Ram question with new gaming system...

Hey all,

I'm new to this forum, but I'm glad I found it, if anyone is going to be able to help me out, I'm sure it's one of you guys here.

I just bought all new stuff to build a good gaming machine. Here are the specs:

Gigabyte- GA7n400 pro2
Gigabyte nvidia 5950 ultra video card (256megs)
2 Western digital Raptors (74 gigs at 10,000rpms)
2 512 sticks of Kingston Hyper X series RAM
AMD 2500+ (going to overclock to 3200+)
Silent boost CPU fan

My problem is a RAM issue. This motherboard supports dual channel memory. If I run my ram in dual channel, I just get random blue screens and whatnot. I tried running both sticks, but not in dual channel, and I still get the lock ups. I pulled one of the sticks out, and it's running great. The only thing I haven't checked yet is to see if the other stick of ram is maybe bad. If that stick isn't bad I don't know what else to do. Should I be looking for any kind of settings in the BIOS?

Also, I'm blown away by my video card. It has some great graphics, but I read a lot of reviews and people say they just "max all the settings and it just wants more". First thing I did after installing the drivers was put my game of choice on (Solder of Fortune 2). I maxed all the settings, and I noticed a little bit of lag. Is this just cause the game? Maybe cause I am only running 512 megs of RAM? Or could it be video card settings?

Any help would be great!
Thanks
Omega

There are programs out there to test memory i think one is called memtest86 ill check. It is very common for memory to be bad or be bad when you bought it. Also one of your memory banks could be bad too ill post again with the software to test the memory.

http://www.memtest86.com/ That is the test tool. In the factory and top technicians use a stand alone tester but those cost a grip. I just added that if you wondered how it would be done in a fast amount of time. Using the program takes a long amount of time.

Not sure on your RAM brand of chioce. Personally I always go with Corsair. That stuff works the best for me. It sounds like you have a nice setup though I would have used a better processor, Does the 2500 support dual channel RAM? That could be a problem. Also, make sure your motherboard is set up to run processors at higher speeds. Try slowing your processor down to normal speed and trying it if it isn't already.

As for your lag problem: I don't play that game so I am not sure on the graphics and requirements. Is the RAM stick you have in PC2700 DDR ? Is your RAM running to hot? What is the clock speed on your RAM? It doesnt matter how fast your graphics card and processor are or even how much RAm you have if your system needs it to act faster!

Email me if you have any questions and I will be glad to try and help: Corey@truceco.com.

Ahh Corsair I that is all I buy when it comes to DDR I bought 2 sticks of 256 DDR 400 and I had one of them bad that is why I said it is not uncommon for them to go bad. I have had them go bad at my school too. The Corsair is recommended for gamers though. Plus it looks good if you run them dubbled up!

Corsair is good for anything really. It is high-quality RAM built for operating with high end systems from gaming platforms to Corporate monitoring systems to servers to anything else.

PS SecureITGuy: Ram is one of the more stable things in computers when it comes to going bad before use. Your case study is nothing compared to the masses of statistics and expirements. Roughly 1 in every 100 sticks of average RAM goes bad before use. And 90% of this is due to bad handling or improper connections.

The ram that I bought is DDR400 (PC3200). I'm just reading that it is 200mhz. In the BIOS my RAM is set for 166mhz. Could this be part of it.

"Does the 2500 support dual channel RAM?" I've decided not to run the RAM in Dual Channel.

As for going with the 2500+ I've read all over the place that it's a great CPU for overclocking....So I thought I would give it a try...

Omega

Also....In the BIOS, I have one for AGP Frequenzy that is set to normal. Should I bring that up, it goes up to 100mhz.

One last thing, what should I set my clock ratio to? Right now it's just at automatic...

Omega

Hey guys, I could really use some help. If I try to run one stick of RAM, this sytem runs great. As soon as I put another stick in (Dual channel, or not) I get blue screen after blue screen, and the system just restarts like crazy . I'm really confused...what should I try. If I'm lacking information to help you guys figure this out, just let me know.

Thanks
Omega

Anyone...?


Omega

you should never mix and match different mhz of ram ... that is why its not working. check out your motherboard and see what mhz of ram it takes. The new ram you bought is 400mhz... you need to get the same type of mhz as the original ram that came with your computer. Its seems like your computer came with 166mhz ram. Take back that 400mhz ram and exchange it for a 166mhz stick if you can.

do not change your AGP or your clock ratio unless you know what u are doing.

hmmmm,

1: I didn't mix and match my RAM. I bought two sticks (the same thing) of DDR 400.

2: Both sticks of my RAM are 200mhz, not 400mhz.

and 3: My motherboard supports DDR 266/ 333/ 400.

Omega

I hope you get this worked out....make siure your motherboard isn't grounded to the case. Try starting your computer while it is totally out of the case. Set it out on cardboard or a table to make sure it doesn't catch fire.

166 corresponds to DDR333 (2 * 166 = approx 333, 2 * 200 = 400).

OK I know y ur having ur problem. Try putting your ram in slots 1 and 3 (leave the second one empty) these are the slots assigned for duel channel on most motherboards.

hope this helps