Low RAM voltage on M2NPV-VM

[tuco]

I recently built a completely new computer, with an ASUS M2NPV-VM motherboard. It is a socket AM2, because I wanted to use DDR2. The RAM that I bought was OCZ Platinum PC26400, and after assembling it and trying to install Windows, it kept locking up. At first, I thought the Windows CD was damaged, so I took it out and looked at it. It seemed to be fine, so I put it back in and started it back up. I tried to enter the BIOS, but it froze, so I knew it was a bigger problem. I ran a memory diagnostic program (I have always been suspicious of memory first) and it said BOTH 1G modules had faults at most of their addresses. I tried a different program and got the same result. I looked up on the internet to see if it could be a compatibility error, and what I found out was that there were people on many sites that were complaining about OCZ RAM not working with the M2NPV-VM. While trying to find out why, I came across a page that said that the maximum voltage that the motherboard could put to the RAM was 1.9v, and my RAM required 2.1v.

I advise that all people looking to upgrade to a new motherboard should ALWAYS check the voltage output to the RAM before buying, if they are planning on using high-performance RAM. I had to return the OCZ DDR2-800 in exchange for worse DDR2-667, because it was all that I could afford in that price range with a voltage 1.9v or lower. Strangely enough, the OCZ 2 GB PC2-6400 was only $10 more than the slower Kingston 2 GB PC2-5400.

Has anyone had similar problems with a motherboard that can't provide enough voltage?

 

[FarFarAway]

Yeah I had an mATX board (in my "Sexy HTPC" project build thread). Luckily enough I had some TCCD as it wouldn't even let me adjust the voltage at all