Memory suggestions Gigabyte EP45-DS3L (DDR2 1333 / 1200 ???)
Giga Guy
I'm looking for suggestions for memory for Gigabyte EP45-DS3L rev 1.0
board.
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2844
The box says DDR2 1333/1200/1066/800/667, 1.8 volts, but I can't find
any DDR2 1333, very few 1200, some 1100, and mostly 1066 and 800.
This looks good:
------------------
http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT2KIT25664AA1067
4GB kit (2GBx2), 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-8500 memory module
CT2KIT25664AA1067
* Module Size: 4GB kit (2GBx2)
* Package: 240-pin DIMM
* Feature: DDR2 PC2-8500
* Specs: DDR2 PC2-8500 CL=7 Unbuffered NON-ECC
* DDR2-1066 1.8V 256Meg x 64
---------------
And it's cheap enough ($80). Will it work?
Is it a waste of time looking for DDR2 1333, 1200, 1150 or 1100 ?
Should I ask this question on any other forum, like tomshardware?
JR Weiss
> I'm looking for suggestions for memory for Gigabyte EP45-DS3L rev 1.0
> board.
>
> any DDR2 1333, very few 1200, some 1100, and mostly 1066 and 800.
>
> CT2KIT25664AA1067
>
Yes, it will work just fine.
So will
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
which is what I have on both my Gigabyte MoBos (P35 and X48). It's even cheaper
(Note: direct from Crucial is not necessarily the cheapest place to get Crucial
memory, either).
> Is it a waste of time looking for DDR2 1333, 1200, 1150 or 1100 ?
IMO, yes. The price isn't worth the theoretical performance increase, and
longer latency on cheaper memory could make the "faster" RAM work not as well as
the more common RAM.
> Should I ask this question on any other forum, like tomshardware?
Sure. I think you'll find a consensus for the PC2-8500, though...
RonM
which are CL7 or CL6 (slower timings) but higher frequency
over DDR2 PC2 -6400 CL4 such as this:
(faster timings lower frequency)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209
--
Ron. Marraccini
"JR Weiss" <jrw...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:gp721e$nth$1...@news.motzarella.org...
Jon Danniken
> Does Gigabyte have any forums on their web site?
>
> I'm looking for suggestions for memory for Gigabyte EP45-DS3L rev 1.0
> board.
I'm using that same board, bought last year (great board). Been happy using
a 2x2Gb GSkill RAM kit that I bought with it, with specs of: CL5, 5-5-5-15,
DDR2-1000 (PC2-8000).
I don't think that particular kit is still available, but I've been
perfectly happy with the specs (and it was on sale at the time, which is why
I bought it).
Jon
JR Weiss
with the PC2-8500, which is 33% faster than the PC2-6400.
"RonM" <ro...@ramlegal.com> wrote...
> Cost aside, What would be a advantage of using either one of those
> which are CL7 or CL6 (slower timings) but higher frequency
> over DDR2 PC2 -6400 CL4 such as this:
> (faster timings lower frequency)
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209
> "JR Weiss" <jrw...@invalid.invalid> wrote
RonM
I have the GA-EP45-UD3P mobo.
I would like to get an E8400 or E8500
processor and run it overclocked (not gaming)
at 3.6 /4.0 Ghz -
Which speed would make this easier
or would it matter?
Thanks
--
Ron Marraccini
"JR Weiss" <jrw...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:gp8jjd$7km$2...@news.motzarella.org...
Giga Guy
> I'm looking for suggestions for memory for Gigabyte EP45-DS3L
> rev 1.0 board.
Ok, looking for comments here.
I picked up a couple of these:
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Fatal1ty 4GB Dual Channel
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_8500_fatal1ty_4gb_dual_channel
The price was right (about $70, and with a rebate it should work out to
something like $50 but I'm not counting on getting the rebate because
they never work).
It was pointed out to me that this ram is configured for 2.2v operation,
which is not necessarily a good thing (it's better if you can run at
high speed without having to resort to raising the voltage so high
beyond the standard 1.8v).
I'm going to try these out tommorrow and buy more if they work. I don't
have a system built yet, was thinking of just running memtest86
(correct?) on a naked board.
