New RAM not working as expected...

[mikek75]

I just bought 2X2gb Buffalo Firestix 1066 mhz DDR2. It works fine with my CPU at stock 2.66ghz and the divider set to run the RAM at 1066mhz. However, when I up my CPU to where I had it before (3.2ghz) and set a new divider to maintain 1066mhz it refuses to boot (no POST). Bit annoyed really, any ideas?

 

[PaulieG]

I just bought 2X2gb Buffalo Firestix 1066 mhz DDR2. It works fine with my CPU at stock 2.66ghz and the divider set to run the RAM at 1066mhz. However, when I up my CPU to where I had it before (3.2ghz) and set a new divider to maintain 1066mhz it refuses to boot (no POST). Bit annoyed really, any ideas?

What is your memory voltage set at?

 

[mikek75]

2.1v, I've tried up to 2.2v with no joy. They're rated between 2-2.2v.

 

[twicksisted]

try lower the divider so the ram is running slower than 1066mhz... then look in cpu-z when you boot up what frequency its reporting in windows... could be that your bios is not setting the ram speed correctly (I had this issue on my asus board which a bios update fixed)

 

[mikek75]

With the CPU at stock and the RAM at 1066 CPUz reported 533mhz. And with all 6gb in at the moment set at 800mhz CPUz shows 401mhz, so it looks like the BIOS is setting things OK

 

[twicksisted]

aaah ok so youre running 6gb total.. and two different brands of ram... (4GB + 2GB).
try and loosen the timings a bit to see if thats causing the issue... also check whether that new rams plays is in the Qualified Vendors List with that motherboard.. perhaps thats the incompatibility.

First thing id suggest is to just start with 2gb of the new ram @1066 with your 3.2ghz overclock... see if that posts, if it does then put in the other 2gb (same brand).... see if that posts....then finally put in the old ram (to make your 6gb). but its probably a timing issue running old ram with new at its maximum rated speed.

 

[mikek75]

No, I'm talking about with just the 4 gb of 1066 in. I've put the 2gb of Corsair in just to make use of it as I can't get the 4gb kit to run at 1066 when overclocked to 3.2ghz. I gave the example of the 6gb just to show that CPUz was reporting the correct speed.

I can't find a QVL list on MSI's site, but the fact that it runs at 1066 with the CPU at stock seems to suggest that its compatable.

EDIT: I've just run Intel Burn In Test at maximum stress with all 6gb in at 800mhz 5-5-5-15 2.1v and it completed sucessfully. I also did memtestx86 3 runs with just the 1066 kit at 1066 without errors.

 

[twicksisted]

have you try'd to add more NB voltage?... with the extra ram it could need that at the higher clock speed
that and loosening the ram timings to see if itll boot at 3.2ghz

 

[grunt_408]

I had a similar problem with my RAM in my last rig. I had to disable the high performance profile for it and then it ran fine. Never tried running stock CPU clock to see if I could use the high performance profile for the ram. But at the time I also thought that it could be the NB wanting some mor motion lotion (volts). I just never bothered to try it out.
EDIT : That was on a P45 chipset also

 

[mikek75]

have you try'd to add more NB voltage?... with the extra ram it could need that at the higher clock speed
that and loosening the ram timings to see if itll boot at 3.2ghz

I tried up to 1.4v on the NB, no joy. Its not actually extra RAM as I was running 4gb of GEIL Black Dragon 800mhz at 3.2 for the last year. I didn't think faster RAM needs more NB volts since its still physically two sticks. I'll try looser timings, though since I'm effectively running them at the same speed I'm doubtful on this. At 5-5-5-15 they survived 3 laps of memtest @1066...