Adding memory freezes 2 games

videobruce · Post by **videobruce** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:22 am

I added 2 additional sticks of PC133 memory to a Soyo SY-6BA+IV MB and it causes 2 different games to lock up whereas with only 2 sticks the games were alright.

I ran 2 different memory testing programs (Doc Memory V2 and Mem386 Test V3) over 24 hours with each program and everything passed!

I tried the 2 additional sticks by themselves and all was fine. I tried the 2 sticks in slots 3 & 4 bythemselves and still fine. All sticks are PC133 I believe (not all the same manufacture), though the MB is PC100.

I then tried one additional stick and it was a borderline case. The games would usually work but with a struggle. As I was just over the limit.

The P/S is only a 250W, but the Porcessor is only a PII 450! Nothing overclocked! The videocard is a nVidea GeForce 2 MX from IO Magic (not great).

The games are Scrabble Complete (runs from the CD) and Trainmaster V4.2 (runs from the HD). Desktop is 1024x768 high color 75Hz. The O/S is Win 2k w/sp3.

It seems either the system has a limit of 256 or maybe a P/S issue, BUT all tests pass. Especially after 24 hours in the extended mode (I think that was what it was called).

chottoED · Post by **chottoED** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 12:15 pm

what's your CAS settings? maybe if it's at CAS2, CAS3 would stabilize it?

videobruce · Post by **videobruce** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 7:16 am

CAS3 I believe. Never changed it.

Others have suggested the power supply. Since it is only a 250W w/ a PII 450 I never changed it. Again with all 4 slots populated both memory tests wrer fine after a day and longer. The additional 2 sticks pulling the voltage/current down, but that seems a long shot.

chottoED · Post by **chottoED** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 7:49 am

yeah you need to monitor your voltage...
see how low your voltage gets when you put your system on full load...
you could use somehting like Motherboard Monitor to do so..

however, i am suprised that your 250w p/s couldn't handle a P3-450... what brand is it?

videobruce · Post by **videobruce** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 8:07 am

PII not PIII

No idea on make. MAV-250P is the model.

I do have MBM but not installed in thois box. Did think about that. I will have to try. There is also Hardware Monitor, but MBM I believe is better.