Issue 1: DDR2 pairs don't play nice together, why not?

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  1. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64, Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #1

    Issue 1: DDR2 pairs don't play nice together, why not?


    I have a custom built Asus M4A875-M system with a 2.4Ghz Phenom quad core CPU. I bought 8GB more DDR2 RAM to max out my system to 16GB but the new RAM won't play nice with my existing 8GB RAM at it's rated speed.

    My existing RAM is the Silverline from Mushkin. pc2-6400 / 800Mhz. It runs in either ganged to unganged mode just fine when it's plugged into slots A1 and B1.

    I can likewise plug in the new memory (2x4GB bought on Amazon, Ninix) into slots A2 and B2 and it runs at 800Mhz just fine IF I REMOVE THE MUSKIN memory. It will not run if both types are plugged in AS DESCRIBED.

    I can run ALL of the memory if I run one type in slots A and the other type in slots B, HOWEVER at a slower 667Mhz not 800Mhz.

    All of the BIOS settings are in the AUTO position.

    The Mushkin memory is labeled 6-6-6-18 an is 1.8 volts.
    The Ninix? is labeled 666-12 and I don't know the spec details. Bought on Amazon

    I don't understand why the BIOS is unable to configure the slots to run at their max speed, when that mobo has fine grained control of the clocks and various timing settings independently for each slot. I don't see a separate voltage setting for each slot or bank though. I learned that the unganged mode is the best way to go, especially with a quad core CPU.

    I hate to sacrifice the performance boost that 800Mhz gives me over 666Mhz, but I also hate not being able to use the additional 8GB.

    If the Amazon add said the RAM was coming from China I probably wouldn't have bought it, but I see that brand in many systems so it's not like it's no name. However, many products from China on Amazon are fallouts / substandard, so this trouble is not shocking. Yet, as it does run at rated speed when it alone is in the system it makes me wonder if I could tweak the BIOS using custom settings to get them both to play nice with each other at 800Mhz.

    There are like 10 -15 individual RAM timing parameters, and I have no idea how to set them. The fields don't get populated with values when switched from AUTO to MANUAL, one has to know what values to use.

    If anyone has insight into how to resolve this I'd love to hear from you. I have 2 other issues, so thought I'd post this one here while I was at it. This one might be best answered at Tom's hardware guide, but we'll see, I'm the optimistic type.
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  2. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #2

    Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
    Buy only matched sets of ram from the same manufacture
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  3. Posts : 3,487
    Win 7 Pro x64/Win 10 Pro x64 dual boot
       #3

    The new RAM is defaulting to run a 667 MHz, assuming you have all of your timings set at auto. The new RAM's native speed is 667, from what I've been able to gather from Amazon's information, but it does have an XMP profile of 800 MHz.

    The trick to getting it to play nice with the Mushkin RAM is to set the memory speed at 800, then set the timings for all the RAM. You want a set of timings in BIOS like this:

    Issue 1: DDR2 pairs don't play nice together, why not?-ram.png

    I would change the first number to a 6. I think 5 is a little aggressive, Change only those numbers. Don't fiddle with the rest of the RAM settings or you will really have issues. I would also leave the Bank Cycle Time at Auto for now.

    Please try that and see what happens.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #4

    ddr2 ram is pretty cheap why not just get the same matching ram from either manufacture rather than messing with timings....
    Time is usually worth more than buy ram on sell :)
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  5. Posts : 20
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #5

    Not compatible ,to have dual channel you have to have all memo stick with same density and best the same manufacturer sometime even if all of them are same density and not same manufacturer they wont work .
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  6. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64, Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hindsight is always 20/20, budgets always unlimited


    When I bought the Mushkin RAM in 2012 it over $100 for the 8GB and that's all I could afford. DDR2 was quite expensive then.

    Things haven't changed much with my finances, still dirt poor. Besides this was a gift from a friend for which I supplied a series of links, they chose one of them; I got the RAM I asked for (within the requested budget :)

    I swear they changed the adv verbiage since I posted here. If it read like it does now I would definitely not have provided a link for that. Moreover, nothing on that Amazon page cries out "This is from China". I have no particular issues with imports from China but I do scrutinize them more as often their standards are not as high as those in the US for electronics and it also takes longer for delivery.

    Anyway, the markings on the SIMMs say PC6400 800MHz, so I consider this sale a bit deceptive.

    As for you Mellon Head - thanks for the tip. I'll DL the cpu-z prog and see if I can use that to tweak the settings to squeeze out more performance, presuming what you showed in your image was discovered by directly the program. Like I said, they ran at 800Mhz when alone in the system, so they're capable. Not sure how much control I'll have over the timing of the individual slots or bank pairs tho. My guess is one set of timings for all RAM, so it will likely have to be a compromise. There are a lot more parameters that what your cpu-z list in the BIOS settings when set to manual. Sure would have been nice if they populated the input fields with the defaults determined by the BIOS to.

    BTW, what is the last number after the dash, as in 666-12 or 6-6-6-18 ?

    Anyway, that's for your replies. Now that I Amazon listing these as 667Mhz I won't be spending too much more time trying to squeeze 800Mhz out of those chips.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 20
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #7

    I had that kind of problem to so I buy all the same sticks and working just fine ,by the way mbo determine s type of sticks so all sticks can be used on all mbo s,if I can help you some how just ask be happy to help you but it seams like you have a solution be careful so that you don't fry something, Finance always s......!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #8

    Yep budget is a bummer man I can relate
    I would be interested to see how much an upgrade for either memory would be for them would be :/
    Crucial.com - Crucial System Scanner
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 20
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #9

    Dose any body know anything about kernel power issue.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 3,487
    Win 7 Pro x64/Win 10 Pro x64 dual boot
       #10

    thomnet said:
    BTW, what is the last number after the dash, as in 666-12 or 6-6-6-18 ?
    I would suspect the number to be 18.

    freeko said:
    Dose any body know anything about kernel power issue.
    You should open your own thread to ask questions like this. You'll get more help that way.
      My Computer


 
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