re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

I'm not planning to oc anything right now

I may say screw it and just get an xbone. sounds like I need to oc and get some badass stuff to keep up

Speaking of AMD, I figured I should run this by y'all, in case someone has encountered this issue before.

Remember the guy, Books, who posted a thread here asking about the release of Steamboxes? It ultimately evolved into me configuring a better bang-for-buck ATX build for his living room. Anyway, all of his parts came in, so I went to his house on Saturday and assembled it. Everything worked beautifully, except for an issue with the memory.

The parts he purchased (The ones relevant to this discussion):
AMD FX-8320
ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 2133 Model F3-2133C10D-8GSR - Timings 10-12-12-31, voltage 1.6v

(I did not expect it to run at 2133 necessarily. It was merely on sale and cheaper than 1866/1600 kits at the time)

Symptoms/relevant facts:
- Main BIOS screen shows 4096MB installed memory.
- Under the Advanced tab in the bios, Northbridge Settings, the bios recognizes that DIMM 1 and DIMM 3 (and DIMM 0 and 2, when I tried that configuration) are each occupied with a 4GB module.
- Windows control panel --> System shows "Installed Memory: 8GB (3.90 GB usable)"
- CPU-Z shows 8GB installed as well, but Channel says "Single" (even though I do have them installed in a dual-channel configuration).


Tried all this:
- Made super-extra sure that I had indeed installed the 64-bit OS -- yes, it is 64-bit Windows 7.
- Cleared CMOS countless times tried different mem settings in the bios
- Manually set speed, timings, and voltage to the mem's specs (won't boot at 2133, of course)
- Tried frequencies all the way down to 1066 -- same result. Even tried the JDEC standard 1600MHz, 1.5v, 9-9-9-24
- Used the motherboard's memOK button -- same result
- Reseated the RAM multiple times - same result
- Tested each stick individually - recognized properly (all 4GB usable if only one DIMM is installed)
- Tried other DIMM slots contrary to the motherboard manuals suggested arrangement -- same result
- Ensured that "Maximum Memory" was unchecked in Msconfig boot advanced options
- Ensured that Memory Hole Remapping was enabled in the bios
- Inspected the contacts for any chips/scratches or contaminants of any sort. All clean.
- Did the same for the DIMM slots. Clean.
- Inspected the CPU for any bent/missing pins -- looked fine

Some of the more obvious things to try were not possible that day -- Didn't have a spare PC to test the RAM, didn't have time to run memtest, and did not have spare RAM or another AM3 CPU to test.

I was suspecting that the 2133 kit was a mistake (fricking AMD), so the solution of the moment was to order a Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600 kit, the exact model number that is on the motherboard's QVL just to be super-duper safe. That kit will come in the mail this week most likely. He plans to install it himself (made sure he knew how), and if that solves the problem, he'll send the G.Skill back. Otherwise, I plan on driving back over there and continuing diagnostics. The next thing I am suspecting is a faulty memory controller on the CPU.

In the mean time, I am hoping someone here has some insight, as it's been a little while since I've had any hands-on experience with an AMD build (since Bulldozer). Googling the problem got me the same list of tests I've already tried, of course. And let me add that it's so fricking frustrating when you find an old thread that mirrors your exact problem, only to find that the thread ends abruptly because the goddamn OP never came back to say if it was fixed and how.

I had my 8350 on an Asrock 970 extreme3 when I first got it. It's perfectly fine for it, and has some pretty good features for the price.

I just want something that will have more power and just as good graphics as current gen

Be jealous....I just won two Asus R9 290x for $917 shipped.

nice.jpg

reference cooler I'm assuming?

I have 2 of them, if you want to use the whole budget.

MJ, I will sell you one of the 290x cards I just bought for $700. That's $50-$75 less than what they are going for on eBay and Amazon. That's a steal IMO.

quote:

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Wasn't barracuda just selling one for $500?

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Yea but his has a shitty reference cooler that sounds like a jet engine running.

very nice.