ASUS A7N8X Deluxe 2.0 and Infineon RAM

VordackVordack
edited December 2003 in Hardware
Hi,

I just bought above Motherboard (400 FSB) and also
2 x 512 MB Infineon RAM (400) (Chips and Board).

Great I thouht and put installed the RAM on the sockets (?) 1 and 3 to activate the dual channel option.

When I run my system with a memory clock of 200 Mhz using dual channel (2 x 512 MB) my system starts hanging or crashing or restarting after a while during games.

When I try dual channel with 166 Mhz memory clock it is stable, when I try single channel (1 x 512 MB) at 200 MHT it is stable too (I tried both chips).

Does this mean that my motherboard has got a screw up or what? I thought the ASUS board had no problems with Infineon RAM. Is there anything I can do to try to compensate cause I do want to run 2 x 512 x dual channel x 200 Mhz (like raise memory volrage, change memory timings or such).

Thanks for any help or advice, sorry for any incoherent grammar/spelling, I'm German and my english speaking days are a while back.

Cya,

Vordack
:vimp::vimp::vimp::tongue:

Comments

  • ClutchClutch North Carolina New
    edited October 2003
    Have you ran memtest to see if there are are errors with your ram?
  • VordackVordack
    edited October 2003
    no i never heard of memtest. Is it a program? I'll check in google.
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited October 2003
    Use Docmemory, it's a little DOS utility. You can get it from the downloads section on the main page, under emergency files. Also, you could try the other dual-channel config of putting them in slots 2 & 3.

    Cheers
  • VordackVordack
    edited October 2003
    Thanks,

    I'll try a couple of memory utils later when I get home.

    Its a new mobo, why should it work in 2 & 3 and not in 1 & 3?
    And if it works in 2 & 3 and not in 1 & 3 it would be a reason to give the motherboard back, not?

    Yesterday at 2:00 a.m. I was too tired to continue testing, I'll start as soon as I get home today.

    Cya
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Memory is quirky. Older modules are less likely to adjust to the additional latency that dual channel presents. Memories from large manufacturers of DIMMs are also less likely to receive the testing needed to validate for dual channel (Publicly advertised or otherwise).

    Regardless, it's not a reason to send your motherboard back. People have identical problems to you, Vordack, all the time. You get new memory, or you just go with it in single channel mode.

    I would just go with single channel, because dual channel on an Athlon board is worthless.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited October 2003
    adjusting the voltages up or down for the memory to see if that made a difference????


    Gobbles
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited October 2003
    Vordack had this to say
    Its a new mobo, why should it work in 2 & 3 and not in 1 & 3?
    And if it works in 2 & 3 and not in 1 & 3 it would be a reason to give the motherboard back, not?

    Cya

    Like Thrax said, memory is quirky. My suggestion about changing the slot configs was just a standard thing to try, as you'll be suprised how often doing so can remedy memory problems. I doubt it will help in your situation, but it is just something to try.

    Keep us posted.

    Cheers
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited October 2003
    What Processor or cpu are you using?

    What's the fsb speed of the cpu? 266, 333, or 400? That might be a part of the problem.
  • VordackVordack
    edited October 2003
    Hey all,

    thanks for all the replies and help, but now I'm pretty sure its a mobo / memory incompatibility.

    I tried two memory tools, one under windows (I let it run for 10 minutes until it at 100% coverage with no errors) and then this docmem tool in the dl section. As soon as I started a test there it restarted the computer, no matter how many modules I had installed at what speeds. When I told it to only test conventional RAM it passed the tests and on my cousins system (P4, 2 Gig) it past the test as well.

    I have a Barton 3200 running at a 400 FSB.

    Yesterday it crashed in games always at 200 Mhz, no matter how many memory modules I had installed in any slots. I tries both combinations (slot 1&3, slot 2&3) for dual channel, didnt help.

    The only stable memory config I can get is 1 x 512 in slot 1 running at 166 Mhz.

    In another hardware forum I read that ASUS is really choosy about its RAM and that when you use ASUS boards one should only use the certified approved RAM.

    I'll probably change the mobo to the MSI Athlon2 Mobo, swap it in the store where I bought it (its onlyy 10 minutes drive from my home). Just imagine if I want to sell my mobo and RAM in 2 years, having to tell the buyers "sorry, dual channel doesnt work with the RAM", thats gonna suck.

    I could also buy approved RAM instead of the infineon RAM, but I have 1 Gig and the Kingston RAM is like twice as expensive, I dont really feel like spending so much more money. Either I'll try it with other Infineon RAM first, and if that doesnt help I'll swap the motherboard.


