RAM help!

nothing really big. just some questions.
i bought these:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...b=11&NoMapp=0#

i live close to their store, so i drove there and got 2 exactly the same for dual channel support. dual channel works fine, but my ocing's messed up.
i had 2x256mb of Samsung ram before, so these should all be similar. before, as u can see in my sig, i had my P4 2.4c @ 3.2 now, it won't let me oc up to 3.2 at 320 ram clock. i'm trying to work the drm voltage to take care of it.

another thing. i'm playing css, and it says this error saying can't access certain part of the memory or something. it only happened once though. css works fine now.

is there any way i can check my ram for errors and problems?

Run Super Pi or Prime 95 to stress your CPU/RAM.

BTW, why do you say this..."i had 2x256mb of Samsung ram before, so these should all be similar"?
There are several types of memory chips/PCBs in use today and each manufacturer uses them differently.
One might emphasize extreme headroom (high OCs) while another might go for tight timings.
Did you ever do comparative benchmarks to see what exactly your overclock was really gaining you?

320 ram clock? I assume that means 320MHz ram speed, or an expected data rate of 640MHz. I can't say I'm surprised your DDR400 ram can't handle that sort of speed, it is an increase of 60%.

Have you inadvertently changed your timings when you installed the ram?

@clocker. a 2.4ghz to a 3.2 is a fairly noticable difference

@lynx: the thing is, the ram i had before was also samsung, and i've had it at 2.75v and 320 for over a year with no problems. i know just cuz they're the same brand doesn't mean that they perform the same. but it can't be that far off.

I can't remember which chip is which, so your FSB speed is either 800MHz or 566MHz.

If it is 800MHz then system speeds are:
2.4GHz = 12x200MHz
3.2GHz = 12x266MHz

If it is 533MHz then system speeds are:
2.4GHz = 14.5x166MHz
3.2GHz = 14.5x220MHz

So where does 320 MHz fit this scenario? Optimum performance usually comes by matching processor and memory speed, so surely you should be using 266MHz or (more likely) 220MHz as your memory speed.

I suspect you may have a memory problem, but not in your PC. :wacko:

no, that's the cpu speed. for ram, without oc, it's 400. but since i oc, i have to tune down the ram. so i go down 1 notch, and it's 320.

my previous setup:
12X266 = 3180 ish = 3.2 ghz
RAM: 2x256mb Samsung PC3200 (320) 2.75V

now:
12X255 = 3060 = 3.06ghz
ram: 2x512mb Samsung PC3200 (320) 2.75

i guess 3.2 and 3.06 don't make too much of a difference.

tomorrow i will make sense of all this and try overclocking :01:

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Originally Posted by TheDave

tomorrow i will make sense of all this and try overclocking :01:

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lol. good luck!

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

@clocker. a 2.4ghz to a 3.2 is a fairly noticable difference

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Ummm...OK.
I assume that the memory benchmarks increased by the same proportion (or more).
But wait, you have to "tune down the ram" to get it to run there, so the RAM performance didn't improve that much, eh?

my northbridge is a 865pe. when i run sisoft sandra 2k5, my Memory Cache Bandwidth thing test shows that my scores are higher than dual channel on a 875 northbridge. so it really hasn't decreased much

So you are overclocking, by underclocking parts :unsure:

well, i can trim the timings, but it won't really help that much

:blink: I don't get it. :frusty:

Been wanting to post one of these since yesterday :blink:

But I thought I was missing something.

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Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234

:blink: I don't get it. :frusty:

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Arn't you suppose to increase your FSB the same ammount's with both your ram and CPU and have them both working off the same kinda speed? Insted of chucking 1 right up and keeping 1 low :blink: At least thats how i've oc'd before :lookaroun

He's overvolting it, but underclocking it? :blink:

The RAM I mean.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

He's overvolting it, but underclocking it? :blink:

The RAM I mean.

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He's gonna fry it :lol:

I dunno' maybe it isn't overvolted, but I wouldn't put any money on it.

I've seen some OCZ RAM that required 2.75, but usually it's more like 2.6 when running at 400mhz. Isn't it? :blink:

(a lot of them may be rated for a voltage range between 2.55 and 2.95 or something but they should be able to run at 2.6v without tweaked timings or overclocks :unsure: )

the highest my mobo will support is 2.85v.

and yea, when u got shitty ram, u have to underclock the ram in order to oc the cpu

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

the highest my mobo will support is 2.85v.

and yea, when u got shitty ram, u have to underclock the ram in order to oc the cpu

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:lol: :lol: :lol:

I mock your lack of knowledge and soon to be fried parts :P

what do u mean lack of knowledge??


and no, it won't get fried. i've had my last 2 sticks of 256 Samsung PC3200 at these settings for over a year and a half.

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

the highest my mobo will support is 2.85v.

and yea, when u got shitty ram, u have to underclock the ram in order to oc the cpu

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Why? I've never had to do anything like that.

Still, I don't buy shitty ram.

well, i'd imagine that most high school students wouldn't spend too much $$ on a pc or upgrades for it. i spend $60 for both these sticks of 512 ram

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

and no, it won't get fried. i've had my last 2 sticks of 256 Samsung PC3200 at these settings for over a year and a half.

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Your last two sticks? Wonder what happened to them :lol:

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Originally Posted by Peerzy

Your last two sticks? Wonder what happened to them :lol:

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they're in a box right now cuz i plan on selling them once i get my new sticks ocing properly

i never fried anything in my pc

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

they're in a box right now cuz i plan on selling them once i get my new sticks ocing properly

i never fried anything in my pc

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Your logic still escapes me. :blink:

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

my northbridge is a 865pe. when i run sisoft sandra 2k5, my Memory Cache Bandwidth thing test shows that my scores are higher than dual channel on a 875 northbridge. so it really hasn't decreased much

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Ok, but you are comparing apples to oranges there.
What you need to do is compare your scores when overclocked to your scores at stock settings.

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

the highest my mobo will support is 2.85v.

and yea, when u got shitty ram, u have to underclock the ram in order to oc the cpu

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Abu, that wasn't the point. The point was that it's quite possible that your current RAM could make do with a voltage of 2.6 volts at its default non-oced settings.

And since you are running it slower, you are probably giving it way too much juice. Try taking it down a couple of notches. Try the lowest voltage it is rated for if you can find that information, if you can't find anything but the one voltage, try dropping it to 2.6v and if that works, have a go at lowering it to 2.55 if it's possible.

You might not have fried any RAM yet, but that doesn't mean that it's good for it.

Samsung is not a bad manufacturer, they make some pretty decent chips and they always use their own chips on their own sticks, so while I take it that your RAM wasn't the most expensive RAM you have ever seen, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily crap.


Clocker has a very good point though, you should really see how good your rig performs non-ocd before you know whether your oc is worthwhile.

It sounds to me as you are losing out with that RAM-clock.

i tested the ram before ocing them, and the scores were very close to what they are now.

i'll try the lowing voltage. but i'm almost 100% certain that, or at least for this ram, it won't run properly with a cpu clock of 266 @ 2.55V or 2.6V. but i can take a look

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Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234

Your logic still escapes. :blink:

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Probably just ran away and hid. :ph34r:

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Originally Posted by abu_has_the_power

i tested the ram before ocing them, and the scores were very close to what they are now.

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Huh?
What's the point of the overclock if the performance doesn't improve?

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Originally Posted by clocker

Huh?
What's the point of the overclock if the performance doesn't improve?

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my main goal is to get my 2.4 to a 3.2. the cpu performance does improve. the ram performance didn't change much. what is so complicated??