Ballistix PC8500

[brunormt]

Hi people.

My crucial 8500, came today, and just stared at 1000 cl4 with only 2.1v, so i think its very good for now.

More news, maybe tomorow.

[0rion]

My sticks just wigged out on me today, I was folding, and I got a BSOD. (running 4gb @ DDR2-851, 2.2v).. I shut the computer off, and felt the sticks... They nearly burned me. I Left the computer off for a while, and then booted up again, but put a fan in the case side to pull air in, almost on top of the sticks.

I ran memtest, and after is gave the BSOD it gave 58 errors before the 2% mark on only 1gb being tested. Its running DDR2-800 right now, 2.2v, and it hasn't given me any issues. I might be changing around some fan configurations, mine pulls the air from the ground up through my radiator into my case. I might do some rerouting, and pull air into the case from the front and back 120mms, and out through the bottom. It'd solve some problems...

[KTE]

Yeah the stock 2.2V sticks do run very hot even at 2.2V DDR2-800.

[TinTin]

Will it still do PL4 if you lower tRFC?

So only the Tracers did this?

I checked it last night with P5K-Premium, it does work with a pair of normal crucial Ballistix PC8500 too for PL=4.

[By0T0xN]

Hey guys fairly new poster to the forums but long time reader. I just recieved my rma'd 8500's yesterday and installed them. Curious thing I noticed when I ran Cpuz. The SPD page rates the new sticks @ EPP#1,400 and EPP#2,533 at a voltage of 2.00. Is this new stuff they shipped me that requires less vdimm to achieve rated speeds? I am running them @ 1095 2.1v right now and are stable. Anybody heard anything about this?

btw my last sticks lasted 3 months before one of the sticks crapped out on me.

[Zeus]

I checked it last night with P5K-Premium, it does work with a pair of normal crucial Ballistix PC8500 too for PL=4.

Thanks for your effort buddy.

Can you tell how you have set these settings in bios please:

Strap to northbridge
Dram static read control
Transaction booster
Vdimm
Vmch

Did it boot with PL=4 or did you set it manually by memset?

[zsamz_]

Hey guys fairly new poster to the forums but long time reader. I just recieved my rma'd 8500's yesterday and installed them. Curious thing I noticed when I ran Cpuz. The SPD page rates the new sticks @ EPP#1,400 and EPP#2,533 at a voltage of 2.00. Is this new stuff they shipped me that requires less vdimm to achieve rated speeds? I am running them @ 1095 2.1v right now and are stable. Anybody heard anything about this?

btw my last sticks lasted 3 months before one of the sticks crapped out on me.

the new stuff does indead require less volts

[KTE]

I'll see if mine can do PL4 at those clocks when I get another Intel chip. I've not bothered testing it yet.

Tintin: Have you ran EVEREST mem/cache and Pi at PL4, 5 and 6 to see if there's any difference?

[emoners]

the new stuff does indead require less volts

are the new one the ones without the clips on the heatspreaders?

[TinTin]

Thanks for your effort buddy.

Can you tell how you have set these settings in bios please:

Strap to northbridge
Dram static read control
Transaction booster
Vdimm
Vmch

Did it boot with PL=4 or did you set it manually by memset?

BIOS set or Memset, both work
Strap= 266MHz, since it is 2:3
Dram Static Control = Disable
Transcation Booster = Enable, Level = 2 ( 2 is Performance Level = 4 at such settings)
Vdimm = 2.55V
Vmch = 1.4V, have to raise a bit to stablise the system at such clocks

I'll see if mine can do PL4 at those clocks when I get another Intel chip. I've not bothered testing it yet.

Tintin: Have you ran EVEREST mem/cache and Pi at PL4, 5 and 6 to see if there's any difference?

Here are the results as you requested!

[KTE]

Thank you TinTin.

Very noticeable gains there. My Abit and Gigabyte didn't show any gain between PL 5 and 6 that I tested in EVERST so maybe it's the ASUS P35 mainly.

[TinTin]

Thank you TinTin.

Very noticeable gains there. My Abit and Gigabyte didn't show any gain between PL 5 and 6 that I tested in EVERST so maybe it's the ASUS P35 mainly.

Abit.......is it IP35pro? The MCH bar is locked by the manufacturer except BIOS 1.1, can't be changed by memset.

[KTE]

It's IP35-E Off Limits and Gigabyte P35 DS4 that I tested on.

[By0T0xN]

are the new one the ones without the clips on the heatspreaders?

the new ones do not have the clip like my last ones did. So yes new ones/no clip. It also looks like they used a different heat tape under the heatsinks. Looks to be thinner. Don't know how this will affect heat transfer. I'm guessing thinner means more heat tranfered to heatsink, less of a blanket so to speak.

I ran some prime95 tests using the blend option (knowing my core is stable @ 3.66 from previous tests) and unfortunately failed with lower voltages @ 1095mhz 5/5/5/15 w/ forced spd secondary settings . I tried 2.00v, no good, then 2.1v, again no good, so here I am at 2.2v stable 4 hrs on blend test. I also tried (thinking that spd rated lower 2.00v @ 1066 rated) 2.2v @ 1144mhz. Didn't like that one bit. Failed within 4mins. Tell you the truth this new batch is behaving just like the old batch. Tonight I'm going to give it another go using memtest86+ as stability test and try starting @ 2.00v and work my way up. I'd like to see what my lowest vdimm can be @ 1095mhz 5/5/5/15 and all other secondary settings @ auto. If any of you have some advice please chime in. I'd really appreciate it.

