)

I tried to set the “AI Overclock Tuner” to Manual from Standard and set the “DRAM Frequency” to 400MHz (from Auto) with no changes to the voltages. There was no post. Nothing. Nada. :scratch:

By the way, what are normal (versus higher) voltage settings for the CPU, RAM and AGP? The bios and the User Guide do not give any clues as to the settings it was using in Auto mode as a starting point.

In any case, after a few minutes I had to throw the power supply switch so it would post with a message that the overclock did not work and asked if I wanted to reset or edit the settings. I changed all the settings back to auto except for the RAM manual settings. It posted and Memtest ran for an hour without errors. :thumb:

:help: Before more futile trial and errors ( :smash: ) I thought I would ask if there is something simple and stupidly overlooked :o . There may be one of two reasons why there was no post. One was an additional change I made in the Bios and the other is something that does not appear in the Frequency-Voltage Bios screen.

One thing to note, while making changes in the overclock menu I also enabled the temperature and fan speed monitors for the CPU MB and Power under the “Hardware Monitor” menu. It would not post and after I was able to get it to post and into the bios I noticed that the “Power Temperature” read ~126C ( :yikes: ) and the “Power Fan Speed” was ~800rpm with both being flagged in red font. If the Bios thinks the power supply is overheating would this be the reason why it did not post with the new settings?

The power supply is a brand new Enermax with 470w, two fans and an external fan speed control. I turned the fans up to the highest setting but the temperature in the Bios did not change. The back of the case and the air coming out of the power supply felt normal (felt warm air but nothing hot). I question whether the power is connected to the Bios and if not the Bios is giving a false high reading and causing the no post. :scratch:

I ran out of time and have since reset the Bios so that the power supply temperature and speed are not monitored but I have also reset the AI Overclock back to Standard so I could post and run the Memtest with the RAM manual settings (FYI - Sandra gave higher results with the manual setting).

The other thing I noticed in the bios is that under the “Configure System Frequency/Voltage” menu the “AI Overclock Tuner” is set to Standard but the “CPU Ratio” does not appear. In the Asus User Guide it looks like this should appear. I wonder if I have a locked chip that might be causing the problem?

[PCBruiser]

I manually set the RAM timings to 3-3-2-8 in the Bios (disabling the RAM timing by SPD). Now the stupid question. How do you increase the CPU External Frequency? I am not sure how this is done in the Bios (Asus version 1014 – I have downloaded version 1016 but not installed not sure if it is needed)

I tried to set the “AI Overclock Tuner” to Manual from Standard and set the “DRAM Frequency” to 400MHz (from Auto) with no changes to the voltages. There was no post. Nothing. Nada. :scratch:

By the way, what are normal (versus higher) voltage settings for the CPU, RAM and AGP? The bios and the User Guide do not give any clues as to the settings it was using in Auto mode as a starting point.

In any case, after a few minutes I had to throw the power supply switch so it would post with a message that the overclock did not work and asked if I wanted to reset or edit the settings. I changed all the settings back to auto except for the RAM manual settings. It posted and Memtest ran for an hour without errors. :thumb:

:help: Before more futile trial and errors ( :smash: ) I thought I would ask if there is something simple and stupidly overlooked :o . There may be one of two reasons why there was no post. One was an additional change I made in the Bios and the other is something that does not appear in the Frequency-Voltage Bios screen.

One thing to note, while making changes in the overclock menu I also enabled the temperature and fan speed monitors for the CPU MB and Power under the “Hardware Monitor” menu. It would not post and after I was able to get it to post and into the bios I noticed that the “Power Temperature” read ~126C ( :yikes: ) and the “Power Fan Speed” was ~800rpm with both being flagged in red font. If the Bios thinks the power supply is overheating would this be the reason why it did not post with the new settings?

The power supply is a brand new Enermax with 470w, two fans and an external fan speed control. I turned the fans up to the highest setting but the temperature in the Bios did not change. The back of the case and the air coming out of the power supply felt normal (felt warm air but nothing hot). I question whether the power is connected to the Bios and if not the Bios is giving a false high reading and causing the no post. :scratch:

I ran out of time and have since reset the Bios so that the power supply temperature and speed are not monitored but I have also reset the AI Overclock back to Standard so I could post and run the Memtest with the RAM manual settings (FYI - Sandra gave higher results with the manual setting).

The other thing I noticed in the bios is that under the “Configure System Frequency/Voltage” menu the “AI Overclock Tuner” is set to Standard but the “CPU Ratio” does not appear. In the Asus User Guide it looks like this should appear. I wonder if I have a locked chip that might be causing the problem?


