Mobo + RAM help

[Brodie0854]

Hello,
I've recently bought a ASUS P5Q SE2 motherboard and chose some RAM that i thought was compatible, the RAM i chose was the Kingston Hyper X Performance KHX6400D2T1K2/2G. Looking through the RAM listed in the MOBO booklet and on the ASUS website i cant see this RAM listed and im now concerned that the RAM ive bought is incompatible with the MOBO.

Here are links to the specs on each of the parts, as im a new member on this forum im unable to have any URLs in my post so please put the WWW before the below addresses, both are for DABS.COM and are clean.

Motherboard: .dabs.com/products/asus-s775-intel-p45-atx-a-l-pci-e-5D26.html
RAM: .dabs.com/products/kingston-2gb--2x1gb--hyper-x-t1-800mhx-5D1X.html

Thanks in advance

Brodie

 

[dividebyzero]

Kingston's memory configurator seems to point to RAM with a latency of CAS 6
http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/con...+SE2+Motherboard&distributor=0&submit1=Search
But a quick search of Corsair and Crucial (shown here) http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=P5Q SE2
Shows that the board will accept a wider range of RAM than is in the Asus QVL.
If the RAM package is unopened and you can return it then re-post and I'll list some RAM that is known to work with the board.
If you want to try to get the RAM working on the board then you will need to enter the motherboards BIOS and manually set the timings (not a big deal) as the automatic (JEDEC) timing embedded in the RAM will only run at DDR2-667 speed and not the DDR2-800 speed you have paid for- this is not a particularly big deal either if you are using a CPU with a 1333MHz FSB as the CPU and RAM are synchronous (i.e. 1:1 ratio) which offers the best troublefree/performance point.
(i.e.
1333MHz FSB is what called the 'quad-pumped'*-Your true Core frequency is 333MHz, while your RAM is DDR (Dual Data Rate) so halve the DDR2 speed to get the true rate: 667/2 =333MHz)

Kingston usually work with most motherboards so there's a nore than reasonable chance the RAM will work OK.
Post back once you've decided on a course of action.



*information is passed at the peak, trough and zeroes of each clock cycle, so 4 cycles per 1 cpu core clock cycle

 

[Puiu]

The RAM you have should no problems with that MB and at it's normal speed.
Try what dividebyzero (who gave a bit too much advanced info for a beginner to use - but i liked that) said: set the timings and voltage manually in your bios. if it still doesn't work then it's best to ask for a replacement.
Also if there is an bios update available then that could help you with compatibility.

PS: does only 1GB of RAM work? try only using one of the 2 sticks at a time. sometimes one of them is faulty.

 

[Brodie0854]

Kingston's memory configurator seems to point to RAM with a latency of CAS 6
.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/modelsinfo.asp?id=2&SysID=52007&mfr=ASUS%2FASmobile&model=P5Q+SE2+Motherboard&search_type=&root=us&LinkBack=.kingston.com&Sys=52007-ASUS%2FASmobile-P5Q+SE2+Motherboard&distributor=0&submit1=Search
But a quick search of Corsair and Crucial (shown here) .crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=P5Q%20SE2
Shows that the board will accept a wider range of RAM than is in the Asus QVL.
If the RAM package is unopened and you can return it then re-post and I'll list some RAM that is known to work with the board.
If you want to try to get the RAM working on the board then you will need to enter the motherboards BIOS and manually set the timings (not a big deal) as the automatic (JEDEC) timing embedded in the RAM will only run at DDR2-667 speed and not the DDR2-800 speed you have paid for- this is not a particularly big deal either if you are using a CPU with a 1333MHz FSB as the CPU and RAM are synchronous (i.e. 1:1 ratio) which offers the best troublefree/performance point.
(i.e.
1333MHz FSB is what called the 'quad-pumped'*-Your true Core frequency is 333MHz, while your RAM is DDR (Dual Data Rate) so halve the DDR2 speed to get the true rate: 667/2 =333MHz)

Kingston usually work with most motherboards so there's a nore than reasonable chance the RAM will work OK.
Post back once you've decided on a course of action.



*information is passed at the peak, trough and zeroes of each clock cycle, so 4 cycles per 1 cpu core clock cycle

Hiya thanks for your reply,

to be honest with you ive never done any PC Building before and im doing alot of this for the first time, ive never installed a new MOBO and have never had any cause to go messing around in the BIOS, in fact just the phrase BIOS makes me nervous, the least i go poking around inside it the better, if i can get a stable system by not altering any of the RAM options in it i'd prefer to do that,
The RAM package is open, but i can sell it on eBay easily i suppose and buy another one you recommend, if it means that there will be none of the scary BIOS stuff you've just mentioned!

