Good MB for 4x1GB@800?

[GraySplatter]

I am finally sick of trying to get my 4 sticks of Corsair XMS2 6400C4 to work in my 680i board. I've tried every combination from running at low memory speeds, looser timings, high voltage on the vDIMM, MCP, SPP, blah blah blah. I have been messing with this for 10 months, been through an RMA with both EVGA and Corsair. Still doesn't work. This seems to be a typical problem with this board -- either pair of sticks will work in either pair of sockets at tight timings (and very little voltage boost over 1.8) all night long in Memtest, but just won't work with 4 sticks even at 533MHz, loose timings and higher voltages! (At 533, memory errors happen after a few hours, 667 after 15 minutes, 800 after 15 seconds.)

I think it's time for a new MB.

Sounds like some people are running the P35 successfully with 4x1@800. Anybody specifically running 4x1 of the Corsair 6400C4?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[fleshconsumed]

I'm running 4x1GB of crucial ballistix on P35 at 890ish I believe. Not exactly what you wanted to hear but I don't think I'd have problem with corsair either.

 

[imported_callo]

If your mobo is EVGA better apply to the 780i upgrade and just pay 89 and dont worry anymore.

 

[Narse]

I am running 4gb of the exact same RAM in a EVGA 680i with no issues at all. I did have a 680i go dead on me and had to RMA it but I have had 0 issues with the RAM.

 

[manimal]

I am on my 3rd 680i in the last 2 months, I started using a IP35-E and it runs decently with 4 sticks but I gotta loosen up the timings to run a 2Volts, I can bump up to 2.1 and run at the recommended timings but I didnt like how hot the ram got to the touch, Running a t 5-5-5-15 at 1:1 at 3.4 24/7 stable

 

[GraySplatter]

I'm approved for a 2nd RMA with EVGA, but they won't cross-ship this one. Some people are ok running 4 sticks, but a lot of people have problems. I'm 0/2.

The 780i upgrade is still the same memory controller, so that seems just as risky (and they won't cross-ship that one either.)

So, really not too sure what to do.

My thought is get something that does a good job with memory, then when Nehalem comes out in a year start thinking about upgrading to high-end components again...

Any other reco's for MBs?

 

[kb2114]

I had problems with my 4x1GB Flex XLC but I just undervolted to 2.15 and I'm able to run them at DDR2-1000 with no issues. For some reason I believe the 680i can't run 4 sticks if the voltage is above 2.2V. If you haven't tried undervolting, try that...

 

[GraySplatter]

I've tried vDIMM from 1.8 to 2.1 with memory at 533, 667 and 800. Additional combos with the northbridge voltage.

All system specs:

eVGA 680i-xxxx-A1
2x Corsair XMS2 TWINX6400C4 (4x1GB)
C2D E6600 (2.4 stock until I get the memory sorted out, have run 3+ easy in the past)
Zalman CNPS9500
Seasonic M12-700
eVGA 7950GT KO Superclocked
2x Seagate 7900.10 320GB (SATA) (2 waiting in reserve for a RAID 0+1 or 5 when I get the memory/mobo issue sorted out.)
Lite-On 18x DVD+/-RW (EIDE)
Creative X-Fi Platinum
Antec P180B
Dual-boot Vista Ultimate x64 and Fedora 7 x64

The system runs great with only 2 sticks of RAM, except in Vista it can start sucking wind with only 2GB when I push it (this is really noticeable when starting up a larger 64-bit app, like the 64-bit Crysis demo -- memory goes to 99% and the system slows waaaay down.) Kinda silly to run a 64-bit OS with only 2GB of RAM if you ask me...

 

[Dadofamunky]

Originally posted by: manimal
I am on my 3rd 680i in the last 2 months, I started using a IP35-E and it runs decently with 4 sticks but I gotta loosen up the timings to run a 2Volts, I can bump up to 2.1 and run at the recommended timings but I didnt like how hot the ram got to the touch, Running a t 5-5-5-15 at 1:1 at 3.4 24/7 stable

What's going wrong??? Third in 2 months? That sounds very bad. :brokenheart: But you don't sound unhappy. Did you build three systems?

 

[Dadofamunky]

Originally posted by: jeffwegher
I've tried vDIMM from 1.8 to 2.1 with memory at 533, 667 and 800. Additional combos with the northbridge voltage.

All system specs:

eVGA 680i-xxxx-A1
2x Corsair XMS2 TWINX6400C4 (4x1GB)
C2D E6600 (2.4 stock until I get the memory sorted out, have run 3+ easy in the past)
Zalman CNPS9500
Seasonic M12-700
eVGA 7950GT KO Superclocked
2x Seagate 7900.10 320GB (SATA) (2 waiting in reserve for a RAID 0+1 or 5 when I get the memory/mobo issue sorted out.)
Lite-On 18x DVD+/-RW (EIDE)
Creative X-Fi Platinum
Antec P180B
Dual-boot Vista Ultimate x64 and Fedora 7 x64

The system runs great with only 2 sticks of RAM, except in Vista it can start sucking wind with only 2GB when I push it (this is really noticeable when starting up a larger 64-bit app, like the 64-bit Crysis demo -- memory goes to 99% and the system slows waaaay down.) Kinda silly to run a 64-bit OS with only 2GB of RAM if you ask me...

I'd head in the direction of a good P35 board...

 

[PCTC2]

I have the eVGA 680i-A1 with 4x1GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR2-1066 running at 4-4-4-12 2.25v just fine. It also runs them at 5-5-5-15 @ 2.1v. I just have the MCP voltage bumped to 1.35v.

 

[GraySplatter]

Just ran through all the tests again today. Worked on my laptop while watching memtest run over and over (and over, and over...) Noticed after a few times that it fails quickest in Test 7 (random patterns) so I just had it run only that one -- made testing a lot quicker as failures would turn up after only a few minutes instead of 30 minutes into it.

I bumped every setting a little bit one at a time until I reached 1.25 CPU, 1.5 FSB, 2.1 vDIMM, 1.5 SPP, 1.6 MCP, 1.5 SPP <-> MCP at 4-4-4-12 @ 667 (333 FSB, linked and synced per recommendations elsewhere). No joy. Bumped the timings one at a time to 5-5-5-18. Then dropped FSB to 300 (600MHz RAM) and then 266 (533MHz RAM). No joy. Tried tRC at 24 instead of 22 as per another recommendation. No joy there either.

Tried mixing and matching the DIMMs in different sockets. Noy joy.

And BTW, the board will not even Post with all 4 DIMMs with vFSB less than 1.3, vDIMM less than 2.05. Beeps with the C1 code.

Is it *possible* that the memory is to blame? I don't exactly know if it's only the memory controller that has to work harder with more memory or if having more memory has an effect on itself somehow too. I can understand why you would need a higher voltage setting for more memory (the higher draw has a way of lowering the voltage, I would call this vdroop if I were talking about the CPU.) And the higher voltage on the FSB helps to strengthen the signals so the peaks and valleys can be detected faster.

I'm still leaning towards the MB being the problem.

Maybe I'll get a 2x2GB set and try that before I go to another MB. If it works, great, otherwise maybe I could have 6GB work on the new board.