Random BSOD. Reports attached

[Dave76]

Maybe I'm mis-understanding your posts.

Post #18: Stick 1 - Slot 2 - dram increased from 1.5V to 1.64V. Memory clock increased to 1600. Timings increased to 9-9-9-24 - 3 errors before 1 pass was complete

Post #28: Stick 1 - Slot 1 - all settings on AUTO (1333 and 9-9-9-24) - 7, passes No Errors
Stick 1 - Slot 2 - all settings on AUTO (1333 and 9-9-9-24) - 4 passes, No Errors
Stick 1 - Slot 2 - dram increased from 1.5V to 1.64V. Memory clock increased to 1600. Timings left on AUTO (11-11-11-29) - 5 passes, No Errors
Stick 1 - Slot 2 - dram increased from 1.5V to 1.64V. Memory clock increased to 1600. Timings increased to 9-9-9-24 - 3 errors before 1 pass was complete

Stick 2 - Slot 1 - all settings on AUTO (1333 and 9-9-9-24) - 8 passes No Errors
Stick 2 - Slot 1 - dram increased from 1.5V to 1.64V. Memory clock increased to 1600. Timings left on AUTO (11-11-11-29) - 6 passes, No Errors

Now here's the confusing part

Stick 1/2 - Slot 1/2 - all settings on AUTO and unganged - pass 5, 11 errors
Stick 1/2 - Slot 1/2 - all settings on AUTO and ganged - pass 3, 3 errors
Stick 1/2 - Slot 1/3 - all settings on AUTO and unganged - pass 9, no errors

Both sticks pass in slot one, your getting failures when you have sticks in slot two, as in the last test above.
It is possible that voltage adjustments can stop the errors.
It's also the nature of electronics that any stick can fail in slot one on a subsequent test, this all will help figure out if its the slot or the RAM.

Have you had any memtest pass with a stick in slot 2?
Yes,

Stick 1 - Slot 2 - all settings on AUTO (1333 and 9-9-9-24) - 4 passes, No Errors

You've had you had multiple failures in slot 2, so the slot can't be rules out.
The two sticks test points to a possibiliy of a slot problem, this can also be caused by low voltage to the memory controller, the CPU NB.

Troubleshooting RAM is not fun by any stretch of the imagination, be methodical and keep track of the results.
I've had issues just like yours solved with a voltage bump, usually the NB, but also solved by RMA'ing the RAM and/or mobo. Occationally the memory controller is bad, in your case that would mean the CPU.

A known good stick in a possibly questionable slot with a CPU-NB voltage bump, will give an indication of where to problem lies.

You can RMA the mobo, RAM and CPU, they can test them, if these were bought at the same place.

 

[Akira181]

But the failures I had in Slot 2 were when I increased it to 1600 and 9-9-9-24 timings. I will run all the tests again to be sure though since I updated the BIOS.

May as well be thorough as I bought all these from scan.co.uk and I am now in Germany. Will be a royal pain to ship these back unless I can get a refund and buy from a German retailer.

 

[Akira181]

I'll update this post as I go along with all the new test results.

BIOS: F4
CPU-NB: 1.2V
Ram Settings: 1333HZ 9-9-9-24 (motherboard set to AUTO basically)
DRAM: 1.5V

Stick 1 - Slot 1 - 9 passes completed, no errors
Stick 1 - Slot 2 - 8 passes completed, no errors
Stick 2 - Slot 1 -
Stick 2 - Slot 2 -

Stick 1/2 - Slot 1/2 - 0.5 passes, 7 errors

 

[Dave76]

After you finish the Stick 2 - Slot 1 and Stick 2 - Slot 2 tests, errors or no errors, bump the CPU-NB to 1.3v and run the Stick 1/2 - Slot 1/2 test again.

Also, manually entering the first four RAM timings and the command rate can help stability, leave the rest on auto.
Yours is 9-9-9-24, command Rate 2T, DRAM 1.5v and 1333MHz, CPU-NB 1.3v.

Can you give the p/n for the RAM? Got it from the CPUZ post, will check it.
There are issues with i7/i5 RAM on a AMD board, sometimes the manufacturer will say i7/i5 and AMD but I've seen problems with these also, best to get specified AMD RAM. Corsair seems to have less problems than some others, might need to consider this anyway.

EDIT:
The Corsair site says "Guaranteed to work on all dual channel Intel and AMD platforms" this is good that it is guaranteed to work, but I have seen problems with Intel/AMD speced RAM.


Searching the Corsair site for RAM compatible with your motherboard it returns:
TW3X4G1333C9DHX
CMP4GX3M2A1600C9
CMP4GX3M2C1600C7


Searching CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 only lists Intel boards.