The CPU im using is the: Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 S775 2.8GHz
Stats here: (Please add the WWW) .dabs.com/products/intel-core-2-duo-e7400-s775-2-8ghz-5FCG.html

The RAM you have should no problems with that MB and at it's normal speed.
Try what dividebyzero (who gave a bit too much advanced info for a beginner to use - but i liked that) said: set the timings and voltage manually in your bios. if it still doesn't work then it's best to ask for a replacement.
Also if there is an bios update available then that could help you with compatibility.

PS: does only 1GB of RAM work? try only using one of the 2 sticks at a time. sometimes one of them is faulty.

Hello and thanks for your reply,
The system im building is still untested, ive bough a new case, mobo, graphics card, CPU and RAM and im going to use the optical drives and HDD from this PC when im ready (still waiting on my OS to arrive) im going to completely wipe the HDD using DBAN and plug all the parts together and install Windows 7 on it.

So im presuming that the RAM sticks both work, my concerns about compatibility are just based on the fact that of the listed RAM in the mobo handbook and on the ASUS and Kingston website, my chosen RAM isnt listed.

Brodie

EDIT:

I suppose in theory if told which options in the BIOS im to look out for and what figures i would need to alter them too, it wouldnt be so scary, that is if its a simple as that. But still, ideally i would prefer some RAM i could just slot in and forget about.

 

[Puiu]

I don't think you should worry about RAM compatibility. just test it and you'll see. the hyper-x series is well supported by manufactures because it's a popular product.

 

[dividebyzero]

Optimizing your BIOS values is a walk in the park. Optimizing RAM timings and voltage is just a matter of placing a handful of values where there were once Auto settings- 9 numbers in all.Probably around 5-10 minutes max.
Changing BIOS settings only becomes problematic if there is a genuine problem with the hardware settings or settings are changed that shouldn't be. We aim to avoid that by giving detailed instructions on what to do and what you are likely to be seeing in front of you when you do alter anything.
Having said that, if you are happy re-selling your RAM and buying (what should be) a set-and-forget set of modules then here's a list of 4Gb RAM kits that are known to work with your motherboard.

Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5 (XMS2 Series)
Corsair TW2X4G6400C5PRO
Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX (Dominator series)
Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX (Dominator series)
Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C7 (XMS2 series)
Corsair CMD4GX2M2A1066C5 (Dominator series)
Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C5D (Dominator series)
Crucial CT2KIT25664AA800
Crucial CT2KIT25664AA1067
Crucial Ballistix Tracer BL2KIT25664AL80A
Crucial Ballistix Tracer BL2KIT25664AR80A
Crucial Ballistix BL2KIT25664AA80A
G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-4GBHK
G.Skill F2-8800CL5D-4GBPI (Pi Trident series)
G.Skill F2-8800CL5Q-4GBPI (Pi Trident series)
G.Skill F2-9600CL6D-4GBRH (Ripjaw series)
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
G.Skill F2-6400CL6D-4GBNQ
G.Skill F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK
G.Skill F2-6400CL6D-4GBMQ
G.Skill F2-8500CL5D-4GBPQ
G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK
Kingston KVR800D2N6K2/4G (ValueRAM series)
OCZ OCZ2P8004GK (Platinum Edition)
OCZ OCZ2G8004GK (Gold Edition)
OCZ OCZ2G10664GK (Gold Edition)
OCZ OCZ2P10664GK (Platinum Edition)

Corsair has an embedded profile called XMP which the motherboard detects and will set the values automatically -I'm guessing that's music to your ears!
Crucial also has an embedded profile (called EPP) -but this needs to be set manually. The RAM will however run automatically at DDR2-667 speed.
G.Skill and OCZ also need to be set manually, will also run at DDR2-667 automatically, but have no other embedded profile.
All the modules listed carry a lifetime warranty.
I personally use Crucial Ballistix as they are very reliable, stable and have a very low percentage of D.O.A. modules. The down side is that they aren't the cheapest.
Corsair are more or less the easiest to install (as you may have guessed already)-the downside is that there is quite a variance between many versions of the same part number and quality control can be a little hit and miss.

 

[dividebyzero]

...the hyper-x series is well supported by manufactures because it's a popular product.

Agreed. Kingston is the RAM of choice of most motherboard manufacturers when they test new chipsets or board models

 

[Tedster]

always only by RAM that is listed in the manual. Anything else and you're gambling.

 

[dividebyzero]

always only by RAM that is listed in the manual. Anything else and you're gambling.

