DEAD!! staples- PNY 512mb 2700 DDR RAM - $34.99 After Easy Rebates

[bupkus]

Is Spectek any good? I usually avoid names like Spectek and wait for sales on Kingston. I don't know if there are any of those bravo adp-328tm-50 in the Phoenix area and don't feel like taking a poll. At this price I'm wondering if I should get a second stick. It's just that I had made the decision to only buy PC3200 or better but at $40 AMIR it's pretty hard to turn down.

Edit: Ok, I'm starting a slow and steady overclock. Since my AXDA2000DUT3C is locked (my ep-8k5a2+ won't recognise a multiplier change) I bumped the cpu clock to 139 which is what a 2100+ would be at 13X. I'm running memtest and after 8 minutes it's doing ok. Damn, I just can't seem to build myself a system anymore without doing some overclocking. Even is the mem did start to balk, I'd probably drop the cas to 3.0. Damn again, shouldn't the mem be able to manage 166? Afterall, it's PC2700! I can find out if the cpu can do 2080MHz.

 

[mscdex0]

Originally posted by: bupkus
Is Spectek any good?

I have 1gb (4x256mb) pc2100 spectek in my main system right now. Runs smooth, even for gameplay and loading apps.

 

[bupkus]

This is sweet! I'm using an old 2000+ Tbred oc'd to 2083MHz with cheap 2.5-3-3-6 memory on an old mobo I've ignored for months. Now all I need to get is one more stick of this PNY and a cheap Radeon 9800Pro and I can have a nice pc for UT2004. My nephew has the identical system but with an unlocked 2500+ Barton doing about 2GHz and it plays UT2004 really nice. Hmm, maybe I can oc his cpu for him just a bit more.

 

[bupkus]

Bummer. I bought two more modules of the -50 variety and one defaulted to PC3200/3-4-4-8 and the other to PC2700/2.5-3-3-7. I used the bios to set to (400)/3-4-4-8, ran memtest-86 and got lots of errors.
More to come.

 

[tinkakat]

We got 2 of the bravo 60,s in nj.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: k1114
Is anyone finding non-bravo chips lately? I miss the days of infineon and samsung PNY. I'd like another 512mb stick myself but i'm not willing to put bravo in a performance geared system.

quite a few sticks of Bravo in the store I checked today..and also 3 mystery modules..G64Mx8 DDR ..don't know when I'll check it out..possibly Thursday

 

[bupkus]

First, my ep-8RDA+ has two memory banks,
bank0 has dimm1, bank1 has dimm2 and dimm3.

I found 2 memory cards which display "bravo adp-328tm-50" on the chips.
However, they have different stickers.
One, that defaulted in the bios to PC3200/3-4-4-8 has a sticker that says the following:

512MB.DDR DIMM, P
64WPD P0121590

The other which defaulted in the bios to PC2700/2.5-3-3-7 has this:

512MB.DDR DIMM, N
64WND P0121568

I placed bold type to draw attention, not because the sticker has bold type.

I used dimm slots 1 and 3 for these trials.

Using each module alone in dimm3, each ran ok with the bios set for (400) 3-4-4-8. However, when I ran with the bios set for (400) 3-4-4-8 in dual memory controller mode with two modules I ran into errors in Test 5 of memTest-86 in memory space:
945.4MB
967.0MB
977.0MB
993.5MB
1001.5MB
1005.1MB
1008.0MB
1016.0MB
1021.6MB

I swapped the modules expecting the errors to follow the module but this was not to be.
972.6MB -- PASS2
988.6MB
609.0MB -- PASS3
625.0MB
641.0MB
657.0MB
961.1MB
977.1MB
995.9MB
1010.4MB

Go figure.

I then dropped the bios setting to (333) 2.5-3-3-7, ran memTest-86 for 4 hours without an error.

I want to learn some more about memTest-86 and what these errors mean, but what I am concluding is not to count on this memory, no matter what the chip label say, to do any better than PC2700/2.5-3-3-7.

Goodnight all.

 

[tcsenter]

does that mean the system will recognize them as 3200 or you can oc them past 2700?

The system doesn't know what chips are on board, only what the SPD EEPROM tells it.

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

does that mean the system will recognize them as 3200 or you can oc them past 2700?

The system doesn't know what chips are on board, only what the SPD EEPROM tells it.

Using CPU-Z, my memory module with the following info:

bravo adp-328tm-50
512MB.DDR DIMM, P
64WPD P0121590,

lists from SPD three timings;
133MHz 2.0-3-3-6,
166MHz 2.5-3-3-7,
200MHz 3.0-4-4-8.

