2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail

Yutai · 07-10-2009, 10:51 AM

Hi,

I'm running Windows xp on a LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard.

In the past I had 4 sticks of 1 GB RAM (OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400))

However, this computer has always had the occasional BSOD, but I just took it as "I built it so of course it's just gunna be screwed up no matter what". Soo... Didn't really work super hard on it until lately, when I found it crashes really often while playing WoW. (Not related to WoW though, my parents have been getting BSOD lately while just browsing the internet).

Last night I ran Memtest on each stick of RAM in the 1st slot, and found that one stick made Memtest crash basically, it didn't make it through the test at all. So I'm assuming that's a bad stick and I don't plan to reinstall it.
3 out of 4 sticks were good so I tried putting the 3rd RAM stick back in the 2nd slot... Memtest failed. Then in the 4th slot... and Memtest failed.

So what's wrong with my 2nd and 4th slot? Am I allowed to have 3 gigs of RAM rather than 4 and only use 3 slots? Should I just give up and get a couple 2 gig sticks and call it a day?

Also, when the computer starts up my BIOS lists each piece of hardwares' IRQ, but my RAM has an IRQ of NA while nothing else does. Is this my problem? How can I fix it?

Thanks for any help!

**Tyree** · 07-10-2009, 11:37 AM

Intel CPU and any other brand of chipset (i.e. Nvidia) can very easily have issues. Intel CPU's like Intel chipsets.
Nvidia Mobo's are known for issues.
Filling a 4 RAM slots on any brand of Mobo can cause issues.
Your best solution would be to purchase 2X2 GB matched pair of PC6400.
It is also a possibility that the Nvidia Mobo doesn't like OCZ RAM.

Yutai · 07-10-2009, 01:34 PM

Well that sucks. Lol.

Thanks! I'll probably just pick up two 2 gig sticks and go with that.

**Tyree** · 07-10-2009, 05:16 PM

Nvidia makes great graphics cards. For great Mobo's use Asus/Gigabyte.

Yutai · 07-11-2009, 11:12 AM

Update!

So I went out and got 2 x 2 GB PC26400 RAM sticks (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820220335)

Put in the first stick in the 1st slot and it passes Memtest.

Put the second stick in the 3rd slot and it fails Memtest. (When it fails it doesn't give me an error, the computer just restarts like 3 seconds after the test starts.)

Is it the stick? Should I return it? Should I try putting both the sticks in the 2nd and 4th slots and see if that works instead? This is so frustrating!

EDIT: Checking to see if the stick works in the 1st slot. If my 3rd slot is messed up... something is going to die <_<

**Tyree** · 07-11-2009, 11:24 AM

Are you using Memtest86+?
Did you try the OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) sticks in slots 1 & 3?
I'm betting the Mobo is defective.

Yutai · 07-11-2009, 11:43 AM

Ugh!! I know rite?!

I'm using Memtest86+

I had the OCZ RAM in the 1st and 3rd slots and all was good. (passed test)
But I still wanted 4 gigs so went out and got the 2 x 2 GB.

I dunno what's up, both sticks work in the 1st slot. I'm going to try 1st and 3rd slots again. Maybe I failed a little bit at installing it or something...

I also tried to put the sticks in the 2nd and 4th slots but I was having a hard time installing the RAM in the 2nd slot. It wouldn't go in quite right. (PS These sticks are painful to push down

)

**Tyree** · 07-11-2009, 12:00 PM

The Mobo is apparently good if the OCZ worked. That's a good thing.
Looks like it's down user error (improper install) or defective RAM.
Actually, you probably won't see a lot of performance difference between the 2GB and 4GB of RAM. I always suggest 4GB because DDR2 is so cheap now.

Yutai · 07-11-2009, 12:31 PM

Thanks for all your help!

The 4 GB of RAM in the 1st and 3rd slots fail the Memtest86+ consistently... So I tried running the old version and it's doing well.

If this fails I'll just put in the 2 GB, return the Patriot sticks and call it a day.

Stu_computer · 07-11-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

this computer has always had the occasional BSOD

something to look into...EVGA's mobo has a bios update for a number of fixes, many of which might be cause related to those occasional BSOD's.

so check your mobo's website for applicable bios updates, faqs, and forums.

EVGA NVIDIA nForce650i Ultra BIOS update release P05:

Quote:

Added support for new Penryn dual core CPUs
Added FSB-overclocking support to the new Penryn FSB-1066/1333 CPUs
Fixed compatibility issues of OS + ACPI
Fixed restoring disabled device states & fan speeds after suspend/resume
Fixed PCI and PCIe compatibility issues
Added device functionality improvements (includes GPUs & Sound cards)
Fixed SATA / MAC / USB compatibility issues
Added support for auto-overvoltaging when overclocking
Improved nTune compatibility
Improved memory compatibility

**wrench97** · 07-12-2009, 04:25 AM

Also what voltage are the sticks rated to run and what voltage is the motherboard set to run them at?