Comments?
Giga Guy
> Gigabyte EP45-DS3L rev 1.0 board.
>
> I picked up a couple of these:
>
> OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Fatal1ty 4GB Dual Channel
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_8500_fatal1ty_4gb_dual_channel
Update:
Ok, I plugged 4 of those ram sticks into the Gigabyte mobo.
CPU is Q8200 (Core2 Quad)
- 2.33 ghz
- FSB 1333 mhz
The thing powered up ok. I went into the bios, and was confronted with
about a dozen or two different types of settings that are not really
intutitive.
One thing I noticed was that the bios was indicating that the ram was
running at 800 mhz. I thought this ram was 1066 ?
What do I need to do to setup the bios properly for this ram?
PS: Intel, your heat-sink push pins suck really badly. I ripped them
out and used 4 small bolts to mount the heatsink instead.
RonM
Go into the bios and change the settings/voltage per the RAM sticker
yourself.
Don't use the EasyTune program as it may overvolt.
Let me know how it goes - I am wondering if I
should have got the faster stuff myself.
--
Ron A. Marraccini
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49B88216...@Guy.com...
Giga Guy
> The board defaults to the 800Mhz setting -
> Go into the bios and change the settings/voltage per the RAM sticker
> yourself.
You saying that just by increasing the ram voltage, that the mobo will
be able to "sense" something in the ram and increase the clock speed
automatically?
I think it said 2.0 or 2.1 or 2.2 v on the package. I did up the
voltage to 1.9 but it still said 800 mhz in the bios.
> Don't use the EasyTune program as it may overvolt.
There's no OS on this thing yet. Is there a ram stress program that
boots from a floppy? Was it something like memtest86? Is that what I'm
thinking about?
> Let me know how it goes - I am wondering if I
> should have got the faster stuff myself.
The earliest I'll be able to post back my next results will be about 6
pm EST tommorrow.
RonM
which the website for your ram says are CL 6-7-7-20.
It says you can go up to 2.05 v before violating the warrantee.
EasyTune is a software program that Gigabyte includes with some of it's
boards.
OCZ / Products / Memory / OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Fatal1ty 4GB Dual Channel
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Fatal1ty 4GB Dual Channel
a..
a.. OCZ2F10664GK
CompUSATigerDirect USANeweggAmazon
b..
1066MHz DDR2
CL 6-7-7-20
(CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)
Available in 4GB (2x2048MB) dual channel kits
Unbuffered
Fatal1ty Branded XTC Heatspreader*
Lifetime Warranty
2.0 Volts
240 Pin DIMM
Special Features
2.05V EVP***
Part Numbers
4GB Dual Channel Kit PN - OCZ2F10664GK
OCZ2F10664GK
CompUSA . TigerDirect USA . Newegg . Amazon
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 / 1066MHz / Fatal1ty Edition / 4GB Dual
Channel
The OCZ Fatal1ty series is the official memory for the
Championship Gaming Series. These high-performance memory kits were
co-developed with the expertise of the world's 12-time champion to meet the
needs of fellow gamers, and are designed to help deliver exceptional gaming
visuals and overclocking potential to ensure your high-powered gaming PC
maintains unsurpassed stability.
The OCZ Fatal1ty memory kits feature high densities and
blazing frequencies to help DirectX-10 PC games reach their full potential
on the latest platforms.
* XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders optimize
the thermal management of memory modules by promoting greater airflow by
means of micro-convection throughout what is usually the dead air space
inside conventional heatspreader designs. In this manner, build-up of heat
is avoided and thermal dissipation of the memory components is offloaded
more efficiently through the honeycomb design. At the same time, mechanical
stability is maintained.
--
Ron A. Marraccini
Legal Investigations - PSID #33657
2000 N.E. 42nd Ave., #192
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 407-8948
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49B88683...@Guy.com...
