Following the PC downgrade, the DRAM error light appears and there is no post. Fans and lights are not turning on.
Following the PC downgrade, the DRAM error light appears and there is no post. Fans and lights are not turning on.
Just installed a brand new PC and want to repurpose my old one as a secondary unit. Original specs included an Asus Z-390 i Mini-ITX with an i7-8700K, EVGA RTX 2070, and Corsair Vengeance RAM at 3200MHz. Storage was a 500GB SATA SSD housed in an InWin A1 case. I haven’t confirmed the BIOS version yet. I’ve used Win10 64-bit for about six months before making this switch. Previously, a G Skill Trident Z 4400 at 32GB was installed, but I moved it to the new build, replacing the old SSD with a Corsair SFX 750W and keeping the new RAM.
Before swapping RAM, I reset the BIOS to defaults because I was overclocking with faster memory. After downgrading, the PC wouldn’t boot and I tried one stick in each slot, clearing CMOS. I reinstalled the old RAM too, but it still wouldn’t boot. When I reinstalled Corsair 3200 in the new system, it worked perfectly. On startup, the DRAM light appeared and fans started up normally, though I noticed it was taking longer to reach full speed.
It seems the issue might be with the RAM itself, but I’m not sure what caused it. I don’t think I broke anything and wasn’t removing the board from its case. Since I’m comfortable building PCs, I’m looking for next steps and possible fixes. I haven’t had any post problems before, but this one behaves oddly—fans don’t jump to 100% right away, and I see a DRAM error light without a proper boot.
I tried installing an older RAM from a previous system, but it didn’t work well and failed on my bench. Could this have permanently affected the board?
Dram light indicates either a dram issue was detected or the process halted during that post test for another reason. For me, this suggests the memory might need inspection for faults. It could be that no faults exist, but it’s a bit thorough. Memtest86 is presently the benchmark for this task.
I ran a memory test on my other computer, and everything is working properly. Beyond that, MemTest86 can help verify your RAM stability, detect any corruption, and ensure your system runs smoothly.
Memory issues often occur when specific memory areas are affected, which can happen frequently. However, if the problem persists even after booting, it suggests another underlying issue. It might point to a motherboard fault rather than a memory problem. Running the DRAM test on the motherboard BIOS could reveal if it's a simple lockup or something more serious. A 4400mhz memory setup means the CPU exceeds its threshold, causing the Infinity Fabric to shift from 1:1 to 1:2. This could disrupt system stability.
I reinitialized the CMOS, BIOS was current as of six months prior when I stopped using the PC. The system functioned perfectly then; I only removed the SSD and RAM, and recently decided to attempt a second use. Encountered these problems with the new RAM and SSD.
Ok this may be stupid questions but if the PC doesn't boot at all, will I be able to use Memtest86? I'm not familiar with the process. If this is the case, why does the computer not boot with the 4400 ram that was previously installed with no issues?
Connect the monitor to the motherboard, then reset the CMOS and attempt to power up again.