System Problem

[Spud]

Hi,

System Hardware Spec.

AMD ATHLON 3700 SAN DIEGO

1 GB (2x512) )OCZ DUAL CHANNEL KIT PC3700 Revision 3

ATI RADEON X850XT PCI-Express

Sapphire PURE Advantage A9RD480

Q-TEC 500WATT PSU (AWAITING DELIVERY OF AN ENERMAX LIBERTY 500WATT PSU)

OS: Windows XP Home SP2

OK so I got this new motherboard in January this year, and it worked perfectly fine once I built it with the ram running at stock speed no problems at all.

Then one day my system would not stay stable in windows with the memory at its stock speed, so I lowered it to PC3200 speed.

Ok it works now, but when ever I play Call Of Duty 2 it just freezes.

If I set my DDR RAM to its stock speed windows just becomes unstable, and errors start happening all over the place, too many to be specific.

I have installed all the system drivers correctly, even tried useing older catalyst drivers, such as 5.6 instead of 6.2 and the same thing happens.

I have come to the conclusion that either my ram has had it, and I need to get OCZ to replace it under the lifetime warrenty, or it's the PSU letting me down.

What are your thoughts guys, please help me!

 

[HookeyStreet]

Is it possible for you to 'borrow' some other sticks of RAM from someone to test in your system as it does sound like your memory is dodgy

 

[mex]

Well to be honest it sounds like there could be a few problems here.

If you are running the POST on boot up then that would proberly find any faults with your RAM, if there were any.

Just check the MOBO supports the formation on which you have them plugged in this can cause system instability to.

I dont know much about over clocking but i would keep the RAM as standard and not lower it at all. I asume Its designed to work best (stable) at what they set it as standard

Another thing to think about is whether or not you installed a driver or changed something for it to start becoming unstable. In this case you could just use system restore and pick a point before you were having the problems.

As for the crashing well this could be caused by a number of things and i think we would need to know where the computer was crashing to be able to help more, but my first thing would to update the BIOS and maybe think about running a recovery so that you can eiminate the posibility that it could be corrupted drivers,Boot Files,System Files etc.

If that does not change anything try and using just one Stick of RAM and see if the problem clears up with just one or the other stick in place.

I would say this is not a hardware error. although its always hard to tell with out seeing the problems.

This is how i would troubleshoot this problem.

Good Luck

 

[Spud]

Okay well I did the one stick of RAM at a time, and guess what, each dim ran stable in different slots running on a single channel at its stock speed of PC3700 (233MHz or 466MHz effectively)

But what does this mean???

 

[Spud]

It freezes during game play in call of duty after about 4 minutes

 

[Spud]

Call Of Duty 2 that is

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Sounds like it means your motherboard isn't 100% compatible with your RAM. Check on the manufacturer's website for a bios update.

 

[trog100]

"Q-TEC 500WATT PSU (AWAITING DELIVERY OF AN ENERMAX LIBERTY 500WATT PSU)"

t think that is your problem.. they are jusy cheap rubbish more like generic 300 watts units that the false 500 watt figure..

my old q-tec (so called 550 watt) psu just refused to boot at all with my last upgrade.. your instability problems will go away as soon as u replace it..

dont get me wrong they are dirt cheap and do work prety much like any old generic psu u get in a cheap case will.. they are just not what they are claimed to be and wont run your current system properly..

the less ram sticks u use the less stable the system has to be.. if a system is on the edge running slower or less ram sticks might just make it go but the ram isnt your real problem..

trog

 

[Aevum]

get rid of the q-tec PSU, run MEMtest86 to see if your memory is the problem

you might also think about loosening the timmings on the memory, that could be the problem.

btw, sapphire makes great graphic cards, but their not exactly proven motherboard makers,
be careful with that motherboard,

 

[Spud]

I do not think it is the ram because:

I ran each DIMM separately in different sockets and they will run at stock (DDR466)speed fine in single channel mode, even used memtest86 for an hour with not one single error.

At DDR400 the ram is stable, and the system functions, apart from the the crash in COD2, where the screen freezes, and I can only reset.

