Memory failed b/c too cold?

Arcturius · 12-05-2001, 11:22 PM

I've got a question--It's not TEC related per se, but I didn't figure the HSF guys would be dealing with the temps I am.

Have any of you guys ever had a part fail, like memory, due to extreme cold? Say, 4-5c kind of cold?

The reason I ask is b/c I was playing with O/Cing the FSB of my KT7E, and the board started recognizing only 1/4 of my memory. I took it out and warmed it with my hands, to maybe 18-20c, and it still didn't work right.

I swapped in an identical warm stick (~23-25c, 128MB Tonicom microBGA) and the machine worked just fine. After the first stick warmed again, it's working fine now.

Any ideas?

Arcturius · 12-05-2001, 11:34 PM

Just in case anyone is wondering:

Window + Box fan - Side door on case + 3.3c Wisconsin evening = 5c board temps under full load.

resago · 12-06-2001, 09:43 AM

moisture on the memory contacts?

Arcturius · 12-06-2001, 11:53 AM

I'm not sure. I took the memory out, and it looked OK. I also tried moving it to different slots, and it still didn't work.
Also, the relative humidity last night was only 65%, which (according to the local news station) meant the dew point should have been at 28F, or -2.2C, which was several degrees below the temps I was seeing.
Lastly, after I warmed the memory up and put it back in, I didn't seem to have any problems running it for 1.5 hours after that, at 5C.
The only other thing I did differently is that I didn't push the VIO beyond 3.6V for any extended period of time. What confuses me is that I can run at room temperatures with VIO at 4.05V with no problems.

Maybe that was just a fluke?

12-05-2001, 11:22 PM	#1
Arcturius Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Posts: 294	Memory failed b/c too cold? I've got a question--It's not TEC related per se, but I didn't figure the HSF guys would be dealing with the temps I am. Have any of you guys ever had a part fail, like memory, due to extreme cold? Say, 4-5c kind of cold? The reason I ask is b/c I was playing with O/Cing the FSB of my KT7E, and the board started recognizing only 1/4 of my memory. I took it out and warmed it with my hands, to maybe 18-20c, and it still didn't work right. I swapped in an identical warm stick (~23-25c, 128MB Tonicom microBGA) and the machine worked just fine. After the first stick warmed again, it's working fine now. Any ideas? __________________ Everything aircooled (I honestly don't know why you guys let me stay a member...) Always folding: WXP Pro: KD7R + Palomino 1800+ W2K3: 4x P3 Xeon 500 512KB (4 clients) Linux boxes: none Had to put them to use doing real work.

12-05-2001, 11:34 PM	#2
Arcturius Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Posts: 294	Just in case anyone is wondering: Window + Box fan - Side door on case + 3.3c Wisconsin evening = 5c board temps under full load. __________________ Everything aircooled (I honestly don't know why you guys let me stay a member...) Always folding: WXP Pro: KD7R + Palomino 1800+ W2K3: 4x P3 Xeon 500 512KB (4 clients) Linux boxes: none Had to put them to use doing real work.

12-06-2001, 11:53 AM	#4
Arcturius Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Posts: 294	I'm not sure. I took the memory out, and it looked OK. I also tried moving it to different slots, and it still didn't work. Also, the relative humidity last night was only 65%, which (according to the local news station) meant the dew point should have been at 28F, or -2.2C, which was several degrees below the temps I was seeing. Lastly, after I warmed the memory up and put it back in, I didn't seem to have any problems running it for 1.5 hours after that, at 5C. The only other thing I did differently is that I didn't push the VIO beyond 3.6V for any extended period of time. What confuses me is that I can run at room temperatures with VIO at 4.05V with no problems. Maybe that was just a fluke? __________________ Everything aircooled (I honestly don't know why you guys let me stay a member...) Always folding: WXP Pro: KD7R + Palomino 1800+ W2K3: 4x P3 Xeon 500 512KB (4 clients) Linux boxes: none Had to put them to use doing real work.

12-06-2001, 09:43 AM	#3
resago Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: state of denial Posts: 488	moisture on the memory contacts?

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