Adding a new 1 GB memory stick causes game program to crash

I've got an older computer that we put together from parts in 2002. It runs Windows XP with an Intel Pentium IV 1.6 Ghz on a VIA P4PB 400 motherboard.

We started out with 512 MB of DDR PC 2700 memory, then added another 512 MB in 2004. Then yesterday we added a 1 GB stick of DDR PC 3200 memory to the third and last memory slot on the motherboard. The computer found the memory when booting up, and showed 2 GB of memory. It worked fine the first few things I tried.

Then my son tried playing a game on the computer. A ways into the game he got an error message from Windows saying the game program needed to close. The program closed. My son restarted it.

A little later, the same thing happened. He restarted the program again. A little later, the computer shut itself off. He restarted the computer, restarted the program again, and saw the same thing happen.

We took out the new 1 GB stick and tried again. Everything now works fine. The memory seems to be the problem.

This new memory stick is PC 3200 while the other memory is PC 2700. The motherboard manual says it can handle PC 3200 memory. We did not try running any other programs besides the game program.

How could adding memory cause a program to crash? Seems hard to see how the computer would boot up and work with the new memory stick, but a game could crash it.

We had problems with crashing like this in the past when we run games on this computer. But those were with the video card driver and we have not seen them recently after swapping in a new video card two years ago.

Any thoughts?

 

Have you tried rearranging the modules in the slots? Does the m/b manual mention anything about the arrangement. If the slots are colour-coded it will mean they have a special arrangement.

Matt

 

Could the 3200 be having problems stepping down to the 2700s speed?

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the motherboard manual, and it says that I can use PC2700 memory or PC3200 memory. It says that any size module (up to a 1 GB stick) can go in any of the three slots. There is no dual channel capability.

I tried the 1 GB stick by itself in the left slot. The computer would not boot at all. I added a 512 MB stick in the center slot. It still would not boot. I switched the 512 MB stick and the 1 GB stick. That worked. I played the game for an hour, with no problem.

So I added the second 512 MB stick in the right slot. I played the game for half an hour, and the computer crashed. When I rebooted, I got notice that the computer recovered from a serious error. Internet Explorer opened with a screen that said:

"Blue screen error caused by a device or driver

You received this message because a hardware device, its driver, or related software has caused a blue screen error. This type of error means the computer has shut down abruptly to protect itself from potential data corruption or loss. In this case, we were unable to detect the specific device or driver that caused the problem. "

I took out the second 512 MB stick from the right slot, leaving a 512 MB stick in the left slot and the 1 GB stick in the center slot. I'll try playing the game, and see what happens.

 

Its real simple - not all memory is created equal.

Daanii - You're probably thinking that PC3200 is faster than PC2700 and is going to be backwards compatable and thus it should run alongside PC2700. What gives here? By its very nature, DDR is asynchronis so why is your system throwing errors under load?

Its real simple - not all memory is created equal.

Let me ask a few basic questions designed to make a point.
1. For each stick, please list SIMM or DIMM?
2. For each stick, please list CAS, TRCD, TRP, TRAS per mfg spec.
3. For each stick, Please indicate whether its high density or low density
4. For each stick, please indicate voltage range per mfg spec.

Once you can answer these four simple questions, you'll be able to answer your own inquiry.

 

I'm not surprised that adding the memory stick causes a problem. I take your point, Rockster, that different memory will have different characteristics, and that may cause problems.

Before I bought the memory, I found some threads (including one on this site) that said that PC3200 memory had worked with PC2700 memory. I found a caution to make sure that the CAS is the same (it is, at 3). It is all low density, and all made by Kingston. So I thought I would give it a try.

I just find it funny that the computer works fine until about 20 minutes into a game, and then reliably crashes the game in the same way. It seems like any incompatibility should cause a bigger problem or none at all. But clearly it is a problem with the memory, even though most of the specifications are the same.

For now, I've left the original 512 MB stick in the left slot, the new 1 GB stick in the middle slot, and the right slot empty. That worked for three hours of game time so far without incident. If a problem later develops, I'll go back to the old memory configuration and use the new 1 GB stick on another computer I have.

I'll also check the specifications that you suggest, Rockster, when I get a chance to get on that computer this evening. See exactly what is different other than the PC3200 and PC2700.

 

That's a thought, Pete. I'll try putting the original two 512 MB sticks in the right and left slots, leaving the middle slot open, and see if that causes a problem. I have not had any memory in the right slot before.

 

You can also check that slot that hasn't gotten any use and blow it out good with some canned air. Similarly, you can clean the contacts on all of your memory sticks using a pencil eraser wiping down, not across the pins. Maybe a little trial and error will bring some good luck.

If you installed Everest and look at the timings of all three sticks running at PC2700 or 333MHz, there may be a difference compared to the auto settings in your BIOS. If so, many motherboards permit manual settings where some tweaking can be done re: timings. Ditto on voltages where a little more may help stabalize dodgy memory.

 

I've kept the computer running with one old 512 MB memory stick in the left slot and the new 1 GB memory stick in the middle slot. That has worked well for the last week.

What puzzles me is that I cannot get the computer to boot up with just the new 1 GB stick in the left slot. Why it would not boot with just the one stick makes no sense. There could not be any conflict with just one stick. And the motherboard says PC3200 is fine, and one 1 GB stick in the left slot is fine.

If I find an answer to this puzzle, I'll post it.

 

It sounds like the 1GB stick is defective.

 

I don't think it's a defective memory stick.

I bought two 1GB sticks at the same time and installed one stick in each of two computers. Switching the two sticks doesn't matter.

In one computer each works fine. In the other computer it only works in the center slot, with the right slot empty, no matter which stick I use.