Memory possibly bad but not sure

[Kedoch]

This is sort of a boarder line memory/WinXP question, so hopefully this is the proper section.

Recently upon trying to install a new WinXP SP2 Home Edition onto a brand new machine towards the very start of the install before I could even partition or format for the first time (If I recall directly after it finished loading all it's drivers or such) it would BSOD returning a Session 3 Initialization Failed message. (STOP: 6F for those interested)

At any rate, that is the background. The fix I found to work was removing a stick of this Crucial Memory (an 2x 1GB Kit, confirmed to be compatible with the mobo).

Upon removing that memory stick I managed a successful install (Which was later ruined by crappy drivers on the mobo install disk, again for those interested nvgts.sys causing an IRQL not less or equal error).

So I reformat again, and try with both memory sticks in the board, failure. Tried with just the previously removed stick in the board and it failed. So I went back to the working configuration and installed and got everything working just dandy.

Grabbed memtest, shut down, unplugged, stuck the 2nd ram stick back in, and started memtest86+ (newest version available). It completed 2 passes, zero errors reported.

Tried installing with these setups for the winxp install.
Stick A in Slot 1, Success!
Stick A in Slot 1, Stick B in Slot 2, Failed
Stick A in Slot 1, Stick B in Slot 2, Failed
Stick B in Slot 1, Failed1

For the mem86 test I did:
Stick A in Slot 1, Stick B in Slot 3, Zero Errors in 2 Passes.

So my question is: Do I still possibly have a bad stick of ram just waiting to muck up the works? Currently both sticks are in the system, and it has been working nicely for around 6 hours, but I'm headed home soon so need to get any RMA's (and the rebate) cleared up before I leave.

Faulty stick or just faulty software (or a different piece of hardware I haven't consiered).

System:
MSI P7N SLI Plat.
2x 1gb Crucial Ballistix.
500GB Seagate SATA HDD
LiteOn SATA DVD+RW
SilverStone 400W PSU
Radeon 3870
E7200

Thanks Ahead of time. And apologies for any errors above (will correct them if I find them), it is much too late for me to be typing up an issue like this.

 

[badge]

Have you set the RAM voltage, speed and timings in BIOS? You say you have "2x 1gb Crucial Ballistix"? If the RAM is PC26400 it will require 2.0-2.1v as specified by the Mfg. to run at advertised specs. Your BIOs may be defaulting to 1.8v and causing the problem;. I would go in BIOS and be sure to set the RAM voltage to 2.1v, timings to 5-5-5-15, and set the transfer rate to 800MHz. if PC6400. If the DIMM(s) still fail with memtest, RMA it.

 

[V3NOM]

LOL! for dual channel RAM to work, any good motherboard designed by a 10 year old will have the RAM sticks in slot 1 and 3 for dual channel so that 1:less heat and 2:more room if the sticks have massive heatsinks on them aka OCZ ReaperX)

had something else to say too but now i forgot anyway thats the gist of it, lol.

 

[IH8U]

I second Badges' comment on testing the voltage. As I had similar issues with my G.Skill, set the volts to 2.1V no issues since.