Installed and Now I have a Memory Problem..

[Hwesta]

I Installed and Prepaid the card, and I did everything and so when I click on the WOW desktop icon, about 5 seconds later an application comes up and says the memory could not be "read". What do I do? :undecided:


Hwesta

[Kalos]

Could be anything to do with the memory. The Ram is bad, the hard drive is damaged and smegged up, or the install was bad. Try reinstalling.

[AaManiac]

What are your system specs?
Processor
RAM
Video

-Maniac

[Zachariah]

This is weird: You are having the same problem I had. I resolved it by taking out a stick of RAM (I had one 256MB and one 512MB, I took the smaller one out).

I never had any memory problems before installing WoW. But this seemed to fix it anyhow.

Anyone else had mysterious RAM failures after installing WoW?

Does it use different RAM areas to other games?

I have a fairly old system, an ASUS A7V333 mobo with Athlon 2500+ CPU, 9800 Pro Radeon. The stick I took out was good quality Corsair RAM.

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Kalos]

Ram is not utilised equally. The only time when it ever comes under full strain is during high demanding gaming, and certain testing programs. That's when any minor instability comes out. It'll happen with all high intensity uses. Typically, the computer wouldn't have even been using the smaller ram stick, the primary 512mb contained all the necessary. However, when it came to need more, to rely upon stick number 2, it failed, huge loss of memory for apparently nowhere. Crash due to instability, raw code as it was being held and processed interrupted.

Ram sticks are not made equally. When the inexperienced start throwing them together "Because it makes a bigger MB number!" without knowing all the other details like quality, timings, speed, similarity and compatibility; and don't know how to stress-test thier new Ram combos, thinking they'll work fine; that's when this problem emerges.

[Zachariah]

Kalos, I appreciate everything you've said. But in my case it doesn't quite add up.

I've had this system for four years, almost all of them problem-free. I've played a lot of games in that time that have been far more 'high intensity' than WoW - Half-Life 2, CS:Source, Doom 3 to name but a few. I'm familiar with Memtest, 3DMark, rthdrbl and Pi testing. This computer has been pushed to its limits many times before and never given a RAM fault.

Now I install Warcraft and it all kicks off. At least two or three others on this forum are saying something very similar. There is reason to suspect that something Warcraft is doing is causing the problem, not that it matters to me as I have a workaround. But not everyone is OK with opening up their PC and swapping RAM sticks about, and they should not have to if Blizzard can avoid it.

[Kalos]

It might not add up because of one very important factor I've been leaving out for simplicity. The motherboard. Some chipsets, and some memory controllers, are perticularly infamous and unreliable. I stay clear of some entire brands simply because of a reputation for instability. It could be the secondary channel is particularly poor with a certain method of addressing memory. Different methods of programming, perticularly those written for SDRam can expose weakenesses in both the memory controller and the ram. Certain segments of the stick aren't even in use most of the time. Not all programs, and games use ram the same way. And there is no program that can test all of the methods covering all areas simontaneously. I reckon WoW just pushed your Ram differently, not just demand wise, but in a certain type of demand. Raw figures are difficult creatures, they don't usually address the many different flavours and states and techniques that can be deployed upon the Ram. Considering WoW's unique status compared with those other mentioned programs, it is entirely possible that there is an error in the stick.

But, considering we don't know of the motherboard, or if that perticular one is reputatable in any way; I'd hazard a guess and suggest it may be that.

[Hwesta]

So I should add more RAM, or if not what should I be doing?


Hwesta

[Kalos]

How much Ram do you have, and in what configurations is it set to? We need to know things like quality, timings, speed, similarity and compatibility, amounts, and company. As many as you can find out.

[Hwesta]

So should I open my computer...where is the RAM located..what does it look like?


Hwesta

[Kalos]

Best to leave it shut for now, you don't really know what you're doing well enough to risk damaging sensitive equiptment. Use http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php with the instructions on the site, it'll tell you all the information about your memory set up, all you have to do is write what it'll tell you about the memory. That'll be enough for us to be able to help you most likely. Good first step anyhow.

