Encountering a 'Overclocking' issue during a cold boot process.
Encountering a 'Overclocking' issue during a cold boot process.
It might involve several possibilities, including the RAM. You can experiment with rearranging the RAM slots. Typically, you have four slots, labeled a1b1a2b2. You might switch the positions, such as using a1/b1 instead of a2/b2, and so on (assuming you have dual 4GB sticks). Try removing one stick and leaving just one to see if the issue persists. If an XMP profile is present for the memory (when overclocking), reverting it to the default settings could assist. Always remember to take all necessary precautions when handling your motherboard, especially near a power source, to avoid static shocks. Additionally, the CMOS battery might be failing (see It could be a good idea to replace it if it's affordable and simple.
Sedivy also recommends checking various possibilities, such as rearranging the RAM slots. Typically, you have four slots labeled a1, b1, a2, b2. You might switch the positions, for example, using a1/b1 instead of a2/b2, assuming you have dual 4GB sticks. Try removing one stick and leaving another to observe if the issue persists. If an XMP profile is present on the memory during overclocking, reverting it to the default setting could assist. Be sure to follow all precautions when handling the motherboard, especially avoiding static electricity near the PCIe connector. Additionally, the CMOS battery might be failing (see It could be a good idea to replace it if it's inexpensive and simple to do. Sedivy mentions having four 2GB RAM sticks and has removed three to test if the problem recurs. He suggests comparing the performance of the remaining stick with the previously working one, but only if he can run the PC with just two GB of RAM.
No, you can keep the plugged-in stick and add another one. Check. Then add the last two. It seems the issue isn't a single bad stick but possibly something in the RAM setup it dislikes. It could be related to the 4-stick combination for that memory or its XMP profile if overclocking is involved. Adjusting voltage and timings might help, though I don’t have enough info to suggest specific settings.
By the way, I just discovered that I have an OC switch that can be used for overclocking. The switch currently has the second one on while the other two are up. Could this be the reason the PC is overclocking? After RAM, should I try turning off the second switch to see if it helps?
You can overclock a lot of things, cpu, memory, gpu. Just cause it has overclock switch doesn't mean it's for ram and so messing with it might make things worse. If you're talking about bios when you say switch, look for the section that says memory and xmp. Xmp is extreme memory profile. In that one picture I linked you it was mentioned and it was disabled. It also had options for memory Z and advance dram configuration. Memory-z according to msi is: Memory-Z Easily keep an eye on your memory settings with Memory-Z. Memory-Z displays your memory's SPD timing information in one easy overview. Helping you optimize your RAM settings for stability and overclocking. And it's mentioned well in this thread: The tech specs for your ram are here: http://www.corsair.com/en-us/cm2x2048-6400c5 One interesting thing is that it has a lifetime warranty so you might ask corsair to help you with the settings considering your system is getting unstable for whatever reason. Another thought is that if this suddenly became unstable after years of being ok, it could be your PSU is dying and it's manifesting via memory instability first. I'm not sure. Beyond bare basics I don't know enough about memory over or underclocking so I can't really guide you through a step by step on this. If you want to rule out your psu, get a voltmeter and check the voltages are within tolerances: https://www.wikihow.com/Check-a-Power-Supply (part 2 is the relevant one)
Sedivy: You can overclock a lot of things, cpu, memory, gpu. Just cause it has overclock switch doesn't mean it's for ram and so messing with it might make things worse. If you're talking about bios when you say switch, look for the section that says memory and xmp. Xmp is extreme memory profile. In that one picture I linked you it was mentioned and it was disabled. It also had options for memory Z and advance dram configuration. Memory-z according to msi is: Memory-Z Easily keep an eye on your memory settings with Memory-Z. Memory-Z displays your memory's SPD timing information in one easy overview. Helping you optimize your RAM settings for stability and overclocking. And it's mentioned well in this thread: The tech specs for your ram are here: http://www.corsair.com/en-us/cm2x2048-6400c5 One interesting thing is that it has a lifetime warranty so you might ask corsair to help you with the settings considering your system is getting unstable for whatever reason. Another thought is that if this suddenly became unstable after years of being ok, it could be your PSU is dying and it's manifesting via memory instability first. I'm not sure. Beyond bare basics I don't know enough about memory over or underclocking so I can't really guide you through a step by step on this. If you want to rule out your psu, get a voltmeter and check the voltages are within tolerances: https://www.wikihow.com/Check-a-Power-Supply (part 2 is the relevant one) After a couple of cold boots the pc did not seem to have any errors with the single ram plugged in, I have know plugged in the second ram and will see if this causes any problems. If I do have to buy new ram, will any DDR2 ram be suitable for my computer or I do I need to make sure of any other details, I was thinking of getting 2x 4gb DDR2 ram, do you think this is a good choice?
The warranty for that RAM is lifetime. If it fails, simply swap the second stick. No need to purchase a new one.
If you're certain you need this motherboard, check the compatibility here:
https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/support/P...pport-test
And refer to the support documentation for the recommended RAM:
https://us.msi.com/file/test_report/TR10_1482.pdf
You have a lifetime warranty for that RAM. If it fails, you can simply swap the second stick. No need to purchase a new one. If you're serious about buying, check the support page and the compatibility list:
https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/support/P...pport-test
https://us.msi.com/file/test_report/TR10_1482.pdf
Your motherboard is:
https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/P43TC51.html
For RAM, you should only consider the list provided. There aren’t any 4GB options listed there. I was thinking about buying two 4GB DDR2 RAM sticks. Would any DDR2 RAM work in that case?
I know my ram sticks come with a warranty, but if I bought new RAM, would any DDR2 RAM fit my motherboard or would I only have options from the list you provided? Also, with both rams plugged in, I had two 2GB sticks and the PC worked fine, so now I’ll try the other two to check if it’s a bad RAM or something about the settings that doesn’t allow more than four at once. My PC has been running smoothly for a month without issues, even though I haven’t changed any settings, so I suspect the issue isn’t related to the settings but possibly with one of the other two rams being faulty. I also checked in BIOS—there’s no option like “XMP,” and many settings are automatic, which makes it less likely the problem is about those.