Why is matching RAM like pulling teeth?

[orange12]

Here's the setup: ASUS K8V SE mobo with 3 RAM slots. It use to run on one stick of 1GB Patriot PC3200 DDR-SDRAM with absolutely no problems. Just this week I decided to give my almost four year old system one last hurrah by adding 2 GB of RAM and a new graphics card. What I purchased was a 2x1GB set, also made by Patriot, with the EXACT same timing (2-3-2-5) and speed (400MHz). Simply put, I deliberately chose what looked liked the exact same model as my original single stick except it comes in a set of two.

Now the head scratching part. After installing my new sticks of RAM, I was giddy to see the incredible performance 2 more GB of RAM could do for the game Stalker. Instead, what I got as a whole lot of freezing up while the game tried to load any saved or new game. I turned to CPU-Z and noticed that the frequency reads at only 100MHz instead of the usual 200Mhz and the FSBRAM (a setting I have no idea what it means) is set at CPU/20 instead of CPU/10. After unplugging and replugging in each of the RAM sticks, I can confidently conclude that the problem is caused by the old stick mixing with the two new sticks.

At this point I'm at a loss. Both the old and the new have the same timing and same manufacturer. When they are separated, CPU-Z gives the exact same memory readings, save for the size. Can anyone think of any other reason why my old stick will not work properly with the new ones?

 

[ForumMaster]

have you tried, you know, to enter the BIOS and set the correct settings? maybe the timing for the new RAM isn't being detected correctly? perhaps a bit more voltage would work?

the FSPRAM is a ratio. your CPU speed is made up of two things: multiplierXfront side bus speed. the FSP is the speed at which data is transfered in your motherboard.

what this means is that your RAM is running slower then your CPU. are you overclocking? (although, no offense, you don't sound like someone who would.)

 

[genietime]

I had a K8V SE and the third RAM slot is fricking useless + the board has doesn't have a working PCI lock, so you can't overclock it worth crap. I HATED that board. I am almost positive it is the addition of the ram to the third slot that is screwing it up - oh and make sure you CAS Latencies are set the same (double check).

If you are running 3 1Gig sticks, don't expect to get more than 100 (200 DDR). If you are using 512MB modules you can get a max of 333 DDR. I ended up dumping my 3rd gig stick and going to 2 X 1 Gig and it performed much better. I never got a 3rd 1 gig stick to work at anything above 100 e.g. (200 DDR) which I refused to accept on general principle.

It only worked for me at 200 (400 DDR) and only with the two (blue I think) slots for 1 gig sticks for me. I borrowed several sets of RAM and spent many days trying to get this to work; it never did for me at least.

There might be a way to get it to work; but I tried tons of combinations and setting and never got it to work.

In case you didn't notice, I HATED that board - I don't think ASUS ever thought that people would run 3 Gig on the board when it came out (which was quite a few years ago) - 1 Gig total was a lot back then.

Good luck but I think you are looking at a mobo limitation not a RAM problem.