It's important we know at least four figures: Frequency, Timings, Amounts, and stick arrangement. Sounds complicated, but the program should tell you, combined with the information on the website. It's a great deal safer than tinkering around inside the case right now.

[Hwesta]

Kalos Iam having trouble navigating in the link that you offered. I got on the site but I dont know how it tells me what memory I have on my Computer? Can you maybe specify?


♣Hwesta♣

[Kalos]

The direct link to the download is this: http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpu-z-138.zip The program is contains needs to be ran. The guide on how to run it are on the original link: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php#directions Everything in navagating the site is on the left hand side.

[Hwesta]

Kalos,

I got pretty far, but I couldnt find out these things you asked for. I found out the Latency Cycle, Dowloaded the cpu-z thing but didnt get anywhere with frequency and timings..what the hell am i doing wrong?


Hwesta

[Kalos]

On the download you have a file called cpuz.exe This is the one you have to run. Along the top of this box is the standard navagational tabs. The two related to Ram is "memory" and "SPD". All the details in these boxs is relivant to identifying.

What you could do it go to "About" and look for a button labeled "Html.dump". This'll create a file of the results, like a word document. Open this, copy paste the "Memory SPD" and the "Chipset and Memory" sections. As an example, I shall copy paste the same details from this computer that I want you to find for us:
Chipset & Memory

Northbridge VIA K8T800 (VT8383) rev. 01
Southbridge VIA VT8237 rev. 00
Graphic Interface AGP
AGP Revision 3.0
AGP Transfer Rate 8x
AGP Side Band Addressing supported, enabled
Memory Type DDR
Memory Size 1024 MBytes
Memory Frequency 200.2 MHz (CPU/5)
CAS# Latency (tCL) 2.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# (tRDC) 3 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 2 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 6 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 11 clocks
DRAM Idle Timer 16 clocks
Command Rate 2T

Memory SPD

Module 1 DDR, PC3200 (200 MHz), 512 MBytes, Corsair
Module 2 DDR, PC3200 (200 MHz), 512 MBytes, Corsair

[Hwesta]

Chipset & Memory

Northbridge SiS 661FX rev. 11
Southbridge SiS 964 rev. 36
Graphic Interface AGP
AGP Revision 3.0
AGP Transfer Rate 8x
AGP Side Band Addressing supported, enabled
Memory Type
Memory Size 512 MBytes



Memory SPD

Module 1 DDR, PC2100 (133 MHz), 256 MBytes, Nanya Technology
Module 2 DDR, PC2100 (133 MHz), 256 MBytes, Kingston


I think I got it Kalos, But Iam missing a few of the components that you provided in the post above, this is all it said on the sheet.


Hwesta

[Kalos]

That appears to be it, and I think I have the problem. The sticks are made by completely different companies; they're mismatched and are knocking each other out of thier preferred settings. The other details which are missing on your report are missing because they couldn't be locked down, they're floating randomly. You may have to throw away one or both ram sticks and buy a cheap replacement. Nanya Technology is not a high quality or highly publicised company at all, this stick is probably the source.

Good news is DDR is fairly cheap, and we can help you choose some sticks with are garenteed to work with your motherboard and each other. A general rule with ram is never to mix sticks from different companies, or different quality bands; it only leads to problems.

Can you give us the details under "System" too? Your mainboard information is in there, that'll help us get memory which will fit your motherboard better. Also, which country do you live in, so we can look up the right nation's Etailers online for ram recommendations.

[Hwesta]

System

System Manufacturer
System Name
System S/N
Mainboard Vendor MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
Mainboard Model MS-7060
BIOS Vendor Phoenix Technologies, LTD
BIOS Version 6.00 PG
BIOS Date 03/07/2005


Again some of the components in the begeninng of this report are missing.

I live in the US.


