Ballistix 2GB set no good?

Nocturnal · 12-13-2005, 03:32 PM

I have read the reviews over at Newegg about this particular set working for a few weeks then dying out all of a sudden. What's going on, is it just a bad batch? I'm really looking to buy this set but not if it's going to crap out on me.

**Major** · 12-13-2005, 04:14 PM

I've had two different sets go bad on me, but both were running at 290+ and 2.9v. I'm not real sure if there are any problems with them as long as the Vdimm is kept below 2.8v, IMO its a combination of high mhz and Vdimm that is doing them in.

**uOpt** · 12-13-2005, 04:23 PM

The dfi-street.com forums have a huge thread on it (and several smaller threads started by write-only members...).

The outcome there was that a bad batch is in circulation and somebody said he knew it was bad PCBs.

Here on XS most people in the 2x 1GB database bought their kits before that bad batch, so the impression is different.

**sirkuz** · 12-13-2005, 04:31 PM

out of the 11 sticks I have received only 1 has kept working after a month, 3 are currently being exchanged right now. Initial order was back in early September and so far is has been an RMAfest

. Wonder how long before they offer me a different brand to try? LOL

**xgman** · 12-14-2005, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by sirkuz

out of the 11 sticks I have received only 1 has kept working after a month, 3 are currently being exchanged right now. Initial order was back in early September and so far is has been an RMAfest

. Wonder how long before they offer me a different brand to try? LOL

ouch.

**Aerou** · 12-15-2005, 08:02 AM

today the Ballistix are a bit crap,
dont think of running them without active cooling, even on stock settings,
and also they max out at 280 (some even worse) and mostly die,
RMAed mine twice in two months!

is this the best that Micron has to offer???

**uOpt** · 12-15-2005, 08:48 AM

I see no evidence whatsoever that active cooling improves the situation with apparently > 50% of sticks going bad lately.

It has been hinted that this bad PCBs, cooling the outside of the heatspreaders certainly won't do anything there.

**ozzimark** · 12-15-2005, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Martin Cracauer

It has been hinted that this bad PCBs, cooling the outside of the heatspreaders certainly won't do anything there.

the problem with this is that i have 2x512mb double sided sticks (5b G), which uses the exact same pcb as the 1gb sticks, and it's still running strong after giving it 3-3.1v a few times, and pushing em past 300mhz.. had em for almost 3 weeks now.

**Aerou** · 12-17-2005, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by ozzimark

the problem with this is that i have 2x512mb double sided sticks (5b G), which uses the exact same pcb as the 1gb sticks, and it's still running strong after giving it 3-3.1v a few times, and pushing em past 300mhz.. had em for almost 3 weeks now.

damn right, -5B G chips are HUGE! they can OC higher, run tighter
and can take higher temps and Vdimm than -5B D,
just got those G's 1 week and love'em

,
I had -5B D before --> died in 3 weeks

**Capt_Caveman** · 12-18-2005, 01:38 AM

I've had issues w/ two sets running at stock 250 2.8v, after a while they weren't able to run at those settings.

**Reflex1** · 12-18-2005, 01:53 AM

ive had my 2gb ballistix for abou 2 weeks now ...and after all the reading about them dying, i havn't put anything over 2.7v through them and they are still running fine at 265mhz 3-3-3-8 2.7v. they are in my work station, so they better not die

**eva2000** · 12-18-2005, 02:27 AM

maybe micron changed their IC a tad again like OCZ EB days ?

my 4x 1GB Crucial Ballistix PC4000 Tracers are still find to this day, dual channel pair i bought direct from crucial.com still find and the 2x1GB singles i bought off Major are fine too - sold them to a fellow i4memory.com member who has no probs to do this day as well

**Moto450** · 12-18-2005, 06:35 AM

I had a matching pair of the 2x1 Gig and they lasted 4 days 250 HTT and 2.7v so its not all high overclocking doing them in, I think it was a bad batch of ram maybe after a few more months they will get better as they sell out everywhere and fresh stuff comes into the retail chains.

**Aerou** · 12-18-2005, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Moto450

I think it was a bad batch of ram maybe after a few more months they will get better as they sell out everywhere and fresh stuff comes into the retail chains.

Agreed, will have to wait for the this think to calm ...

Hoping for some happy Ballistix OCing!!! :thumbsup:

**mdzcpa** · 12-18-2005, 07:15 AM

My last set of Ballistix is now 4 weeks old. They are running strong. They also overclock even better than my first 2 sets I bought a few months back (1 pair died, the other is still running). The new pair oc so much better at lower voltage it makes me beleive these may already be a newer batch. I'm not recommending anyhting to anyone at this point...just posting some personal experience with recent ballistix sticks.

**Squire** · 12-18-2005, 07:19 AM

I'm worried...

What if crucial replaces the micron chips with something else in the near future?

Cuz this ram is rated at 3-4-4-8 @ 250. They could just use cheap UCCC in the future and get away with it. Since micron 5bd chips have the tendancy to die really fast and crucial is moving on to DDR2...

Hopefully, its a PCB issue, not the micron 5bd chip itself.

**flesheatinvirus** · 12-18-2005, 08:07 AM

I have a set thats about to months old now and has been in two different boards so far running good at 2.8v though I have not pushed them beyond 280 yet. It seems lately high V&fsb is somewhat deadly with a far too large amount of there yields, perhaps thats why they call them Ballistix from the condition users end up after a month or so. I hope my luck with them continues though I think its time to get some more backup ram.

**Eagleclaw** · 12-18-2005, 08:45 AM

My latest set RMA'd (Micron got them Wednesday) should be back this coming week.

The only resom I'm not selling them is because of the good tech support and fast RMA return.

Fingers crossed......

**Moto450** · 12-18-2005, 09:10 AM

I was lucky enough to have mine die at the time OCZ releasted the 4000 EB's so I grabed them now they are out of stock and no one can get them. But they do have great RMA there, but I did not want too keep RMAing so I jumped on these, they dont clock as high but they run great.

**IvanAndreevich** · 12-18-2005, 07:00 PM

Moto450
How high did the Ballistix clock for you?

**gocchin** · 12-18-2005, 07:12 PM

I had a pair die after one month then the RMA pair died the first day....

**ozzimark** · 12-18-2005, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Squire

I'm worried...

What if crucial replaces the micron chips with something else in the near future?

Cuz this ram is rated at 3-4-4-8 @ 250. They could just use cheap UCCC in the future and get away with it. Since micron 5bd chips have the tendancy to die really fast and crucial is moving on to DDR2...

Hopefully, its a PCB issue, not the micron 5bd chip itself.

they won't, crucial = micron. the ballistix will always use micron chips.. though don't bank on it being 5b D forever, as is demonstated by the 512mb sticks going from 5b G (32mb ic) to a single sided stick of 5b D (64mb ic), and now back to G again.
also, i dunno what micron is doing, but it does seem like the more recent batches of chips that went out are clocking exceptionally well.

**uOpt** · 12-18-2005, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Squire

Hopefully, its a PCB issue, not the micron 5bd chip itself.

I have a medium number of Buffalo ECC sticks with -5B D. They don't clock well but I don't see any degradition and there don't seem to be any problems.

Dunno what PCB they use, I can post a photo if somebody wants to do a visual ID.

**Moto450** · 12-19-2005, 03:15 AM

Never Really got mine Overclocked I just put the system together and they Died after 4 days so I sent them back to Newegg for a refund they were running at 250 HTT 2.7 volts at the time.

So I dont know how high they would have gone.