Giga Guy
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-DS3L rev 1.0
CPU: Intel Q8200 Core2Quad CPU (2.33 ghz fsb) SLB5M
Memory tried:
- OCZ 2F10664GK (PC8500) Fatality Edition 4gb kit
- Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C7 G (composed of 2 dimms: CM2X2048-8500C7)
http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X4096-8500C7.pdf
Both are kits of 2 dimms, 2 gb per dim, 4 gb total
Test situation: Motherboard installed in a desktop case, no hard drive,
no CD rom. Generic video card plugged into PCI slot. Floppy drive
connected to motherboard. memtest86 (v 3.5, single core version) booted
and run from floppy drive.
Memory is tested (first, all dimm's installed individually, one at a
time). All dimms pass (pass = memtest86 runs for several minutes, for
as long as I care to let it run).
Next, memory is installed in pairs (single channel mode, dual channel
mode). 2 dimms max. Dimms are not mixed.
System fails test when both dimms are installed. memtest fails at
exactly the same point - early during the first pass. System reboots
itself.
Have tried both 800 and 1066 mhz ram speed. Have raised ram voltage to
2.2v (for OCZ) and 2.0v for Corsair. Have set the timing to both
auto/spd and manual (according to ram documentation).
I called OCZ and confirmed that this ram has not been QVL'd on this
board. In addition, the OCZ tech said that he's read that gigabyte
mobo's have a lot of problems running 4 gig kits (2 x 2mb).
I tried a bunch of different timing settings and ran the voltage up to
2.20 v (That number 2.20v is stamped on the
sticker on this memory, the OCZ tech says he's not seeing that on his
screen). OCZ phone is 800-459-1816.
I tried a 2gb kit (2 x 1gb) Kingston (KHX6400D2LLK2/2G) and was able to
clock them to 800 mhz no problem.
I tried calling gigabyte, but after 15 minutes on hold I hung up. Phone
(626) 854-9338.
I called Kingston and asked what they have for QVL on that board (4gb
kit). They said:
KVR1066D2N7K2/4G
But they said they stopped making them July 2008. They say that you are
not going to see much DDR2-1066 anymore because everyone is focusing on
DDR3 at that speed and faster.
Called Corsair (510) 657 8747. They suggested Q2x8G6400C4DHX (8 gb
kit). I want to run 8 gb on this board.
Gigabyte memory support list for this board is useless. Hardly any
listings for 2gb dimms.
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/MemorySupport/motherboard_memory_ga-ep45-ds3l.pdf
I have a package of Kingston KHX8500D2K2/4G that I haven't yet opened
(unless I open it carefully I won't be able to return it).
Bottom line (so far) - impossible to get 2 2gb dimms to run in this
motherboard. I bought 3 of these boards, two of them to run XP-pro
64-bit with 8gb each.
What the FUCK is the deal with these FUCKING motherboards and FUCKING
memory situation?
I havn't bought any new motherboards for 2 YEARS. Is this how far the
industry has come in that time? A TOTAL FUCKUP?
I knew ASUS was a fucked up company that made fucked up motherboards. I
always had good experience with Gigabyte in the past. Have they fallen
to the catagory of fucked up motherboard makers too?
Is the EP45-DS3L capable of 8gb of memory, running AT LEAST at 800 mhz?
Or have I bought 3 steaming piles of shit?
Bob Bailin
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49B98C17...@Guy.com...
Despite your 2nd to last question, you seem hell-bent on buying 1066 MHz
memory.
If you can actually settle for 800 MHz memory, Kingston offers their
KVR800D2N6K2/4G kits (2x2G) for $39/ea at newegg.com. No, they won't
be as fast as working 1066 memory, but I doubt you'd notice the difference
in a blind test. I've found that with some motherboards, fast memory doesn't
always behave as expected when manually configured for slower speeds.
My previous Intel mb wouldn't boot if I set my 667 memory to 533, for
instance, but it worked fine at 667 using the spd settings.
I was going to suggest that you leave room to expand by buying one
8GB kit, but they're $443/ea, not the expected $80/ea.
Do yourself a favor and reset the memory timings to factory default
by removing all the memory and booting the system until it beeps.
Bob
RonM
and they have a couple of guys who are pretty knowledgable
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/
--
Ron A. Marraccini
"Bob Bailin" <72027...@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:BAgul.18573$YU2....@nlpi066.nbdc.sbc.com...