Using CPU-Z, my memory module with the following info:

bravo adp-328tm-50
512MB.DDR DIMM, N
64WND P0121568

lists from SPD only two timings;
133MHz 2.0-3-3-6,
166MHz 2.5-3-3-7.

Thats why it defaults to 166MHz 2.5-3-3-7.

 

[shinson]

Thanks OP!

I went to get one yesterday at Staples and they were out but he would order it for me and ship for free.

It rang up at $94.00 and I showed it should be $129.00 - $50.00 = $79.00

So the Mgr lowered it by $15.00 to $64.00 and I had already applied the $15 off $75 coupon when it was $94.00.

With tax it was $69.00 - $30 easyrebate (These are the best! No more cutting, photocopying or mailing!)

Anyway, it will fit nice into the $170.00 Outpost AMD2000+ from last week.

 

[zinkpig]

Originally posted by: bupkus

Originally posted by: tcsenter

does that mean the system will recognize them as 3200 or you can oc them past 2700?

The system doesn't know what chips are on board, only what the SPD EEPROM tells it.

Using CPU-Z, my memory module with the following info:

bravo adp-328tm-50
512MB.DDR DIMM, P
64WPD P0121590,

lists from SPD three timings;
133MHz 2.0-3-3-6,
166MHz 2.5-3-3-7,
200MHz 3.0-4-4-8.

Using CPU-Z, my memory module with the following info:

bravo adp-328tm-50
512MB.DDR DIMM, N
64WND P0121568

lists from SPD only two timings;
133MHz 2.0-3-3-6,
166MHz 2.5-3-3-7.

Thats why it defaults to 166MHz 2.5-3-3-7.

thanks for that info. i got lucky i have two -50 P

 

[bupkus]

zinkpig,

Please post just how well that memory runs at 400Mhz.

 

[faststangerragtopman]

Went to Staples yesterday the first and got the memory which had a store price of $79.94 with a MIR of $30.00 which made it $49.94 which was the price posted in the case. I used my $15.00 off coupon from here and my total will be $34.94 after MIR! Already did the easy on line rebate and it is a snap and you even get instant feedback from Staples. Now the bad news, well not really bad but the memory is kinda on the slow side. Plenty good enough for my AMD 2000 system but not cutting edge. It does work great on my system and speeded it up quite a bit which surprised me since ME is not known for using much more than 512 and I went for 512 to 1024!

 

[zinkpig]

hey bupkus, running smooth so far. have had it running for abt 3 days now with no restarts

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: zinkpig
hey bupkus, running smooth so far. have had it running for abt 3 days now with no restarts

Have you run memTest86 or anything that would push the memory, like games?

 

[bzo]

bought two sticks with Bravo-50 chips and they'll run at least 230mhz @ 2.7v, 7-4-4-2.5 timings. May go higher but I think my board is the limiting factor. Cant' beat that for $35 a piece!

 

[bupkus]

I've been running 2 sticks of Bravo-50 in my system (see sig) sucessfully at 200MHz@2.5-5-4-9 in memTest86.

NOTE: All my MHz statements can be read as double, ie., 200MHz==400MHz if you prefer.

I don't know which cpu you're using, but I'm told AMD systems have problems in test 5 of memTest86.
That proved to be true at 200MHz@3-4-4-8, the default settings for my "P" version of my Bravo-50 modules where I had errors in test 5.
If I used any of these modules at 166MHz@2.5-3-3-7, the default settings for my "N" version of my Bravo-50 modules, I had no errors.
I found no errors at 3-5-4-9 and then found no errors so far at 2.5-5-4-9. That's where I am now.

What was key for me was bumping the second number to a 5.

Also, running Sandra 2005, Lite edition my Memory read as follows:

2421/2272 using 166MHz@2.5-3-3-7
2725/2555 using 200MHz@2.5-5-4-9

After re-reading your post, bzo, I should point out that I did all these tests at default memory voltages which reads 2.75 in my bios. My CPU is another story.

 

[SemperFi]

Originally posted by: bupkus
First, my ep-8RDA+ has two memory banks,
bank0 has dimm1, bank1 has dimm2 and dimm3.

I found 2 memory cards which display "bravo adp-328tm-50" on the chips.
However, they have different stickers.
One, that defaulted in the bios to PC3200/3-4-4-8 has a sticker that says the following:

512MB.DDR DIMM, P
64WPD P0121590

The other which defaulted in the bios to PC2700/2.5-3-3-7 has this:

512MB.DDR DIMM, N
64WND P0121568

I placed bold type to draw attention, not because the sticker has bold type.

