2 Sticks of Memory - Not Good

[MulletLover]

The system I just build has two sticks of Crucial 512mb DDR400. When both sticks are in at the same time, the computer locks up, won't play games and just works terribly.

When I try each stick on its own, the computer works great. Games play fine, no freezing. Both sticks function great on their own. Together = Garbage

Is it a bad motherboard or my memory settings. I didn't adjust anything in the BIOS in regards to RAM. I left it on default.

What could the problem be?

 

[interchange]

Did you get a dual channel kit? Are the sticks in the right slots?

Have you updated motherboard BIOS?

What are the results when you run memtest86?

 

[MulletLover]

Originally posted by: interchange
Did you get a dual channel kit? Are the sticks in the right slots?

Have you updated motherboard BIOS?

What are the results when you run memtest86?

Dual channel kit?

The sticks are in the right slots.

I reflashed the BIOS with the newest version. I didn't run memtest86 but I ran Prime95 and I had no errors.

 

[interchange]

Depending on which test you run, Prime95 won't necessarily stress your RAM. Memtest86 is what you need to run if you're having RAM-related issues.

A dual channel kit is one where both sticks are purchased together and are tested to work in dual-channel mode (e.g. the sticks are matched and verified to work together). If you bought the sticks separately, you might have to adjust timings to match them.

Last question, but should be obvious. You're not overclocking at all, are you?

 

[MulletLover]

Originally posted by: interchange
Depending on which test you run, Prime95 won't necessarily stress your RAM. Memtest86 is what you need to run if you're having RAM-related issues.

A dual channel kit is one where both sticks are purchased together and are tested to work in dual-channel mode (e.g. the sticks are matched and verified to work together). If you bought the sticks separately, you might have to adjust timings to match them.

Last question, but should be obvious. You're not overclocking at all, are you?

No, I'm not overclocking.

I ran the RAM stress test on Prime95.

The Mobo, CPU and RAM were assembled and "TESTED" by Mwave.com
Apparently, they don't really test this stuff.

How do I know what timings to adjust to get them to work together?

 

[interchange]

I can't tell you what timings to use as I don't know anything about your sticks other than "Crucial 512MB DDR400".

The only thing I could suggest would be to change your command rate to 2T.

Furthermore, I won't offer any more suggestions until you run memtest86. It's the only program out there than truly tests your RAM and tells you what fails and how it fails in an isolated environment. If this fails at stock timings, expecially if mwave "tested" it, then your best option is to RMA it.

 

[deathwalker]

Reduce your timing settings and bump up the ram voltage. Sometimes that will get you over the hump...if it is really a ram problem.

 

[MulletLover]

I'll see what I can do.
I did suspect a motherboard problem but I want to check my other options before RMA'ing.

 

[Jiggz]

Set the ram timing at SPD and then try again. You do have more than 2 ram slots, have you tried in different combinations of slots. Do you have different sets of rams to try the mobo slots for sure if they are at fault?

 

[MulletLover]

I talked to a tech at Crucial yesterday and they said that the RAM must not be matched exactly and to put them into two different banks. So I have 1 in slot 1 and 1 in slot 2. This works, no more crashing, games play fine, but I am still pissed that Mwave put this together as dual channel (which is what it should have been) with matched RAM, "tested" it and it still doesn't work. Plus now I really can't expand unless I buy another kit of RAM and ditch these 2 515mb sticks.