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Memory errors

V

Va1heru

Junior Member
I have a somewhat puzzling situation and I was wondering if anyone could help me with it.

Installed XP and some new RAM (256 MB PC133 SDRAM) at about the same time. My computer now reboots randomly (usually while doing something somewhat intensive like playing mp3's with several browsers windows open or playing Wolf). Updated sound card drivers, bought a new vid card and updated those drivers (geforce 2), and yet the problem persists.

For awhile I thought that it was the RAM (even before I bought the vid card, I just wanted something better then a TNT2 Ultra anyway) so I got memtest (after someone recommended it on this forum) and tested my RAM. Sure enough it came up with errors. The troubling part is that when I test the DIMMs individually (one 256 MB DIMM and one 128MB DIMM) neither of them have errors. The errors that do come up when they are together are all around the memory address where it would go from one DIMM to the next (if the 128 MB DIMM is in the first slot then the errors are around 127.4 MB or so.. if the 256 MB DIMM is in the first slot then the errors are around 256 MB).

So now I am wondering if my motherboard (ASUS K7M) has a problem with the second DIMM slot. If this is the case I guess I am just SOL?

Anyhow, any help with how to verify what the problem might be or fix it some way would be very appreciated. I think I might just have to toss out my 128MB DIMM and just run my comp with 256 MB of RAM until I buy a whole new system sometime next year.
 
Norton Utilities has a memory tester in it. I don't know how accurate it is though. It gives me an error at the same location on a 512 mb generic dimm. I bought a Crucial 512 mb dimm and I get the error at the same location so it's either the software or the dimm slot. Memtest gives me 0 errors on either dimm.
If you have a 3rd dimm slot I'd swap them around and see if it helps your test. I'm still scratching my head on my problem.
 
I don't have the brand name unfortunatly :-(

In the first slot I have 256 MB PC133 SDRAM (I think it might be CAS3 RAM but I am running it at PC100 spec so it can hit PC100 CAS2)
second slot has 128 MB PC100 CAS2 (pretty sure at least) SDRAM.

running it on a ASUS K7M mobo, SPD sets the RAM to CAS3 (so either my 128 is not CAS2 or it is setting the 256 PC133 spec to CAS3 PC100 spec). Independent RAM module testing shows no errors (RAM is in the first slot of course). With both modules in the system I get errors no matter which order the DIMMs are in (256 MB DIMM first or 128MB DIMM first). And as I said before the erros are all around the crossover address range (between the first and second slot).

If I was not planning on using this box to run a Wolf server after I buy my new comp I wouldn't care about the issue and I would just stick the 256MB DIMM in the first slot and toss the 128MB DIMM out the window or give it to my friend or something.

The manual for the motherboard does not seem to indicate anything about using different size/speed modules in the different slots. I have also never heard of this being a problem (as RAM does not have a "speed" just a maximum rating). Maybe if I override the SPD settings and set it to CAS2 it might work but that would be wierd because it should work no matter what at CAS3. I was thinking of skipping the second slot and putting my RAM in the first and third or second and third but this is something that I always thought was a really dumb thing to do. Is there any chance that a system can actually work with RAM not put in in order?
 
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