Random "file corrupt" error message

[MrCoffee]

it should be fairly easy to locate the fault with tools linked too here, of couse if a fault does crop up on either your ram or cpu then remove any overclock you may be running.
prime95 and memtest you want to be running each for atleast an hour. Still no luck then it gets more complicated, check your event logs for related errors and post up any recent minidumps.

 

[ohGrFreak]

I have my sempron overclocked to 2025mhz up from 1.81ghz and the result is my memory is up to 225 DDR450.

I thought that OCZ was highly overclockable but I got more the 190,000 errors on test five of memtest.

Weird thing, once I did the defrag with diskeeper, I haven't seen the "file corrupt" error lately.

I would love to keep my computer overclocked due to having a lowly sempron 3000+ and I'm used to running a prescott at 3.6ghz with dual channel. (sempron can only run single channel DDR, or at least my gigabyte board only will run single channel)

Should I spring for new memory anyways and keep my machine overclocked?

I haven't had any time to run the other tests yet.

 

[jolancer]

ohGrFreak -

Im using the same Socket Generation Motherboard as you,
(my system - gigabyte GA-K8NE, 3700+, 1GBram, 6800GS)
so i can lay all the facts out for you...

ALL skt 754 boards do NOT support Dual-channel. thats because of the AMD64's Onboard memcontroller on the CPU Core, not the motherboard.

ALL skt 754 boards only officially support 200fsb(pc3200) with 1 Ram stick used(2Banks of ram), and 166fsb(pc2700) with 2 or more Ram sticks used(4Banks of ram).... However Some motherboard Clock 2xDimms back up to 200fsb automatically... and if it doesnt you can do so Manually, However its considered a OC, and resaults may vary if you do so.... Again thats Due to the CPU's Onboard Memcontroller, not the Board.

and if all 3Dimms are used(6banks of ram) then 166fsb is the max no matter what.

Typically its not an issue to Clock 2 Dimms(2x512[4banks) back up to 200fsb, but OCing any higher with 2Dimms on 754 will not have good resaults.

If your using just 1x1GB(2banks), you may beable to clock higher then 200fsb, But the Limitting Factor is still going to be the CPUs Onboard Memcontroller... IF your already using performance ram.
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On my gigabyte board, i had to Update the BIOS to get all the Advanced Memory TIming options avalible... also Win in BIOS hit (ctrl + F1) on some GIgabyte boards, and it will give you More advanced Options.

If you have all the Mem options avalible to you, you Might beable to run your system Stable at those SPeeds *IF your using 1x1GB of ram.... if you are, you can try Lowering the Command Rate to (2T), maybe loosen up your CAS, and up the CPUs Voltage a tad. (No MOre then ~1.65v on A64 core otherwise you could damage it).

That is ofcourse IF your CPU Multiplier is Locked bellow 10x... Otherwise you coudl just set your Ram FSB to Default 200, and set CPu to 10x200 = 2.0Ghz.
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DO Not be so conserned about your clock speed though, It wont make much of a difference AT ALL, especially on a Semperon and Especialy at such a low differential.

Also note, the AMD 64's do not need to be clocked so high to perform well. Different CPUs perform differently, example = a (Intell Core2 Duo e6300 [1.8ghz)... Is probably faster then Intel Prescott 3.6Ghz.
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The easyest thing to do is to just reset your CMOS and get rid of the OC.... since you would need to Rerun Memtest and Prime95, at each setting untill you got it stable..... that is unless you dont mind or care that you may corrupt your files, or potentially randomely crash or currupt your system.

EDIT: o yea to clearify: IF your Ram Memtests error free at Stock speeds.... then its most likely Not your Ram causing the errors at OC speed *IF your already using performance ram. Its probably the Memcontroller causing errors(lowering Command Rate could help with that). *If your using OCZ value ram, it could be Either or the Memcontroller giving you errors.

Also note though - on my own system i found im able to Run at Lower FSB speed(210) but with the same Perfomrance as higher fsb speed(225), by Tightening my timings and running at a the faster Command Rate. Thats with 1x1Gb of course not 2xDimms.

REMEMBER though All in All, OCing a semperon is not Worth the time. the clock speed is not the only thing Limiting a Semperon.

 

[MrCoffee]

lots of good information there, lots about skt 754 that I didn't know, Good stuff

 

[ohGrFreak]

Holy cow, that's a lot of information there. Thank you very much jolancer.

The overclock for the chip for me, I have noticed an increase in performence like faster booting times and me being able to do more with less hiccups, I tested the performence in Sisoft Sandra, and the performence matches a Athlon 3200+ in most catagories.

Back to the problem, is what you are saying is for me to get into the advanced funtions and bring the memory clocks down back to 200, and I could leave the chip clocked at 2025?

In the basic bios I have voltage control and mhz control for the chip and only voltage control for the memory. I don't know how to do a multipier lock. Will the advanced functions let me do that?

My memory sticks are a matching set of OCZ 512's, Performence series with the copper/bronze heatspreaders.

 

[ohGrFreak]

I got into the advanced settings using ctrl=f1 and I did a artificial lock for the memory at 166mhz. There were no adjustments for manual clock speeds or CAS timings. Then I downclocked the Sempron to 220, which brought the running speed to 1980mhz and upped it's voltage 5%.

The new memtest run produced these results:

180mhz DDR360, CAS 2.5-3-3-6
I let it pass twice (no errors) before I rebooted

New question: When it was overclocked the first time, the latency was different (2.5-3-3-7) but now it's (2.5-3-3-6) and there are no visible CAS adjustments in the bios, even under advanced. Also, I did the lock at 166, but memtest reports the memory being 180mhz, interesting.

 

[jolancer]

the info in my last post i hope cleared a little up, but i know its probably stated pritty confusing.

... The rest though... skt 754 is OCed exactly the same way as 939. Except 754 usess a Max of 800mhz HTT(1600mhz effective), instead of 1000(2000mhz) on 939... so if you rais your FSB above 200, set your HTT Multiplyer to 3x, instead of 4x.

you sempron performance matches a xp3200.. not because of your OC, but because 754's are Sempron64's(64bit) and have the same advantages as Athlon64's, like there Onboard Memcontroller... though the 754 version is limited its still faster then older gen CPUs.

the BIOS can only use a FSB Locking Ratio as a Divider for your Ram speed... and different BIOS's display it in different ways, so some may show actuall Ratios, but some like yours will show in relation to the stock speed... example (220 x 166/200 = 182mhz)

You cant manually adjust the CPU/Ram fsb speed seperatly, as you know now you can only use the divider ratio... but *IF your CPU multiplery Is NOT locked then you can manually set it To increase CPU Clock speed seperately... AMD 64's multiplyer is betwen 1x to 12x... but your Semperon is only at 9x (9x220 = 1980).

Theres nothing you can do if the CPU Multiplyer is Locked(That option is bulit into the CPU core). thats goes for any type of cpu.

Did you ever Update your BIOS?.. cause though my board is a little different its still a gigabyte 754, and i didnt have Mem timing options either untill i updtated BIOS to the latest version.. then i had more then enough options.

 

[ohGrFreak]

Never got around to updating the bios, but I'll check out their site to see if an update is availible.

 

[MrCoffee]

the @bios utility from gigabyte is very good, if i remember rightly it automatically downloads the correct bios for your board and applies it.