Issue when adding more memory

[BigPete]

I have been using a pair of 512MB Mushkin Level II V2 memory in my computer for the last couple of years. When using this memory the computer automatically selects 2-2-2-6 as the correct timings and all is well.

About a month ago I purchased 2 sticks of Mushkin memory. I don't know what the exact model of the sticks are only that they are Winbond BH-5 sticks and the sticker from Mushkin says 2-2-2 on them.

Now, when I run this new memory (new to me, was purchased from a member here) the computer automatically selects 2.5-3-3-8 as the correct timings. And indeed, the computer runs stable at those settings. If I manually make them faster, the computer blue screens shortly after booting to Windows if it even makes it that far.

For about the last month, I had been running the memory with some manual settings and it's been fine... UNTIL I started playing HL2 and now TF2. I can't get these 4 sticks of memory to play nice together no matter what I do. I even tried manually setting 2.5-3-3-8 in the BIOS to see if that would work... still no go.

I did run some memory tests and everything checked out!

Please help!

 

[silentvois]

What's the voltage supposed to be set at for the 2 different ram modules? Compared to most other modules from different manufacturers, I know BH-5's usually require higher voltage levels in order to reach tight timings. Perhaps this is the issue?

 

[BigPete]

Well, I tried with loose timings (slowest the BIOS auto set everything for) with voltages from 2.5 to 2.8. All produced the same result. The machine runs fine with only my old sticks and it runs fine with only the new sticks but when paired together, especially gaming, they crash and burn miserably.

 

[intogamer]

You try memtest for errors?

 

[BigPete]

I did run memtest. I had gotten errors initially but then I changed some settings around in the BIOS and no more errors. This is really pissing me off, there is a huge difference between 1GB and 2GB of memory. Right now I am only using 1GB otherwise it locks up.

 

[MyLeftNut]

Many of the older DDR1 boards did have some issues running 4 sticks of ram. Like the NF4 boards for AMD cpu's had issues with 4 sticks and the 2t issue. Some boards were somewhat fixed with later bioses but still had some problems with higher clocks and timings.

 

[BigPete]

Here is the solution (should be anyway, just played 3 hours of TF2 without a hitch). I had my dual channel memory in slots 1 and 2. As far as I know, this isn't the way dual channel should be, but thats what it said in my manual and thats how it had been working. The problem was that when I added the new memory, I added it in slots 3 and 4. Once I swapped the memory around so that my old memory was in slot 1 and 3 and the new memory was in slots 2 and 4 windows blue screened and rebooted. I went into the BIOS and manually set the timings to 2-2-2-6 and voltage to 2.7 and all is peachy now.

In case anyone else has a similar problem. The motherboard is an MSI K8N Platinum (rev 1).