Giga Guy
> > Bottom line (so far) - impossible to get 2 2gb dimms to run in this
> > motherboard. I bought 3 of these boards, two of them to run XP-pro
> > 64-bit with 8gb each.
>
> > Is the EP45-DS3L capable of 8gb of memory, running AT LEAST at
> > 800 mhz?
> >
> > Or have I bought 3 steaming piles of shit?
>
> Despite your 2nd to last question, you seem hell-bent on buying
> 1066 MHz memory.
>
> If you can actually settle for 800 MHz memory, ...
I've tried to run both types of 4gb kits at 800 mhz AND THEY DON'T WORK!
My definition of "don't work" means that memtest86 will not run for as
long as I let it run.
I've tried the default settings and kept the memory speed to 800 mhz and
I can't get a single 4gb kit to run memtest86 for more than the first
few seconds before the machine spontaneously reboots itself. Memtest86
fails at exactly the same point regardless of the pair of 2gb dimms
that's installed.
And here's another thing:
When I try a the multi-core version of memtest86, even with just a
single dimm installed (of any type, 1gb, 2gb) it freezes the instant it
starts.
Is there a (known) problem with
a) memtest86 and Intel Q8200 Core2Quad ???
or
b) Intel Q8200 Core2Quad and Gigabyte EP45-DS3L ???
I'm going to ask (a) again separately in the intel newsgroup.
Paul
>
> And here's another thing:
>
> When I try a the multi-core version of memtest86, even with just a
> single dimm installed (of any type, 1gb, 2gb) it freezes the instant it
> starts.
>
> Is there a (known) problem with
>
> a) memtest86 and Intel Q8200 Core2Quad ???
>
> or
>
> b) Intel Q8200 Core2Quad and Gigabyte EP45-DS3L ???
>
> I'm going to ask (a) again separately in the intel newsgroup.
What version of BIOS are you using ? Are there
known issues with the various available BIOS
versions ? Sometimes, a later BIOS will handle
2GB DIMMs, better than an untuned early version
will.
I have a similar problem with another brand of motherboard here.
1GB DIMMs run fine, 2GB DIMMs will not.
A single 2GB DIMM passes memtest and Prime95,
while a pair have problems (Prime95 won't pass).
So I'm back to 2x1GB config, which is solid as a
rock.
Sometimes, the reviews on Newegg may list a cure for
a problem the users are having.
"Customer Reviews for GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16813128345
Paul
Giga Guy
> > When I try a the multi-core version of memtest86 it freezes the
> > instant it starts. The single-core version works fine.
> > Is there a (known) problem with
> >
> > a) memtest86 and Intel Q8200 Core2Quad ???
> >
> > or
> >
> > b) Intel Q8200 Core2Quad and Gigabyte EP45-DS3L ???
>
> What version of BIOS are you using ? Are there known issues
> with the various available BIOS versions ? Sometimes, a
> later BIOS will handle 2GB DIMMs, better than an untuned
> early version will.
The board came with F9 bios version. I flashed it to F10 (the latest).
Made no difference.
But that's not the point. When I plug in a single 1gb dimm, or even a
pair of 1gb dimms, the single-core version of memtest86 runs just fine,
but the multi-core version hangs or crashes the instant it comes up on
the screen.
Perhaps the multi-core version memtest86 works on dual-core cpu's, but
not quad-cores?
> I have a similar problem with another brand of motherboard here.
> 1GB DIMMs run fine, 2GB DIMMs will not.
My problem is that a single 2gb dimm *will* run fine, but two 2gb dimms
won't (and again, I define "runs fine" when the single-core version of
memtest runs for as long as I let it).
> A single 2GB DIMM passes memtest and Prime95,
> while a pair have problems (Prime95 won't pass).
>
> So I'm back to 2x1GB config, which is solid as a
> rock.
You you also have problems with a pair of 2gb dimms, but single 2gb
dimms are ok. ?
What CPU do you have?
> Sometimes, the reviews on Newegg may list a cure for
> a problem the users are having.