OK, with the AI set to Manual, you get additional bios options. Set the DRam Frequency to 400, set the DDR Voltage to 2.85v, it needs that voltage to function correctly. You adjust the CPU External Frequency using the +/- keys to increase/decrease it. You probably didn't get a post because there wasn't enough voltage to the ram. Start the CPU External Frequency at 200 and increase it from there until you can't get a post. Do it a few FSB at a time. That should go quickly until you reach FSB230 or so. Then take your time moving more slowly.

Voltages: I leave the DDR Voltage at 2.85v, the CPU and AGP on Auto. That works for me.

bios settings - set Performance Mode to Auto. Under Chipset, disable Spread Spectrum. Set Performance Acceleration Mode to Enabled. Reading down on the ram timings set them to 3 3 3 6 8. Disable Spread Spectrum. Set MPS to 1.4.

Once you get post, and have moved the CPU External Frequency up to as far as you can go while still getting post and a good memtest, you can lower the ram timings a bit. Start with 3 2 3 6 8, and if that works go to 3 2 3 5 8, and finally 2.5 3 2 5 8 if you can get there - probably not.

The CPU Ratio is the DRam Frequency setting: 400 = 1:1, 320 = 5:4, 266 = 3:2.

Under Power: Suspend Mode: S3 only, Repost Video: No, ACPI 2.0 Support: Enabled, ACPI APIC Support: Enabled, BIOS ... Table: Enabled, APM: Disabled, I disable QFan.

I think that takes care of everything. Post how it goes, and if any problems.

[Snafu]

Thanks! I think you covered every option available in the bios! :thumb: I just can't go wrong. I will change the settings and post the news.

Thanks again
:beer:

[Hawk]

Snafu,

I have the same chips. :D

Let me know if you'd like to compare some of the settings.

[Snafu]

Sweet! That would be great! :thumb:

Bios versions should not matter, right? I have 1014 but could update to 1016 (it was a question I was saving for a rainy day)

Want me to PM or just post?

Thanks
:beer:

[PCBruiser]

Really the major difference between v1014 and v1016 is additional voltage support for more Prescott CPUs. If 1014 is working fine for you, and it will once the settings are straightened out, leave it be as 1016 really won't change anything for you, and there is always some risk in flashing a bios, although is you are careful and do it correctly that risk is minimal.

[Snafu]

Thanks. :thumb:

Since it will not help unless I upgrade (downgrade?) to a Prescott I will leave the bios alone. I would hate to mess up flashing the bios and be down for the weekend when I have some settings to play with :chit: .

I am off in a couple of minutes but will hook-up later tonight (I am being a parental unit tonight until bed-time).

[Hawk]

Snafu,

Posting here is best so that everyone can see what is going on. The 1014 BIOS is Best for a Northwood Processor. 1015&16 are more tailored for the Prescott CPU's.

[Snafu]

Good point. I will keep posting. :thumbs:

Two questions about your bios. First do you have the power temperature enabled and if so what reading do you see? When I enabled this the temp was 126C. I think something is not connected but wanted to check.

My other question is do you see the Asus AI screen flash on the screen? I am seeing it twice when it never appeared before. I wondered if there was a way to turn it off in the bios :scratch: .

[Snafu]

I made all the changes and posted without issue :cool: .

Memtest ran for nearly an hour without issue :cool: :cool: .

Running Sandra burn in right now (up tp run #6 without issue and no high temps). :cool: :cool: :cool:

When it finishes I will start upping the FSB by 5 (to 205) then repeat until 230 then smaller steps until it hits a wall. Would upping the CPU voltage help any? :scratch: . Just curious since it can be adjusted. On "auto" it is around 1.5-1.6v.

I will post another update sometime this weekend once I reach 230 or bust (touch silicon :lol: ).

[PCBruiser]

Snafu, I tend to leave my CPU at Auto for vCore, really because I haven't had much luck personally getting better overclocks by pushing the vCore. That's just my experience, others seem to have better luck than I do by increasing it a bit. But, try the way I suggested first, and lets see where you hit your wall and then decide if more vCore is likely to do much for you.

[Hawk]

Good point. I will keep posting. :thumbs:

Two questions about your bios. First do you have the power temperature enabled and if so what reading do you see? When I enabled this the temp was 126C. I think something is not connected but wanted to check.



My other question is do you see the Asus AI screen flash on the screen? I am seeing it twice when it never appeared before. I wondered if there was a way to turn it off in the bios :scratch: .[/QUOTE]


[COLOR=Red]I am running my machine on the Vapochill LS, so my temps are out of wack compared to yours. :bonk: Mine is like 26F if I remember correctly. I'll look tonight.


Also, yes I also see the screen flash. There is a utility that you can use to turn it off and or change the LOGO.