07-10-2009, 10:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
Yutai Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows xp	2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Hi, I'm running Windows xp on a LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard. In the past I had 4 sticks of 1 GB RAM (OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)) However, this computer has always had the occasional BSOD, but I just took it as "I built it so of course it's just gunna be screwed up no matter what". Soo... Didn't really work super hard on it until lately, when I found it crashes really often while playing WoW. (Not related to WoW though, my parents have been getting BSOD lately while just browsing the internet). Last night I ran Memtest on each stick of RAM in the 1st slot, and found that one stick made Memtest crash basically, it didn't make it through the test at all. So I'm assuming that's a bad stick and I don't plan to reinstall it. 3 out of 4 sticks were good so I tried putting the 3rd RAM stick back in the 2nd slot... Memtest failed. Then in the 4th slot... and Memtest failed. So what's wrong with my 2nd and 4th slot? Am I allowed to have 3 gigs of RAM rather than 4 and only use 3 slots? Should I just give up and get a couple 2 gig sticks and call it a day? Also, when the computer starts up my BIOS lists each piece of hardwares' IRQ, but my RAM has an IRQ of NA while nothing else does. Is this my problem? How can I fix it? Thanks for any help!

07-10-2009, 11:37 AM	#2 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,566 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Intel CPU and any other brand of chipset (i.e. Nvidia) can very easily have issues. Intel CPU's like Intel chipsets. Nvidia Mobo's are known for issues. Filling a 4 RAM slots on any brand of Mobo can cause issues. Your best solution would be to purchase 2X2 GB matched pair of PC6400. It is also a possibility that the Nvidia Mobo doesn't like OCZ RAM. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently. Last edited by Tyree; 07-10-2009 at 11:38 AM.

07-10-2009, 01:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Yutai Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows xp	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Well that sucks. Lol. Thanks! I'll probably just pick up two 2 gig sticks and go with that.

07-10-2009, 05:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,566 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Nvidia makes great graphics cards. For great Mobo's use Asus/Gigabyte. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

07-11-2009, 11:12 AM	#5 (permalink)
Yutai Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows xp	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Update! So I went out and got 2 x 2 GB PC26400 RAM sticks (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820220335) Put in the first stick in the 1st slot and it passes Memtest. Put the second stick in the 3rd slot and it fails Memtest. (When it fails it doesn't give me an error, the computer just restarts like 3 seconds after the test starts.) Is it the stick? Should I return it? Should I try putting both the sticks in the 2nd and 4th slots and see if that works instead? This is so frustrating! EDIT: Checking to see if the stick works in the 1st slot. If my 3rd slot is messed up... something is going to die <_< Last edited by Yutai; 07-11-2009 at 11:18 AM.

07-11-2009, 11:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,566 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Are you using Memtest86+? Did you try the OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) sticks in slots 1 & 3? I'm betting the Mobo is defective. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

07-11-2009, 11:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
Yutai Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows xp	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Ugh!! I know rite?! I'm using Memtest86+ I had the OCZ RAM in the 1st and 3rd slots and all was good. (passed test) But I still wanted 4 gigs so went out and got the 2 x 2 GB. I dunno what's up, both sticks work in the 1st slot. I'm going to try 1st and 3rd slots again. Maybe I failed a little bit at installing it or something... I also tried to put the sticks in the 2nd and 4th slots but I was having a hard time installing the RAM in the 2nd slot. It wouldn't go in quite right. (PS These sticks are painful to push down )

07-11-2009, 12:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,566 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail The Mobo is apparently good if the OCZ worked. That's a good thing. Looks like it's down user error (improper install) or defective RAM. Actually, you probably won't see a lot of performance difference between the 2GB and 4GB of RAM. I always suggest 4GB because DDR2 is so cheap now. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

07-11-2009, 12:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
Yutai Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows xp	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Thanks for all your help! The 4 GB of RAM in the 1st and 3rd slots fail the Memtest86+ consistently... So I tried running the old version and it's doing well. If this fails I'll just put in the 2 GB, return the Patriot sticks and call it a day.

07-12-2009, 04:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,527 OS: Win7	Re: 2nd and 4th slots cause Memtest fail Also what voltage are the sticks rated to run and what voltage is the motherboard set to run them at? __________________ Power Supply and Selection