>
> "Customer Reviews for GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard"
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16813128345
The full spectrum, from 5 out of 5 to 1 out of 5. And interestingly,
quite a few 1/5. Here's some comments:
--------------
Cons: Extremely finicky on RAM. Out of three different brands of RAM,
only one works (others are specifically on Gigabyte's compatibility
list). Frequently reboots itself upon startup with two different power
supplies, indicating that it has some internal power problems. I've
RMA'ed this motherboard, and the new one has the same problems as the
one I sent back to Gigabyte, so these problems are unique to this model,
not to this specific motherboard.
Other Thoughts: Between the ridiculously unstable hardware and some
compatibility problems I'm having with its onboard audio and MythTV
(Linux DVR software), I've basically given up on this motherboard. I'm
not sure what to do with it, though, because it's such a poor
motherboard that I wouldn't feel right selling it to someone else!
--------------
Cons: Memory slot #3 failed after only six months. Computer would not
POST with memory module in slot #3. Computer would boot if only slot #1
or slot #2 & 4 were used, but was not stable in games. Gigabyte tech
support suggested sending for RMA. Gigabyte RMA facility did nothing -
sent same board back. Gigabyte sent no emails or paperwork with MB
indicating what they did or why they sent the same board back.
Other Thoughts: I have had many other Gigabyte boards in the past and
was surprised that this one was not as reliable.
---------------
Pros: looks like a great motherboard if you just get it to work.
most the people who got it to work seem to be satisfied, and its a cheap
one too
Cons: got it twice, both times it was dead on arrival. so I gave up and
ordered GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P instead. only 30 dollars more and a lot
better. def worth it!
Other Thoughts: I dont recommend this motherboard because a lot of
people have trouble getting it to work, and I got it dead on arrival
twice, as posted above. If you get it to work then nice for you,
otherwise I recommend GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P instead. Cheap upgrade and
far better. Much more stable and it's awesome for its price class
----------------
Cons: It Keept on restarting wouln't post couldn't get any os on it :(
---------------
Pros: None - system would not work.
Cons: Seems to have memory problems, even with good memory.
Other Thoughts: 1st board arrived with broken pin on N-bridge cooler.
Used a spare pin to attach. System had several problems during disk
imaging and XP reinstall (blue screen, IRQL error). Issues seem to be
memory related, so I tested the new memory in another system and they
were fine. RMA'd the board figuring damage to N-bridge based on the
loose cooler.
2nd board arrived and had same blue screen during XP reinstall. Tried to
tweak voltage, buss speed, memory freq and timing. Nothing fixed the
issue. Tested memory with that system and showed errors. Test the same
memory in a different system and passed more than 15 tests over several
hours. Also tested new video card and hard drive. Every thing tests fine
in my other system. I am sending 2nd board back for refund.
Bottom line - this board has memory issues. Online searches find many
with similar problems. Good luck if you purchase this board...it's a
roll of the dice apparently.
----------------
Looks Like I'll be returning at least 2 of the 3 boards I bought.
What a god damn piece of shit this board looks to be.
david
say:
Try memtest86+ instead.
Jon Danniken
>
> Looks Like I'll be returning at least 2 of the 3 boards I bought.
>
> What a god damn piece of shit this board looks to be.
That's too bad, mine has been performing without any problems with the last
six months, and with a 2x2Gb RAM kit in it as well. Absolutely ZERO hassles
on this board for me; maybe they ran out of the good ones.
Jon
Giga Guy
> Try memtest86+ instead.
>
> http://www.memtest.org/
I see now that there are two different "streams" of memtest:
http://www.memtest86.com/download.html
I've been running version 3.5 from the first website.
Which one is preferred?
Giga Guy
> "Giga Guy" wrote:
> > Looks Like I'll be returning at least 2 of the 3 boards I bought.
> >
> > What a god damn piece of shit this board looks to be.
>
> That's too bad, mine has been performing without any problems with
> the last six months, and with a 2x2Gb RAM kit in it as well.
What type of ram are you running? (brand and model number)
> Absolutely ZERO hassles on this board for me; maybe they ran
> out of the good ones.
Please try running this version of memtest from a floppy and tell me if
it runs for at least 1 pass:
http://www.memtest86.com/memtest35.zip
I'm basing my assessment that this motherboard is shit because that
version of memtest fails to run for more than a dozen seconds before
causing the system to reboot when I have two 2gb dimms installed, but
runs fine with a single 2gb dimm installed.