I used dimm slots 1 and 3 for these trials.

Using each module alone in dimm3, each ran ok with the bios set for (400) 3-4-4-8. However, when I ran with the bios set for (400) 3-4-4-8 in dual memory controller mode with two modules I ran into errors in Test 5 of memTest-86 in memory space:
945.4MB
967.0MB
977.0MB
993.5MB
1001.5MB
1005.1MB
1008.0MB
1016.0MB
1021.6MB

I swapped the modules expecting the errors to follow the module but this was not to be.
972.6MB -- PASS2
988.6MB
609.0MB -- PASS3
625.0MB
641.0MB
657.0MB
961.1MB
977.1MB
995.9MB
1010.4MB

Go figure.

I then dropped the bios setting to (333) 2.5-3-3-7, ran memTest-86 for 4 hours without an error.

I want to learn some more about memTest-86 and what these errors mean, but what I am concluding is not to count on this memory, no matter what the chip label say, to do any better than PC2700/2.5-3-3-7.

Goodnight all.

This is just speculation because I don't know how a QC works at mem companys. It is possible a batch of 3200 chips were tested and may have shown a slight instability at 3200 speeds but when they were run at 2700 they were perfect. So they sell them at 2700 and still make money on them.

Something else you should try moving to differnet slots. I recently upgraded to 3200 from 2700 sticks. Finally my 2500 Barton @3200. At least that is what the bios reports. I put them in the same slots I was running the prior sticks in. Jumped in the bios cranked the multiplier to 200 backed down the multiplier and off I went. After a week I started noticing some instability. I thought it was software I had recently installed. Nothing in the event viewer.

Anyhow I finally run memtest and in test five very similar to yours. It was in the 900's I do rember that. I switched the socket on one. I was originally using slot 1 and 3. I moved from slot 1 to slot 2 and ran memtest again and never got another error. I think I let it test for 4 hours no errors. With stick in slot 1 I had a few errors on first pass. I have different MB than you. Mine requires a stick in slot 3 for dual channel. Yours may be differnt.

 

[bupkus]

For me, Bank0 has dimm1 and Bank1 has dimm2 and dimm3. I must use dimm1 for my dual channel. Currently, I'm using dimm2 but I may try dimm3 when I get the chance to run more tests.
I read the info about test 5 on memTest's website.

 

[bzo]

Originally posted by: bupkus
I don't know which cpu you're using, but I'm told AMD systems have problems in test 5 of memTest86.
That proved to be true at 200MHz@3-4-4-8, the default settings for my "P" version of my
Bravo-50 modules where I had errors in test 5.

...

After re-reading your post, bzo, I should point out that I did all these tests at default memory voltages which reads 2.75 in my bios. My CPU is another story.

My cpu setup is the same as yours, except that I'm running a mobile athlon. The default mem voltage is supposed to be 2.5v so either your sensor is off or you're running pretty high. If the latter, I'm surprised you can't get better performance. But of course it could just be the luck of the draw.

My sticks will almost run at 6-3-3-2.5, but at that setting, I get a few errors in test 5. However it's only in a very narrow range, so it's probably just 1 or 2 chips that can't handle it. That's why I had to back off to 7-4-4-2.5

btw, my sticks will run 200mhz at 6-3-3-2.5, 2.5v

 

[bupkus]

How did you know the voltage? There's nothing on the package that states that.

 

[bzo]

Most DDR memory is rated to run at 2.5V. Most motherboards don't let you adjust it and it is fixed at that value.

DDR memory faster than PC3200 can require greater voltage, but I think these tend to be specialty items for overclockers.

 

[anandymous]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon
quite a few sticks of Bravo in the store I checked today..and also 3 mystery modules..G64Mx8 DDR ..don't know when I'll check it out..possibly Thursday

I've got one of these mystery modules myself. Has anyone been able to find out anything about them?

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: anandymous

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon
quite a few sticks of Bravo in the store I checked today..and also 3 mystery modules..G64Mx8 DDR ..don't know when I'll check it out..possibly Thursday

I've got one of these mystery modules myself. Has anyone been able to find out anything about them?

AED660UD00-600B98X
which is Aeneon by Infineon
Aeneon by Infineon CL2.5

Manufacturer number GDR 512MB PC333 DS 64CMx64

Infineon - Aed660ud00-600

 

[anandymous]

Thanks! Guess this is a keeper!