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Asus P4C800-E Deluxe won't post with Mushkin PC3200 Level II

VaG

Golden Member
I am unable to get the board to post with Mushkin PC3200 Level II. The board will not post with a cleared CMOS and all the default bios settings. I was able to get the board to post with the settings below but the only way I was able to do it was by using a Kingston PC2700 stick and going into the bios and changing the settings. Then powering down the computer and replacing it with the Mushkin PC3200 and restarting. I then changed the DRAM timings 2,2,2,7,8 and then post failed due to overclocking and now I have never been able to get it to post again with the Mushkin PC3200. I have 3 sticks of 256mb Mushkin PC3200 and have tried every single one individually and none of them will post at any settings I try. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Setup:
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
P4 2.6C
2 x 256 Mushkin PC3200 Level II
Radeon 9500 Pro
Antec Trupower 430


Bios

Advanced Tab --> Chipset:
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD. . . . . .[Disabled]
DRAM CAS# Latency . . . . . . . .2
DRAM RAS# Precharge . . . . . . 3
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay. . . 3
DRAM Precharge Delay. . . . . . .7
DRAM Burst Length. . . . . . . . . 8

Performance Acceleration Mode. . . . . .[Auto]


Advanced Tab --> JumperFree:
AI Overclock. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .[Manual]
CPU External Frequency (Mhz). . . [200]
DRAM Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [400]
AGP/PCI Frequency (Mhz). . . . . . . [66.66/33.33]
CPU VCore Voltage. . . . . . . . . . . . [1.6]
DDR Reference Voltage. . . . . . . . . [2.85V]
AGP VDDQ Voltage. . . . . . . . . . . . .[1.6]

Performance Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . .[Auto]
 
Do you know what version of the bios you are running? If you aren't at 1014 and you can get your system to boot, do that first (make sure you use afudos from a boot disk or else you will fry the bios). Also, did you take out the battery for a bit? It might help clear the bios.

Next, at least at first, change the configure DRAM timings to SPD. Also, disable legacy USB support.

Hopefully, then you will be ok and can go back to playing with memory timings. Remember when memory is advertised as 2-3-2-6, the 3 is ras to cas. Asus's bios switches ras to cas and ras precharge so memory that is 2-3-2-6 would be setup in the bios as 2-2-3-6.
 
Bios version 1014
I have previously tried by SPD [enabled] which is the default when I clear the cmos, disabled legacy USB, and tried removing the battery. Thanks for the info on the memory timings. I'm still just dreaming of getting it to boot at DDR400.
 
Wow. You have tried everything. Maybe it is just incompatible memory? I have Corsair PC3200LL which runs fine. If all 3 sticks don't work, it is either the brand of memory or the mobo. I would try a stick of someone elses PC3200 and if you have problems with that, I would return the mobo.

I am sure you know also that if you run 3 sticks, you can't run dual channel.

Good luck with it!
 
Originally posted by: VaG
I am unable to get the board to post with Mushkin PC3200 Level II. The board will not post with a cleared CMOS and all the default bios settings. I was able to get the board to post with the settings below but the only way I was able to do it was by using a Kingston PC2700 stick and going into the bios and changing the settings. Then powering down the computer and replacing it with the Mushkin PC3200 and restarting. I then changed the DRAM timings 2,2,2,7,8 and then post failed due to overclocking and now I have never been able to get it to post again with the Mushkin PC3200. I have 3 sticks of 256mb Mushkin PC3200 and have tried every single one individually and none of them will post at any settings I try. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Setup:
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
P4 2.6C
2 x 256 Mushkin PC3200 Level II
Radeon 9500 Pro
Antec Trupower 430


Bios

Advanced Tab --> Chipset:
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD. . . . . .[Disabled]
DRAM CAS# Latency . . . . . . . .2
DRAM RAS# Precharge . . . . . . 3
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay. . . 3
DRAM Precharge Delay. . . . . . .7
DRAM Burst Length. . . . . . . . . 8

Performance Acceleration Mode. . . . . .[Auto]


Advanced Tab --> JumperFree:
AI Overclock. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .[Manual]
CPU External Frequency (Mhz). . . [200]
DRAM Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [400]
AGP/PCI Frequency (Mhz). . . . . . . [66.66/33.33]
CPU VCore Voltage. . . . . . . . . . . . [1.6]
DDR Reference Voltage. . . . . . . . . [2.85V]
AGP VDDQ Voltage. . . . . . . . . . . . .[1.6]

Performance Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . .[Auto]
Congratulation on a great board and ram! :beer:
Try these settings
DRAM Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [320]
DRAM RAS# Precharge . . . . . . 2
DRAM Precharge Delay. . . . . . .6
Performance Acceleration Mode. . . . . .[Enabled]

DDR Reference Voltage. . . . . . . . . [2.75V]
Performance Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . .[Turbo]

Should be ok..



 
I'd try to boot with default on the DDR Voltage. 2.85 just isn't needed at all. Maybe try 2 other dimm slots as well, if you havn't allready.
 
Your memory is definitely compatible with your board. Settings for best compatability are:

CAS Latency: 2
RAS Precharge: 2
RAS to CAS Delay: 3
Precharge Delay: 6
Burst Length: 8
Perf Acc Mode: Auto (though Enabled has never caused problems for me at any speed)
DDR Ref Volt: 2.65 (Auto, 2.55 & 2.65 register 2.68 according to Mushkin, I've only needed higher above DDR420)
Performance Mode: Auto (I get stability problems when set to Turbo plus OC)

Unfortunately, I have received bad sticks from Mushkin twice, but they were quick to replace them. Memtest86 is what I used to determine the problem. Plus, the newest version detects I875P chipsets and other specs correctly. Memtest is where I would start if I were you. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for all the help. The problem seems to be the first dimm slot. A single stick of PC3200 will not post in the first dimm slot. When I add an additional stick for dual channel in the blue dimm slots I get a bad bios check sum error. I moved them to black dimm slots (A2)(B2) and I'm up and running in dual channel. I guess that means an RMA.
 
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