New RAM and BSODs/reboots

[hawkbit]

System:

Win XPPro 32bit
Asus P5k
Q6600
1Gx2 Corsair Twin2x2048-6400 (800 @ 2gigs)
8800gtx
Corsair 620 PSU

This system is not overclocked, literally everything is set at Auto in the Bios. It's performed perfectly, outside of crappy Realtek audio drivers that cause some humming with the onboard sound. Anyways... It's mostly a gaming rig.

I've been considering shifting into Vista 64bit for DX10, but before I did I wanted to buy some RAM - I found an extra 2gig @Newegg for $50 w/another $25 rebate, so I bought it. It's another 2gig of the exact same RAM as listed above - same Newegg part # and everything.

So the RAM arrives 2 days ago, box is crushed. Open it up, RAM and its internal packaging is OK; nothing out of the ordinary. So I install it and XP reads it as 3.25 Gig, which I expected as I'm running a 32bit o/s. But after running the system for 4 hours or so, for the first time ever on this build I get a quick BSOD and auto-reboot. System comes up and is good for about 12 hours. Then, watching a Youtube video I get the same BSOD/reboot. And again earlier while playing a game I get the same thing.

So I remove the 2gig new RAM, system's running perfectly again.

I put the RAM back in and in the BIOS I change the voltage from Auto to 1.9v - the amount specified on both Corsair's site and on the side of the RAM module. Then I get another BSOD after an hour. So I took the RAM back out and packaged it up.

So where do I go from here? Should I assume it's bad RAM/damaged in shipping? If so, I would have expected it not to read @3.25gig within XP.

Or, do I need to tweak settings in the BIOS more than 'Auto'?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[aziraphale]

Did you run a memtest?

 

[IRivero]

I got the same problem with my 8Gb Transcend 4x2Gb modules. With 2 sticks everything is ok, but with 4 my system reboots. I contacted Transcend and they told me to raise DDR voltage to 1,9 and did not work.

I tried 2,085 and the system is working fine, below this voltage my system reboots, but Transcend told me to do not raise voltage above 2,013. They also are checking with Asus (I have a P5NE-Sli) if is a motherboard issue.

Asus sometimes updates motherboard bios to make the board compatible with more memory modules, check if your motherboard bios is updated.

Try using Memtest86 to check your RAM. Try changing the position of the sticks in your motherboard and check the memory.

 

[hawkbit]

Much appreciated on the advice. It's now up and running. The P5k recommends running 2 chips in slots 1 and 3, which is how I had it set up from initial build. When I got the new ram, I wasn't thinking and put them right into slots 2 and 4... which of course split the ram pairs across two different channels.

I *thought* I was buying the EXACT same ram - it was the same part number from Corsair and Newegg, both are 1.9v pairs and are CAS 5-5-5-12. BUT!! I noticed on the side of the modules that the older ram is version 5.1 and the newer ram is version 5.2. Once I got the pairs on the same channels, no more BSODs and no more errors on memtest.

For the record, this is what I saw using a memtest86 boot CD:

Test 1- old 2gig chips in slots 1,3 - no errors
Test 2- new 2gig chips in slots 1,3 - no errors.
Test 3- new 2gig chips in slots 1,3 and old 2 gig chips in slots 2,4 - 8 errors
Test 4- old 2gig in slots 2,4 - no errors
Test 5- new 2gig in slots 2,4 - no errors
Test 6- old 2gig in slots 1,2 and new 2gig in slots 3,4 - no errors on three passes, no BSODs after 4 hours.

Noob mistake, really. Thanks again for talking me through it. Tom's is such a great resource.