RAM problems, blue screen! Please help

evolvin

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Feb 9, 2015
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4,510
I want to add some RAM to this older build and I'm hitting walls. According to Corsair both the RAM I've tried are compatible. I hit the memok and it posts, says memok worked, windows starts to load and goes to the stop screen. I've tried a clean install, I've cleared cmos, flashed the bios, etc and nothing works except the old Corsair XMS 3 1600 99924 which isn't supposed to be compatible in the first place. One thing I don't get is I dl the latest bios and it only allows timing selections up to 1333 or auto, seems like there would be support for higher timing. This second batch of RAM I tried is Corsair Vengeance 1866 9-10-9-27 CMZ8GX3M2A1866C9 and as I stated shows as compatible. Everything seems fine and then about 3 seconds in to Windows I get the blue screen. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm at my witts end here...Thanks :)

ASUS P7P55D Deluxe
RADEON HD 7870
ULTRA X4
i3 530
CM V8
BIOS 2101
WIN 7 x64
 
I will explain why your system blue screens after about three seconds of booting into the windows os.
There are two golden rules when it comes to memory. The first is as I`m sure you know is not to mix memory speeds.
Now even if the memory is provided by the same vendor such as Corsair, the memory speed and latency of the memory chips are always different.

So you have XMS 3 @ 1600Mhz at a latency value of 9-9-9-12 when set to XMP mode.
And Vengence @ 1866Mhz with latency of 9-10-9-27 when set to XMP mode.

The higher the rated memory speed, result in a higher latency speed, the amount of time per clock cycle the memory refreshes.
So if you overclock for example XMS to the speed of the Vengence then the latency values may be so far out it causes error with the memory.

The main reason why also has to do with how the memory is used, if in Dual channel or quad channel memory mode.
Due to the large difference in latency in order to achieve the speed of the vengeance the memory becomes out of sync.
If a memory stick cannot function at a rated Latency/ it`s refresh cycle it results in windows crashing.
One stick of memory is throwing data faster than the slower one and it`s dropping the ball and not catching it.
So data gets corrupted, or lost.

Put simply you would have to make sure that your slowest set of memory,the XMS is placed and seated in the first memory slot of the mobo, or if two sticks of XMS @16000 Mhz the first slots required for dual channel memory mode operation.

Next place the Vengeance and in the bios manually select the speed of the XMS memory. And set it`s latency values.
Test the system with that config, it should be stable.
Simply the XMS cannot keep up or be set to the same latency values of the vengeance at the rated speed of the vengeance. so you have to do a bit of manual tinkering.
By setting the lowest value you improve the situation.
The down side is due to mixed memory speed. You will have to put up with the speed The XMS works at, and not the new stick of Vengeance If you bought it for more ram its not such a loss.
But by doing the way mentioned it should get you out if the Blue screen windows crash problem.

Or it`s buy another set of the vengeance my friend to keep it in sync.

 

evolvin

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Feb 9, 2015
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Thanks for your reply Shaun but I never intended to mix the 2 different RAM together, I didn't expect anyone to think that's what I was doing, my bad. Each time I have tried adding new ram I have removed the old to overt any issues but the issue still persists. I also discovered that with this BIOS there is support for higher timings but it has to be in xmp to allow for it otherwise doesn't recognize it. One thing I did notice is I had the volt set to 1.5 yet with both sticks it was running around 1.9 but at 1.4 with only 1. I have tried memtest which works fine with the old ram but locks up within seconds with this new ram.
 

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
To run faster DRAM you will need a healthy OC on the CPU, as well as extra DRAM and/or MC (memory controller) voltage and with the 530 it will still be hard, also if the DRAM is newer, it may well use 4Gb memory chips which generally aren't compatible with the P55. While a mobo may support higher freq DRAM, it's more the CPU (the MC inside) that is the determing factor as to what DRAM you can run
 

evolvin

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Feb 9, 2015
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4,510


Thanks Tradesman1, that does make sense. What I don't get is that the first set of "compatible" RAM was same speed and latency as the old ram and I had the same issues, I'm just wanting to remove the old RAM of 4 gb and add 8 gb of new and it's turned in to a nightmare. Corsair gave me an RMA because I told them when I tried the sticks separately one was running at 1.46 v which was correct but the other was ov at 1.92 and Corsair said that's the problem, but my fear is they're gonna send me the same thing and it still won't work. When I built this one everything was almost top end and it was great but it's turned in to my daily driver and I always notice the ram almost maxed out with only 4 gb.