Going from 8 GB to 16 GB results in random shutdowns, crashes, etc.

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Captain Kirk

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
288
Hey All,

Finally trying to upgrade the system in my sig. I installed a Corsair Neutron GTX SSD not too long ago while really breathed new life into the system. I remember my motherboard supporting 16 GB of memory, so I went ahead and ordered another 8 GB kit from Amazon. Same one I ordered years ago, at least according to Amazon.

I installed the RAM and immediately saw the system fail to POST, or boot and immediately shutdown. Sometimes it would try to load Windows and BSOD with MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. Ugh. I tried moving the DIMMs around, I even tried to boot off just the new stuff. Anything involving the new sticks caused problems, so I RMA'd them. A new batch has arrived and the exact same symptoms persist.

I'm at a loss. Aside from a slightly older version number, the RAM appears to be the same make & model with the same timings, voltage, etc. Take a look at this side by side pic. Old stick is on the left. New stick is on the right. I've got 2x of the old and 2x of the new. 4 DIMMs.

Any ideas? Am I simply doing something stupid?
 
Test each of the new sticks individually. They may have sent you another pair of bad sticks. Rule that out first, then move on to troubleshooting motherboard and cpu.
 
Tsumi said:
Test each of the new sticks individually. They may have sent you another pair of bad sticks. Rule that out first, then move on to troubleshooting motherboard and cpu.
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Yeah, did that with both packs. Same symptoms.

What's weird is using my old RAM in different slots works fine. It's really annoying to think this different version of the same model is ruining my day.
 
^as said above, check for a bios update for your board. If that didn't work, I'd just pick up a whole new matching set of RAM, and sale the old ones.

It could be that you got 2 bad sets of the new RAM. I would say that's a super rare occurance, but it is a possible.
 
So a bit of an update.

Both packs of 2x4GB seem to disagree with this board. The old sticks work fine, regardless of number or slot position. I'm pretty sure this machine just hates new RAM. Decided to replace the 2x4GB original kit and swap it for a 2x8GB, since my original goal of going to 16 GB has remained unchanged.

Kit arrived yesterday. No matter how I install it: single slot, both slots, different slots, etc. Crashes, power offs ... the works. I updated the BIOS to the only other version available. There's only two for this board and I was running the older one. No dice. Drained the juice, same effect.

I'm hesitant to drop more money on RAM at this point since god knows what the machine will accept.

Do I just stick with 8 GB, try and return the new stuff, and eventually build something newer? I feel like an idiot dropping in a rockin' SSD and my 690 GTX still holds its own on most games.

EDIT- I think I figured it out. The ICs on the new stuff are 512s vs 256s. Ugh. I don't think it'll be easy to locate the 256s, outside of something like the Crucial Ballistix line. Maybe that's the way to go?
 
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Captain Kirk said:
EDIT- I think I figured it out. The ICs on the new stuff are 512s vs 256s. Ugh. I don't think it'll be easy to locate the 256s, outside of something like the Crucial Ballistix line. Maybe that's the way to go?
Click to expand...

This could be it. Shot in the dark: have you tried loosening the timings in the BIOS? Like the command rate etc?
 
JS_ said:
This could be it. Shot in the dark: have you tried loosening the timings in the BIOS? Like the command rate etc?
Click to expand...

I always remember a lot of the old DDR boards didn't like running all four slots unless you pulled that back. Since then always tried to keep it to just running 2 slots where possible.

Old habits...

But sometimes and quite rarely nowadays, you do get RAM that just won't work in a certain board. Will work great in your buddies or brother's system but not yours.
 
Captain Kirk said:
EDIT- I think I figured it out. The ICs on the new stuff are 512s vs 256s. Ugh. I don't think it'll be easy to locate the 256s, outside of something like the Crucial Ballistix line. Maybe that's the way to go?
Click to expand...

This is one reason why I only trust brands that come from RAM chip manufacturers themselves, such as Crucial. Brands that source their chips then slap those on a PCB are way more lax at making spec/supply changes during the lifecycle of a model, and that can cause some havok for some end-users.

Hynix, Micron/Crucial, Samsung, Nanya...just a few brands that most OEMs use for enterprise (business class computers ranging from portables to servers) validated RAM. You will never see 3rd party integrator brands (G.Skill, Corsair, Mushkin, etc) in use. Not that most are bad...G.Skill and Corsair have been good products for me in the past and I'm sure they would be good to me if I was purchasing today.
 
The system is just too picky with any new RAM in the slots. I ended up giving up and will likely sell parts of the system for scrap. New PC parts already on order :)
 
Captain Kirk said:
The system is just too picky with any new RAM in the slots. I ended up giving up and will likely sell parts of the system for scrap. New PC parts already on order :)
Click to expand...

Nice! What all are ya getting, if you don't mind sharing?
 
DejaWiz said:
Nice! What all are ya getting, if you don't mind sharing?
Click to expand...
People will probably criticize me for this, but I opted for a system from Falcon Northwest. Yes, I know there's a premium involved. I'm honestly getting it for the build quality and, more importantly, the warranty. While I love building PCs, I'm often struck with these "brown thumb" incidents that ruin my fun and hurt my wallet. These days, I just want to game on something that works. My friends at work are talking about starting up local LAN parties, so Falcon's Fragbox made perfect sense.

I'm going with a 5930K, 32 GB of RAM, and 2x 980 Tis. The system should game quite nicely :D
 
There is a QVL list in the mobo manual for memory. Usually the slightly more expensive stuff, but if you order off that list there generally aren't issues.

Enjoy your new system!
 
Dayaks said:
There is a QVL list in the mobo manual for memory. Usually the slightly more expensive stuff, but if you order off that list there generally aren't issues.
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The problem is, a lot of the stuff listed is so old it isn't sold any more. FWIW, I did find some of the older stuff that was "qualified," bought it, and experienced the same issue. My only conclusion is the motherboard is probably flakey. Since I already blew a few hundred in DIMMS (which I'm in the process of returning), I wasn't about to burn more cash trying to troubleshoot a system I originally built in '08.
 
Captain Kirk said:
People will probably criticize me for this, but I opted for a system from Falcon Northwest. Yes, I know there's a premium involved. I'm honestly getting it for the build quality and, more importantly, the warranty. While I love building PCs, I'm often struck with these "brown thumb" incidents that ruin my fun and hurt my wallet. These days, I just want to game on something that works. My friends at work are talking about starting up local LAN parties, so Falcon's Fragbox made perfect sense.

I'm going with a 5930K, 32 GB of RAM, and 2x 980 Tis. The system should game quite nicely :D
Click to expand...

:eek: Damn that is going to be a sweet rig!
 
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