BSODs and Freezing

[RoGuE]

I assembled this whole computer roughly two weeks ago. It was about a week before I could do any real gaming on it since I was still waiting for a wireless PCI adapter that arrived last Monday. By Tuesday night is when the problems started. Windows would freeze. So I restart it, then I started getting a BSOD every single time.

The error messages with the BSOD were:

BAD_POOL_HEADER
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION

Then it started getting a LOT more severe. It would freeze on the first POST screen, or 90% of the time before I could get to the BIOS.

I ran Memtest 86+ v4.00. In Dimm slot A1 (the first slot on the left side) both sticks showed errors (well over a million errors about 45% into the test). Eventually got the computer to start Windows. Stayed rock solid for 6 hours of L4D2, Borderlands, and TF2. Shut if off for the night. problems started again. After an hour got it to boot Windows, played same games for hours, no problems. I tested the memory using Memtest 86+ a few more times, multiple passes with each stick separately, no errors at all.

This went on for a few more days (while I investigated the problem) and got a little more severe each day.

Fast forward to earlier tonight. Computer started up, a few icons in the taskbar looked invisible, everything ran slowly, some items didn't load. I restarted and it would not POST at all. It would just continually reboot over and over and over. The red MemOK! light is lit (pressing the MemOK! button the past night or two let it boot after a few tries). Pressing the button this time did nothing, it flashed and flashed, nothing. Eventually the computer to POST a few time moving the two stick around in various combinations. Now I can only get it to work with only 1 stick in. For some reason it seems to have a better chance to boot with the 1 stick in the second slot of each channel.

Right now its been running fine on one 4GB stick for a couple hours. Interesting thing to note is in Memtest 86+, it sometimes sees the RAM as DDR 400 (only when it is one stick in certain slots), instead of DDR3 1333. Windows sees it as 1333.

I'm at a loss now. I have an RMA refund for the RAM, and ordered identical replacements (because they were on sale on Newegg when I originally bought them and they would give it to me for the same price). But I am afraid that might not fix the problem.

Processor: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
Motherboard: ASUS M4A89GTD Pro/USB3
RAM: G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
Video Card: MSI GTX 470
XFX 650W XXX Edition (Gray Fan)





Could it have something to do with my settings?

[Tradesman]

Do you have the latest BIOS? Could reset to defaults in BIOS and see what it does? How is it w/o the new wireless - maybe driver or settings causing conflict,,,, Might look at those and see if any help...in the meantime I'll try and get a closer look at the settings you posted later this PM and get back by 5 or so

[RoGuE]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that. The BIOS was flashed to the latest version. The wireless card doesn't seem to be the culprit, must just be a coincidence this all started right after. It will still fail to boot sometimes with or without it.

And the BIOS has been cleared multiple times. By CMOS jumper and CMOS battery removal.

The system has been running fine last night and today though. A single stick in a second slot of one of the channels seems to be working for some reason...Very odd.

[Tradesman]

Might want to try CR (Command Rate) at 2T

[RoGuE]

Okay, I put the other stick back in so they are running dual channel now. BIOS CR setting changed to 2T beforehand.

First boot attempt it freezes on Windows loading screen.

Second attempt the monitor never shows anything, MemOK! light is not lit.

Third boot, the MemOK! light stays light.

Fourth boot the POST screen says "Overclcoking Failed" (forgot to mention this before, it says this usually after a failed boot attempt). I got to the BIOS, look at timings again, and even though I set CR to 2T, it shows 1T still.

So I left the 1 stick in like I've had the last couple of days and it starts up fine.

Then I remembered something I read on here or somewhere else earlier today: put one stick in each channel so it is running in single channel mode. Sure enough, it boots right up with all 8GB the first time. I don't know why I never thought to try this yet. So far no freezes or hangups with it in single channel, though its only been a few minutes, but that is usually all it needs. In CPU-Z, it also reports it is now running in 2T instead of 1T for CR since I set it back to auto. Does it do that when you set them in single channel?

I hope that made sense. Any idea what this is about? Could bad RAM be incompatible in dual channel mode but work in single channel?

[Tradesman]

If you have 1 stick in each channel, i.e. in slots 1-3 or 2-4, believe 1-3 blue and 2-4 black on your mobo, then you are set in dual channel. if you are in 1-2 or 3-4 then it's single channel....if so try in 1-3 Blue and if no go the try 3-4.....1-3 is normally the preferred and dominant, but some mobos pickup 2-4 as the dominant. Could, but generally when it happens, it's the mobo or the CPU (i.e. the MC)

[RoGuE]

Yeah, I confused myself. lol I've been bedridden all day with something and still fighting it off. Anyway, yeah it is single channel right now, 2 stick in the same channel, in slots 3 and 4 (differenct colored slots).

Could, but generally when it happens, it's the mobo or the CPU (i.e. the MC)

Do you mean that it is just the nature of it, or one of those two are defective?

[Tradesman]

A good way to check if it's either/or would be if you have (or could borrow) another set of two sticks you could try in the mobo and see if they'll work in dual channel...if they don't then it's more than likely either the mobo or the CPU. It used to be the MC (Memory Controller) was in the NB (North Bridge Chipset) on the mobo, now a days the MC is in the CPU and runs through the NB (in your case you are at 1.293 voltage wise right now, you could try 1.4 and see if that gets it running stable, then if it does decrease it down .01 at a time while keeping stable.

[RoGuE]

I don't have any other DDR3 on hand. I do have a replacement set of RAM coming tomorrow or Tuesday, so I'll know for sure then I guess.

[Tradesman]

Let me know

[RoGuE]

I'll be sure to keep you informed. I just tried upping the NB to 1.4, rebooting after putting it back in dual channel. It wouldn't get past the POST screen without freezing. Tried it in 1 and 3 and 2 and 4 slots.

[Tradesman]

When you get them, may want to set BIOS to auto defaults and go from there

[RoGuE]

I received the new sticks of RAM, it made no difference. I put them in dual channel, it booted up to Windows the first time, froze after about 1 minute. Left 1 stick in, it boots up just fine. I assume putting them both in single channel will let them work once again.

I'm going to try disabling the USB3 controller and trying dual channel again, and I'll report back.

[NemesisChild]

Try running in ganged mode if your bios allows it.
Also, looking at your bios pics, why have you not manually entered your memory timings in the bios?
This is a must for stability on an AMD platform.

[RoGuE]

Yeah, I'll try running in ganged mode. There is an option in the BIOS for it.

I'll also try entering the timings in manually but they have always seem to remain the same. Should I enter in what the values show in the picture?

I've been running a Memtest 86+ on both new sticks individually before I ship the old ones off. I'll report back when the test is done and I get back.