BSOD Problems - Memory Bank related

[bodacious]

I have a system (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3P motherboard and 6x2GB sticks of Avant memory).

For a while I was having BSOD issues with varying error messages (most often the nt kernel), but it all pointed towards some memory issue. I ran memtest extensively with no error and finally tracked it down to how the memory is populated on the board.

If I only have 4 slots populated (8GB total) everything works stable - with all 6 slots populated it crashes. The 4-slot configuration uses banks DDR3_1, DDR3_2, DDR3_3 and DDR3_5. I finally got the motherboard exchanged and installed it yesterday (the new one is rev 2.0 while the old one was rev 1.0). It seemed to be working fine, but overnight I had another BSOD.

I haven't overclocked anything and haven't tinkered with adjusting the voltage settings either.

Once the system is post-boot the LEDs next to the memory banks are all dark, so it doesn't think there's an overvoltage issue.

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[bilbat]

You must be 'in another market' - I've never heard of Avant; can you give me a part number or a pointer of some kind to the actual memory, its speed and timings? Do you have XMP enabled for the RAM?

 

[bodacious]

Actually it's US - I ordered it from a systems builder back east and they probably get them cheaper from them (http://avantmemory.com/home). Last time I checked they didn't have any datasheet on this specific module on their site, but here's the model number
AVF6456U61F9600G2-SPFP. This should be a Avant, 240pin, x64, 256M, unbuffered, 16Mx8x8, 1.5V, latency 9, 1600MHz, DDR3, Rev2 module.
No XMP enabled.

I'm running an Intel i7-920 @ 2.66GHz, so by default the memory clocks down to 1066. I played around with the speed settings and latencies but it didn't seem to help much.

The only difference between stable and unstable is 4 vs 6 banks populated.

 

[bilbat]

1066 is correct - it's the highest speed 'Intel supported' for that CPU...

Ok - here's something to try 'in the meantime', while I try to get some RAM specs:

Bump your Vdimm about a half-tenth, to, say, 1.56V...
Set the QPI/Vtt to 1.2V...
If your uncore multiplier is an even number, bump it by one...

on the "Advanced Memory Settings" sub-page:

"Performance Enhance" to "Standard"
"DRAM Timing Selectable" to "Expert"
"tRFC" to 15% higher than currently set, rounded to next higher integer...
"Command Rate(CMD)" to 2, 2T, or 2N, whichever your BIOS shows...

<F10> to save & exit - hopefully - will work!

Good luck!

Bill

Oh - whatcha running for CPU cooling?

 

[bodacious]

Thanks Bill, your help is much appreciated!

With a higher uncore the system won't post, so I set it back.

With these settings (Vdimm, QPI/Vtt and CMD) it's still unstable - I haven't ran it long enought to crash hard, but the burn-in test complains and some programs soft crash.

CPU cooling is a thermal take fan, nothing too fancy.

 

[bilbat]

What are your RAM and uncore multipliers, currently?

 

[bodacious]

With everything on auto

BCLK: 133MHz
System Memory Multiplier: x8.0 = 1066MHz
Uncore Clock: x24.0 = 3200MHz
QPI Clock: x36.0 = 4.8GHz
CPU Clock: x20.0 = 2660MHz

 

[bilbat]

For that RAM, only need an uncore of X17, might try that... This has turned up results with some RAM:

D/L CPU-Tweaker 1.5, run it, click on the SPD button. Write down the displayed values (think it will be the middle column, to the left - probably labeled '533'), and compare 'em to your 'LoadOpt' BIOS values - see if there are any discrepancies...

 

[bodacious]

Uncore of x17 wouldn't post, so I set it back.

CPU-Tweaker reports numbers for 800, 711, 622 and 888 MHz - somewhat strange... I suppose I could scale the numbers to 1066, but that puts it way past the auto settings... I tried the 800 numbers which are still higher than the auto settings and there were occasional BSODs.

 

[jaquith]

I have a system (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3P motherboard and 6x2GB sticks of Avant memory).

For a while I was having BSOD issues ..... post-boot the LEDs next to the memory banks are all dark

Do you mean GA-X58A-UD3R? And in reading I noticed version 2.0 (most current). The LEDs will be on in one form or another if you OC your memory outside its native supported speeds (DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800) via timing or voltages.

