Just because the RAM isnt on the list, does it matter?

[computerbuildin]

I was wondering this question because its not like the company can test every single piece of ram. But if I got the speed and everything else right, as long as its not on the list it would still work right? Im asking this about the ASRock B75M-DGS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157335
and corsair ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260
http://redirect.anandtech.com/r?url...duct.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260&user=u00000687

 

[tweakboy]

No it doesn't matter. As long as your RAM voltage and frequency are proper with the motherboard then you can just forget it. no worries

 

[Mark R]

I have had problems in the past with RAM not on the list.

Basically, I got intermittent (but consistent pattern) errors in memtest when I used the RAM. I bought 2 identical Mobos and 2 kits of RAM - both gave weird errors, which were slightly different when the RAM was switched between mobo. I can't remember what it was, but it was some fancy uber-clocking RAM, but it was unstable at stock, let alone clocked speeds.

RMAs on the RAM were refused - no fault found. So I tried RMAing the Mobos - refused, no fault found - leaving me about $100 out of pocket in shipping and "testing" fees.

I bought some new RAM off the list - worked perfectly.

 

[tweakboy]

Im sorry to hear that Mark R. As long as its proper timings and voltage, it will work.

What kind of RAM you got that these tech support dont help you more ?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I have had problems in the past with RAM not on the list.

Basically, I got intermittent (but consistent pattern) errors in memtest when I used the RAM. I bought 2 identical Mobos and 2 kits of RAM - both gave weird errors, which were slightly different when the RAM was switched between mobo. I can't remember what it was, but it was some fancy uber-clocking RAM, but it was unstable at stock, let alone clocked speeds.

RMAs on the RAM were refused - no fault found.

Wait, so you had Memtest results that showed the RAM was showing errors in your rig, and they refused to replace it? What RAM company was this, so that I can avoid them.

 

[Mark R]

Wait, so you had Memtest results that showed the RAM was showing errors in your rig, and they refused to replace it? What RAM company was this, so that I can avoid them.

Correct. I had 2 sets of RAM, each showing errors in both of 2 rigs. RMA on the RAM was refused by the retailer. The manufacturer did offer to RMA the RAM, but I would have to send it to the factory in Taiwan.

I couldn't be bothered, and I'd already spent $10 to ship it to the retailer and paid $30 in "failed RMA" fees. So I decided to cut my losses, and just ditched the RAM in the trash.

The retailer did, with their refusal and bill for testing, send a screenshot of memtest showing it had completed several passes successfully. They did test the RAM on a different motherboard from a different vendor.

The RAM showed intermittent errors - not like genuinely faulty RAM. Typically, you would get a flurry of errors, once every 2 or 3 passes of Memtest. The errors were consistent with an address line error - i.e. the wrong memory location was being read, rather than the much more common dead memory cell, hence most of the memtest tests would never detect them.

My guess is that there was a subtle incompatibility between the RAM and the motherboard. Perhaps the traces on the mobo were a bit longer than officially specified, and this particular brand of RAM had slightly weaker input buffers than officially specified. The combination led to occasional failure.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Correct. I had 2 sets of RAM, each showing errors in both of 2 rigs. RMA on the RAM was refused by the retailer. The manufacturer did offer to RMA the RAM, but I would have to send it to the factory in Taiwan.

I couldn't be bothered, and I'd already spent $10 to ship it to the retailer and paid $30 in "failed RMA" fees. So I decided to cut my losses, and just ditched the RAM in the trash.

The retailer did, with their refusal and bill for testing, send a screenshot of memtest showing it had completed several passes successfully. They did test the RAM on a different motherboard from a different vendor.

The RAM showed intermittent errors - not like genuinely faulty RAM. Typically, you would get a flurry of errors, once every 2 or 3 passes of Memtest. The errors were consistent with an address line error - i.e. the wrong memory location was being read, rather than the much more common dead memory cell, hence most of the memtest tests would never detect them.

My guess is that there was a subtle incompatibility between the RAM and the motherboard. Perhaps the traces on the mobo were a bit longer than officially specified, and this particular brand of RAM had slightly weaker input buffers than officially specified. The combination led to occasional failure.

I had something similar happen with some 1GB Centon DDR sticks. I had a pair of them (IIRC), and they refused to work in an AMD A64 rig (Which has the onboard IMC, and is capable of driving the RAM pretty hard.) However, they worked just fine in an Intel 865G-chipset board.

