Computer freezing after start up F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

[ldouble_e]

I have a computer I built myself. It was running fine for almost six months until recently. I had one GSkill F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK and one F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK installed and it ran great. Then after a while I would try to go on my computer and find it frozen. Restart, ran great. Then a couple of weeks ago it started freezing within a few minutes after start up. I did some troubleshooting and discovered that my ASUS P5Q mobo didn't list the 4GB sticks at all and the 2GB sticks were only listed as supported in a dual channel single module configuration. So I yanked out the 4GB and ran only the 2GB which ran without issue. I ordered new ram that was listed on the QVL as being supported in dual channel multiple module. The new ram is two F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ for a total of 8GB 4 sticks CL5-5-5-15 1.8~1.9V. As soon as I installed this ram and booted the system I got the same problem of a frozen system within minutes after start up. I did a bunch of reading on these forums and did some troubleshooting on my own. Nothing was working until I set my FSB Freq to 200MHz and my DRAM freq to 800MHz. I also bumped my DRAM volts to 1.90 and upped the NB volts to 1.26. The system ran great for two days. Today I return home to a frozen computer. When I restart the Bios message says I'm running 8xxxMB at DDR2 453MHz. I enter Bios and my DRAM freq had changed from what I set it to 800MHz to 453 or somewhere in there. I tried to change it back to 800 but my options where 833MHz or 770MHz until I adjusted the FSB freq to 400MHz. Then I had all the options back to go up to 1330 but they were off by one number 1331, 801 etc. I changed bios to FSB 400 and DRAm to 801 and it still froze. I now have it all set back to auto and I'm running in safe mode with networking which doesn't freeze. Could someone help me out here please. I'm trying to solve this but no luck so far. Here is what my Timing and freqs are set at with everything in auto which causes the freezing as well.

FSB 333
PCIe 100
FSB strap to NB auto
tCL - 5CL
tRCD - 5
tRP - 5
tRAS - 15
tRRD - 3
tRFC - 52
tWR - 6
tRTP - 3

CPU Volt - Auto
CPU PLL Volt - Auto
FSB Termination volt - Auto
DRAM Volt - Auto
NB Volt - Auto
SB Volt - Auto
PCIe SATA Volt - Auto
load line cal - auto
cpu spread spectrum - auto
PCIE spread spectrum - Auto

System:
MOBO - ASUS P5Q with P45 chipset
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz with 45nm
Gskill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ CL5-5-5-15 1.8~1.9V (x2)
PSU - StarTech ATX 12V 2.01 550Watts
GPU - Nividia GeForce 9600GT 512Mb 256bit
HDD - Western Digital 600GB 7200RPM SATA
CD/DVD ROMs (x2)
Card Reader

Bios Version 2.61 revision 0506

Any help is appreciated greatly!

[G.SKILL]

ldouble_e,

would you like to test each set separately to check if one set is defective or it's compatible issue with 4 sticks?
try to set DRAM Volt - 1.90v,NB Volt - 1.40v to see if it helps
if it still can't work wuth 4 sticks, please send back to us, we'll replace you with one set of F2-6400CL5Q-8GBPQ, which is tested with 4 sticks together
thanks


G.S

[EnJoY]

Try setting DRAM voltage to 1.95v and TRFC to 54.

[Tradesman]

Might also kick up tRFC to 54-58, if you're wanting to run at 1066, which it appears, they are offering a slower RAM 6400=800RAM

[ldouble_e]

I tried adjusting the DRAM volts to 1.90 and the FSB to 1.40. The computer still froze after start-up. Tested all four sticks with memtest+86 overnight passed all tests 15 or more times. Now I am testing each stick on its own. After that I will try to increase the voltage to 1.95 and tRFC to 55 as I only have options in the 50's range for 50, 55, or 60. tRFC at 52 is in auto. If none of this works I guess I'll return the sticks for the 8GB pack. I don't understand how it can test good and still cause a freezing issue or even why it ran for so long on incompatible ram before it really got bad? I'm also wondering why it was running fine but then the Bios decided to change the numbers on its own while in manual mode? It ran so nice with the FSB set at 200 DRAm at 800 and 1.9V with NB at 1.26V. Now the Bios won't even allow me to do this. As soon as I change the FSB to 200MHz my highest option for DRAM is 812 I think, but it wants to run it at 453MHZ or around there.

One stick finished testing and is good. On to stick 2 of 4.

[GSKILL TECH]

this doesnt sound right. it looks like it is memory issue.
try to do this, go into your bios and load the optimize default and save it
load up windows and see any problem or not

[Tradesman]

If the BIOS numbers changed on their own, you may want to try a newCMOS battery (or borrow one from another system) and go to your prior settings, where it was running good. Could also check out the PSU, it could be fluctuating, indicating upcoming failure.

