Buffalo Firestix dead again - PSU issue?

[Killfly]

CPU = Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo
MOTHERBOARD = Gigabyte P965 DQ6 rev. 3.3
RAM = Buffalo Firestix PC8000 DDR2 2Gb in dual channel
HEATSINK = Thermalright SI-128, 29-30C
OS = WinXP Pro Sp2
POWER SUPPLY = Silencer 750 Quad (Copper), 750Watts
VIDEO CARD = eVGA 7950GT KO (8800GT coming! lol)
SOUND CARD = Creative SB Audigy 4 Pro
CASE = Lian Li PC-73SLB
OEM SYSTEM = not OEM.

________________________________________________

Hi,

Well where to begin... I've got that "Cold Boot" issue with this mainboard and it will not hold and overclock at all no matter how minimal. I have followed a guide over at the HardOCP site when I did OC and was a minimalist about it. The RAM will not boot using all Auto settings in dual channel mode BUT it will when I use one stick. At the moment with the settings all on auto I can boot one stick but not the other. This problem occured before and I had to RMA this RAM one stick of bad RAM (actually sent both in becuase they were kit). The folks at Buffalo really pushed the idea I should test my power supply and I sort of thought, "no way it's my new PC Power and Cooling 750 Quad..." but now I know it has got to be the PSU or it's my mainboard.

One stick powers on the computer and tests through Memtest+ just fine. The other stick will power up the computer but not past the BIO - BIO's won't load and therefore no testing capable (I dont have another computer that will run this RAM to test). When both sticks are in I have the saem no loading the BIOs issue. Things were just fine until a cold boot. I am aware this RAM needs 2.1volts so I manualy key in +.300.

Where should I begin testing and troubleshooting? I don't want to have to spend money of course. Specificly ...are there any DECENT diagnostic software available? I have read in the Motherboard.org articles they aren't reliable but it will cost me 15.00 otherwise so thought I'd ask. Should I just RMA the mainboard and the PSU without testing? I've got no other problems going on with the computer. Ready for your help and I REALLY appreciate it - fire away.

 

[akhilles]

orthos, prime 95, super pi mod, pc wizard, etc.

http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

If the pc passes all the tests with any ram, I don't see how it's your mobo or psu. I suspect the other stick of ram. Did they come in in anti-static bags? The fact that your pc won't post with the other tells you something. Did you try every slot?

 

[Killfly]

They came in the standard plastic packaging. I tested every slot with the one working stick. Memory controller appears in good health. I am now thinkin' the memory just isn't compatibly with the mainboard ...that it will work 50/50 but as I have seen it will eventually damage the RAM enough where it won't boot.

I've done Memtest+ testing recently, Hot CPU Tester, Orthos, ...not tried PC Wizard - good?

Tests came back good on both sticks. Then a cold boot and one stick is bad or won't boot...


Someoen else told me the RAM may be just fine but the compatibility issue became prominent and it just won't boot the board. I did an RMA request with Gigabyte to be 100% sure the board is in good health ..I think if it's OK they will just send it back. They may tell me outright that the RAM won't work in the board as I provided them the information on it already, no word though. Gigabyte just send your old board back if it tests A-OK?

I'm also RMAing the RAM to be sure and will then E-Bay it most likely with the RMA reciept.

Should I not suspect the PSU akhilles? That's who Buffalo blames ...they don't mention incompatible board. I've bought Pc Power & Cooling PSU's since 1998 and not a single (obviously) bad one yet.

Downloading PC Wizard.

 

[akhilles]

GB may send the same one back to you if it's ok.

PCP&C is probably the best psu maker. I wouldn't suspect it.

Of course, the ram manufacturer would point finger at someone else. It's just a blame game. If you want 100% compatibility, go with the qualified ones in the mobo manual or website. Some ram sites have a configurator to find compatible ram for your mobo.

 

[WT]

My Firestix are in need of RMA. I was getting these odd 'Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding' messages two days after TF2 came out. I attributed it to my 8800GTS card flaking out so I posted in the eVGA forums about it and they had me test several items, and soon after I determined that my Buffalo RAM was causing the problem !! I swapped in some cheap Super Talent 800 sticks and the PC has run without missing a beat since. I know other owners of this RAM that had multiple sticks go bad as well, so what I thought was a great deal on this RAM turned out to be not so hot after all.
I haven't tested the sticks yet, should try and do that this long weekend, but its annoying to find out that what you considered a quality component when buying it isn't as good as you had thought it was.

PS - mainboard is an MSI P6N Platinum with an e6600 that lived at 3.2 stable at 40c idle/48 load for quite some time until the RAM went south. It would do 3.6 with some voltage bumpage, but the RAM never went above 2.2v.

 

[Killfly]

Originally posted by: WT
My Firestix are in need of RMA. I was getting these odd 'Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding' messages two days after TF2 came out. I attributed it to my 8800GTS card flaking out so I posted in the eVGA forums about it and they had me test several items, and soon after I determined that my Buffalo RAM was causing the problem !! I swapped in some cheap Super Talent 800 sticks and the PC has run without missing a beat since. I know other owners of this RAM that had multiple sticks go bad as well, so what I thought was a great deal on this RAM turned out to be not so hot after all.
I haven't tested the sticks yet, should try and do that this long weekend, but its annoying to find out that what you considered a quality component when buying it isn't as good as you had thought it was.

PS - mainboard is an MSI P6N Platinum with an e6600 that lived at 3.2 stable at 40c idle/48 load for quite some time until the RAM went south. It would do 3.6 with some voltage bumpage, but the RAM never went above 2.2v.

Similar theme with me and almost same pattern of failure. Works for a while... I'm not sure if it's just compatibility or just bad RAM. I won't buy from Buffalo Technologies again.

