XP tantrums... Memory ?

[RJK]

XP Home ed. SP3 + 43gb's updates from MS !

Asus M3N78 | x6000 Windsor | 2x1gb Crucial Ballistix - (set to 4-4-4-12 @
2.000volts)

....it's been fine for past few months. This morning it wouldn't boot -
hanging on a black screen with blinking cursor upper left screen.
Hard booted a couple of times and eventually Windows loaded but, after a
minute or so would become unresponsive smack bang in the middle of something
it was doing, but mouse arrow could still be moved around the screen for a
while then even that would freeze up. e.g. Windows check hd for errors
hung up on me with hd led remaining always on and steady - and so had to
hard boot again.
Suspecting memory ... I rummaged around in bios and set all to do with cpu
and memory to "Auto." ...from then on it seems okay - Windows loads and
seems to work fine i.e. it's feels like Windows is OK.

Since then I've tweaked bios to mostly manual settings based on RAM SPD (as
chosen by bios 'auto' / cpu-z shows) "JEDEC #2" 5-5-5-18-24-2T ...and
Windows continues to seem okay. Made a bootable cd with Memtest on it, and
ran it, and no errors were reported.

....So I suppose my question is, "If (higher spec.) memory degrades in some
way, such that after a few months it will no longer run reliably at
manufacturers guaranteed "over-spec." timings and voltage e.g. 4-4-4-12 @
2.000v but, then appears to be robust reducing it back to 5-5-5-18-24-2T @
1.8volts ...will that do ?

....or would it be best to throw it away and buy new memory, and never use
the higher spec. settings ?

TIA

regards, Richard

 

[R. McCarty]

43gb's - Are you saying MS updates added 43 Gigabytes to your PC ?

You'd probably get better answers from one of the Overclocker's forums.
Those folks are much more tuned in to the things that affect timing on
RAM and voltage settings. What little I know about Overclocking is
that some tunings are BIOS dependant. Settings might fail using one
version of BIOS but work with another.

 

[RJK]

...sorry my (British) humour (exaggeration) ..i.e. "...all up to date with
lots of megabytes of MS updates ...all updates since SP3 !

regards, Richard

 

[RJK]

ran it, and no errors were reported.

I would not overclock the memory or bother to get new memory.
just run it whatever speed gives you a stable system.

....many thanks, ...that's what I'm currently doing - running them now at bog
standard specs.

I just wondered if the manufacturers' guaranteed "overclock" spec.s weaken
the modules / IC's in any way - or shorten their working life.
....though, as I said, Memtest finds no problems with them running at
Standard timings and voltage - even though they no longer run at the tighter
/ 2.000v settings.

regards, Richard

 

[Richard Urban]

You attempted to over clock your computer. Please be aware that when you do
so you are adding extra stress to components - unnecessarily. Over clocking
is a science that is beyond the capabilities of most to assist you. I
suggest you track down some web sites or user groups that deal exclusively
with this subject.

Few here, if any, will be able to assist you.

I tried it on 2 identical computers. The first one ran for 4 years over
clocked, and is still running. The 2nd I was never able to over clock and
finally decided to run at the bios defaults. Both computers run fine. The
exact same hardware will possibly react entirely different in 2 different
setups. You just have to know when to give up the quest.

Also, an over clock that worked good for say Windows 98 may be worthless for
Windows XP. Been there - done that also! (-:

 

[d935]

You attempted to over clock your computer. Please be aware that when you do
so you are adding extra stress to components - unnecessarily. Over clocking
is a science that is beyond the capabilities of most to assist you. I
suggest you track down some web sites or user groups that deal exclusively
with this subject.

Few here, if any, will be able to assist you.

I tried it on 2 identical computers. The first one ran for 4 years over
clocked, and is still running. The 2nd I was never able to over clock and
finally decided to run at the bios defaults. Both computers run fine. The
exact same hardware will possibly react entirely different in 2 different
setups. You just have to know when to give up the quest.

Also, an over clock that worked good for say Windows 98 may be worthless for
Windows XP. Been there - done that also!  (-:

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

...DARNED rubbish ISP of mine ...no nntp now until after midnight ...as
usual - hence responding here via Google NG's !