[ldouble_e]

Update

Well I ran memtest+86 on each individual stick in each slot. All tested good. When I said the numbers changed all it changed was my DRAM MHz from 800 to 453. Everything else was where I put it. From what I have read else where that is normal and the fact that it didn't change initially is weird? I tried running Dram 1.96V with NB at 1.40V and also upped tRFC to 55. Same deal the system freezes. You can set your watch by the freeze up. It happens at exactly 3 minutes after start-up is complete. If I run Gskill 2GB 1066MHz dual channel single module there are absolutely no issues. This to me rules out the PSU and says I have a RAM issue. The mother board QVL lists this Ram in multiple modules as tested good. I also selected "load optimized" in bios with the same results. 3 minutes frozen. I've asked for advice on the frequency settings several times with no help so I'm thinking that is my problem. My CPU is a 3.0GHz E8400 which has a default multiplier of 9. So my FSB should run at 333MHz to get to 3.0GHz. It is an ASUS board so no A,B,C but it adjusts the Dram freq to match what speed it will run at. That is why my numbers changed. At 200MHz FSB I essentially under clocked my cpu to 1.8GHz to get my ram to run right at 800MHz. My last option is to reinstall my floppy drive and flash my Bios to the latest version. I can't seem to get any help with my Frequencies on here and I have to read OCZ Forums where people understand BIOS and Frequencies but are using a different brand of Ram. If the bios flash doesn't work I'm sending back all 20GB of Ram I purchased and switching Brands.

Also my Cmos Battery is not a problem. The board is less than a year old and only one number changed which it was supposed to. This is basic ASUS motherboard knowledge I guess? A bad CMOS battery would also cause my clock to be set several years into the future which it did not. I'm still in 2009 with the correct time.

[Tradesman]

Try setting the FSB to 333 (stock for your CPU) and then on the RAM set the speed to manual and 1066. It's sounding as if you have the cpu/RAM in linked mode, there should be an UNLINKED MODE IN THE BIOS. Do you have the vanilla P5Q or one of the off takes (i.e. Deluxe, Pro, Pro Premium, SE, etc)
Believe in the P5Q it's under the AI tweaker

[G.SKILL]

Try setting the FSB to 333 (stock for your CPU) and then on the RAM set the speed to manual and 1066. It's sounding as if you have the cpu/RAM in linked mode, there should be an UNLINKED MODE IN THE BIOS. Do you have the vanilla P5Q or one of the off takes (i.e. Deluxe, Pro, Pro Premium, SE, etc)
Believe in the P5Q it's under the AI tweaker

LINKED/ UNLINKED MODE is only for Nvidia chipset, we don't hink there is a such mode in P5Q series


to ldouble_e,
make sure you set AI tweaker to Manual, not AI NOS
AI NOS would overclock itself
if 4 sticks still can't work together, please send back to us
we could replace you with F2-6400CL5Q-8GBPQ, which is tested with 4 sticks together
thanks


G.S

[ldouble_e]

Giving up

Ok Tradesman I am running the vanilla P5Q although at this point I almost wish it was Pro or Deluxe. I tried looking for something to unlink the CPU to the ram in AI tweaker but no luck. The only thing remotely close is the FSB strap to NB which I also tried setting to 333MHz 266MHz and 200MHz all with no luck. Gskill I was setting the AI tweaker to manual and also tried disabling everything that said it would improve stability or the ability to OC. Still nothing changed. I gave up on the Ram for the most part and I'm still milling around the idea of flashing the BIOS. I took out the 4 sticks of F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ and put in the stuff I was replacing because I couldn't run it in 8GB. So I installed two sticks or one module of F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK 1066MHz. The computer froze with this ram as well, but I also noticed that even after setting tweaker to normal this 1066 stuff was showing up as 800MHZ. Went into Tweaker and set DRAM freq to 1066, tRFC to 55, Dram Volts to 2.10 and NB to 1.26V. Saved and exited and I'm now running on a stable system with no freezing. So this has to be either some Ram setting I'm goofing up, the Ram sticks not compatible with each other (although they passed the memtest), or my bios is out of date to support this Ram? I may try to flash the bios tonight. In the mean time do I just go E-mail the RMA people or how do I start the replacement process to get a set of 8GBPQ and return my two 4GBPQ's?

[GSKILL TECH]

when you use F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK at 1066, there is no problem to run. but if you change back to DDR2 800, computer freezes? please don't give up. i think i know what is the problem now

[Tradesman]

Linked is a bad term, but it sounds as if your RAM Speed is tied to your FSB, when you want both set manually. Just got in will pull a manual after I eat and knockout some paperwork and be back in a bit later this evening.

[ldouble_e]

Outstanding, I can't wait to hear back from both of you.

[ldouble_e]

Freezing up again

The computer has been running great with the 4gb of 1066 RAM since the "Giving up Post". Today it started freezing again and there were no changes to BIOS. It just started to do it out of nowhere. The computer had been running since the 1066MHz ram was put in. It just suddenly froze while I was looking at newegg.com. Now it freezes 3 minutes after start-up again. Just like before. What is going on with my system? I can change the ram and it works great for a while. Then out of nowhere it goes right back to the same problem before. I would almost rule out the ram at this point. It keeps happening no matter what ram I put in it. I would also wonder why it freezes at exactly 3 minutes every time. Do you have any suggestions?