Whilst running together in dual channel mode it is a different story, and if I try and set the DDR RAM to run together at the stock speed (DDR466) it causes instabilities, and errors occur in MEMTEST86 in tests 6,7,8 and 9.

 

[Spud]

No Update At Sapphires Website

I have checked and the only download available is for the version 2K051104, which is the same version that is on the board when I purchased it.

 

[mex]

did you check your motherboard manual to see which Ram configuration is compatible?

So if you have 4 slots are you using 1 and 3 or 1 and 2?

 

[Spud]

Sapphire PURE Crossfire Advantage A9RD480

 

[Spud]

The sockets are colour coded, and you must use the RED sockets which are the first two for dual channel mode. According to the population rules, if you are running two DIMMs in dual channel mode it is socket 1 and 2, if you are using single channel ram it is DIMM sockets 1 and 3.

I am currently using DIMM sockets 1 and 2.

I could try using DIMM sockets 3 and 4 instead of 1 and 2.

 

[Spud]

I have changed my ram and this problem still continues, I am now using Kingston Hyper X
PC4000 2x256MB Dual Channel Kit.

If I try to change my DDR RAM to a speed above 200MHz it cause my system to become unstable in windows, and sometimes not to boot at all.

I have even reinstalled my OS and drivers to older versions but nothing has changed.

Have you guys got anything that can help me.

 

[trog100]

have got rid of the Q-tec yet..??

trog

 

[Spud]

No, the new Enermax Liberty Modular PSU should come early next week.

I think I should get rid of this motherboard altogether, two reason really

No.1 It is not that good really

N0.2 I have decided to go and get an X1900XTX

Any suggestions on for a new motherboard, guys?

 

[trog100]

bit of an unfare test being as u have been running it with a power supply well known as being the epitome of fake wattage labeling and total rubbish..

internally they are no better than the average things that comes unlabled in cheapo cases.. the claim to 500 watts is total rubbish.. pretty much like peak music power is in cheapo audio stuff..

trog

 

[hostage67]

Sounds like it might be a voltage problem, simply try increasing the voltage to your ram by a small margin. I had problems with my PQI Turbo DDRII 667mhz RAM. I installed it and I was getting all sorts of errors trying to get into windows.

I upped my voltage to the RAM by the smallest notch and as soon as I rebooted my computer was working perfectly.

 

[Quake2owns]

I have changed my ram and this problem still continues, I am now using Kingston Hyper X
PC4000 2x256MB Dual Channel Kit.

If I try to change my DDR RAM to a speed above 200MHz it cause my system to become unstable in windows, and sometimes not to boot at all.

I have even reinstalled my OS and drivers to older versions but nothing has changed.

Have you guys got anything that can help me.

I've read alot of stuff with people having this board and cant even get 1mhz overclock out of it lol. SO MUCH FOR PEOPLE CALLING ECS MOTHERBOARDS CHEAP 250 FSB 1:1 WITH 2GB PC4000 CRUICIAL X12 MULTI 2GHZ HT NO DOWNGRADING 3800 venice+

 

[Quake2owns]

Try some different ram modules.

 

[Spud]

I am using different modules, than the OCZ PC3700 Dual Channel Kit.

I am using Kingston HyperX PC4000 at the moment, and if I try to get it to run at its stock speed, it just does the same thing.

 

[Spud]

I am hoping when I change the PSU this problem will go away, if it does not, then ATI have lost me as a FAN, thats for sure.

 

[Spud]

Has it been know for Q-TEC PSU's to cause problems like this???

 

[zekrahminator]

I have changed my ram and this problem still continues, I am now using Kingston Hyper X
PC4000 2x256MB Dual Channel Kit.

If I try to change my DDR RAM to a speed above 200MHz it cause my system to become unstable in windows, and sometimes not to boot at all.

I have even reinstalled my OS and drivers to older versions but nothing has changed.

Have you guys got anything that can help me.

I know I sound like an idiot, but...you DO realize you're using overclocked memory, right? anything over PC3200 is just overclocked, and you cant expect stable results. try getting a stick or two of NORMAL DDR400 (PC3200), and that might solve your problem.
And no, you dont need a new motherboard unless normal memory or that new power supply doesnt solve it.