P5B-Deluxe no longer boots my Crucial at stock ? :(

[n91htmare]

I've run into a weird problem I did not have before.

I have the 10th anniversary edition of Crucial Balistix ram. It is rated at 3-3-3 2.2V.

When I first got the ram, It would boot find at 1.8V (Default for p5B), I would go into bios and changed it to the rated 2.2v.
I've had it runing DDR 920 for 4 months now.
I decided to mess around with my computer to see if I can push my clocks higher. I'm hitting a wall at 481 so I have to reset my bios.

BUT, my sticks no longer post when I reset bios because it resets mem to 1.8V stock. This is VERY VERY annoying because I have to borrow a stick of DDR2, go into bios, and change it to 2.2V.

What caused the ram to no longer boot at 1.8V? or whatever the stock p5b is.

I stopped trying to mess around with the board because if I reset the bios again, i'd have to borrow a stick of ram just to get started.

By the way, when the ram is at 2.2V, it will do DDR 950+ no problem. I've ran memtest and test # 5 over night. Mem is fully stable at 2.2V.

Is there some thing board to make the default higher?

Thanks in advance.

[n91htmare]

no one knows whats up?

[xgman]

This is the common effect of running ram at over 2v for any length of time. It happens that on a great deal of ram, especially micron based lately, that after a while 1.8ish is only enough to boot one sick and then later no sticks will boot at default. The workaround is to have a single stick of elcheapo ddr667 available for getting into the bios and saving the higher vdim and then switching back. I find it inexcusable that we are subjected to memory makers that guaranty and even recommend high ram at higher volts, and MB makers insisting on spec'ing default at 1.8v with no concern as to the effect of this "higher" end ram needing more volts. This probably represents a good portion of rma's of both MB's and Ram, yet no one seems willing to do anything about it, yet. This would be easily solved if MB's had an optional bios that would be used for owners of such higher end ram that uses more volts at default. There really is no way to protect your ram from this if you run at 2.3v or more. I used to think it was 2.3v, but now I see even yours at 2.2v and I suspect there may be a few cases at even 2.1v. Ram gets conditioned to need the voltage supplied over a period of time and looses it's ability to even post at default after a while. This happens not 100% of the time, but at an alarming rate nonetheless.

by the way, I supose if you did a vdim mod to make the board boot higher, that would fix it, but that really shouldn't be the answer as far as I am concerned.

[n91htmare]

I think we need to send a message for that special bios.

I don't mind doing the Vdimm mod, but not for another few months. I don't want to void my warranty, I shouldn't have to.

[nealh]

hmm..this is very interesting...how long did this take to occur

I have 10th anniv crucial I wa running for about at 1mo at 2.2v and messed with my bios and I could not get it to boot again..

I think I pooched my bios though but in reality maybe it is my ram not wanting to go back to 1.8v

[itznfb]

yea, this happens on most P5B Dlxs

[xgman]

This happened to me at 2.4ishv on 2 680i's, p5b dlx, p5n32-E sli Plus and P5B Premium, with ocz micron based ram as well as crucial micron based ram. It is a real effect and as far as I'm concerened needs to be addressed. It is in both the MB and Mem manufacturers interest to cut down on some of the RMA's. I think the amount of time for this effect to set in will vary from case to case, but it starts as having to boot with one stick to set vdimm.

[nealh]

damn..I did in my case try a stick of KVR (1.8v) but it would not boot which is why I RMAed the board and I was unable to my knoweldege ever clear the CMOS on my RD600( I tried everything..one stick, 2 sticks all the slots etc)

hmm..wonder if I should try the crucial first or just the kvr DDR667 stick first..I wonder if my crucial is sort of burned in at 2.2v....I not a fan of burn but sounds like this maybe a real issue on the ram

[ziddey]

I had this happen to a pair of firestix (d9gmh) on a ds3. It'd only want to boot 1.8v off one stick and I had to fiddle with different slots until it finally posted. Then it wouldn't even run at 2.1v.

[Ace-a-Rue]

i have never experienced this problem with ram as described above and i have jammed the volts up the arse of my sticks!..it has to be a voltage regulation problem with the board.

[xgman]

I guess it is possible that a number of boards are undervolting vdimm in a cleared cmos state just enough to not let some ram boot, but in my testing I have definitely found that running ram at moderately high vdimm over a period of time conditions the ram to need higher than default vdimm to post. The ram I have used will still overclock and run fine once the proper vdim is assigned however. Again, this effect will vary in the amount of time it takes based upon the level of the vdimm and also probably depends on how any random MB holds default vdimm in a cleared cmos state. If your MB ovevolts the ram alittle, you may never see this effect or you may have some particulary "hardy" ram. The point is that 1.8v is on the edge of not booting and maybe is simply too low to be a reliable standard for todays batch of ddr2 especially seeing how high end ram typically warranties a much higher vdimm level.

[n91htmare]

I took this up with crucial, the tech told me that the ram is rated at 2.2V. As far as they were concerned, it should be working fine at 2.2v, I sorta agree with him.
It's the damn Mobo companies who keep making 1.8 the default. Atleast have a special bios for us suckers who bought 2.2v ram .

[xgman]

I don't see why the bios can't read the default voltage of the ram and default boot at that voltage. It seems like it's a case of finger pointing.

[ziddey]

default voltage of ram for ddr2 is speced by jedec as 1.8v. there are those boards that can read epp profiles and adjust for the higher profiles, but those are premium boards and nub feature and even then won't guarantee anything since default is epp off anyway

[xgman]

I received some new DDR1200 ram today from Team. Right on the sticker it says 2.35-2.45v. Now how in the heck is 1.8v jedec or shmadec at 1.8 going to be enough for those guys? Something is way wrong with this whole picture.

[Ace-a-Rue]

you must mean 2.35-2.45v!..RIGHT?

[xgman]

you must mean 2.35-2.45v!..RIGHT?

ooops, corrected.

[Aldy402]

happened to me as well
I just did a full cmos clear(took out battery)
and then booted with just 1 stick, add the 2nd stick later