[Snafu]

Just a quick update. Reached 220 with some burn-ins between changes. Mainly:
- Memtest ~0:45-1:00hr
- Sandra Benchmarks
- Sandra burn-in (10 runs)
- SuperPi (16M)
I wonder if this is enough or too much?

No stumbling :thumb: Temps are not too high - 40-43C at peak. Proc fan is running faster by ~300rpm.

Should be at 230 tomorrow and ready to try for higher. :rock:

[Snafu]

I had it up to 240 :D without errors in memtest, Sandra burn-in and Super PI (WinXP running okay). I thought it would go higher but it would crash (freeze) when running Quick Pi test (MemStat) :irk: . 235 is the highest I can reach without crashing in Quick Pi (reached a score of 7776 in MemStat). :scratch: I thought this EB RAM would go higher (not sure what I am doing wrong)

Using 'stock' air-cooling with the Thermaltake case. I think the RAM needs more cooling before I can go higher. There is a lot of cool air in thr case but its full effect is nor reaching the RAM (I wll have to think of something). Between FSB of 235-240 proc temps are not overly high (<43C at peack and <32C at idle) - it helps that the ambient temp in the room is <18C.

I will start tightening the timings in the following order until I cannot post or until I hit errors:
3 2 3 6 8
3 2 3 5 8
2.5 3 2 5 8

FYI - current settings in bios:
AI - Manual
DRam Frequency - 400
DDR Voltage to 2.85v
CPU External Frequency - 235
CPU Voltage - Auto
AGP Voltage - Auto
Performance Mode - Auto
Spread Spectrum - disabled
Performance Acceleration Mode - Enabled
RAM timings - 3 3 3 6 8
MPS - 1.4
CPU Ratio - 1:1
Suspend Mode - S3 only
Repost Video - No
ACPI 2.0 Support - Enabled
ACPI APIC Support - Enabled
Bios Table - Enabled
Bios APM - Disabled
QFan - Disabled

[PCBruiser]

I doubt it is the ram, I think it is your CPU Snafu that is topping out. You are having the same issue flexkill is having with a 3.0 topping out at 3.5.

[eva2000]

1GB PC3700EB would rock with my 2.8Cs that do 275-280fsb hehe

[PCBruiser]

1GB PC3700EB would rock with my 2.8Cs that do 275-280fsb hehe

But, not if his CPU is topped out. You can't drive the RAM any faster than the CPU can go.

[eva2000]

yeach his cpu probably ain't as good as these 2.8C babies

[PCBruiser]

yeach his cpu probably ain't as good as these 2.8C babies

It is all a matter of the luck of the draw buying a CPU. Some do great, others are the pits. They all look the same in the box, until you actually test one. Unfortunately Snafu and flexkill are both having the same problem with 3.0Cs topping out at 3.5. And, usually they do MUCH better than 2.8Cs. But, you were lucky with one that does great. Go figure.

[eva2000]

hmmmmm i have 3x 2.8C SL6Z5 all march 18, 2004 pack date 3343A746 costas

1st does 281fsb max on AI7 on corsair hydrocool water
2nd does 280fsb max on p4c800-e on sp-94 air
3rd To be tested

hopefully 3rd is better than the first 2 :D

[Snafu]

PCB - Thanks :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


I think it is your CPU Snafu that is topping out.

Shhhhhoot :beat:

Do you suspect it is a heat issue with the CPU or simply that this is the ceiling for the 3.0C or possibly a voltage issue? I have seen higher oc's with the 3.0C but these were with water or Vapochill cooling. There is a lot of air moving in the case it just may not be optimal/directed properly.

Heats sinks are not expensive and I wondered if I should stop being thrifty & spend a little :scratch: ? I was looking at a Thermaltake heat sink with heat pipes but with a weight of 1lb I fear the MoBo could crack under the weight. I wonder how this weight is held up without putting undue pressure on the MoBo.

[Snafu]

Silly question but wanna trade or sell?
I know I'm nuts for asking :bonk: but I can also sponsor your road trip to "fix" Tony's machine ( :mischeif: :chit: :mischeif: ).

[PCBruiser]

Snafu, looking back at your temps they look OK. Better HFS might help, might not. The thermaltke is a good one. A Zalman 7000Cu is another good one too.

But, since you are still on Auto vCore, why not try boosting that? Give the CPU 1.60v, that's quite safe, and see if that gets you a little further. Anything at or below 1.65v is considered quite safe for Northwoods. Now, personally, upping vCore hasn't helped me much. But i also KNOW it many others have been helped getting their CPUs stable at higher FSBs. Try it, it can't hurt.