I'm just discovered that there is a different version or stream of
memtest and now I'm really scratching my head over this whole memtest
thing...
Ron AF Greve
I got the same problem with various board one of them EP45 and the other
asus P5QC. Neither one will take 2x2GB (paired) DDR3 memory. Now one memory
stick and the EP45 are collecting dust.
Sigh...
Regards, Ron AF Greve
http://informationsuperhighway.eu
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49B98C17...@Guy.com...
ToolPackinMama
> I've tried to run both types of 4gb kits at 800 mhz AND THEY DON'T WORK!
Why not just RMA all of it? When they ask why, say "not as
advertised/doesn't work".
Bob Bailin
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49B99DA3...@Guy.com...
> Bob Bailin wrote:
>
>> > Bottom line (so far) - impossible to get 2 2gb dimms to run in this
>> > motherboard. I bought 3 of these boards, two of them to run XP-pro
>> > 64-bit with 8gb each.
>>
>> > Is the EP45-DS3L capable of 8gb of memory, running AT LEAST at
>> > 800 mhz?
>> >
>> > Or have I bought 3 steaming piles of shit?
>>
>> Despite your 2nd to last question, you seem hell-bent on buying
>> 1066 MHz memory.
>>
>> If you can actually settle for 800 MHz memory, ...
>
> I've tried to run both types of 4gb kits at 800 mhz AND THEY DON'T WORK!
Both types of 4gb you mention:
- OCZ 2F10664GK (PC8500) Fatality Edition 4gb kit
- Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C7 G (composed of 2 dimms: CM2X2048-8500C7)
are PC8500, i.e., 1066 MHz memory. Trying to run it at 800 mhz
doesn't always work on some motherboards.
You haven't tried the cheaper 800 MHz memory, which should work
with the default settings from the onboard spd chips.
>
> My definition of "don't work" means that memtest86 will not run for as
> long as I let it run.
>
> I've tried the default settings and kept the memory speed to 800 mhz and
> I can't get a single 4gb kit to run memtest86 for more than the first
> few seconds before the machine spontaneously reboots itself. Memtest86
> fails at exactly the same point regardless of the pair of 2gb dimms
> that's installed.
>
Again, explicitly setting the memory speed to 800 mhz is *not* a
default setting. Leaving everything at "automatic" or whatever they
call it in your BIOS memory settings is really the "default" setting.
This includes the memory voltage settings.
Giga Guy
There are 2 versions of memtest.
One is called memtest86:
http://www.memtest86.com/download.html (latest version 3.5)
And the other is called memtest86+ (plus):
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool (latest version 2.11)
http://www.memtest.org/
I've confirmed that on this gigabyte board (with quad-core) and a two
year old Asus board (with core2 dual core), that the 3.5 version of
memtest causes both systems to spontaneously reboot early during the
first test pass if there are 4 gb of memory installed (4 banks of 1 gb
dimms, or 2 banks of 2gb dimms). However, if both systems have 3 gb
installed (2 banks of 1 gb, 2 banks of 512 mb) memtest 3.5 runs fine on
both.
The other memtest (version 2.11) works ok on both systems with 4 gb.
The only other odd thing is that there is a multi-core version of
memtest 3.5. It does not run on this gigabyte EP45-DS3L (with core2
quad-core cpu) regardless of the amount of installed memory. It does
run on the Asus board (core2 dual core).
I'm surprised that this bug in memtest 3.5 isin't more widely known, or
at least fixed.
Giga Guy
from now on.
What I've been testing so far are these:
Kingston KHX8500D2K2/4G
Kingston specs are 5-5-5-15 @ 2.2V, but they run really hot. I didn't
take them above 2.0v. I found it was stable at 6-6-6-16 at 1066mhz
(memory clock at 533 mhz) at 1.9v. I tried running it at 1110 mhz at
2.0v but it failed memtest 2.11 consistently at about the 35% part of
pass 1. Running at 1066, memtest reports 4226 mb/sec (single channel)
and 5425 mb/sec (dual channel).