I picked up some Crucial from Newegg, recommended in a recent review on Anandtech, and 4Gb ..so that should work nicely. I don't know what to do with the Buffalo other than sell it as an RMA item.

It's good to know my power supply ..won't need testing. I was going to buy a Casebuy tester from FrozenCPU for 30.00 but I'll wait and try the PSU with my new Abit IP35 Pro.

You know, the Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 3.3 couldn't even hold the settings for the RAM at 800Mhz, 2.1 volts, and 4-5-4-12 ...so that's incompatibility and/or bad RAM. I ditched the mainboard as well as the RAM unfortunatly becuase I have no means to determine what's what without RMA's etc... needing stability.

Very good replies to the thread. Thank you.

 

[WT]

Killfly, what specific Crucial RAM did you get ? I haven't given up on the Buffalo RAM, but I also won't be buying it again. I just built a rig for a friend using the Gigabyte P965 DS3 board with OCZ RAM, and that seems to be running well, altho so was my RAM for the first two months. No need to worry about my PSU, as I invested in an FSP Epsilon 600w unit which does a helluva nice job. The MSI board has a thread here and on Hardforum that has hundreds of replies, but I was one of only a few that were running the Buffalo sticks on that board, so my direct comparisons between like components isn't easy to track down.

 

[Killfly]

Hopefully its not too late for a reply for you WT.

I bought Crucial Ballistix 6400 as a kit of 2x1Gb from Newegg. I sicne had to return them as I found the heat spreaders didn't and would not stick to the RAM chips ... I bought the A-Data Extreeme instead for stability. A-Data is not the fastest but it's rock solid stable and VERY compatible. I passed the Gigabyte P965 DQ6 v3 on to my wife with the A-Data RAM and bought myself a new Abit IP35 Pro with a 2x2Gb kit of very rare $600.00 Mushkin ( crazy) XP2-6400 which I bought here on Anandtech through a member at a very very good price of $245.00.

The Crucial was just an unlucky batch I got but it was fine. The latency was excellent and the speed nice but the quality constuction was poor.

With that board and with any Gigabyte board I think you can count on Crucial and A-Data brands. I cannot recommend Buffalo memory to anyone. Thier wireless products, justa s thier memory products, are another mix of real excellence and disappointment from what I hear...

 

[chizow]

Just to add to this if anyone runs into similar problems, I had this same problem on and off with Buffalo and Crucial kits. At first I thought it was my old motherboard (still might be related) but I also started getting rapidly degrading performance that started with the NVDMM/TDR problems.

RMA'd 3 kits of Buffalo/Ballistix before I finally gave up and swapped motherboards. That helped, but after a few more months, the Crucial kit started flaking out again. I ended up replacing them with a 2x2GB kit of G.Skill and all is well again.

Personally I think its the voltage on some of the older DDR2 kits that's causing the burn-outs. 2.1-2.2V default voltages results in INCREDIBLY HOT dimms even when doing absolutely nothing. Like burning to the touch. The G.Skill I replaced them with are only 1.8-1.9V default and run much, much cooler, barely warm to the touch.

Its not enough for me to never buy from Crucial or Buffalo, since the RMA process for both was pretty painless (Crucial was muh better still), I'll just pay more attention to default voltages and user-feedback in the future. I'm pretty sure I would've had similar problems if I bought any of the other myriad brands that ran stock voltages of 2.1V+.

 

[Arcanedeath]

Those buffalo Firestix (and the crucial balistix) are all based mostly on Micron D9 based memory, they overclock well and like higher voltages, but they do just die when running at 2.1-2.2 Volts (esp w/out active cooling), thats why you have a lifetime warrenty to take advantage of. If you check out the xtremesystems.org msg board their's several large threads about Micron D9 dieing, its not Buffalo's fault the sticks died, it's just due to how Micron D9 behaves w/ some boards (esp 680I boards are known to eat this ram for breakfast) Buffalo is still a good memory brand and if the price is right I'd buy from them again, I'm still running a large amount of their Winbond CH5 based value PC3200

 

[Killfly]

As I mentioned, I just bought some Mushkin XP2-6400 Model 996561 from Anandtech member Sentry2.2 ..I haven't gotten the RAM just yet but should I go ahead and plan on getting some better heatsinks for those for reliability? If they go bad I most likely won't get the same thing back from mushkin after RMA. I don't want to see them go bad.

If so:

Are the Thermaltake CL-C00series coolers decent?

The Thermalright units are 50% more as usual.


But did you mean fans on them? To me that's active cooling, just sinks being passive.
OCZ has a starting kit...
Abit IP35 Pro is the mainboard.

 

[Killfly]

um, I won't be voiding my warranty so there's no way I'll remove the heatsinks. I'll look for a seperate cooler.

 

[Arcanedeath]

I'd suggest you just put an Antec spot cool over them (its an 80mm fan that mounts to a motherboard standoff) this is cheap easy ram / system cooling

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Arcanedeath
I'd suggest you just put an Antec spot cool over them (its an 80mm fan that mounts to a motherboard standoff) this is cheap easy ram / system cooling

or if you could find the Corsair XMS memory colling system that uses 3 small 40mm fans that mounts on the slots themselves, that'll do it. I have one and used it even when running stock voltage.

 

[Gillbot]

or the Coolit Ram Fan

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Arcanedeath
I'd suggest you just put an Antec spot cool over them (its an 80mm fan that mounts to a motherboard standoff) this is cheap easy ram / system cooling

Ya I actually do have a Spot Fan, its really nice but doesn't quite cover all 4 dimms with good air flow. Unfortunately that area is just about the only dead spot in terms of air flow in my Antec 900.