# Are these temperatures too high (CPU)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600 "2009-07-10T19:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/21 "2009-07-12T19:43:08Z")
I took the memory stick out of the secondary slot, fired up my computer, tried my crashing trick… nothing! Hallelujah! Then I swapped the memory sticks, and tried again - still no crash! So I put the other stick back in, so that now they were in their opposite positions from the original. Tried to make my computer crash, and succeeded. Before, all I had to do was fire up the NWN Toolset, let it run for 30 seconds or so, then try to bring up Options to get a crash; this time it didn’t crash until I brought up the options three times. So I took the secondary stick back out, and I’ve been screwing with the computer trying to get it to crash… nothin’. It’s running beautifully - but with only 2GB of RAM. ☹ So what the hell does this mean? The actual RAM slot in my mobo is bad? I did blow a bit of compressed air towards the slot before I put the secondary stick back in… maybe I didn’t do a good enough job, and it’s just dust? AAARRRGGH! ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/22 "2009-07-12T22:00:05Z")
Good stuff, least you’ve narrowed it down. Ram needs to be ‘matched’ in order to do some kinds of ram speed tricks. Also some MB’s dont like some brands of ram. Could be that your ram sticks arent similar enough to each other. Some options to try would be turning off ‘dual channel’ in your BIOS, or trying different slots in your MB if possible. Ie if you have them in 1 and 3, try 2 and 4 or 1 and 3. The slowdown will be negligible and could be enough to make things work. Next option would be a new matched pair of ram its pretty cheap. Another is to try tweaking your ram voltage by .1 or so, if its possible, Intel tend to be pretty conservative BIOS. If that doesnt work then yes your MB could be a bit wonky, but Id be surprised given its Intel. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/23 "2009-07-12T22:24:11Z")
Sorry checked your MB, try 1 and 2 instead of 1 and 3, or 1 and 4, apparently 1 always has to have ram in it. What is your RAM, ie brand, model and speed? Otara ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/24 "2009-07-12T23:49:32Z")
My RAM sticks are matched. They’re Patriot, DDR3 1333 MHz 9-9-9-24, model# PDC34G1333ELK I didn’t think I could put them in different slots. Just to be sure I have this straight, if I try putting them in slots 1 and 2, I need to have dual-channel off, correct? And thus, the result would be my machine would be looking at my RAM as two 2GB sticks, rather than one 4GB stick? ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/25 "2009-07-13T03:15:44Z")
They can be matched in theory, but not be matched in practise. Ie each stick works fine separately, but are just different enough in timing to cause problems when used together. Matching is supposed to prevent this, so you’ve just had bad luck. If you can return the sticks, another pair might work fine in dual channel. If you put them in one and two dual channel should go off automatically, it usually uses the slot positions to decide whether to enable it or not. Your MB guide seems to say its fine to use different slots as long as one stick is in slot 1 (A Dimm 0). It wont be looking at them as separate sticks, it just changes the way it uses the memory. > **[Multi-channel memory architecture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture)** > > In the fields of digital electronics and computer hardware, multi-channel memory architecture is a technology that increases the data transfer rate between the DRAM memory and the memory controller by adding more channels of communication between them. Theoretically, this multiplies the data rate by exactly the number of channels present. Dual-channel memory employs two channels. The technique goes back as far as the 1960s having been used in IBM System/360 Model 91 and in CDC 6600. > Modern high-... For normal tasks the benefit is usually tiny, and it sure beats crashing. Otara ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/26 "2009-07-13T07:20:25Z")
I see what you mean. Now that I think about it, I bought them together, but they weren’t packaged together, it was me saying “I’ll take two of those.” It’s been almost a year, so I don’t think I can take them back at this point. Even if I could, I bought them at Fry’s… I’d rather spend eternity in Hell than make a return there. 🙂 I’m gonna put that other stick back in tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/27 "2009-07-13T08:19:19Z")
Something else you could do is go into the BIOS and relax the memory timings. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/28 "2009-07-13T21:46:04Z")
Tried putting my RAM in slots 1 and 2. The BIOS states I’ve got 4GB, in Single Channel Mode. But Windows fails to start. I get to the “Windows failed to start” screen, and when I select “Start Windows Normally”… nothing happens. I tried swapping the sticks, no go. Then I tried slots 1 and 4, and I’m back in Dual-Channel mode. System starts up, and crashes like before. I do not get the option to set the memory mode manually in my BIOS. I suppose I could try increasing the voltage or playing with the timings… but quite frankly, after screwing around with this for the last week, I’ve had it. My system is finally working correctly, and I’m really not noticing much of a slowdown only having 2GB of RAM. So until I _do_ start noticing and it makes me nuts, I’m gonna lay off of this. 🙂 Thanks to everyone for your help! ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600/29 "2009-07-13T23:12:43Z")
A fewBad sectors? A healthy drive has zero bad sectors or one or twobad ones from the factory. A few means they Are increasing. Getyourself a new drive [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-temperatures-too-high-cpu/502600.md?page=1)