Corsair Twin2X4096-8500C
Specs printed on the dimms say 7-7-7-20, 2.0v, 1066 mhz. I found it
stable at 6-6-6-16 at 2.0v running 1110 mhz. Memtest
reports 4385 mb/s (single channel). Haven't tried them in dual channel.
I'd have to give the edge to Corsair in this comparison.
This again is on a Gigabyte EP45-DS3L with Intel Q8200 (Core2 Quad
SLB5M) 2.33 GHz (clock multiplier 333 MHz x 7).
My next test won't be for another day or two. I will try the OCZ
fatality again, and try a full 8gb of ram.
Does anyone mess around with the pages and pages of additional bios ram
settings? Is there any pattern or proceedure for setting those? Should
I even bother?
Does anyone maintains a list of memtest speed charts or tables? There
are lots of performance numbers out there that the various publications
resort to, but I don't think I've seen any of them use the raw mb/sec
numbers from memtest86.
Why on earth did the industry migrate from DDR to DDR2 and now to DDR3
if there are really no performance benefits from all these new ram
versions - especially the transition from DDR2 to DDR3 ?
Bob Bailin
"Giga Guy" <Gi...@Guy.com> wrote in message news:49BAE808...@Guy.com...
> Ok, I think I know what's happening.
>
> There are 2 versions of memtest.
>
> One is called memtest86:
>
> http://www.memtest86.com/download.html (latest version 3.5)
>
> And the other is called memtest86+ (plus):
>
> Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool (latest version 2.11)
> http://www.memtest.org/
>
> I've confirmed that on this gigabyte board (with quad-core) and a two
> year old Asus board (with core2 dual core), that the 3.5 version of
> memtest causes both systems to spontaneously reboot early during the
> first test pass if there are 4 gb of memory installed (4 banks of 1 gb
> dimms, or 2 banks of 2gb dimms). However, if both systems have 3 gb
> installed (2 banks of 1 gb, 2 banks of 512 mb) memtest 3.5 runs fine on
> both.
>
> The other memtest (version 2.11) works ok on both systems with 4 gb.
Memtest86+ (ver 2.11) is the more actively supported of the two,
and is the more current of the two. If you read the release notes
for memtest86+, you'll see that they have to continually address
quirks introduced in the newest CPUs and chipsets.
>
> The only other odd thing is that there is a multi-core version of
> memtest 3.5. It does not run on this gigabyte EP45-DS3L (with core2
> quad-core cpu) regardless of the amount of installed memory. It does
> run on the Asus board (core2 dual core).
>
> I'm surprised that this bug in memtest 3.5 isin't more widely known, or
> at least fixed.
The memtest86.com website is currently unavailable, but IIRC they
released ver 3.5 sometime last year after a 3+ year hiatus since
ver 3.4, an eternity in the computer world.
Giga Guy
> > Ok, I think I know what's happening.
> >
> > There are 2 versions of memtest.
> Memtest86+ (ver 2.11) is the more actively supported of the two,
> and is the more current of the two.
Memtest86 version 3.5 is claimed to be Jan 3, 2009.
Memtest86+ version 2.11 is claimed to be Dec 12, 2008.
I don't know how you define "current", but the 3.5 version is slightly
newer than the 2.11 version.
> If you read the release notes for memtest86+, you'll see that
> they have to continually address quirks introduced in the newest
> CPUs and chipsets.
I don't know what the problem is testing a system with 4gb of memory,
but the 3.5 version failed miserably at that, even on a 2.5 year old
Asus board (P5NSLI - NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI chipset).
> The memtest86.com website is currently unavailable, but IIRC they
> released ver 3.5 sometime last year after a 3+ year hiatus since
> ver 3.4, an eternity in the computer world.
3.4 is dated Aug 2, 2007 according to their website. That's only 1.5
years ago. 3.5 is listed as Jan 2009.
The changelog for 3.5 says this:
- Support for detection of additional
chipsets. (from Memtest86+ v2.11)
Memtest86+ v2.11 can test an Asus P5NSLI and Gigabyte EP45-DS3L each
with 4 gb of ram without crashing. Memtest86 v3.5 can't.