Waving and drowning with IC7-G!

[h2so4]

As Tom and others will know, I have a P4 3.0c with 512Mb CorsairTwinXL memory in a revision 1 IC7-G. Everything apart from my DIMM voltage (at
2.8v) is at default. The RAM is set to SPD in BIOS@ 2.5. 2, 2, 6.

I have been struggling to get this thing stable for three months with varying success. Recently my system has been crashing with increasing frequency. I've tested the RAM using Memtest 3.0 and this reports many errors. However, I seem to recall reading somewhere that there may be an issue with the early revisions of the IC7-G and Corsair memory. I've been thinking of getting rid of the motherboard for some time being heartily sick of fiddling with the bloody thing but, I'm now stuck with a problem. Is it possible to establish whether the Memtest errors are generated by...

1. Faulty memory modules ( I have'nt tried them singly yet as I've grown rather superstitious about crashes that obliterate my system files (Win XP)?

2. A faulty/buggy mobo? (The motherboard has been the principal victim of my paranoid rants to date).

3. Incompatibility between the mobo and the RAM?

As I live in a Castle, confined in a tower. I have no friends with similar hardware with whom I can play the swapping out game with. (Tom, I'd like to try to get the Henry Miller chair and change the motherboard or memory. I thing I may be able to steal a few coins from the ogre's pot of cupro nickel). I'm going to have to replace the board or the RAM and can't wait for an RMA.

Many thanks for your attention.

 

[Skid]

"h2so4" wrote:

As Tom and others will know, I have a P4 3.0c with 512Mb CorsairTwinXL memory in a revision 1 IC7-G. Everything apart from my DIMM voltage (at
2.8v) is at default. The RAM is set to SPD in BIOS@ 2.5. 2, 2, 6.

I have been struggling to get this thing stable for three months with varying success. Recently my system has been crashing with increasing frequency. I've tested the RAM using Memtest 3.0 and this reports many errors. However, I seem to recall reading somewhere that there may be an issue with the early revisions of the IC7-G and Corsair memory. I've been thinking of getting rid of the motherboard for some time being heartily sick of fiddling with the bloody thing but, I'm now stuck with a problem. Is it possible to establish whether the Memtest errors are ...

XP)?

2. A faulty/buggy mobo? (The motherboard has been the principal victim of my paranoid rants to date).

3. Incompatibility between the mobo and the RAM?

As I live in a Castle, confined in a tower. I have no friends with similar hardware with whom I can play the swapping out game with. (Tom, I'd like to try to get the Henry Miller chair and change the motherboard or memory. I thing I may be able to steal a few coins from the ogre's pot of cupro nickel). I'm going to have to replace the board or the RAM and can't wait for an RMA.

Many thanks for your attention.

OK, I remember the early threads but not the details. Have you:

1.) Tried different bios versions

2.) Manually raised the ram timings to 2.5,3,3,7 or 3,4,4,8

3.) Left all GAT settings at Auto, or with CPC and Performkance Mode disabled.

4.) Tested one stick at a time and swapped slots to eliminate faulty modules.

If you do wind up replacing something, I'd go for the ram. It's called MemTest for a reason, you know. There were some lengthy threads about Corsair troubles on early IC7s in the forums at http://forum.abit-usa.com/ that might offer more clues.

Swapping DIMMS is a lot simpler than a complete rebuild, and you might even save money.

Winbond BH-5 modules are generally considered among the most compatible with these boards, and the Buffalo Tech PC3700 at www.newegg.com uses those. Works great on my IC7, though mine is fairly recent (new NB cooler.)

Crucial/Micron uses different modules, but is cheap and has a rep for compatibility and stability, plus a lifetime guarantee. Best price, with discount, at http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.asp?prog=share

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[h2so4]

"Skid" wrote:

"h2so4" wrote:

As Tom and others will know, I have a P4 3.0c with 512Mb CorsairTwinXL
memory in a revision 1 IC7-G. Everything apart from my DIMM voltage (at
2.8v) is at default. The RAM is set to SPD in BIOS@ 2.5. 2, 2, 6.

I have been struggling to get this thing stable for three months with
varying success. Recently my system has been crashing with increasing
frequency. I've tested the RAM using Memtest 3.0 and this reports many
errors. However, I seem to recall reading somewhere that there may be an
issue with the early revisions of the IC7-G and Corsair memory.
I've been thinking of getting rid of the motherboard for some time being ... a problem. Is it possible to establish whether the Memtest errors are
generated by...

1. Faulty memory modules ( I have'nt tried them singly yet as I've grown
rather superstitious about crashes that obliterate my system files (Win XP)?