♣Hwesta♣
AG

[Kalos]

Ok, after looking up your motherboard, it can use DDR speeds of upto PC3200, the fastest DDR1 speed available. I checked up Newegg.com and went with a reputable name brand, Kingston. Corsair is also good, but they weren't offering such a high quality stick at this price. I've made it simple, just the one stick of ram to plug in, a full 1 Gig. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820134040

When you do get this, or if you choose to buy other memory, remember to remove both your old memory sticks, otherwise you'll get problems with the memory being mismatched again. Any questions, or you want me to make changes to the selection or other recommendations, ask them here and I and the others will try to get back to you sharpish.

[Hwesta]

Ok Kalos,

Looks a bit pricey but I really want to play and I am going to do anything. I am going to give this link to my dads friend and he will give a go or not. (my dads friend id HUGE into games like WOW and other big PC games.) Thanks I will get back to you on whats going on. Thanks alot you have been the biggest and best part of this forum, Great Friend. :)


♣Hwesta♣

[Kalos]

Probably wise to ask for a second opinion indeed. Also, ask him if he's got any spare Kingston ram sticks you could borrow. If he knows what he's doing he'll provide a good match, then you can remove that Nanya Technology ram stick, the one I suspect to be causing the fault. Always avoid the smaller company names, in the UK we have a phrase "Cheap and nasty" which pretty much covers what you'll get. Cheap as chips they may be, but they haven't got the stability or reliability garentees that the larger companies offer. If you get faulty ram with them, they often have a replacement program.

Another thing you could do is to ask this friend to run some "stress test" programs, which should reveal the weakeness of the machine's ram. I'd be suprised if it doesn't show up anything, but if something like Prime95 does find it faulty, it's be much better evidence for your case to buy replacements and throw the old sticks away (They're poison, inherently broken) than some dude on the internet's deductions. I do have a possibility of being wrong as well, a good stress test would be far better proof to you and those you need to convince of a problem than any words I can produce.

http://www.memtest86.com/ A very good memory tester than you and your computer savvy friend should run, some form of stress test should be inacted to make sure the problem is with the memory. I think it is, but this would be concrete. The numbers of patterns if goes through should reveal weakness. If it does, we definantly have the right cause. If it doesn't, another test can be ran, as a second opinion for stability. if that coems up clean, then the Ram is most likely fine. I'd be suprised as it really sounds like a ram difficulty, seeing as the two ram sticks aren't matched and CPUZ can't get a lock on the timings at all.

[Hwesta]

So Kalos should I run the memory test with the link you provided?


♣Hwesta♣

[Kalos]

Yes. It's to make sure it really is the memory that's the cause of these issues. It's pretty much bound to convince your dad's friend. Make sure to tell us which replacement he buys, or plans to buy. If you got too cheap with Ram, you may even up in the same situation as you are in now, poor quality ram with inperfections in the construction. Make sure he buys it from a big company name. You're pretty lucky in some respect, the Ram I linked was about half what I paid for the twin Corsair setup I use in my desktop; America has the cheapest hardware prices around, plus I did buy my stuff over two years ago. DDR is pretty reasonable today.

I've wondered offtopic. Run the memory test. If it crashes or fails, you know there's a problem for sure. The instructions on the site should be a good guide, but ask if necessary.

[Hwesta]

Kalos,

I downloaded the memtest86 v3.2. Windows did not recognize the file and so I opened it using a program of my choice.(wordpad) About 3 million characters came up. Is this the numbers and patterns you were looking for?


♣Hwesta♣

[Kalos]

It's not a file to read, it's not suppose to be opened in wordpad. It's a program, an executable like WoW is. This is the direct download of the correct version: http://www.memtest86.com/memt32.zip

You should read the instructions on the site. This would have explained what you had to do. See the section labeled "Windows Installation" on this page http://www.memtest86.com/

[Hwesta]

Cant seem to figure it out and like you said you say it is a memory problem and that the Kingston Ram will fix it so thats what I am going to go with.


♣Hwesta♣