try memory again or scrap it?

[tynopik]

I have a Asus P5K-E (P35 chipset) with Q6600 (NO overclock)

initially got it with 4x1GB but a few months ago I upgraded to 4x2GB using this highly rated ADATA kit

The problem was that 50% of the sticks were bad. Some failed memtest, but even some that passed memtest would cause random crashes and bluescreens that I had to laboriously identify through trial and error.

I finally got a stable configuration and everything was well . . . for a while.

But then last week I suddenly started getting random crashes and blue screens again.

Went back to the 4x1 memory and it was rock solid.

I'm actually OK with the speed of the processor and wasn't looking to upgrade, but I really need at least 8GB. In fact more would be good, but 8 works fine for now.

I have a hard time believing that 4 of the 8 sticks I got were really bad to begin with and that at least another of the sticks went bad after a few months, which makes me wonder if it's the motherboard that can't handle it.

Option 1: order another 8GB of DDR2 memory (maybe this kit?)
$96

pro: cheapest option, minimum effort
con: not sure want to invest more money into obsolete platform, not convinced it will actually work

Option 2: upgrade to Sandy Bridge
$82 PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) x 2
$205 i5-2500k
$105 ASRock Z68 PRO3
$392 total

pro: 16GB memory, faster processor, more likely to actually work
con: more expensive, more effort (both hardware and software/OS)


basically I would like some reassurance that I just ran into a bad batch of memory and that I won't just be wasting my money/time to order another 8GB of DDR2

 

[mfenn]

Why not just RMA the ADATA? It is possible for all of the sticks to be bad if they came off the line right next to each other. The fact that it worked for a while and then degraded squarely points to a manufacturing defect IMHO.

 

[Slugbait]

I have a hard time believing that 4 of the 8 sticks I got were really bad to begin with and that at least another of the sticks went bad after a few months, which makes me wonder if it's the motherboard that can't handle it.

I doubt it's the mobo. If you sort customer ratings to show 1 egg, you'll notice many over the past year, and most state failed memtest or random crashes.

This indicates that the good chips are long gone, and Adata now uses other chips...perhaps the original chips are no longer available, or they are trying to cut costs. In other words, this probably isn't the same RAM as it was two years ago, just the same name and product number.

Crucial likely continues to use high-quality chips. They have a reputation to protect.

 

[tynopik]

Why not just RMA the ADATA? It is possible for all of the sticks to be bad if they came off the line right next to each other.

Well ADATA does have a lifetime warranty . . . but

- have to pay shipping one way
- round trip for me to get something back is going to be a while, not sure I can wait that long
- after having 5 of 8 sticks go bad, frankly I don't trust them or their product (seriously, what are the odds of having 4 of 4 be perfect?)

so I'm afraid I'll pay to ship it back, wait a month or more and then it still won't work

 

[tynopik]

I doubt it's the mobo. If you sort customer ratings to show 1 egg, you'll notice many over the past year, and most state failed memtest or random crashes.

This indicates that the good chips are long gone, and Adata now uses other chips...perhaps the original chips are no longer available, or they are trying to cut costs. In other words, this probably isn't the same RAM as it was two years ago, just the same name and product number.

Crucial likely continues to use high-quality chips. They have a reputation to protect.

I don't know if that's true or not, but that's the sort of encouragement I need to give another kit a shot

 

[mfenn]

Well ADATA does have a lifetime warranty . . . but

- have to pay shipping one way
- round trip for me to get something back is going to be a while, not sure I can wait that long
- after having 5 of 8 sticks go bad, frankly I don't trust them or their product (seriously, what are the odds of having 4 of 4 be perfect?)

so I'm afraid I'll pay to ship it back, wait a month or more and then it still won't work

Shipping is what, $5 if you use USPS Priority? I'd say to go ahead and do it, you have at most $5 to lose.

What I can't see is spending another $80 on some more DDR2. There is such a thing as throwing good money after bad. If you want to cut your losses, I'd say to go ahead with your i5 2500K plan. What you have picked out looks fine to me.

 

[tynopik]

Shipping is what, $5 if you use USPS Priority? I'd say to go ahead and do it, you have at most $5 to lose.

Agreed, it's not really the money, it's the time and aggravation.

I really can't afford to be at 4gb for a month and I've struggled with this memory so much already, I dread doing it again. This may (probably) be more an emotional reaction than a logical one, but I'm sick of it.

What I can't see is spending another $80 on some more DDR2. There is such a thing as throwing good money after bad.

Yeah I understand and that's what's causing me to hesitate. I don't want to invest more money in an old platform, yet final cost (IF it works, a big if of course) is just so much less both from a money and a time/effort standpoint, it's hard to justify the upgrade, especially since the speed won't actually gain me much

I just don't know

 

[VirtualLarry]

Spend $80 on a Gigabyte P45 motherboard that takes DDR3, and then pick up some cheap 16GB worth of DDR3. Slap in your Q6600 and overclock it. Full of win!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128496

 

[tynopik]

Spend $80 on a Gigabyte P45 motherboard that takes DDR3, and then pick up some cheap 16GB worth of DDR3.

Well that certainly is an interesting proposal

pro: $200 cheaper than i5, more memory than current, peace of mind about memory compatibility

con: still as much effort hardware/software-wise as the i5, fundamentally investing even more money in an obsolete platform

 

[mfenn]

Well that certainly is an interesting proposal

pro: $200 cheaper than i5, more memory than current, peace of mind about memory compatibility

con: still as much effort hardware/software-wise as the i5, fundamentally investing even more money in an obsolete platform

Good analysis. The DDR3 memory will carry forward, but that's only $40 of the $120 that you would be spending. So really, it's the same amount of "investment" in a dead platform as just buying DDR2.