Comments on: intel P55 LGA1156 chipset and DDR3 Memory

By: DB

DB — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:47:28 +0000

Thanks for all of the comments, it was very helpful in resolving my problem. As a system builder, I now have a large problem in the field but am happy to have an answer and can move forward to resolution.

Here are a few more bread crumbs from Crucial tech support as to why this is an issue:
The original testing was done with lower density memory modules, more chips (16) per stick than the current version wich has only 8 memory chips per stick. The original memory tested was a 1 gig technology, the new memory sticks use a 2 gig technology. Micron and other manufacturers are working with Intel for a possible BIOS fix to handle this issue. This problem can exist for any board with a 55 chipset. This is true for one other chipset but that chipset number escapes me as of this posting.

In the mean time, Crucial tech support informed me that it has fixed their memory configurator to force the correct revision when you purchase on line. If you are like me, and you have validated the memory once, you typically just order the part again without using the configurator. This will not insure you get the correct part. You must run the configurator for each purchase or call your order in and specify what motherboard and chipset you are using in order to get the lower density DIMMS. Crucial will however, replace any memory. I have 50 sticks on the way now and it was now problem getting the exchange in motion.

If you are purchasing retail, NewEgg et al, there may be no way to specify. They will give you what they have. Crucial will still exchange for the given chipset, but you will have to do the exchange with them and wait for things to move around in the mail.

Finally, whoever did the first posting, awesome! It is to bad Intel and the other manufacturers hadn’t gotten to this issue first.

By: Jeff Sellers

Jeff Sellers — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:24:12 +0000

Note: Micron owns Crucial! They are one and the same.

“…Crucial Technology is a fully owned and operated division of Micron…” – http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.aspx?qid=3404

By: GT

GT — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:44:47 +0000

Thank goodness for your posting!!! Random re-boots had been driving me crazy for months after re-building my PC using a boxed Intel DP55KG motherboard and 8 GB of Crucial memory. I started in October by pulling my old (failed) ASUS motherboard out from under Windows XP 32-bit. I soon started experiencing random re-boots (something in over a decade of PC builds that I’d never seen), but I hoped (at first) that they were due to some driver that I’d failed to remove from the old ASUS build. So when Windows 7 64-bit became available, I did a clean install to an Intel SSD (SSDSA2MH160G2R5), but the random re-boots occurred more often than ever! I had to go out of town for a couple of months, and when I got back the first boot of my PC resulted in the usual avalanche of Windows updates. From that point on, instead of getting random re-boots, I got blue-screens! Crucial Tech Support could not suggest a solution, but were willing to replace my DIMMs. At that point I discovered your posting. My 8 GB of DIMMs were indeed 16SFDs! Crucial was willing to replace them with M16FFs, though they were not aware of any problem with the 16SFD builds. I have now been running for weeks without a single problem! For what it’s worth, the 16SFDs were built in China, while the M16FFs were built in the USA. Thanks again!!!

By: John T

John T — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:45:42 +0000

I had dealt with the same problem with random reboots and lockups for a few months with my P55 motherboard and kept looking at a software cause.

After I saw your entry a few weeks ago I looked at my memory a little closer and saw that I had both M16FF and 16SFD modules. The 16SFDs were also reporting back the same way yours were with FFFFFFFF for the serial where my M16FFs show manufacturer and part number. After taking the 16SFDs out my system became stable once more.

A call to Crucial and they repaced the 16SFDs with M16FFs and my sytem is running 8 gigs again without issues.

One thing though with the 16SFDs, I think it might be a little isolated. My brother has the same setup as I do and he was 16SFDs, but CPU-Z shows a manufacturer and part number on his. He’s had no problems with lockups or freezes.

The memory I had passed memtest86, but I think it was just a combination of things that caused memory errors to crop up randomly.

I could play a video game for hours, but then try scrolling up and down in a web browser and it would freeze.

Thanks again for helping me solve my problem.

By: deuce

deuce — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:27:54 +0000

Thanks very much for this detailed post. This is the exact issue that we had. We were shipped one working and one non-working version of the RAM for two P55 systems from NewEgg in the same shipment. One computer has been solid and the other reboots often. We swapped the RAM and it followed the non-16FF Crucial RAM. We are going to try to get Crucial to ship us the correct version since their RMA services seem to be pretty good.

Thanks again!

By: Andrea Chiavazza

Andrea Chiavazza — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:55:35 +0000

I just bought 2x2GB Kingston KVR1333D3N9K2/4G for an Intel DH55TC board.
Intel had this model tested through CMTL labs. The model tested by CMTL had Hynix chips while mine has Kingston chips.
The “sub-model” name also changes from 2025403-0F1.A00 to 99U5403-003.A00LF.
I ran1pass of memtest86 OK and didn’t have any issues on this first day of use, but I can’t help thinking that major memory brands are not playing 100% clean on this whole tested/certified matter.

By: fedot

fedot — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:34:09 +0000

Thank you very much for your detailed findings!
I wish I found your post before I ordered my non-working RAM…
I expressed my thoughts here:

http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Standard-DRAM-Memory/My-new-RAM-does-not-work-at-its-rated-parameters/td-p/7375

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:36:08 +0000

I just ordered the crucial kit off of newegg : CT2KIT25664BA1339 I hope it is using the proper memory to be compatible with my intel DP55WB board (micro atx p55). crossing my fingers. I will use this article and the comments on newegg as ammo if I have to start making support phone calls into getting some replacement chips sent out.

thanks for the info.

By: Nobody Home

Nobody Home — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:58:54 +0000

I have the SAME exact issue. I have an Intel DP55WG mainboard that uses the P55 chipset. I bought a pair of Kingston KVR1333D3/2GR’s which also is within the specs of the mainboard. (1.5v 9-9-9-24) It is not in the compatibility list. Now ever since I set up the machine I am getting random automatic restarts. No blue screen or nothing, just restarts. It is at random. Sometimes once a day, others 3-4 times a day. I don’t want to spend more money to test another stick of ram. However I ran memtest on the ram and it passes with 2 passes. It didn’t make it passed the second pass without restarting. Now I am stuck with this hardware with no solution without spending even MORE money.