New memory not stable :(

[sandeepb]

Hi everyone,

I bought my OCZ Flex EX PC2-9600 (1200Mhz) 4GB RAM and recieved it today.

When I put then in the two yellow slots for dual channel and up my FSB to 225 to get my memory up to 1200Mhz and set the specified timings and voltage i end up getting a BSOD whenever I enter windows, memtest gives me error 15% in and I don't know what to do now.

I feel I need to RMA but I just don't want to go through that hassle.

Additional Comment:

Would I need to add some voltage to the motherboard northbridge in order for it to reach that speed since I'm running the FSB higher?

[wats6831]

i'd RMA it and then ask OCZ forums for advice

[sandeepb]

But what if they're working when I RMA them, then I have to pay £10 to get em back to me.

I'm at 1182Mhz right now, you reckon that's alright?

[wats6831]

you'll be lucky if you CAN RMA it after running that much voltage. They may be toast

[CaligulaPwns]

Did he mention any voltage wats?

Anyway, did you set the timings and the voltage to spec in the bios?

[sandeepb]

http://www.ocztechnology.com/product..._ex_4gb_series

The Default is 2.2v and the EVP is 2.25v meaning it can handle up to that.

And yes I set everything as it should be.

[Zanex09]

if they dont work as advertised i would send them back, cause buying something for what it claims it can do and then you get it and it cant is absolute Bull*** and your ram is obviously not able to do that at claimed speeds and voltage

[sandeepb]

Yeh that's true,

Just hope it won't work for them when they test it or then it's going to be annoying and i'm stuck with ram that doesn't work on my board.

[wats6831]

Originally Posted by sandeepb

Yeh that's true,

Just hope it won't work for them when they test it or then it's going to be annoying and i'm stuck with ram that doesn't work on my board.

Is that part number on the QVL list for your board? I may have run into the same problem

[larrymoencurly]

Originally Posted by sandeepb

But what if they're working when I RMA them, then I have to pay £10 to get em back to me.

You can guarantee that they won't work. ZAP!

AFAIK, all DDR2 chips, except maybe some really, really new low power ones that may not have shipped yet, are rated to withstand up to 2.3V. OTOH none are rated to need more than 1.8V for reliable operation when not overclocked. The best thing to do is avoid memory modules made of chips lacking the chip maker's marking for the part number or logo.

[sandeepb]

Well I'll send them back on monday and see where that takes me, hope they do find a problem because then i can be assured that the new one's will work at 1200

I'm at 1184Mhz stable at the moment

[wats6831]

Originally Posted by sandeepb

Well I'll send them back on monday and see where that takes me, hope they do find a problem because then i can be assured that the new one's will work at 1200

I'm at 1184Mhz stable at the moment

I just lowered mine to 1.7 (the specs are supposed to be 7-7-7@1.9) and it's seems to be running fine. Was unstable as hell at the suggested voltage 1.9.

[sandeepb]

Didn't work out for me.

I've given the Hypertransport voltage 1.28v and still nothing keeps the ram stable

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Send 'em back then.

[wats6831]

Yeah take him up on those new low voltage kits.

[sandeepb]

What new low voltage kits?

[sandeepb]

OK I was mucking about a bit and I tried running the HT Link at the same speed as my Northbridge and see if that helps.

It's looking good and I seem to have no BSOD after 10 Minutes of browsing so I think it may be working at 1200Mhz.

I have attached a CPU Z Screenshot, maybe everyone can make some sense of it.

[901-Memphis]

Lower your multiplier and it should boot, your CPU is most likely unstable not the RAM from the CPU-Z Screenie. Give it more V-Core if you don't wanna lower the multi.

Additional Comment:

Originally Posted by larrymoencurly

You can guarantee that they won't work. ZAP!

AFAIK, all DDR2 chips, except maybe some really, really new low power ones that may not have shipped yet, are rated to withstand up to 2.3V. OTOH none are rated to need more than 1.8V for reliable operation when not overclocked. The best thing to do is avoid memory modules made of chips lacking the chip maker's marking for the part number or logo.

Voltages vary depending on what types of chips are used, and a set of DDR2 running above the spec of 1.80 volts can fry at certain higher voltages depending on the chips. 2.30 volts could EASILY fry any DDR2 chips that i can think of.

Many chips are only rated at 1.80 - 1.90 for some infineon chips, and anything over 2.10 is dangerous.

Overvolting above the manufactures max spec voids the warranty (I know LoL) and will likely cause overheating problems before they cause zapping, which is next. Overvolting RAM is usually always more dangerous than with processors.

[larrymoencurly]

Originally Posted by 901-Memphis

Voltages vary depending on what types of chips are used, and a set of DDR2 running above the spec of 1.80 volts can fry at certain higher voltages depending on the chips. 2.30 volts could EASILY fry any DDR2 chips that i can think of.

Many chips are only rated at 1.80 - 1.90 for some infineon chips, and anything over 2.10 is dangerous.

Overvolting above the manufactures max spec voids the warranty (I know LoL) and will likely cause overheating problems before they cause zapping, which is next. Overvolting RAM is usually always more dangerous than with processors.

I checked Infineon/Qimonda and couldn't find any chips with absolute maximum voltage ratings less than 2.3V, not even these DDR2 chips rated for 1.5V nominal. I also haven't found any DDR2 chips that, according to their real manufacturers, require more than 1.8V.

[901-Memphis]

2.30 volts would fry many DDR2 chips in a relatively short amount of time including micron chips, promos, hynix, infineon and many others.

Like i said heat is the enemy at high voltages, but there is a certain point in some chips where overvoltage can just result in a zap of the chip even with active cooling.

The reason some DDR2 chips require more than the 1.80 is because they want to achieve tighter timings, or higher stock speeds than the pretty much industry "standard" of CAS-5 @ DDR2-800. Some chips need more voltage to get stable at higher clocks, but other chips can error more quickly with more than just a few tenths of a volt over 1.80.