....I realise, and was always fully aware, that, strictly technically
speaking, I was "overclocking" the memory in my "newest" PC, and I
would hasten to add that I'm not really "into" overclocking ....as
such. It's always been my view that the various parts cost too much,
to shorten MTBF's / working life of components by "overclocking"
them.
I only chose to use the higher / "beyond" JDEC approved timings and
voltage because the 2 x1gb "Crucial Ballistix" modules were
"guaranteed," or "marketed" at those higher specs. so, perhaps,
naively, I assumed that I would get normal service life out of them at
those higher settings, with slightly better responses in certain
areas, ....not that I spend much time on games ...though I do like to
have a go at FarCry now and again !

Currently, all is seemingly stable and robust with 5-5-5-18-24-2T @
1.8v ...which are the settings bios also auto-implements from SPD
table JDEC#2 ...so I'll leave it at that.
i.e. MemTest says all is okay not that that really counts for
much !

....same scenario happened with my brothers "new" PC a few months ago -
I put in his new build 2x1gb OCZ set at [email protected]
(guaranteed !! ...and they performed flawlessly for several weeks-
then had to be pulled and replaced with modules running standard SPD
[email protected] volts settings !!

I was really only simply curious as to what changed, (and wondered if
anone in here knew) ...or what was damaged, on those memory
sticks ...running them at the higher "guaranteed" (above JDEC)
settings ?

....I have glanced through some overclockers forums in the past, and
thought how pointless it all was. e.g why not buy a faster cpu, with
larger L2 and nowadays ...L3 on-die cache in the first place !!!!

regards, Richard

....mmm did that go ?

 

[RJK]

You attempted to over clock your computer. Please be aware that when you
do so you are adding extra stress to components - unnecessarily. Over
clocking is a science that is beyond the capabilities of most to assist
you. I suggest you track down some web sites or user groups that deal
exclusively with this subject.

Few here, if any, will be able to assist you.

I tried it on 2 identical computers. The first one ran for 4 years over
clocked, and is still running. The 2nd I was never able to over clock and
finally decided to run at the bios defaults. Both computers run fine. The
exact same hardware will possibly react entirely different in 2 different
setups. You just have to know when to give up the quest.

Also, an over clock that worked good for say Windows 98 may be worthless
for Windows XP. Been there - done that also! (-:

...DARNED rubbish ISP of mine ...no nntp now until after midnight ...as
usual - hence responding here via Google NG's !

....I realise, and was always fully aware, that, strictly technically
speaking, I was "overclocking" the memory in my "newest" PC, and I
would hasten to add that I'm not really "into" overclocking ....as
such. It's always been my view that the various parts cost too much,
to shorten MTBF's / working life of components by "overclocking"
them.
I only chose to use the higher / "beyond" JDEC approved timings and
voltage because the 2 x1gb "Crucial Ballistix" modules were
"guaranteed," or "marketed" at those higher specs. so, perhaps,
naively, I assumed that I would get normal service life out of them at
those higher settings, with slightly better responses in certain
areas, ....not that I spend much time on games ...though I do like to
have a go at FarCry now and again !


Currently, all is seemingly stable and robust with 5-5-5-18-24-2T @
1.8v ...which are the settings bios also auto-implements from SPD
table JDEC#2 ...so I'll leave it at that.
i.e. MemTest says all is okay not that that really counts for
much !


....same scenario happened with my brothers "new" PC a few months ago -
I put in his new build 2x1gb OCZ set at [email protected]
(guaranteed !! ...and they performed flawlessly for several weeks-
then had to be pulled and replaced with modules running standard SPD
[email protected] volts settings !!


I was really only simply curious as to what changed, (and wondered if
anone in here knew) ...or what was damaged, on those memory
sticks ...running them at the higher "guaranteed" (above JDEC)
settings ?


....I have glanced through some overclockers forums in the past, and
thought how pointless it all was. e.g why not buy a faster cpu, with
larger L2 and nowadays ...L3 on-die cache in the first place !!!!


regards, Richard


....mmm did that go ?