Have also ran across a few forums saying this RAM has issues with AMD boards.

Still think we should run through the adjustments routines, it is possible that it will run stable.

Sorry for the not so good news.

 

[Akira181]

ah, doesn't sound promising!

Also, I noticed yesterday that depending on what slot the ram is, I think the settings in MemTest show different things.

When it is in Slot 2, is says Settings: RAM: 200 MHz (DDR400) / CAS 9-9-9-24 / DDR3 (64 bits), and I think slot 1 says 400 MHz (DDR800). I will double check this afternoon what it says in Slot 1, didn't write it down this morning.

 

[Dave76]

That doesn't sound good.

Have you updated board drivers?
Check the Gigabyte site.

 

[Akira181]

i think I already updated it but I'm downloading the latest AMD Chipset Driver again.

*Edit
It's done weird things to my computer. The package I downloaded from the gigabyte website was called "motherboard driver amd chipset 8 series" and was for win7. When I open the setup file, it says ATI-Catalyst and the description says Catalyst install manager is used o install and update the software for your graphics products.

Hit next, install, and custom, and it gave 2 components to install. AMD USB Filter Driver, and North Bridge Filter Driver.

Installed both of them and now my computer shows the windows starting screen and goes black until USB drives are removed. Also, it won't recognise my USB internet stick anymore.

Uninstalled it, computer worked fine. Installed only the NB part and now my USB mouse and PS2 Keyboard won't respond in normal and in safe mode. Looks like a windows reinstall is on the cards. This is getting tedious!

 

[Dave76]

You can go to the Device Manager and select the device, properties, then driver tab and 'Roll back Driver'.

 

[Akira181]

I could but the mouse and keyboard doesn't work even in safe mode. I'm on a business trip until Friday so I will finish the rest of the tests this weekend.

I read that the different settings in MemTest are a cause of the memory controller in the CPU. Looks like I might have to RMA that

 

[Dave76]

Try both RAM sticks in slot 4, see if it shows 200 MHz.
Slots 2 & 4 are channel 1, if both cards show 200 MHz in slots 2 & 4, it's a memory controller issue.
To double check put both cards in slots 1 & 3 see if they show 400 MHz.

 

[Akira181]

okay, with only stick 1:

Slot 1 - 666Mhz (DDR1333)
Slot 2 - 200Mhz (DDR400)
Slot 3 - 666Mhz (DDR1333)
Slot 4 - 200MhZ (DDR400)

Slot 1&2 - 666Mhz (DDR1333) - errors in memtest
Slot 1&3 - 666Mhz (DDR1333)
Slot 2&4 -
Slot 3&4 - 666Mhz (DDR1333) - errors in Memtest

 

[Dave76]

Did you clear the CMOS after loading BIOS f4?

Disable the AMD K8 Cool&Quiet control in BIOS, see if that has any effect.

Are you still in un-ganged mode?

Is your CPU-NB voltage at 1.3v?
If not bump the voltage and test in slot 2 or 4. If it shows 200MHz, stop the test.

Did you test in slots 2&4? That is memory channel 1, the one giving you problems.

Looks like your having a memory controller issue, channel 1, slots 2&4 are not able to run the RAM at the proper speed.

If none of the above helps, you should consider to RMA the CPU, so far the memory controller looks to be the cause.

 

[CarlTR6]

Good diagnosis, Dave.

 

[Akira181]

I did not clear the CMOS after the new BIOS, CPU NB is at 1.3V and still in unganged mode.

I will try disabling Cool&Quiet tonight as well as slots 2&4. I am convinced the RAM is fine after all these tests and it's the CPU,

I just hope I still have the heatsink that came with it, not quite sure where it is, although I do have one from my Athlon II 4600+ that looks similar.

Thanks again for the help guys

 

[Dave76]

Your welcome, let us know how the tests go, and what you decide to do.


Thanks Carl.

 

[Akira181]

slots 2&4 still show 200MHz with cool&quiet turned off, CPU NB 1.3V and DRAM 1.64V.

Initiated the RMA for the CPU but think I threw the orignal heatsink away since I use an aftermarket one I still have one from an AMD Athlon II 4600+ but there's a code on the side so they can probably find out. Quite annoyed at that cause that'll screw up the RMA. Might chance it with that heatsink in the hope they don't look so closely.

Either that or I'll just stick with the RAM in single channel for now until AMD release the bulldozer architecture. If that even comes near the Sandy Bridge I won't be too upset.

 

[Dave76]

You might get lucky or they just might send the same stock cooler back.

Let us know how it's going.