Update: I'm a idiot. Flashed to wrong bios.

[Regs]

Some one traded me PC3200 Corsair for a motherboard and CPU. I have 3 DIMM sockets total, 2 running 256 DIMMs and the last DIMM slot I used the one I traded for. I downloaded CPU-Z and found out these results:

Memory
DRAM Type DDR-SDRAM
DRAM Size 1024 MBytes
DRAM Frequency 107.7 MHz
FSB: DRAM 2:1
CAS# Latency 2.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# 2 clocks
RAS# Precharge 2 clocks
Cycle Time (TRAS) 6 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (TRC) 7 clocks
DRAM Idle Timer 16 clocks
# of memory modules 3
Module 0 Corsair DDR-SDRAM PC3200 - 256 MBytes
Module 1 Corsair DDR-SDRAM PC2700 - 512 MBytes
Module 2 Corsair DDR-SDRAM PC3200 - 256 MBytes


The sticker on the stick of Corsair, of course, says PC3200. Am I forgetting some technical issue having 2 x 256 DIMMs with 1 x 512 DIMM? Or have I been had?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I assume all the other sticks are PC3200?

- M4H

 

[zer0burn]

try ocing it to pc3200 speeds

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
I assume all the other sticks are PC3200?

- M4H

Yeah, The ones I orginaly purchased from newegg are PC3200. TwinXMS 256 x 2.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: zer0burn
try ocing it to pc3200 speeds

Why would I have to?

 

[freakflag]

put it in one of the other banks and see if it still shows up as PC2700.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: freakflag
put it in one of the other banks and see if it still shows up as PC2700.

Will try.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Run that 512mb alone and see what it says

 

[Ladies Man]

edit.. i can't read
don't mind me

 

[SunnyD]

Can we get some pics of the said DIMM in question, as well as detailed pics of said sticker? May shead some light on it.

 

[Regs]

The timings are looser without the 512 DIMM installed, but with it in, all the timings go down to 2-2-2-6 instead of 2-2-3-8.

The trader replies:

As to why cpuZ shows pc2700 prob because the Corsair pc3200 I sent to you is 10-12 months old, before there was a pc3200 standard or chips made to run at 400mhz.

all early pc3200 corsair,mushkin,ocz etc are all based on 2700 chips selected to run at 400mhz. Is there a problem with the ram running at it's specs, or just that the software IDs it as pc2700 ?

He did not notify me this before the trade. What am I suppose to do with 12 month old ram before the 400 Mhz standard? How can I modify it to run at 400 MHz?

I think I have my bios set to auto detect. What should it be set to for a A64 with a 215 HTT bus?

 

[Nocturnal]

So it only runs at PC3200 speeds when you overclock the ram?

 

[Regs]

I think the ram can be run at 400, just that I have to go out of my way, I think, to change it in the bios.

 

[Regs]

Great, my bios wont let change anything about the RAM.

 

[wampa]

Originally posted by: Regs
I think the ram can be run at 400, just that I have to go out of my way, I think, to change it in the bios.

check out the program AIDA or CPU-Z. They can tell you info about your RAM and about the manf. specs.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: wampa

Originally posted by: Regs
I think the ram can be run at 400, just that I have to go out of my way, I think, to change it in the bios.

check out the program AIDA or CPU-Z. They can tell you info about your RAM and about the manf. specs.

Module #2

General
Memory type DDR-SDRAM
Manufacturer (ID) Corsair (7F7F9E0000000000)
Size 512 MBytes
Max bandwidth PC2700 (166 MHz)
Part number CMX512-3200

Attributes
Number of banks 2
Data width 64 bits
Correction None
Registered no
Buffered no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz) 166 166
CAS# 2.0 2.5
RAS# to CAS# delay 3 3
RAS# Precharge 3 3
TRAS# 7 7

It says it's PC3200, just how the hell do I get it to run at 200 is the question. Gigabytes AWARD bios isnt offering much help. It should be running 200 @ 2.5 CAS

 

[Kenny]

I'm pissed for you about the 12 month thing. :disgust:

Same thing happened to me a while back; some guy didn't like his RAM so he sold it to me w/o telling me the RAM sucked at overclocking. Just told me, "Never overclocked it before, so I don't know the performance, but should run like a champ."

Lo and behold, two days later he's buying overclockable RAM at the same price I bought his RAM for.

 

[SunnyD]

Are there any BIOS settings to diable SPD EEPROM or Automatic Timings? If so disable it and you should be able to change your memory configuration.

 

[cbrsurfr]

I bought some Corsair XMS PC3000 at Newegg. Its marked as 3000 but shows up as 2700 in several programs. It works fine at PC3000. I image the same thing happened with your stick.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: Kenny
I'm pissed for you about the 12 month thing. :disgust:

Same thing happened to me a while back; some guy didn't like his RAM so he sold it to me w/o telling me the RAM sucked at overclocking. Just told me, "Never overclocked it before, so I don't know the performance, but should run like a champ."

Lo and behold, two days later he's buying overclockable RAM at the same price I bought his RAM for.

I'll just be happy if the damn ram runs at 200 Mhz like its suppose too.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Are there any BIOS settings to diable SPD EEPROM or Automatic Timings? If so disable it and you should be able to change your memory configuration.

Haven't noticed. It's Gigabytes AWARD bios. Funny, I remember using the AWARD bios on my soltek and I could change this stuff.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: Regs

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Are there any BIOS settings to diable SPD EEPROM or Automatic Timings? If so disable it and you should be able to change your memory configuration.

Haven't noticed. It's Gigabytes AWARD bios. Funny, I remember using the AWARD bios on my soltek and I could change this stuff.

Nope, tried to look. All I saw was Auto DIMM CLK that disnt do a damn thing and Spread Spectrum.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

OK, just chill your RAM is fine. If the RAM was produced before PC3200 became a JEDEC standard then it will show up as PC2700 because that's the highest setting that could be put into SPD. I had a stick of Corsair PC3200C2 that was recognized as being PC2700 but ran absolutely fine at the rated speeds and latencies you just have to manually set it to the speed and timings it's supposed to run at.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
OK, just chill your RAM is fine. If the RAM was produced before PC3200 became a JEDEC standard then it will show up as PC2700 because that's the highest setting that could be put into SPD. I had a stick of Corsair PC3200C2 that was recognized as being PC2700 but ran absolutely fine at the rated speeds and latencies you just have to manually set it to the speed and timings it's supposed to run at.

In which case I can't because my bios doesn't seem to have that option. I might need to flash my bios, but that also could be hard without a floppy drive . If there is a easier way, Im all ears.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: Regs

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
OK, just chill your RAM is fine. If the RAM was produced before PC3200 became a JEDEC standard then it will show up as PC2700 because that's the highest setting that could be put into SPD. I had a stick of Corsair PC3200C2 that was recognized as being PC2700 but ran absolutely fine at the rated speeds and latencies you just have to manually set it to the speed and timings it's supposed to run at.

In which case I can't because my bios doesn't seem to have that option. I might need to flash my bios, but that also could be hard without a floppy drive . If there is a easier way, Im all ears.

In either case it's not a hardware problem with the RAM or a trading problem, you got exactly what you paid for. Check on your mobo makers' website, many offer utilities that flash BIOSes in Windows. Otherwise you could put the BIOS and utility on a bootable CD-RW.