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Hello Cnet:
Recently I've been playing around with my Athlon x3 450, trying to overclock it as high as possible. So I crank my fsb to 250 mhz, while keeping Northbridge and RAM frequencies at their stock values ( 2000 and 1333 9-9-9-24). CPU frequency is at 4000 mhz. With thesechanges, I am able to boot my computer and start Windows, but for some reason one of my 4 gb RAM sticks becomes unusable, and both bios and windows report 4 gb physical memory instead of 8 gb I have installed. I tried to move my sticks around from the blue slots to black spots, but the problem persisted. When my cpu isn't overclocked so high, both sticks work.
So, is my hardware faulty, or there is another cause for RAM reduction ? Specs are: M5A88 V-EVO mobo, Corsair 2X4GB 9-9-9-24 1333 dimms, Athlon II x3 450 CPU with Cooler Master heatsink. Before you suggest, that the memory loss can be due to tight heatsink adjustment, I wanna say that same thing happened with stock AMD cooler on as well.
Any ideas ?
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Total posts: 6 (Showing page 1 of 1)
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by Willy - 6/1/12 6:40 AM
In Reply to: Memory stick becomes unusable after OC. by Buope
The PC works within the "norms" and then doesn't? If that's the case since you OC'ed you've found the weak link. Ram is going to work when it provides the best available within the best OC levels that it can achieve. There's no guarantee that it will remain even if it works at the extreme end for long before something happens. I suspect, you've a buss timing issue and that's more of an chipset and/or how the buss handles it all. If you haven't notice there are various types of ram sold. These start at bargain or entry level to Hi-Perf types to include and applied cooling from heatsinks. If in fact you have non-heatsink ram, that too becomes an issue, you're over-driving the ram, etc.. So, basically you throttle it up until you reach a happy medium. -OR- install premium ram and include any other OC'ing setting to better handle it all and better cooling as well.
FYI- I wouldn't go too far with AMD cpus, etc. as they tend to be less heat tolerant. Cooling again is very important here.
tada -----Willy 
If you find overclocking forums.
by R. Proffitt 
- 6/2/12 8:34 AM
In Reply to: Raise voltages ? by Buope
They might discuss such but it's very much a shade tree mechanic area. That is, overclocking is not repeatable as what worked for another machine should work on yours. Your machine is unique so you get to try this or that with no one assuring you it will be fine. (unless they are very new.)
Bob
It is what it is
by Willy - 6/2/12 9:40 AM
In Reply to: Raise voltages ? by Buope
Once you have your hands on a "user friendly" re-settable mtrbd. bios, it allows this or that. What you find as I already stated is the "happy medium" that's better than default or stock but produce stable results, yet does not crash, freeze, burn-up or negative results. That happy medium is found by trail and error and that can be an experience that you need to fiddle with. I have found that "cooling" adds more than simple getting the temps down when in fact the critical temp means are kept at bay. Once you overstep that boundary can result as I listed above. Without a thought you can shorten the "life-cycle" of the PC, but still be productive before if fails. You can visit some of the OC'ing website for better clues on whatever, but the best tips I can leave you with are quality matters, decent PSU and cooling. You can now return to finding the best your PC can deliver. 
tada -----Willy
"So, is my hardware faulty"
by R. Proffitt - 6/1/12 8:26 AM
In Reply to: Memory stick becomes unusable after OC. by Buope
No. It works at the rated speeds.
Total posts: 6 (Showing page 1 of 1)
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