Twinmos Twister PC3700

[eva2000]

More goodies for eva2000 to play with :)

http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/1/web/twister_pc3700_17.JPG

http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/1/web/twister_pc3700_19.JPG

[eva2000]

these sticks have to be the lightest sticks of memory I've ever held.. the heatspreader + ram is as light as paper!

[WaTaGuMp]

LOL ugliest heatspreaders I have ever seen :eyepop:

[Radelon]

Quit wasting time, lets see some numbers.

[Hawk]

Looks like the Frenchy's Mustard of Heat Spreaders. :eek: ;)

[eva2000]

http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/1/web/twister_pc3700_00.JPG

Well not very good results right now it could be just plain motherboard incompatibility

only tested on PX865PE PRO2 so far and have 2 major problems

------------
Problem #1:
------------
The 512MB Twinmos Twister PC3700 individually tested in PX865PE PRO2 seem to error out in memtest86 (http://memtest86.com) straight away or within 10 passes in tests # 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 when set at the following

* SPD (2.5-3-3-8) at 2.75v and 2.85v
* 2.5-3-3-8 manually set timings at 2.75 and 2.85v
* 2.5-4-4-8 at 2.75v and 2.85v

The system I'm currently using is:

Pentium 4 2.4C Costa Rica Week 20
MCX4000 rev1 + 120x35mm Sunon 120cfm fan on TT fan speed controller
Albatron PX865PE PRO2 1.02 beta bios
128MB Gigacube 9600PRO VIVO @ stock
120GB WD 1200JB on IDE1 port
520W Topower Gold dual fan

cpu:ddr ratio = 1:1
vcore = 1.6v
vAGP = 1.5v and 1.6v
vdimm = 2.75v or 2.85v

Spread sprectrum = disabled
AGP/PCI/SRC = 66.66/33.33/100
Hyperthreading enabled
Promise raid controller disabled
SATA controller disabled

I'ved tested all my other memory and they can run between 217-275mhz 1:1 on this board and with this 2.4C cpu.

------------
Problem #2:
------------
The 512MB Twinmos Twister PC3700 physically are hard to insert/install into the dimm sockets on the Albatron PX865PE PRO2 motherboard compared to the other memory I've been testing.

I purchased the memory from memoryx.net and took photos of the memory and uploaded them to my site at http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/1/web/

It doesn't seem that this memory works on my PX865PE PRO2 at rated timings of 233mhz 2.5-3-3-8 or 2.5-4-4-8 at 2.75-2.85v ... I'm going to test on my Epox 4PCA3+ as well.

I've emailed Twinmos to ask what board validation the memory has done and at 5 twinmos email addresses on their site all bounce back with either username not found or exceeded dropfile size errors :(

I'll test it on 4PCA3+ soon if i can get the memory installed...

BTW, anyone got a contact email at Twinmos I can take advantage of ?

[eva2000]

well Twinmos Singapore FAE got through to me and provided the motherboard validation list and said i should be able to run 2x PC3700 Twisters fine on these boards, but my 4PCA3+ which is on their list doesn't run with 1 stick even


Here are some list of our tested-well M/B (Intel 875 , 865):

ASUS P4C800 Deluxe
ASUS P4P800

Gigabyte GA-8IK1100
Gigabyte GA-8KNXP
Gigabyte GA-8PENXP
Gigabyte GA-8IG1000MK

MSI 865PE NEO2
MSI 875P NEO

EPOX 4PCA3+
EPOX 4PGAI

AOPEN AX4C MAX
AOPEN AX4SG MAX

[eva2000]

new discovery


Originally posted by sl33pyhead
Interesting.

Have just returned 2 512mb Twister PC3700 modules due to similar problems in my IC7-G with a 2.8c. I was not impressed. Especially considering the price it is here in the UK.

Individually each module appeared to test ok in memtest86, but in dual channel I consistently got errors in tests 5 and 10. This was regardless of timings or voltage. They would not even do their spec speed reliably - even at 2.8v and slacker timings.

I also found they were very difficult to insert, and required a lot of force for the dimm retaining clips to snap into place - looking at other memory with heatspeaders it looks as if the heatspreader actually extends to far down towards the contacts and stops the stick being inserted properly without a lot of force. The heatspreader is about 1-2mm closer to the contacts on the Twister than my Corsair or Geil.

Got myself some Geil Ultra PC4000 dual channel instead and so far very happy with it.

my god you're right about the heatspreaders extending too far towards the contacts of the memory! it could be this reason they're erroring out ? I uploaded pics comparing heatspreaders on the Twinmos PC3700 Twisters to other memory and they do extend too far at http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/2/web/

http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/2/web/twinmos_03_thumb.jpg (http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/2/web/twinmos_04.html)

I hope memoryx.net doesn't charge me a restocking fee as i ordered on 14/8/03 but only received the memory on 20/21 of August about 7 days in my hand and unusable :(

i measured the distance

http://www.fileshosts.com/memory/twinmos/twister/pc3700/2/web/twinmos_04.html

From that picture i measure
1. just under 1mm from the edge of heatspreader to top of gold memory contact
2. just under 3mm from edge of heatspreader to bottom end of gold memory contact

[eva2000]

Well after 5+ weeks now since i sent back 4x 512MB Twinmos Twister PC3700, I am still chasing up a US$531.20 full refund from memoryx.net :(

I've been bounced from tech support to billing where it's dead hole when it comes to replies to my emails :rolleyes:

anyone dealt with memoryx.net before for refunds ?

[eva2000]

Well finally after 2+ months and dozen emails to Memoryx.net after they said they were sending me a cheque for US$531.20, they today paypal'd me the refund! This was after my last email which i asked for the full name and phone number for the billing rep who was supposedly handling my refund and sending me a cheque.

Over the last 2 months, I never once got any email correspondance or replies from the 2 billing department contacts I was given or from anyone in billing department. Only person at Memoryx.net who bothered to reply to the dozen emails i sent was a guy in Tech support.

I lost US$20 in fees from receiving the paypal in my Paypal Premium a/c and in total lost AUD$280 in this ordeal due to currency exchange changes over 2+ months, shipping fees for returning DOA memory which i couldn't even install properly on 2 of the 3 motherboards i had at the time!

All i can say is STAAAAAAAY AWAY from Memoryx.net - it took them less than 20mins to take my money when i purchased but took 2+ months in getting a refund!

[dbwillis]

Damn, that sucks!