[flexkill]

ya i was stuck at 232fsb, but now at 239fsb stable will run benchies at 240 but thats it. check your DRAM idle and refresh rate, this was a gateway to 8 more fsb for me. mine set to 15.6 usec and infinite. :yup:

[Snafu]

PCB: I was debating whether to try to first tighten timings then play with other settings in the bios or play first then tighten. I think playing with teh settings first then tightening the RAM is the better approach.

You saved me form asking another question about my EB RAM. When purchased I was debating between the EL and EB. Since it is likely the proc that is limiting the oc I should not have regrets over buying the EB.

The heat sink might help but as you say it might not. Will look at the Zalman 7000Cu too. Temps not too bad so I am puzzled why the proc is limiting the oc. I am sure there is a million $ question in there that everyone wants to know. With HTT disabled it ran the hottest (something to try).

I need to clean up the wiring a bit more and try to duct the air better as the fans do not blow straight out but seem to disperse from the sides :scratch: .

I will try the CPU voltage changes first and see if it has any impact to MemStat scores (so far the best for stability testing). I will keep it below 1.65v. Thanks for the advice :thumb: .

Been watching Flexkill's thread with interest. What is the advice on the pack date? Mine is an SL6WK and is <4 weeks old (maybe sat on the shelf for a bit).

Thanks for the help :beer:

flexkill


check your DRAM idle and refresh rate, this was a gateway to 8 more fsb for me. mine set to 15.6 usec and infinite. :yup:
Will try this after testing the voltage changes. Thanks :thumb:
Curious - did you change your avatar?

Will keep posting results of the trials.

[flexkill]

lol ,ya i change it often. :yup: btw that should be a good oc'er if you go by what blaster say's. anyway , like bruiser say's luck, luck, and more luck!!! i will see soon enough with my new chip. :chit: oh ya, and dont regret yur choice in choosing the EB ram, they rock!!! :rock:

[Hawk]

flexkill,

Did you also do the VDIMM mod to your machine?

[Snafu]

:lol: :lol: :lol: like a chameleon eh? Maybe this is a good idea for the next avatar?

Like you I choose the 3.0C because it seems to be a good oc'er, it was within the budget and seemed like a good deal compared to $ of higher P4s.

PCB quelled my self-questioning of the EB versus EL (PC3700). Though with a limiting 3.0C the EL might have been okay - didn't know it at the time. C'est la vie. Maybe the next proc will live up better to the EB.

I was running @240 and doing okay with memtest, SuperPi (up to 16M) and Sandra Burn-in & Benches but QuickPi in MemStat caused the freeze-up = instability ( :scratch: ).

By the way, what was the advice on the pack date? I could not find it in your thread.

[flexkill]

no, i just wrote shim telling him that i will be doing it my self today. i thought long and hard, but i want to learn and what a better way then to jump right in. i am going to get a better soldering iron, then we will see if i got game or flame....lol :yup:

[Hawk]

If you don't want to solder, buy the SMD Mini Precision clips from Radioshack and clip it to the pin on the Motherboard.


Here is a link to them http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=270-334

[flexkill]

actually it is blaster who found this out. he say's any 3.0c packed after 2/24/04 will all reach at least 250fsb on air. and by looking at his rig i believe him. if you hav'nt checked it out go to BE forum intel processor, then the thread (got me a new SL6WK 3.0c) :yup: :thumb:

[flexkill]

If you don't want to solder, buy the SMD Mini Precision clips from Radioshack and clip it to the pin on the Motherboard.


Here is a link to them http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=270-334
thanx... :rock:

[Snafu]

FSB@235 seems to be it. Tightened timings to 3-2-2-5-8. It will not take CAS@2.5 - no way - no how. big blue screen error message pops up warning that WinXP did not load properly.

Tried different settings in various combinations.
- DRAM idle & refresh like flexkill
- Vcore up to 1.60v
would not stay stable above 235.

Then something strange happened. Tried playing with the performance mode from auto to turbo and the agp/pci to 66/33. I inched my way up to 237 without issue then jumped to 240 - locked up. Reset back to 237 - locked. Now back down to 235 - okay :scratch: .

The interesting bit - I was running task manager on each test. As I was inching up the memory usage before running any benches was low (always running after a fresh boot). After locking up @240 and resetting to 235 noticed that memory usage jumped by 500mb on a fresh boot :scratch: . Stayed this way until after a few reboots then it seems to drop down a bit. I checked to see what additional processes might be running but could not find anything specific. I suspect there was some sort of recovery program running that would not allow FSB@237 after lock-up. I'mm gonna wait a bit and see if I can inch back up to 237,

Wonder if there are other settings that might help. The Asus user guide does not explain what each setting does. I'm sure a 4:5 setting would help if the proc is the limiting factor.

Thanks guys!