Crucial Ballistix: 2 x (2x1Gb Kits) same serial and product No.s

[Boldeagle]

I would like to explore "better" timings for 2 different batches of "Crucial Ballistix" with same serial and part No.s (from their website!).

I bought my first kit of Crucial in August 2006 direct from Micron. In April 2008 this year prices were so ridiculously cheap I bought another 2x1Gb kit (<20% of original price), ordering the same serial and part No. and found the SPD was quite different. I have not removed the HSs' (not sure of what chips!) but observed the different SPD specs via CPU_z.

I have the main 4 settings at 4-4-4-12 and increased the tRFC after reading something by Eldonko. But I hit a FSB at 350 and really think the RAM is a primary contributor.

[sswilson]

Have a look under the heat spreader of your new set (don't take it off), I'll bet you'll find that it's single sided vice the double sided of your original.

The new single sided sticks aren't any where near the quality of the older double sided ones.

[1Tanker]

Interesting. Here's the SPD of mine, which i bought ~1st week of Feb/08(at Canada Computers/Ajax)...so they shouldn't be very old.





Edit: Ahhh.. were yours sold as PC2 6400 or 8500? Mine was sold as 8500, yet CPU-Z shows 6400, and they clock like an animal.

Edit 2: Btw, i'm willing to bet that your quad hitting the wall at 350 is the mobo. P5WDH/i975x doesn't like quads, and high FSB is not gonna happen.

[cadaveca]

At least not without switching FSB strap, and chipset volts will need to be 1.65 or higher.

Need to know 2 things...on the sticks will be a sticker, it will have 16FD3, or 8FE5. Which do your kits have?

[Boldeagle]

SSWilson: you were right the new modules are single sided while my older one are doubled sided, in the pic above the are in DIMM 1 & 3 with the new Modules in 2 & 4. Both sets are in Dual Link Interleaved mode.

1Tanker: They were bought as PC2 6400 and I think your right about it probably being the Mobo, the vDroop was shocking at FSB 360MHz in OCCT and caused it to crash. Warranty would almost be up so maybe time for a vDroop mod.

cadaveca: New Kit BL12864AA804.8FE5 while old kit has BL12864AA804.16FA

Ideally just trying to get the best timings on these kits from different batches.

[cadaveca]

basically the same.

old kit will proly go 4-4-4-12 as high as you want, as long as you keep increasing volts. TRFC needs little adjustment, until like 1200mhz.

new kit might get 430 same timings. will go to 1120 5-5-5-15-3-60-8-3 but not much more, 2.2v. the old set should be capable of the same, really.

[Eagle Eye]

Don't feel too bad I am in the same boat my single sided PC8500 Crucial have enough trouble staying stable even at their rated speed its unfortunate, but I guess you get what you pay for and these were not an expensive set at all as far as PC8500 was concerned at the time.

[1Tanker]

Originally Posted by Eagle Eye

Don't feel too bad I am in the same boat my single sided PC8500 Crucial have enough trouble staying stable even at their rated speed its unfortunate, but I guess you get what you pay for and these were not an expensive set at all as far as PC8500 was concerned at the time.

Well, with RAM prices the way they are.. it's hard to go by the "you get what you pay for" Mantra anymore. You can get Kingston value-ram or ULTRA cheapo ram..vs. OCZ Titanium/Platinum or Ballistix all in the "$35-$50/2GB" range(most after MIR ). After paying $200+ for 1GB/OCZ PC3200 Platinum rev.2 DDR- 2 years ago, anything and everything looks cheap now.

[Boldeagle]

I paid $418 for the first kit and $75 for the second kit about 18 month later.

[1Tanker]

Have you tried dropping to an 8x multi and 400-410FSB? Myself, i don't think the board will do it... but it's worth a try. I'm just thinking that if it has an "FSB Hole", lower multi might tell you if that's the case. GL.