Either way it's a gamble.
Case in point
Corsair is one of the most widely used desktop RAM. It appears in the QVL of virtually every desktop board manufacture, yet suffers compatibility problems even though it is "tested compatible".
Why is this?
Because Corsair use a variety of memory chips within the same model/part number. They differentiate this by adding a version number to the module. The version number is NOT part of the modules part number. I chose Corsair because they appear on the QVL of every desktop motherboard manufacturer
Here's a small selection -and by no means complete:
CM2XP1024-6400
........................XMS640X v1.X...MICRON.......64Mx8...Rev.A

CM2X1024-6400
........................XMS640X v1.X...MICRON.......64Mx8...Rev.A
........................XMS640X v2.X...ELPIDA........64Mx8...Rev.E
........................XMS640X v4.X...QIMONDA....64Mx8...Rev.B
........................XMS640X v5.X...PROMOS.....64MX8...90nm
........................XMS640X v6.X...NANYA.........64Mx8...Rev.B
........................XMS640X v7.X...PSC.............64MX8...90nm

CM2X1024-6400D
........................XMS640X v2.X...PROMOS........64MX8...90nm
........................XMS640X v3.X...ELPIDA..........64MX8...Rev.H
........................XMS640X v4.X...QIMONDA.......64MX8...Rev.C
........................XMS640X v5.X...MICRON.........64Mx8...Rev.D

CM2X1024-6400PRO
........................XMS640X v1.X...MICRON.......64Mx8...Rev.A
........................XMS640X v2.X...ELPIDA........64Mx8...Rev.E
........................XMS640X v3.X...QIMONDA.....64Mx8...Rev.B
........................XMS640X v5.X...NANYA.........64Mx8...Rev.B

CM2X2048-6400C5
........................XMS640X v2.X...QIMONDA......128Mx8
........................XMS640X v3.X...PSC.............128Mx8
........................XMS640X v4.X...MICRON........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v5.X...PSC.............128Mx8

Twin2x4096-6400C5
........................XMS640X v1.X...MICRON........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v2.X...QIMONDA......128Mx8
........................XMS640X v3.X...ELPIDA.........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v4.X...MICRON........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v5.X...PSC.............128Mx8


Twin2x2048/4096-6400C5DHX
........................XMS640X v1.X...MICRON........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v2.X...QIMONDA......128Mx8
........................XMS640X v3.X...ELPIDA.........128Mx8
........................XMS640X v4.X...PSC.............128Mx8

Incidentally, this information cannot be found on Corsair's website- nor is it distributed by Corsair. The full list is being compiled by regular joe's like me and many others in a number of forums to get people with RAM incompatibility problems (including ourselves) a solution.

As a reference here is Gigabyte's P45 DDR2 Memory QVL
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/MemorySupport/motherboard_memory_ga-ep45-ds4p.pdf
Notice that the memory IC p/n is missing in Corsair's module listings in many cases.
I consider myself to well schooled in dealing with memory modules and this defeats people who have significantly greater knowledge than I have- including the people to qualify RAM.

Corsair are kind enough to label their memory IC vendor.
Crucial's memory chips are all Micron but like G.Skill, Super Talent, A-Data, Mushkin, OCZ, Kingston, Geil, Aeneon, PQI, Kingmax, Patriot and Transcend, amongst others decline to differentiate their modules based on the chip vendor, IC part number, or in some cases rank and single side/double side configuration.

At the top of Gigabytes QVL list it states in large red type
"Memory modules listed below are for reference only. Due to massive memory models on the market, we can only verify some of them"

Asustek's motherboard memory QVL does not even list the manufacturer of the memory IC's , let alone a part number.

Following Brodie's Memory QVL for the P5Q-SE2 , there are four options available to him for a 4Gb matched set. They are:
DDR2-800
Kingston KVR800D2N6/4G (Elpida E2108ABSE-8G-E, tested but Asus have a ? instead of the latency value. Included in the above list I gave)
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ (Unknown memory IC, CL5. Included in the above list I gave)
Samsung M378T5263AZ3-CF7 (Samsung K4T2G084QA-HCF7, CL6, Obsolete part number, not available from newegg, tiger direct etc.)
Buy from http://www.excaliberpc.com/593188/samsung-memory-4g-ddr2-800.html ($142 + shipping, + tax, warranty not listed)
http://www.pc2buy.com/34801/samsung-memory-4g-ddr2-800.html ($145 + shipping, +tax, warranty not listed)
http://www.pinnaclemicro.com/computer/parts.php?g=M378T5263AZ3-CF7&elink=sasfile ($190 + shipping and tax, 90 day warranty)
DDR2-667
Samsung M378T5263AZ3-CE6 (Samsung K4T2G084QA-HCE6, CL5, Obsolete part number)
http://www.upgradebay.com/c1_itemdetail.asp?rid=9&itemid=168783363 ($495 + shipping and tax, warranty not listed)- No other listings for this RAM
The 4Gb Apacer 78.A1GA0.9K4 is also listed in the QVL but seems to be sold exclusively in Southern and Eastern Europe.