Resetting problems - dodgy RAM?

zilog_jones

I just built a PC for my brother yesterday (thanks for the help in the other thread! Had to buy off Komplett in the end due to complications) and also got some more RAM for mine (took the old RAM out as it's PC2-4200 and I want to overclock more), but I'm having trouble with both.

The new RAM is a pair of TwinMOS Twister PC2-6400 2x 1GB.
The old RAM is Corsair Value Select PC2-4200 2x 512MB.

With my PC (MSI 975X Platinum PowerUp Edition, E6300) and the new RAM, the PC will rarely reset properly - there's either no POST and it just sits there, or it keeps turning on and off every 10 seconds or so. According to the diagnostic lights it's stopping at "memory detection test". Shutting down and powering up again is fine. Even with the RAM underclocked to 533 the same happens. I have no trouble with my old RAM.

With my brother's PC (Gigabyte P35-DS3L, E2160), about half the time the PC will not restart properly, and when it doesn't it gives continuous short beeps which according to the manual is "power error". However, when I use my old RAM from my PC it's fine (I've rebooted at least 10 times now and it's been fine), even with the FSB overclocked to 266 (RAM at 1:1).

I've tried both the new pairs in both the PCs and get the same results.

It has to be the RAM, doesn't it? The beep code on the P35L-DS3L is a bit offputting (as there's a different code for memory error) but everything else seems to be fine (I run FAH on them all the time), even with both PCs overclocked to 333 FSB - the above issues are happening at stock speeds though. Of course when overclocked, if I try and reset they go back to the default settings because POST fails. I've tried them both in dual channel and single channel configurations with the same results too.

Hmm, it seems Komplett don't even stock TwinMOS RAM any more (the PC was ordered last week!) - dodgy. I wasn't going to stick with them anyway

blackgold>>

Nothing wrong with twinmos memory.
Set the ram for auto settings ie by spd. (Not your settings)
If for some reason that won't work (which i doubt), then check the voltage the ram is supposed to run at.

poggy

what voltage is the memory rated at? motherboards generally default to 1.8 volts, if your ram is rated at a higher voltage them you may need to increase it. also you may need to manually set the timings, as SPID is not always programed right and auto may set them wrong. the voltage and timings should be on the box the ram came in.

zilog_jones

It says very little useful info on the box. The website says "1.8 Voltage +/- 0.1V" (http://www.twinmos.com/dram/dram_p_twister_ddr2_800.htm), I tried 1.9V and 2V and had the same problem.

I forgot about the SPD part - I thought it was unusual that CPU-Z (latest version) could not read the SPD info, so is it possible the motherboards can't either?

I can't find the other timing specs except for them being CL5. The MSI motherboard is reporting these:
CL 5
tRCD 5
tRP 5
tRAS 15

Part number is 8DE25KK5-TYWP, model number 8D25KK-TW, 8D25MK2TW for the pairs.

I had both motherboards on auto settings regarding RAM timing.

EDIT: Found someone having similar problems with similar RAM (8DE25KK5-TYTP not TYWP), but SPD was reporting tRAS of 18, not 15 - I'll try that out so.

EDIT EDIT: It seems I can't manually adjust timing on the P35-DS3L, but it seems to be using 15 anyway.