Error with RAM

[Joey Brown]

I had the errors in my previous post saying I had struggles with installing the OS I installed windows 7 64x but i had to have one ram stick in for it to work and updated the bios for motherboard added the other ram stick and it worked and then installed windows 8.1 64x and can only run the OS with one 4Gb of ram if I add the other stick it freezes

I have an ASUS A55BM-A/3
And Kingston HyperX 2x DDR3 2133 CL11 240 pin UDIMM

 

[pierrerock]

Ram is probably defective. You can RMA it to kingston. You can verify by yourself using memtest86 go to this link to download it:

http://www.memtest86.com/

 

[Joey Brown]

I know the RAM isn't defective because either one work and if both are in they ate both detected and showing in BIOS but windows won't boot with 8

 

[MarkW]

Before doing an RMA, do this:

Go to the Asus web site and make sure the EXACT memory model number is compatible with your motherboard. If that exact model of memory is not listed, its not the end of the world, but it does sort of leave you in what I call "Maybe Land". In maybe land, it might run at speeds above 16000, or it might not. All DDR3 memory has at least 1 standard at play without using an XMP setting. XMP defines speeds faster than either 1333 or 1600. Nearly all modern memory defaults to 1600.

So by now, you should have gone to the Asus web site. Is your EXACT model of RAM on that list?

If it is, then did you set the XMP setting in your UEFI to use it? Even if you did, go look at find out what UEFI says is being used.
If it is NOT on the compatibililty list, then you have some decisions to make. First, easiest way to resolve things is likely going to be to turn off XMP, and run the RAM at 1333 or 1600. Its not 2133, but you will not be able to tell the difference in speed without a piece of software telling you that there is a difference in speed. So keep the RAM and run it slower or find out if you can return it for a model is that compatible with yoiur motherboard.

Another option is that it appears you have more than one computer there. If the other computer also uses 240 pin DDR RAM, you could try pulling 2 sticks of RAM out of it and try running it on your Asus motherboard. I would say that when it comes to Asus, and memory problems, over 95% of the time either XMP is not setup properly, or you have a flakey momory stick, or the memory did not pass compatibility testing with that motherboard. That still leaves a 5% chance that it is the motherboard, but Asus makes pretty damned solid motherboards. So again, make do everything you can to try to get the memory setup right in UEFI and at the rated speeds. Blame the motherboard only after 2 or more sets of RAM fail at rated speeds.

BTW, MemTest, mentioned above, its good, but its not perfect either. It will find many faults. It will not find all of them though. I actually tend to save MemTest as one of my last little "is there anything else I can do since I have done everything else" type checks.

Kingston and Asus make very good products, but nothing is ever perfect. So make sure you have the RAM setup right in the UEFI, then if you still have problems, check the asus motherboard compatibility list for your board, try RAM from your other system if you can, maybe try MemTest here, and finally try to RMA the memory.

Good Luck.

Added Later: AMD based motherboards CANNOT USE XMP. Thats because XMP was designed by Intel, who apparently needs more money, and would not let AMD use it without royalty fees. so AMD users need to buy memory that is intended for use with AMD motherboards.

I FOUND A THREAD HERE ON TOMS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THIS BETTER.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/299885-30-memory-motheboard

 

[Joey Brown]

Hey thanks for your response,

i checked their compatibility and it says,

KINGSTON KHX21C11T3K4/32X 8GB is compatible

mine is

KINGSTON KHX21C11T3K2/8X 8GB

does this count? or does it have to be the "exact same"

i only have other DDR2 Desktops running like 667MHZ, one of the reasons for the update

and i have tried all of the 3 settings for the RAM

 

[MarkW]

Kingston's KHX21C11T3K4/32X is a kit of four 1G x 64-bit
(8GB) DDR3-2133 CL11 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) 2Rx8
memory modules, based on sixteen 512M x 8-bit DDR3 FBGA
components per module. Each module kit supports Intel® XMP
(Extreme Memory Profiles). Total kit capacity is 32GB

HyperX KHX21C11T3K2/8X is a kit of two 512M x 64-bit (4GB)
DDR3-2133 CL11 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) 1Rx8 memory
modules, based on eight 512M x 8-bit DDR3 FBGA components
per module. Each module kit supports Intel® XMP (Extreme
Memory Profiles). Total kit capacity is 8GB

All Kingston products are tested to meet our published specifications. Some motherboards or system configurations may not operate at he published HyperX memory speeds and timing settings. Kingston does not recommend that any user attempt to run their computers faster than the published speed. Overclocking or modifying your system timing may result in damage to computer components.

