Chaintech 7NIF2 problem

[John Ratzlaff]

Got a "refurbished" Chaintech 7NIF2 motherboard from NewEgg.com. Got
an AthlonXP 3000+ (333) and a single stick of Viking 512MB PC2700 RAM
to go on it. With FSB set at 166 (which is what this combination
should use), it will complete the POST and boot the Microsoft memory
test program, but the memory tester freezes before it has completed
one pass. If I slow the FSB to 133, it then runs fine. Any suggestions
on getting this to work? Timing settings? Bad MoBo? Incompatible RAM?
TIA - JR

 

[Pen]

Have you reset the memory timings to default?
Else try slowing them down slightly, such as CL=2
or 2.5 to 3.


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[John Ratzlaff]

Yes, I've tried most of the easy settings, without any improvement.
But I don't know enough to start messing with the tricky settings such
as timings. I believe I did change the CAS Latency to 3, but I don't
really understand that. And the "default" and "optimum" settings
didn't help... - JR

 

[pen]

The obvious conclusion then is the memory is bad
since it fails the memory test.

 

[John Ratzlaff]

Well, it isn't that it *fails* the memory test, rather that the memory
test freezes. i.e., the memory test doesn't identify a failure, it
just freezes. - JR

 

[kony]

Well, it isn't that it *fails* the memory test, rather that the memory
test freezes. i.e., the memory test doesn't identify a failure, it
just freezes. - JR

First of all, run the more common test, http://www.memtest86.com

Second, check the bios and/or jumpers to confirm that the memory is
running synchronous to, same speed as the FSB.

If the memory produces errors in memtest86, your alternatives are:

Update motherboard bios if a newer bios version is available.
Use different memory.
Change bios memory timings... For example, if set to "auto" or "SPD",
change it to user-set parameters and try the slowest settings available,
to see if at least those are stable. Confirm the location of the clear
CMOS jumper should you need to reset the bios defaults, prior to making
such changes, as incorrect or imcompatible memory changes can prevent the
machine from posting at all, though resetting to the default will again
put bios back in same state it should've arrived in.

In particular you might try slower timings (larger numbers than the
following) for:

Active Precharge Delay - 7 or higher, preferribly 10-12
RAS to CAS - 3 or higher, try 4 first, then 5
RAS Precharge - 3 or higher, try 4 first, then 5
CAS Latency - 3


So first attempt might be above settings as
10,
4,
4,
3