EVGA has posted an announcement regarding high end DIMMs dying on high end 680i boards. They say it isn't the chipset but the voltages going to the DIMMs. Word of warning I guess:
http://www.evga.com/articles/350.asp

so what is the fix? that really didn't help solve anything, just put a fan blowing on my $450 ram, it runs at 2.1v, i'm getting fed up trying to find a motherboard that works!!

You're blaming the wrong part Capn. It isn't that EVGA board, it is the RAM that is failing. What that article is saying is that it isn't the board's fault, it is the chips on the high end RAM actually breaking down from voltage and heat. So, If you have high end RAM keep the Vdimm at stock and I say actively cool it.

I would always have some kind of active cooling on the RAM if overclocking regardless of the motherboard or manufacturer. The best RAM heatsink in the world is worthless if there isn't good air flow over it. Overclock it and you are asking for trouble if the RAM isn't actively cooled. I'm not talking standard case cooling either, I mean a fan blowing over it. It has nothing o do with the motherboard, it is the chips on the RAM that are heating up.

I have, slowly but surely, and through some hard knocks, become an advocate of direct cooling no matter what it takes. My RAM, even overclocked so high, runs around 32 c at idle and around 40c when really pushed. I turned off that small OEM HSF fan and the temps rocketed up. 45c idle.

damn i feel like a dumbass, should have read the article, sry i've been so negative lately in my posts.
ok Merc, thats good news i guess, bigger stronger fan or fans around the ram, and not going over the 2.1v, had this 6600 at 2900mhz and ram stayed at 2.1v so need to go order a dvi to hdmi cable now.

I think you can boost the Vdimm as long as you cool it very well. I think guys are buying high end RAM running at 500MHz and then overclocking it even further (the stuff is at it limits anyways) and not really cooling it. I have become acutely aware of this since I hurt my RAM doing the same thing. The Voltregs run hot as well and these high end chipsets are damn near CPUs in their own right and run incredibly hot. My advice from now on is to take as much care cooling the chipsets, voltregs and RAM as you do cooling the CPU. Overclocking and pushing these newer super systems is truly becoming a system wide exercise.

ok i can hang fans here and there, but for 20 bucs i get the ram cooler made for this ram,
hope it fits in there, it will one way or another

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2900&p=2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835704001

I've always used the OTES RamFlow fan from Abit. It's basically the same thing as the Corsair fan except that it only has 2 fans (and has been around a lot longer). It originally came with one of the high-end Abit boards, but lucky us we can buy it as a "replacement" part for $14 ($6 + $8 shipping).

See the first entry on this page:

http://www.abit-usa.com/abitparts/chipset_fan.php

etracer-
Is that thing obnoxiously loud? I don't need silent but a screeching fan would suck. If it is average i may get ones.

Think I like the Corsair fan set better. But, can't tell what the ABIT memory fan set looks like. Is there a better picture somewhere?

What are you using to measure you RAM temps, Merc?

yeah like if you use a probe, whats the best place to put it?

ok, now be nice, that didn't come out right...


also, what about thermal paste, not AS5, but the white stuff between the the ram and cooler, might help a bit..

I just stuck mine in the space at the top of the RAm stick's heatsink. I'm sure that is less than accurate but it is easy and convenient and gives you some idea of temps. The best way would be to remove the heatsink and get the probe between a chip and the HS.

what about some white thermal paste on top of the fins where the cooler is gunna sit?
nah just realized it will blow it all down the ram.

i might take that 120 side panel fan and turn it around as an exhaust since i have the tunnel mod blowing air from the front.

i gotta get off here..
laters

The Corsair RAM fan set designed for the Dominator RAM is quiet and effective. I can see how RAM overvoltage is a problem, but the Dominator RAM is designed to run at higher voltages. The EVGA warning references voltages set at 2.4: that's pretty high. I haven't exceeded 2.35. So far, no problem doing so here. At the moment, I'm not doing much with that, as I want to get the chipsets and CPU on water before generating more heat (even if just ambient).

I'll make note of this on my thread, but seems appropriate to post this here too: the EVGA default setting in BIOS Hardware Monitor section is for 'smart' fans enabled (like Asus' "Q-Fan"). Asus' default setting is to have this feature disabled. I know that disabling this feature resulted in a 10 degree difference using a stock CPU HSF.

Mine's at 2.3v. I tried lower v today but no-go. It is a helluva an overclock (475MHz 44412 2T)) for RAM and the temps are outstanding, both from the sensor readings and the touch -*test*-('"). The voltage thing has me concerned but apparently 2.3v, if the DIMMs are well cooled, is OK.

Dominator has the specially built fan and the super heatsinks (the deign isn't a gimmick from the reviews I've read) but for everyone else I can't stress enough that you should go out of your way to actively cool your RAM. In my case that little OEM HSF fan velcroed in and blowing over the DIMMs is more than enough. The stuff is cool to the touch even after Orthos blend for an hour. I unplugged the fan and the temps went up very quickly. Not hot, but much warmer. It doesn't take much, just get some directed air over the heatsinks and stay below 2.4v and I think you should be good to go..