A7N8X/NForce2 Memory Bug?

Recently I've had problems running a pair of PC3200 512meg DDR's in an A7N8X. No way would they run stable at 200mhz or even 166mhz for that matter regardless of any SPD/Auto/Manual/Voltage settings I tried. However, at 133mhz they ranwithout a hitch. These modules had the Winbond 5ns IC's but another pair using MOSEL's gave me the same headache.

Just been browsing a forum relating to the Epox 8RDA running Crucial memory and funny enough they got the same problem. Crucials reply was that they were removing that mobo from their compatability list for PC3200 512 meg modules and that the problem afffected 3% of NForce2 boards.

Is it any coincidence that the NForce2 chipsets max ram limitations are 1.5GB @ 166/200mhz and 3GB @ 133mhz?

Could it be the chipset is only enabling 3GB support with 512meg modules and therefore only supporting 133mhz mode?
Might make an intersting thread.....


One day I'll look back at my current rig the way I do my old ZX Spectrum.......Would have been interesting to say the least if Sir Clive had Bill G's business skills<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Soulprovider on 04/13/03 12:03 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

what CPU??

Just an update

Using a 256meg stick of PC2700 I'm running 2200mhz @ 209 FSB/Mem & 1.75v. Allbeit I've got my RAM latencies high but I was able to run 214FSB with an occasional crash from the memory.

Definately odd when I can't even get any one of 4 512meg PC3200 sticks from 2 manufacturers to work above 133mhz at any timings/volts. OK, the memory wasn't anything special but I bought it all from PC World and anyway, it would have been within JEDECS standards for PC2700?

Still I got that issue with 200FSB but that don't matter now cos it's fine @ 209.

My Tip for the A7N8X and other NForce 2 powered boards is to use 256meg sticks when all else fails with 512 ones.

Maybe Uncle Tom could perhaps take a look at where memory compatibility issues are coming from - the manufacturers of the chipset, board or memory?

One day I'll look back at my current rig the way I do my old ZX Spectrum.......Would have been interesting to say the least if Sir Clive had Bill G's business skills

I have a pair of Corsair PC3200 512 MB (1 GB total)and the system runs without any problem at 166 MHz FSB and double bank enabled. I installed the memory at the first and the third socket, as the manual suggests. Moreover the memory is not the same. One is PC3200 CAS 2.5, the other is PC3200 CAS 2. I was never able two work stable with two modules at more than 170 MHz, but I believe it is enough with a pair of different but good modules. The mother board does not include the C.P.R. technology, consequently it is not convenient to trust with "hard" overclock setting.

Principle of the highest harassment for engineers says: having two events, one bad and one favorable, with the same probability to occur, it is most probable that the bad event will occur

Last night I ran my Corsair Twin 1024-3200LL totally stable all the way up to 216 Mhz/DDR432 (with a little voltage coaxing. I'm not trying to bag on you, just to show that 500MB sticks can be run happily in the A7N8x.

<font color=red>just a note- I don't even pretend to be a hardcore Overclocker. I just like to see what my system can do every once in a while. Otherwise, it stays stock </font color=red>
<A HREF="http://rebturtle.com" target="_new">rebturtle</A><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by rebturtle on 04/16/03 09:00 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

You know, I haven't been able to figure out yet which revision my board is, which may be frusterating since it looks like ASUS is going to release different bios images for different revisions. When I pull up my BIOS info in ASUS update, it says A7N8x2.0 . I don't know if that refers to rev 2.0, or USB2.0.
As for the BIOS chip itself, the sticker says AN8D2, 1003. Does that make it the same as yours(chipset rev. 2)?

<A HREF="http://rebturtle.com" target="_new">rebturtle</A>

Excellent! That means board is rev. 2.00, and my BIOS is 1.xx. Thanks. I've been trying to figure that out for three days now.

<A HREF="http://rebturtle.com" target="_new">rebturtle</A>

i'd like to have a7n8x mobo (pcb ver >=2 if poss),
a athlon 1.8/2.1/2.2 (266 mhz),
i want to ask about memory, iread at toms that pc w/ sync fsb/mem runs faster, also with CL 2.
if i'm using above specs, and a 256 corsair, which should i pick? pc2700(333) or pc2100(266)?
i want pc2700, but pc will run async (athlon xp < 2.5 G),
if i pick pc2100 for sync fsb/mem, there are no pc2100 (corsair) w/ CL2?
maybe i'm still confuse about fsb/mem sync...
thx....

It is similar to a very odd problem two of my customers had. One was on an Epochs 8RDA+, and it required a new mobo to fix. One was on the Chaintech 7NJL1 Apogee, and the board refused to boot without matched memory.

eBay, kick ass!

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