    Wow, that was a long post :-)

    Cya
  • W4R-H1LDW4R-H1LD Chesterfield VA
    edited November 2003
    For the Asus boards, the deal is this. You have to have a matched pair in either slots 1 and 2 or 1 and 3. Then you go into the BIOS and set the clock frequency to AGRESSIVE and it will enable the DUAL CHANNEL memory. This made a big increase in speed for me when I did this.

    What it does is it allows the memory to operate on a 128 bit path vs. a 64 bit path. This, at a minimum, doubles the available bandwidth for the info to flow in out of the DIMMs. Asus, Abit, and Chaintech...for sure...operate the same way.
    :)
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Yep, but your Athlon is only using the memory bandwidth of a single-channel memory configuration.
  • ketoketo Occupied. Or is it preoccupied? Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Thrax had this to say
    I would just go with single channel, because dual channel on an Athlon board is worthless.

    ????????Care to clarify????????

    :confused: I thought dual channel was by far preferrable, in fact, all of the reading I have done says to stay away from the single channel version of nForce2 :scratch:
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    The Athlon in no way has the capability to capitalize on the bandwidth offered by a dual channel memory configuration.

    The Athlon synchs its FSB to the memory. It has two 32 bit channels, or 64 bits of bandwidth. Single channel memory matches that 64 bits and provides the maximum usable bandwidth. Above 64 bits, in the case of dual channel which is 128, the additional 64 bits of memory bandwidth is wasted because there's no data path available for it.

    Therein, if you're running a 200MHz FSB, that's a maximum of 3.2GB/s across the 64 bit frontside bus (2 x 32 bit channels) and no more. The memory bus may be pumping it at 128 bit, or 6.4GB/s, but it doesn't matter, because the Athlon can only take 3.2GB/s at 200MHz.

    The P4 is radically different. It uses an asychronous, quad-pumped memory architecture that allows in excess of 6GB/s of functional memory bandwidth.

    They tell you to stay away from the single-channel nForce2 solution simply because the performance isn't as high as the dual-channel solution, and it's not related to the memory bus.

    You'll find that single channel and dual channel memory benchmarks on the nForce2, in addition to any other kind of benchmark shows a 2% maximum increase in performance in a DC config.
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    At 200 fsb, DC is only marginally faster than SC on Nforce 2.

    Vordack,

    What timings do you set the memorys at? And what voltage of the memory?
  • W4R-H1LDW4R-H1LD Chesterfield VA
    edited November 2003
    I didnt realize that
    Thrax....thx for the info. So is the dual channel thing a waste or ? Is it all hype... =/ btw I just registered here today!!**me grins** I am goin to go the AMD route and plan on making a mb cpu purchase this Thursday nov6th. Im thinking either the ASUS or Abit mb with the nf2 chipset. Is one better than the other ? I plan on oc some ...not a lot but squeek a little bit more out of it. barton 2500 ?? Id like to hear what experiences you guys have had. HI ALL :D
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    The dual channel thing for Athlons is just hype.

    In regards to the A7N8X vs. NF7-S debate, the NF7-S wins. Superior memory bandwidth, better overclockability, faster than the Asus at stock speeds. The Abit is the current champ of nForce2 boards.

    2500 + Abit combo is certainly wonderous. The 2500 alone overclocks to 3200+ (2.1GHz or so) without any change in voltage.
  • W4R-H1LDW4R-H1LD Chesterfield VA
    edited November 2003
    Thank you Thrax !! Abit and barton 2500 it is...just picked up 9800 pro this week so by next weekend Ill be set for fraggin...anyone play UT2k3 by chance?? if so stop by for a few games..I run a server--<<<:::: G R Ö U N D Z 3 R Ö ::::>>>-- DM/TDM ttm and all...add to fav list ip=66.150.112.144:D
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    If it were low-grav instagib CTF, I'd play. heh. :D

    Enjoy those purchases.
  • VordackVordack
    edited November 2003
    Hi,

    I found the mistake. :-)

    All along, my whole Graphics Card overheated like hot enough to fry eggs on it. The reason was a spoiled cooling fan.

    Now I have a MSI Delta something Board with with 2 x 512 MB Samsung RAM and it worrs stable in Dual Channel at 400 Mhz with aggresive memory serrings and a replyced graphics card.

    Thanks all for you help,

    Cya around,

    Vordack
  • ginipigginipig OH, NOES
    edited December 2003
    lol.

    End of discussion :D
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