I dont even see a single reference to AMD on either of those products. XMP and JEDEC they keep talking about.OBVIOUSLY the first kit is 4x8GB kit as its 32GB. Your memory is 2x4GB which is a very different animal entirely. Chips on the two kits are very different. This like having a cat and a dog and saying "but the are both animals". And the answer to that is, "Well, put those two strangers together and see how well they get along."

Case closed. Do an RMA and buy designed for AMD RAM.

 

[Joey Brown]

I have found a G-Skill 2400mhz how can I tell if its for AMD, it says it is compatible on my FM2+ motherboard on Asus website
And thanks so much for your help and you have given me a new insight to the different ways ram are thesesdays.

 

[Joey Brown]

Also how can I do an RMA with Kingston since I live in Australia and their website days for Us and Canada only

 

[Joey Brown]

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketFM2/A58M-E/Kavari_2DIMM_QVL_FM2_Series.pdf

the RAM i want to buy is

GSkill Trident-X 8GB Kit (4Gx2) DDR3-2400 F3-2400C10D-8GTX which is verified as working on ASUS motherboard RAM compatibility.

 

[Tradesman1]

Make sure your APU can handle the DRAM

 

[Joey Brown]

is G-Skill reliable?

 

[MarkW]

Also how can I do an RMA with Kingston since I live in Australia and their website days for Us and Canada only

Now, with that one, you have seriously exceeded anything I might know. Sorry.

If you have had the memory for less than a month, try returning it there. And the laws there are probably different than here, you may have more than a month there. I again wouldn't know.

Something else I would do if look around for step by step guides on putting AMD based systems. O've attached one such thread below. It might help ya, and it might just waste your time. You have to make that call.

I think the last time I built an AMD based system was around 1992. So I am way out of touch on them anymore. For a long though back then though, AMD was all I was using and people loved them.

 

[Joey Brown]

Thanks for your help everyone. I already know how to build PC's before this is my first encounter with a big issue before since it being my first DDR3 computer Build. i have contacted Kingston for RMA etc.... If the store denies a return trust me, they will wish they had of given me a replacment and keep the current ram for free because i can sue them with Australian Consumer Laws lol. but anyways i have found some compatible RAM that Asus say is fully compatible at 2400Mhz but it is GSkill i have been told that by another tech forum not to use GSKILL and stay away from it, where TechOfTommorow, Austin Evans,Linus (Youtube PC Tech Hosts) all mention using GSkill in alot of their Builds

 

[Tradesman1]

GSkill has among if not the best DRAM out there,and has for the last few years, high quality, and priced affordably...They have been the leaders in the move to higher freq DRAm and are setting the standards others follow as JEDEC is so far behind in actually publishing standards

 

[Joey Brown]

Okay, i took the ram back to the place of purchase saying it's faulty, they tested it on the same components as i have..... it worked. So they gave me the RAM back and was told to check the settings in BIOS. I checked the BIOS for pretty much everything changing the memory Profiles,Clocking Speed etc. I changed the memory profile to 2133Mhz as what the core clocking speed of the RAM is and it worked..... Once, after a reboot it just froze at windows boot mind you the working boot took at least 5 minutes to boot so is this a motherboard error? i have updated the motherboard to 1901 (The Latest)

 

[MarkW]

Most likely, the store tested it at 1333 or 1600 Mhz (since those are the base speeds for DDR3. Since your RAM is listed as being 2133 speed, and thats probably what you are trying to use it at, I would make sure the store tests it at that speed. If nothing else, take your whole box into them and show them whats going on with it.