2. A faulty/buggy mobo? (The motherboard has been the principal victim of my
paranoid rants to date).

3. Incompatibility between the mobo and the RAM?

As I live in a Castle, confined in a tower. I have no friends with similar hardware with whom I can play the swapping out game with. (Tom, I'd like to
try to get the Henry Miller chair and change the motherboard or memory. I thing I may be able to steal a few coins from the ogre's pot of cupro
nickel). I'm going to have to replace the board or the RAM and can't wait for an RMA.

Many thanks for your attention.

OK, I remember the early threads but not the details. Have you:

1.) Tried different bios versions

Yes, I've had similar problems with each BIOS revision. I'm now on 1.7.

2.) Manually raised the ram timings to 2.5,3,3,7 or 3,4,4,8

Not yet, but I'll try this just as soon as I log off. Thanks for the tip.

3.) Left all GAT settings at Auto, or with CPC and Performkance Mode disabled.

Yes. At present they're set at Auto, Auto, Auto, Disabled, Disabled.

4.) Tested one stick at a time and swapped slots to eliminate faulty modules.

I will try this, soon-ish but at present I still recovering from 16 hours of tinkering following a major crash that knocked my OS out. Thank Heavens for Acronis True image that got things back up again.

If you do wind up replacing something, I'd go for the ram. It's called MemTest for a reason, you know.

I'd be relieved to know that the problem is faulty RAM as I could see light at the end of this tunnel of woe. Although, replacing the DIMMs would cost about the same as a new motherboard. The reason I posed this question was that I wondered whether the errors that Memtest finds might be caused by the interaction of a buggy board with serviceable RAM.

There were some lengthy threads about

Corsair troubles on early IC7s in the forums at http://forum.abit-usa.com/ that might offer more clues.

I've read acres of threads on the Abit fora and on the Corsair pages of the House of Help fora but I've emerged more weary than enlightened. My crashes have usually, but not always, occurred when I've been on the web.

Swapping DIMMS is a lot simpler than a complete rebuild, and you might even save money.

Winbond BH-5 modules are generally considered among the most compatible with these boards, and the Buffalo Tech PC3700 at www.newegg.com uses those. Works great on my IC7, though mine is fairly recent (new NB cooler.)

I'm in the UK where customer service is regarded as excellent if the waiter does'nt piss in your beer! The retailer I bought the board and memory is based in Norway. I've had this stuff for three month's and based on previous experience I do not relish a protracted negotiation with the retailer nor do I feel very optimistic about getting a good result for my efforts. I'll see if I can locate some Buffalo Tech RAM over here. There is a retailer offering Kingmax 3500 DDR at around half the price of Corsair 3200, �141-00 (approx two hundred dollars) for a pair of 512Mb boards. I'd snap it up if I thought it would help, but a couple of hundred bucks on a flyer is a trifle rich.

Thanks for your helpful reply.

Crucial/Micron uses different modules, but is cheap and has a rep for compatibility and stability, plus a lifetime guarantee. Best price, with discount, at http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.asp?prog=share

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[h2so4]

Skid,

I set the memory to 2, 5, 3, 3, 7. as you suggested. The early signs are good. At my previous settings I got loads of Memtest errors on test 5 pass
2. At the settings you suggest I've run all the tests for seven passes without a single error being reported.

I'd better test this now by blasting away a few Hun in MOH Breakthrough. A little carnage may improve my state of mind.

Thanks again.

 

[TomG]

all you can do, as far as I am aware, is troubleshoot by substitution or elimination. test with one stick and then the other, borrow some ram from a friend for a test, etc.

 

[Skid]

"h2so4" wrote:

Skid,

I set the memory to 2, 5, 3, 3, 7. as you suggested. The early signs are good. At my previous settings I got loads of Memtest errors on test 5 pass
2. At the settings you suggest I've run all the tests for seven passes without a single error being reported.

I'd better test this now by blasting away a few Hun in MOH Breakthrough. A little carnage may improve my state of mind.

Thanks again.

Great. Once you get bored with the stability, you can go back and try to screw it up again by lowering one number at a time and running MemTest in between.

My memory is totally from yours, and it took a lot of trial and error to hit on 2,3,2,6 as the fastest stable setting. (SPD was 2.5,3,3,7, but I was running at slightly below the rated speed so I could tighten it up without errors.)

That'll give you something to do to keep you from going to sleep in that comfy new chair ;>)

 

[h2so4]

Great. Once you get bored with the stability, you can go back and try to screw it up again by lowering one number at a time and running MemTest in between.

My memory is totally from yours, and it took a lot of trial and error to hit on 2,3,2,6 as the fastest stable setting. (SPD was 2.5,3,3,7, but I was running at slightly below the rated speed so I could tighten it up without errors.)

That'll give you something to do to keep you from going to sleep in that comfy new chair ;>)

Still completely stable but...we can no longer play Medal of Honor. We have all three versions and each one drops us back to the desktop on start up. However, everything else, including games, remains stable.

Thanks again.

 

[TomG]

try reinstalling MOH.