ram issue

[shaowq]

Hey everyone, i have a problem that i can't seem to resolve. My computer is about 3 years old and im running an XP2800 with an asus A7N8X motherboard. I'm running 1 stick of kingston value ddr 512 ram. It's running fine right now and i got not complaints. But recently i wanted to add more ram to my computer to make WoW run better. I bought another stick of kingston value 512 but when i put it in and run WoW (world of warcraft) i get kicked really fast for errors that i cannot remember. This kept happening so i took out my old ram and put in just the new one. Again it ran just fine. I was baffled so i returned the ram and a couple weeks later i saw a kingston value dual channel ram set for sale so i went to buy that. I tried to put all 3 sticks of ram in, and again...i get kicked prematurely. Sometimes right away, sometimes after 10-15 minutes of running the game. I take out my old stick of ram and put in the 1gig dual channel and same problem. I put in just one stick of the new ram and it works fine. So i am truely baffled. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

One thing i forgot to mention is that on the asus website, the ram that i got is not on the recommended ram list for my motherboard. And my ram is supposed to be pc3200 ddr 333fsb, but the multiplier instead of having it set on 166mhz, it's set on 133 mhz, therefore my ram is running at pc2700 speed. When i buff it up to 166 mhz i get the same problems as mentioned above when i try to add more ram.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Were you trying to put it into dual-channel?

 

[Farmer]

To add to Kensai's post, if running dual-channel, stability is usually achieved when you use matched-pairs purchased in a dual-channel kit together; not even 2 sticks of same-name RAM works as well as a matched-pair.

 

[Sforsyth]

I have the A7N8X-X MB in my daughetrs computer, The guy at the computer shop tried to sell me a different one that was alittle cheaper I said I wanted the one I have because the one he tried to sell me said something about Only be able to run 2 sticks of PC3200 ram at any given time in the manual, maybe it's the one you got, did you read the manual ? Anyways I went with this one because I'm planning on putting 3 Sticks of PC3200, 256 MB each in it after I upgrade my RAM.

 

[shaowq]

first time i tried to put just another stick of same brand ram in. The 2nd time i bought the packaged Dual Channel 1gig ram that was on sale. So yes it was dual channel the 2nd time. Yet i came up with the same problem. Again i say that when i bought the Dual Channel package, i took out my old ram and tried it with just the dual channel sticks in my computer but the same problems arose.

And im not sure if i still have the manual. Like i said it's been 3 years since i built this rig. I also have the normal version, i didnt pop for the Deluxe version of the motherboard because it woulda cost me an extra 100-150 dollars that i didnt wanna spend at the time.

Maybe i should try the ram that's listed on the asus site?

 

[dbailey]

Might want to check for an updated bios for your motherboard.. they may add more memory to the list if they tweak the bios..

 

[shaowq]

that's one thing im always confused with too. i go to the website to update the bios and there's a crapload of stuff there. i try to flash different kinds of bios and when it don't work i save the existing bios i have and flash it back. maybe i should call tech support? lol

 

[shaowq]

bump?

 

[Jiggz]

First, make sure you have the latest bios. Then set the bios in it's default setting first. Start with 2 sticks of ram first. It's been awhile but is the XP 2800 166Mhz or 133 FSB? After the default setting and the problem persists, try manual setting for the ram and lower the settings and try again. Remember, when you use more ram slots or sticks you are increasing latency which could affect timing on the memory bus and the CPU.