[Zeus]

Now this is becoming rather interesting.

I don't have a P5K Premium, i have a P5K-E wifi and i can't select transaction booster level 2, i was under the assumption it would be the same for both boards.

When i select Transaction booster enabled i can either choose Level 0 or 1, how many options does your bios give?

If you can only select 1 and 2 i think Asus just changed the numbers, like 0 (P5K-E)= 1 (Premium) and so on.

If you have 0, 1 and 2, something must be different and it's likely i cannot get PL=4 to work then.

PL seems to make quite a difference in bandwidth and latency, thanks for showing.

[TinTin]

Now this is becoming rather interesting.

I don't have a P5K Premium, i have a P5K-E wifi and i can't select transaction booster level 2, i was under the assumption it would be the same for both boards.

When i select Transaction booster enabled i can either choose Level 0 or 1, how many options does your bios give?

If you can only select 1 and 2 i think Asus just changed the numbers, like 0 (P5K-E)= 1 (Premium) and so on.

If you have 0, 1 and 2, something must be different and it's likely i cannot get PL=4 to work then.

PL seems to make quite a difference in bandwidth and latency, thanks for showing.

P5K-Premium has 0-3, from BIOS 402 and so on
Initial BIOS 204 gave 0,1 only

[Zeus]

P5K-Premium has 0-3, from BIOS 402 and so on
Initial BIOS 204 gave 0,1 only

Ah, ok, thanks.

That means i'm scr3wed.

Will see if i can get PL4 anyway but i don't think so, if i can, i'll report back.

[Baleful]

Wish I would have found this thread earlier lol. I've got 2 sticks that I used to run at 1250 @2.2v, they would pass memtest every time, but after a while I kept getting C1 errors and eventually just had to replace the RAM. Now i'm just waiting on a RMA. This RAM is weird, one minute it's fine, the next you're getting BSOD, then POST errors yet it'll pass memtest all day long. Never seen any RAM do this before.

[emoners]

the new ones do not have the clip like my last ones did. So yes new ones/no clip. It also looks like they used a different heat tape under the heatsinks. Looks to be thinner. Don't know how this will affect heat transfer. I'm guessing thinner means more heat tranfered to heatsink, less of a blanket so to speak.

I ran some prime95 tests using the blend option (knowing my core is stable @ 3.66 from previous tests) and unfortunately failed with lower voltages @ 1095mhz 5/5/5/15 w/ forced spd secondary settings . I tried 2.00v, no good, then 2.1v, again no good, so here I am at 2.2v stable 4 hrs on blend test. I also tried (thinking that spd rated lower 2.00v @ 1066 rated) 2.2v @ 1144mhz. Didn't like that one bit. Failed within 4mins. Tell you the truth this new batch is behaving just like the old batch. Tonight I'm going to give it another go using memtest86+ as stability test and try starting @ 2.00v and work my way up. I'd like to see what my lowest vdimm can be @ 1095mhz 5/5/5/15 and all other secondary settings @ auto. If any of you have some advice please chime in. I'd really appreciate it.

that's strange, so are my sticks...kinda having a hard time getting higher clocks at low voltages...

[Lumske]

So thats my highest clock on those ram ever. wasent stabil thoe. didnt even had time to open superpi before it reboted.

[brunormt]

I have them at 2,1v cl5 in 1200mhz.

Of course i´ve seen very threads and toped a 80mm noiseblecker to certify that they stay cool.

[KTE]

I have them at 2,1v cl5 in 1200mhz.

If that's the case then you should do 2.2V DDR2-1300 easy and 2.4V should be above DDR2-1400 CAS5. Can you try this please?

[S1mon-]

My sticks get very hot, so I ordered the OCZ RAM cooling unit... They start showing errors on Memtest at 140% with DDR2-1200 5-5-4-9 @ 2,2V

[BTK]

Crucial RAM currently on blowout/overstock prices @ Newegg!

2x1GB PC2-6400 Ballastix - $50 (After $25 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148076

2x1GB PC2-6400 Tracers - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148076

2x1GB PC2-8500 Ballastix - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148069

2x1GB PC2-8500 Tracers - $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148070

I remember when 4GB of PC2-6400 MicronD9GMH/GKX was around $400 but now you can get that for $125!

---------

I can say I do have a stick of PC2-6400 Ballastix that won't do 510 MHz 5-5-5 @2.2V

Currently running my other PC2-6400 sticks 4-4-4-12 450 MHz 2.1V

I might invest in more If I didn't have a 32 Bit OS.

[brunormt]

If that's the case then you should do 2.2V DDR2-1300 easy and 2.4V should be above DDR2-1400 CAS5. Can you try this please?

I haven´t had many time to test them, sorry

But, because you asked, i tried the 1300, and i only could get them stable at 2,3v. But i think it´s a problem with the divider 5:8. I need to change my cpu because it´s a black hole at 400.