 

[WilliamM2]

I just built a couple budget systems at work with that board. I chose Kingston 4GB sticks of 1600mhz XMP ram from the approved list. The board has no option to set XMP in the bios, and will only let me run the ram at 1066 or 1333. I think I would have done better with ram not on the list.

Since they are just office machines, not really a big deal though.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I just built a couple budget systems at work with that board. I chose Kingston 4GB sticks of 1600mhz XMP ram from the approved list. The board has no option to set XMP in the bios, and will only let me run the ram at 1066 or 1333. I think I would have done better with ram not on the list.

Since they are just office machines, not really a big deal though.

What CPUs did you use? If they were Pentium or Celeron, then 1333/1066 is all you can set the RAM to anyways.

 

[Saydeelol]

What list is everyone talking about?

 

[computerbuildin]

I dont need help anymore, I already ordered all the parts. Turns out the ram wasnt compatible so I chose a different one. And were talking about the tested RAM list for a certain motherboard that some manufacturers have.

 

[WilliamM2]

What CPUs did you use? If they were Pentium or Celeron, then 1333/1066 is all you can set the RAM to anyways.

I wondered if that was the cause, but couldn't find the info. They were dual core Pentiums. Like I said, budget systems.

 

[lehtv]

What list is everyone talking about?

Manufacturers list approved (tested) memory modules for their motherboards, you can find the list on the product page of the motherboard

 

[StrangerGuy]

No. of times encountering memory incompatibility from 2002 to now with no-name sticks, Kingston, Twinmos, Crucial, Geil and G.Skill, on 10+ systems, SDRAM to DDR3...

= 0.

You'll be fine.

 

[philipma1957]

What list is everyone talking about?

if you go to the website of a motherboard it will have lists for cpus and ram that work in the motherboard.


here is a ram list for the asus maximus v gene matx board

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/MAXIMUS-V_GENE/MAXIMUS_V_GENE-DRAM-QVL.pdf


if you buy ram on the list and it does not work the ram company does not have the right to say you can not rma the ram.

 

[TheVrolok]

I had a problem with some RAM in one of my microATX builds (ASUS board, can't recall model off the top of my head). From what I recall, it wouldn't post with 2 sticks. Manual did not list the ram as compatible, website pdf did, quick flash of the bios and everything worked perfectly.

 

[ch33zw1z]

If it's not on the approved list, then YMMV.

 

[bryanl]

I have had problems in the past with RAM not on the list.

Basically, I got intermittent (but consistent pattern) errors in memtest when I used the RAM. I bought 2 identical Mobos and 2 kits of RAM - both gave weird errors, which were slightly different when the RAM was switched between mobo. I can't remember what it was, but it was some fancy uber-clocking RAM, but it was unstable at stock, let alone clocked speeds.

RMAs on the RAM were refused - no fault found. So I tried RMAing the Mobos - refused, no fault found - leaving me about $100 out of pocket in shipping and "testing" fees.

I bought some new RAM off the list - worked perfectly.

Any shop that tests only with Memtest, as opposed to something like RST, is not testing thoroughly.

Uber-clocking RAM tends to be the most troublesome and have the lowest quality since it's made with the worst or most overclocked RAM chips.

 

[BrightCandle]

I have had this problem a few times and it usually boils down to one of two things:
1) The motherboard is setting overly aggressive timing settings outside of the usual RAS/RAS to CAS/RAS Precharge/TRAS and command rate. There are a lot of these settings and my DFI lanparty board was one of the few that exposed the entire lot. But its not uncommon for the smaller motherboard manufacturers to set this up wrong in order to get a small performance advantage. Asrock are pretty small, they well have done this. If they expose the settings you should look up the settings online and loosen them up a bit until the memtest errors go away.

2) The RAM just can't plain support its settings. This happens more than I think it should and its not uncommon to get a bad stick of RAM that works fine on a machine when run with the default JEDEC setup but the minute you turn on XMP it starts failing. I have seen this from quite a few Corsair sticks of RAM. Its often only one stick that actually fails but it can do so in irregular patterns (but normally on tests 4 and 7 in memtest). It only happens on certain motherboards and I think again its the other timings from (1) more than the XMP settings themselves.

You shouldn't need to buy pretested RAM sticks, that isn't necessary. But sometimes your motherboard manufacturer screws you with overly aggressive timings and if they don't expose those other settings there is very little you can do to fix it.