Trouble Shoot Memory:
A. Uninstall ALL sticks and CAREFULLY compare that they are ALL the SAME MODEL #, note the SNs.
*. (DO NOT USE XMP IN THE BIOS; Instead manually configure your DDR3)
B. Create a "Bootable" CD/DVD of Memtest86+ ; Link - http://www.memtest.org/ ; use (ISO current version ~4.10)
C. "FIND" any bad memory: 1. Install (3) DDR3 sticks in the WHITE sockets, 2. RESTART + CLEAR CMOS (button), 3. Boot w/Memtest86 and test DDR3 for at least 1 but preferably 2 hours.
D. Shutdown/Remove/Replace next (3) DDR3. Boot w/Memtest86 and test DDR3 for at least 1 but preferably 2 hours.

Report back.

footnote: DDR3 works best with THREE (3) sticks, and not as efficient with six sticks of RAM. Recommended is 2 GB or 4 GB x 3. Six will work fine. I am seeing a lot of bizarre problems with the GA-X58A-UD3R (rev 2.0) MOBO....

 

[jaquith]

Interesting, I went to Avant Memory and there is no mention of ANY GA-X58 MOBOs:
link - http://www.avantmemory.com/Configurator/Gigabyte/Motherboards/GA-P--_GA-X--_GA-S--_GA-U--_GA-X_Motherboards/

Next I attempted to Search for "GA-X58A-UD3..." and found NO Matches.

Lastly, I tried to find ANY reference on {AVF6456U61F9600G2-SPFP} and found nothing! I must assume it is an OEM Bulk memory model...

I also, looked at ASUS and the fastest referenced speed is 1333 MHz {AVF6456U61F9333GX-AP}.

Therefore, my only remaining conclusion is that you Might Not have the correct DDR3 memory, and that IF you Blindly OC and Erroneously set: Speeds, Timings, and Voltages - Yeah, you will have incalculable problems!

RECOMMENDATION - Contact Avant North America @ 1.800.334.4637 ; link - http://www.avantmemory.com/Contact/Support

 

[bilbat]

Can you post me that CPU Tweaker SPD page? I'd like to take a peek - with any luck, find out, well, something [:bilbat:8]

 

[bodacious]

@jaquith

I ran memtest on all of the modules 2 sticks at a time for ~1/2-1 day each with no errors. I also ran a burn-in test (intel's) for 1 day each with 2 sticks at a time with no issues.

Motherboard is the UD3R - sorry I missed that... the original one I had was rev 1.0 and now it's replaced with rev 2.0, but same behavior.

I tried contacting avant, but not much success so far.

In regards to speeds, timing, voltages - it seems strange that the system is stable with default and slighlty tweaked settings and 4 sticks running. I'd assume nothing should change going from 4 to 6 with regards to speed, timing & voltage.

@bilbat

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/879/cputweaker.png

 

[bilbat]

Beside the oddball speeds, I think I see something else really strange, but am hesitant to venture a guess until I've had time to research a few other folks' posts of the same info!

Gotta apologize, too - am really behind the last couple days - I try hard to stay on top of this stuff, and get people as prompt answers as I can manage, but a few days back, had a basement flood after 4½" of rain in one night; followed by having to 'throw a rebuild' into a water softener, and - praise god - our neighborhood got together a 'street-long' garage/rummage sale, so I've been 'rooting out crap' for the past few days. My dad, bless his soul, is a 'crap collector' par excellence! He watches idiocy like PBS' "Antiques RoadShow", and "Pawn Stars", telling him how valuable all his 'old crap' is; when what he should be watching is "Hoarders"! [:bilbat:9] So, anyhow, I am taking advantage of this opportunity to empty out as much junque as I possibly can - "price too high? ...here, I'll give 'ya a buck to just take it!", and the process has been eating up time, and my constitution - garage has been between 95°F and 110°F, and humidty from ~85% to (today) 100% - by the time I'm done for the day, I'm pretty much at the point of collapsing into bed, and, maybe, if I have the strenght to operate the remote buttons, watching a little Media Center!

 

[jaquith]

"Acts" like DDR2 ; personally I'd return them and ideally get XMP "approved" sticks.

PDF - http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-x58a-ud3r_v2.0.pdf